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Herm Edwards says ‘patience is key’ when going up against physical Michigan State defense
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It’s not been lost on Herm Edwards just how good the Michigan State defense is. Last season, his Arizona State team faced the Spartans in a Week 2 matchup in the desert, a game the Sun Devils found a way to win with a game-winning field goal.
Last year’s victory doesn’t make this year’s challenge any less daunting.
Edwards met with the media on Monday to preview the upcoming matchup against Michigan State, this time in East Lansing. Like the rest of us, Edwards is most impressed, and most concerned with, the Spartan defense.
Offensively, Edwards wants his team to be patient throughout the game. If that happens, it improves the Sun Devils’ chances of winning drastically.
“This defense is pretty good,” Edwards said, according to DevilsDigest.com. “It really is. It doesn’t give you a lot of room whether you’re running the football or throwing the football. I think patience is going to be key. Just like last year, it was not an offense juggernaut game.
“You’re playing a big physical football team up front with seven veteran guys on defense. They play in a conference where they play everything contested. Everything is contested. Every yard, every pass.”
Michigan State’s defense has been outstanding again through two games this year. On the year, the Spartans have “allowed” -6 rushing yards. In the opener, they shut down Tulsa to -73 yards on the ground.
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The Spartans have been susceptible to the pass, allowing over 400 yards through two games. Perhaps with some patience, the Sun Devils could have some success through the air. Though that’s not going to come easy, either.
Edwards isn’t looking past Michigan State this week, and he certainly doesn’t care what happened last year. He’ll have to have a solid gameplan in place to knock of the Spartans in East Lansing on Saturday.
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