Michigan football: 5 Wolverines to watch vs. Michigan State

Well, let’s first start by saying that you should pay attention to every player during Saturday’s Michigan vs. Michigan State matchup in East Lansing. It’s the one game in which someone, even if he doesn’t have a previous track record, can instantly become a star and hero.

Just ask Jalen Watts-Jackson, who was relatively unknown — even to MSU fans — before he scooped up a botched punt and scored the game-winner as time expired in 2015.

For that play, he became a legend at MSU.

For Michigan, the same rule applies. Who knows who will do what when given the chance? We already have a good idea who will be game-changers on Saturday. There is so much offensive firepower on both rosters, just itching to explode and make a difference this weekend — and one of them will.

Because it’s a given, the importance of QB Cade McNamara won’t be covered here; he must have a career-type game in order for UM to rise above its in-state rival. And he must play well every week, so we’ll refrain from being too repetitive this time around. You already know the deal with McNamara.

Same goes for Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins, so there won’t be a section dedicated to the running backs.

For now, let’s take a look at others who will have considerable influence on the outcome between the No. 6 Wolverines and No. 8 Spartans.

Pressure cooker

If Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson goes on a tear, it’ll be a long day for MSU QB Payton Thorne. Hutchinson is probably the best player in college football, regardless of position. He’s certainly among the best. Why he’s not in Heisman talk is beyond illogical. Isn’t the Heisman supposed to go to the best overall player? Heisman pundits need to look past QBs, RBs and WRs, and pay more attention to other positions … but that’s another topic for another day.

Anyway, Hutchinson is among the nation’s leaders in sacks, with 5, and he has 27 total tackles this year. So do the math: roughly 1 of 5 Hutchinson tackles is a QB sack. Not a bad average. Very good, honestly.

So there’s that.

Here’s another thing: He’s 6-foot-6 and pushing 270. He’s a big boy. Big, athletic and ferocious. He simply cannot be handled 1-on-1, so MSU’s O-line better devise a strategy or risk seeing its QB flattened by a top 2022 NFL draft selection.

Deep threat

Daylen Baldwin continues to be a must-watch player, a rising-stock player, a whatever-superlative player you want him to be that day. He’s got some momentum going and has slowly become active within the offensive plans. Michigan will continue utilizing Baldwin for deep-ball shots and jump-ball scenarios.

The Wolverines’ passing game must open up, not only to win Saturday but to continue UM’s push for a Big Ten title. He’s had 56- and 69-yard TD receptions, both from QB JJ McCarthy, and he’s been basically targeted twice as much the past 2 weeks as he had been all year.

A clicking UM passing game will have McNamara being precise  — damn it, he got mentioned — and it will have a long-ball threat. That’s if it’s clicking.

Michigan State has the No. 14-ranked passing defense in the Big Ten. Every QB, just about, has had a field day against the MSU secondary. Bubble screens have been effective, but UM should really test the deep connection and see what happens. Baldwin could come up with a couple big catches Saturday.

Motivation

In 2020, LB Josh Ross had arguably his best game against the Spartans, coming up with 8 tackles. This is his 5th MSU week, and it’ll be the 3rd in which he’s played. If you don’t think that he’s looking for a career game, you don’t know about Ross’s competitive spirit.

He is the glue that holds together the defense. There might not be a player at UM who wants to beat MSU more than Ross.

Golden boot

In a game where field position counts a few times extra, it helps to have a good punter. Brad Robbins is that guy. He’s not at the top of national stat boards, but he’s punting so well that teams can’t do anything once the ball leaves his foot. Per a UM release, opponents have 21 return yards on 22 punts from Robbins.

That’s an incredible stat.

In a tight game, which it likely will be Saturday, a punter is worth his weight in gold — about 205 pounds of it, if you’re Robbins.

Center of attention

Andrew Vastardis.

Yeah, Andrew Vastardis.

As the center, he’s the anchor in the trenches — QB of the OL, if you will — and solely responsible for smooth transactions with McNamara. This aspect cannot be overlooked, but it often gets forgotten because everyone wants to talk about the flashy athletes who run, throw and catch.

Put Vastardis on your must-watch list. One mistake could cost the game, and that’s a heavy price to pay for a guy who never sees the ball, other than when he’s about to snap it. Vastardis could very well be a key component to success for Michigan on Saturday.

He’s a veteran, starting his 2nd game vs. MSU, and knows the importance of playing as close to perfect as possible vs. Michigan State.

Adam Biggers

Adam Biggers brings his expertise on the Michigan beat to Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.