Michigan State vs. Indiana Recap: 3 Things We Learned

As Michigan State made the trip to Bloomington, it was certain that head coach Mark Dantonio would continue his undefeated streak against IU.

In a surprise turn of events, things didn’t go as planned as the Spartans were defeated in an overtime thriller.

Since winning at Notre Dame, the Spartans have been on a torrential downfall. They are 0-2 in conference play, but is it too early to panic? Yes. While it may be too early write them off, there is still hope for the Spartans. All is not lost for them as they can rebound with two key victories against Big Ten East foes Ohio State and Michigan.

Before MSU focuses on what’s ahead, they need to clean up a few things before entering heart of their conference schedule. The game against Indiana served as a great wake-up call for the Spartans, and hopefully they can get back on track.

Although classes are rarely held on Saturday’s, we learned quite a bit from last night’s game.

1. Indiana is Coming Of Age

Head coach Kevin Wilson led the Hoosiers to their first win over Michigan State since 2006. While he is known for his offensive aptitude, the defense is finally catching up. The Hoosiers aren’t quite on the level of the Big Ten heavyweights in Ohio State and Michigan, but they will continue to garner respect if they continue to mount up key victories.

2. The Spartans Defense Needs Their Swagger Back

For Michigan State, the defense will have to get back to the basics. They are giving up a whopping 23.7 points per game and they have been vulnerable to allowing big plays. Despite only allowing one one-hundred yard rusher and one-hundred-yard receiver thus far, the problems lie in many areas of the defense. With the recent showing from the purportedly strong side of the ball, coach Dantonio and defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett will have to get back to the lab to so the defense can return to their stifling ways.

3. Consecutive Losses Aren’t the Norm

Dating back to 2013, Michigan State has only loss five games before the start of this season. In that time span, the Spartans yet to lose games in a row. Thanks to Wisconsin and Indiana, that claim is no more. Football is all about having a short memory, therefore a victory next week would help ease the pain from two rare losses.

Highlights

Next week, Michigan State will face BYU in a non-conference game and Indiana will have a tough away game in Columbus as they face the high-powered Ohio State Buckeyes.