The No. 11 Michigan State Spartans head to Seattle to take on the revamped Washington Huskies. Both teams enter this matchup with a 2-0 record and are coming off of a pair of blowouts against non-conference opponents. Michigan State defeated Western Michigan and Akron by a combined score of 87-13, while Washington swept Kent State and Portland State by a combined score of 97-26.

The Spartans are riding high off a season that few expected they would have in Mel Tucker’s second season under the helm, winning 11 games and a New Year’s Six Bowl. The expectations remain high after the school signed its head coach to a 10-year, $95 million extension in November.

For the Huskies, it’s a new era after the massively disappointing Jimmy Lake saga came to an end. Former Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer and former Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. have already revitalized the offense, ranking third nationally in total offense two weeks into the season.

Dylan’s Take on Washington/Keys to Win

It’s fun to watch the Washington Huskies on offense again. Yes, they’ve played Kent State and Portland State, but there’s a different energy with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback and some of the weapons he has at his disposal. The defense will always be loaded with future NFL guys, even with offensive-minded head coach Kalen DeBoer at the helm. The Huskies only mustered up 30 points in a game four times in the past two seasons, and that number will certainly be improved in 2022.

For the Huskies to win this game against a top 15 team in Michigan State, their offensive line must contain the elite pass rush of the Spartans, who lead the FBS with 12 sacks through Week 2. The Huskies have only allowed two sacks this season, but the Spartans’ defensive front is far superior than anyone they’ve faced in a while. Also, the Huskies’ cornerback situation is not looking too promising, and the Spartans have a lot of speed and talent in their wide receiver room that must be limited if the Huskies are to win.

Josh’s Take on Washington/Keys to Win

After watching the Washington offense devolve into an uncreative run focused attack under since-fired defensive minded head coach Jimmy Lake, so far the Huskies have looked like a completely different team. New head coach Kalen DeBoer and transfer quarterback Michael Penix Jr. have led a fun passing attack mixed in with a solid committee of running backs as support. Much was made of Penix and DeBoer’s past experience at Indiana in 2019 where DeBoer was the offensive coordinator, and it has worked out so far. Through two games (albeit against weak opponents) the team is averaging 571 total yards and 48.5 points. While those totals will probably not hold up the entire season, it points to a new-found mindset that will be looking to attack a Michigan State defense that struggled last season against good passing teams, finishing near the bottom in nearly every pass defense stat.

For Washington to emerge victorious, it will have to prove that this new flashy offense is not just a product of an easy early schedule but is in fact a good, if not great, scoring machine.  

Dylan’s Take on Michigan State/Keys to Win

I was not crazy high on this Michigan State team coming into this season. The pass defense was the worst in the country last season, and I didn’t expect a dramatic improvement this year. Replacing Kenneth Walker III won’t be easy, but the Spartans made a good attempt this offseason by bringing in Jalen Berger from Wisconsin and Jarek Broussard from Colorado to form a formidable backfield. So far this season, the Spartans have made their money with their menacing defensive front, which has racked up 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss (tied for fifth in the country).

The Spartans need to make Penix uncomfortable and force throws. He has had a lot of time to find his receivers so far this season, and if he has time, chances are that the MSU secondary will be torn apart.

Josh’s Take on Michigan State/Keys to Win

In two games against Michigan State, Penix is 1-1. He threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-31 loss at Michigan State in 2019. After DeBoer left to coach at Fresno State, Penix did not miss a beat, throwing for 320 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 24-0 win in 2020. While it is not the same exact cast of players and coaches from those previous two meetings, there will still be some familiarity when the Spartans travel to Seattle to face Penix again. This is a storyline that can and has been overstated in similar situations in the past; there is a distinct advantage in that the Spartans have game film that can specifically help them in this game. Usually in non-conference games that are not annual matchups, teams have limited film that they can truly apply to an upcoming game. However, Michigan State has film with Penix playing under DeBoer’s offense and film with Penix playing a defense coached by current defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton, who was in his first year with the team during that 2020 loss. That edge could be the difference come Saturday. 

Dylan’s Players to Watch

Washington – Wide receiver Jalen McMillan is a playmaker for the Huskies offense. He showed promise in 2021 but didn’t get as many looks late in the season. Through their first two games, he’s tallied team highs in every category — nine receptions, 214 receiving yards and three touchdowns. If he keeps at this pace of 23.8 yards per catch, he would nearly double his production from last year.

Michigan State – Edge rusher Jacoby Windmon, who transferred from UNLV, has proven to be a game-changing addition for the Spartans defense. Through two games, he ranks second in the FBS with 5.5 sacks and first with four forced fumbles. If you watched the Western Michigan game, those numbers could definitely be higher because he was in the pocket all night. The two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week is an absolute monster with fantastic size and speed, and he deserves the utmost attention from the Huskies’ pass protection.

Josh’s Players to Watch

Washington — Edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui was incredible in the shortened 2020 season. His 7.0 sacks and three forced fumbles showed his talent. After an injury-riddled 2021 season, he is still rounding into form, but now would be as great a time as any for him to return to his previous self. While known for his pass rushing, he does have the strength to blow up a run play by himself. It would not be far fetched to see him explode and single-handedly wreck Michigan State’s entire offense. But even if he can just contribute in one aspect and make Michigan State more one-dimensional, it would make it much easier for the Huskies to stop the Spartans in their tracks. 

Michigan State — Cornerback Ameer Speed is entering his sixth season of college football but his first at Michigan State. A three-star recruit (according to 247 Sports) who originally started out at Georgia, he is still looking for his first career college interception. But the talent is there, and at his listed 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is physical and can stop receivers at the snap if he gets his hands right away on the receiver he is guarding. If anything, he is a willing tackler, with his 15 total tackles ranking second on the team. Expect him to be around the ball a lot, and if he’s able to line up and time it correctly, a hard hit from Speed could cause a game-changing pass breakup or fumble. 

Dylan’s Score Prediction

Washington 35 — Michigan State 28. I think these teams are more evenly matched than what you might expect with a No. 11 team facing an unranked team. Both of these offenses are good enough to make this a high-scoring affair, and they’re both able to do damage through the air and on the ground. But if it comes down to one drive, I would trust Washington’s offense to put together a dagger touchdown drive to seal it, and I think Penix will do just that.

Josh’s Score Prediction

Washington 28 — Michigan State 24. This choice is rooted in several aspects. One is that I expect the crowd to be roaring for this major non-conference game. Another is that I believe that even if the Washington passing game is not as good as it looks currently, simply having the mindset of looking for big plays through the air instead of trying to grind out every last yard with a stale running game will result in more opportunities for this offense to produce more chunk plays. Finally, this is a defense that still has plenty of talent and should come up with enough stops to pull out the victory.