When No. 7 Michigan State lines up against No. 3 Oregon on Saturday, it’ll be a clash of opposites. Oregon’s cutting edge spread contrary to Michigan State’s traditional pro style offense. The Spartans’ 4-3 based quarters defense as opposed to the Ducks’ 3-4. It’ll feature speed against size, up-tempo versus clock management and a non-conference matchup with large implications for each team’s College Football Playoff chances.
College Gameday will take its position at the Memorial Quad Saturday morning, and both teams are prepping to virtually hold each conference’s banner when facing off in a matchup that looks more geared for New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl.
This clash of different styles may be one of the premier match-ups of the 2014 regular season, and it has Mark Helfrich beaming about the prospect.
“We love to compete and this is a great program,”said Helfrich, who was the offensive coordinator when Oregon last faced a big ten opponent in the 2012 Rose Bowl, when asked about Michigan State. “Any time you play a game like this, if there’s not a little edge to your preparation, we have a problem and our guys already are of the right frame of mind.”
That frame of mind will consist of a variety of position battles that will have enormous impact on the game’s final score. Michigan State lost five starters on defense from last year’s team that only lost one game, but the group continues to be a staple for head coach Mark Dantonio’s program, and how they fare against Oregon’s rushing attack should be a clear denominator to how the pace, when the Ducks are on offense, is dictated.
On the flip side, Oregon’s defense is coming off a year where teams that finished the season with a record above .500, averaged 51 carries per game on 4.6 yards per rushing attempt. Against South Dakota last week, the problems looked far from being resolved.
With that said, the strengths and weaknesses from each team will only forge into a contest that has factors outside of the Xs and Os playing a role.
“To say this game will simply be about offense and defense is a big mistake,” Dantonio said. “This game will be about turnovers, field position relative to special teams, big plays or lack there of.”
Dantonio’s comments only illustrate how equally talented each team is, expressing that it’s at a point where one mishap could change the entire outlook of the game. However, when looking at the dissimilar approaches from each unit, across the board there exists a group of key players and important match-ups that could help decide the end result.
Match-ups to Watch:
Michigan State rushing attack vs. Oregon’s front seven
Oregon has become susceptible to the rushing attack. It became overly exposed in November of last season and the struggles continue to mount already into 2014. Not only that, Michigan State brings in a system that is entirely focused toward the hand that has brought the Ducks so many problems in recent history. With a running back in Jeremy Langford who rushed for over 1,400 yards last season and an offense that averaged nearly 40 carries per game, the Spartans and their balanced attack are as similar to Stanford as anyone else the Ducks will play this season.
“We all know that this team did beat Stanford, and we know that this is the best team out of the Big Ten and that’s a very good conference,” said Don Pellum, Oregon’s defensive coordinator. “This running game is probably as good as any of them that we’ve seen. Their backs do a tremendous job of bouncing the ball outside, so you’ve got to really make sure you’re keeping leverage on the edge.”
As of now, it seems like the quintessential factor in the game, considering the way Oregon’s offense works and the way Michigan State controls the ball. Stanford held the ball for 42 minutes in last November’s game. The blueprint, if there is one, seems to indicate that using the clock and running the ball is effective. Plenty of teams have taken that route and it has continued to cause problems for the Ducks.
Oregon’s spread vs. Michigan State’s quarters
For Oregon, it seems that developing somewhat of a ground attack is crucial to its success. At least the past would be indicator of that. Sure the Ducks have a threat unlike any in the nation in Marcus Mariota, but without a stable rushing attack, games against top-ranked competition haven’t translated to their typical stat sheet on the ground. Michigan State, on the other hand, has a defense built perfectly towards the spread and has been one of the most consistent and established defenses in the nation, since Mark Dantonio took over as head coach.
“They basically self-adjust to each offense,” Helfrich said. “They’re really good at what they do and there’s nobody that lines up like that in our conference.”
The Spartans did lose five starters last season, including stalwarts like Max Bullough and Darqueze Dennard. However, it sets up a match-up between two first-of-its-class schemes that should decide at what pace the Ducks’ offense is played.
Players to Watch
OREGON:
Derrick Malone, linebacker: Everyone knows that when opponents play the Big-10, particularly Michigan State, they can expect a powerful running game combined with a tricky play action, to keep defenses honest. In order to take control, the Ducks are going to have to rely heavily on the second-year starter in Malone. After struggling mightily in the game against South Dakota, Malone needs to find his form quickly to give the Ducks a chance.
Darren Carrington, wide receiver: After a solid debut last week, where he caught four passes for 68 yards, Carrington needs to prove that he’s got more to bring to the table in a game such as this. After losing Josh Huff and Bralon Addison, the Ducks were in dire need of a go-to receiver, and Carrington stepped up as a surprise last week. Byron Marshall should command a lot of attention, so expect Carrington to get a lot of one-on-one chances, and if he can be successful, it’ll completely open up Oregon’s offense.
MICHIGAN STATE:
Taiwan Jones, linebacker: Jones was praised by his coaching staff for his performance last week against Jacksonville State when he controlled the middle of the defense. Michigan State has a powerful and aggressive defense, but what makes them so successful is that each person understands their individual role and stays within the scheme, and that falls on Jones. He will be in charge of playing left-to-right and making sure Oregon running backs Thomas Tyner, Royce Freeman and Marshall don’t get the edge. If Jones can contain Oregon’s running back, look for this game to swing toward the Spartans.
Connor Cook, quarterback: Langford is a star in the making and behind a powerful offensive line, the running game is very solid. The question for the Spartan offense is with Cook and whether he can accurately distribute the ball to playmaking receivers, thus making defenses respect his arm and not stack the box. Also, the Ducks showed a variety of blitzes last week, so if Cook can identify where the blitz is coming from and how the coverage might be rolling, look for him to take advantage and win the game with arm.