Penn State-Michigan State Game Preview
No. 6 Penn State travels to East Lansing, Michigan for the 24thLand Grant Trophy game with Michigan State. The Nittany Lions enter Saturday's game with a 7-0 record (4-0 Big Ten) for the fifth time since joining the Big Ten Conference in 1993. Penn State is one of 10 remaining undefeated teams in FBS and are ranked No. 6 in both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Poll.
Fresh off a bye week, Michigan State holds a 4-3 record (2-2 Big Ten) and have lost two consecutive games to AP Top 10 opponents. Head coach Mark Dantonio is in his 13thseason with Michigan State and owns a 6-4 record against Penn State. The game will be televised on ABC and broadcasted on the Penn State Sports Network.
Penn State Spotlight
With Michigan State ranking 12thin the conference in both rushing offense and scoring offense, expect sophomore linebacker Micah Parsons to deliver on Saturday. Parsons posted 14 tackles against Michigan last weekend and leads the team with 45 total tackles through seven games. Micah was named to the Midseason All-America team by Rivals.com and was also named the coaching staff's co-defensive player of the week after his performance against the Wolverines. Could we potentially see another sack from No. 11 this Saturday? We'll find out. Expect the Pennsylvania native to play a big factor during Michigan State's rushing attack and short yardage passing situations.
Scouting Michigan State
Saturday will mark the third consecutive game against a top 10 opponent for Michigan State; a fate that has happened just three times in its program's history. The Spartans are led offensively by senior quarterback Brian Lewerke who has thrown for 1,596 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, while also tallying three interceptions. His top target is senior Darrell Stewart who has 46 catches for 683 yards and four touchdowns. Michigan State ranks 12thin the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 23.9 points per game.
Defensively, the Spartans feature seven seniors who have combined for 257 career starts and 17-straight starts in a Michigan State uniform. Senior linebacker Joe Bachie leads the defense with 65 tackles and was named a first-team Midseason All-American by Rivals.com. Bachie collected 11 tackles against then-No. 4 Ohio State and has registered 8.5 tackles for loss this season. The Spartans led the nation in rushing defense a season ago, allowing 77.9 yards per game. However, through seven games this year, Michigan State has allowed 117.7 yards per game on the ground, a mark that ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 27thin FBS.
Michigan State is 10-9 in its last 19 games against AP Top 10 programs but has losses this year to Ohio State and Wisconsin. Saturday's game will begin at 3:30 p.m. and mark the 34thall-time meeting between the two programs.
Michigan State quick facts
Head Coach: Mark Dantonio
Record at Michigan State (13thSeason): 111-54 (.673)
vs. Penn State: 6-4
Game Information
No. 6 Penn State takes flight for third road game of the season. The Nittany Lions have beaten back-to-back AP Top 25 opponents and are one of 10 remaining undefeated teams in FBS. The game can be found on ABC or on the Penn State Sports Network. Check out GoPSUsports.com following the game for exclusive interviews and more.
Penn State-Michigan State Game Preview
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