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Winning ugly is fine, but Michigan State’s offense will be forced to show up at some point
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A win is a win is a win.
In the big picture, that’s all that matters. The fact that Michigan State hasn’t won a B1G game by any more than a touchdown is irrelevant. Struggling with each and every conference opponent is nothing more than a foot note right now. The Spartans have won ugly, but all that matters is that they’ve been on the right side of the scoreboard.
Michigan State is 4-0 in the B1G after beating Indiana 17-9 on Saturday, and 6-1 overall. Mark Dantonio’s bunch has achieved bowl eligibility in just seven games after failing to make the postseason a year ago. So, the “how” for those wins isn’t quite that important. That the winning is coming, and at this level, is what’s important.
Saturday was another ugly win for Michigan State, maybe the ugliest of the conference season. The Spartans trailed Indiana most of the way and didn’t find the end zone until 54 minutes into the game. On those final two possession, they were able to muster just enough to cross the goal line to solidify a 17-9 victory and avoid an upset.
The Spartans have relied heavily on their defense on the way to that 4-0 start in conference play. In three of those games, the offense hasn’t scored more than 17 points. That has worked out just fine, because in those same games the defense hasn’t allowed more than 10. Through the first half of the B1G schedule, it’s worked out perfectly.
But, at some point, the Spartans are going to need their offense to come through in a bigger way, especially with games against Penn State and Ohio State on the horizon.
Winning games with stout defense has been somewhat of a staple during Dantonio’s time in East Lansing, that’s nothing new. And in the B1G, having a great defense is a great way to rack up wins on a weekly occurrence. The offense has to offer a little more, though, or at least more than what the Spartan offense has been providing on the field through eight weeks.
Notre Dame exposed Michigan State in the non-conference season. The Irish took advantage of three turnovers and nine penalties in a 38-18 win over the Spartans back in September. It was clear then that Dantonio’s defense can’t always cover for some of the offense’s more serious shortcomings.
Results like that will recur if something doesn’t change for the Spartans.
Michigan State’s defense is clearly talented and disciplined enough to win football games. That was apparent against Iowa, Michigan and again Saturday against Indiana. But against teams with more of that offensive firepower, maxing out at 17 points in a game won’t be enough to get the job done.
Without many playmakers, it’s not surprising that Dantonio has a bit of a “ball control” approach. The Spartans aren’t built to get into those wild shootouts every week.
Sure, Brian Lewerke can make a few plays at quarterback and Felton Davis III has proven to be a quality receiver, but they’ve not proven to be players capable of operating in a run-and-gun, big-play type of offense. And Michigan State doesn’t have the consistency out of the backfield that it would like.
That’s fine. This bunch can still get into those hard-nosed, slobber-knocker type of football games and win. That’s become evident after eight weeks into the season.
But the offense has to come up with something, though. Settling for field position and field goals isn’t going to work against teams of Penn State and Ohio State caliber. The Spartans are going to need touchdowns, and more than just one or two.
Winning ugly in the B1G is somewhat of a beloved characteristic. It’s a trait associated with the aggressive culture of B1G football. Through eight weeks, Michigan State has proven that defense still wins in this conference, even if it’s ugly.
Soon, though, Michigan State is going to need that offense. Because if the Spartans can’t find the end zone against Penn State and Ohio State in the coming weeks, those games will get ugly for an entirely different reason.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB