Film at 11: Michigan State Offense

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Philosophy

Something Old: Other than posing with dogs in social media promotional posts, departed Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker’s whole thing was being “multiple.” By that, we mean he didn’t want to give defenses hints on how to handle his squad by conforming to an established offensive identity. Instead, Tucker’s Spartans amalgamated the concepts that fit best with their personnel from various schools of offensive thought. He wanted to make prepping for Michigan State feel like taking a class with eight different textbooks.

Your scheme is largely shaped by the archetype of players you’ve spent the past half-decade recruiting — or maybe that’s a “chicken and the egg” scenario. Firing a coach in-season doesn’t reinvent your team’s identity, although I’d say they’ve stripped the majority of the offense down to the classic “spread-option.”

Something New: Two different wide receivers — 0-Alante Brown and 83-Montorie Foster Jr — attempted passes in the Nebraska game; on at least one other occasion it looked like Brown wanted to throw but couldn’t find a dance partner. In those 60 minutes, Michigan State matched its total for non-QB passes in the past 40 games, going back to the beginning of 2020.

When your scoring offense (17.4 points/game) is the worst mark in the B1G and 125th of 130 FBS teams you pull out all the stops to find something that works. Essentially, by this point in a disappointing season, overwhelmed interim head coach Harlon Barnett has taped their playbook to the kitchen wall and is just throwing spaghetti at it, calling whatever plays the noodles stick to. Seems like more a reaction to the losing streak than an identity shift from a very “meat and potatoes” offense, but feel free to spin it however you wish. Boy, did that last paragraph make anyone hungry?

Something Borrowed: Here’s something Michigan State lifted from Penn State’s personnel/roster: in Tucker’s first season he changed the position designation of his fullbacks to tight ends. Traditionally sending a FB onto the field was a flashing red light to the defense that you were going to run it, probably right up the gut. Replacing those guys, who had very limited skillsets, with athletes capable of blocking AND catching (and maybe even climbing the ladder and bringing one down in the red zone) has given defensive coordinators additional dimensions to account for.

Something Blue: As in ‘Go Blue.’ Tucker had a sickness for the thickness…as far as his offensive line was concerned. Unlike Penn State — a program that prefers agile athletes who can contribute to the power running game — Sparty spent the last couple years following the recruiting blueprint of Big Brother in Ann Arbor: large offensive linemen who don’t do much moving, voluntary or otherwise.

Unfortunately for MSU’s big eaters, Penn State is a speed rush team that’s built to dismantle those immobile monolith tackles who have become all the rage in the B1G. Chop and Adisa should be able to do some stat-padding and creep up a couple draft boards under Ford Field’s Friday Night Lights.

Starters

Formation

Michigan State’s spread looks limit what you can do with personnel, pre-snap bluffs and pressure packages. When they spread out, you have to spread to cover them or you gift them free outside leverage. They’re going to make it tough for Manny to load seven guys on the line.

Being an option-based offense necessitates at least pistol (but preferably shotgun) alignment. The QB needs to be facing the defense at the mesh point so he can make his read and decide whether to let the HB slam it up the middle or pull the ball back and press the edge himself:

Other than the option the Spartans play a contemporary, pro-look offense: 11-personnel, a shifty slot covered by a long-striding Z-receiver, with your best route-runner and press-beater (“X receiver”) iso’ed on the other end of the LOS:

Maybe this wasn’t the best play to screen grab for this point because I’m pretty sure they ran read option here (they usually do on their first play or two, just to probe how you’re going to defend it). Looking at the photo I’m thinking: “They could kick out the RDE with that H-back, they could read him and use the H-back as a lead blocker, if the QB keeps it they can crack block for him with those outside receivers…” Options (no pun intended): that’s what “being multiple” means.

In this day and age we know how to attack and neutralize the read option: namely strongly encourage the QB to give the ball to the less scary runner. The Steelers do it exceedingly well against Lamar Jackson; no matter what Lamar does, TJ’s gonna hit him. This weekend Manny Diaz is going to have his ends focused on MSU RB Nate Carter (see below) and trust Abdul Carter (no relation) to scrape over the ruckus and hold the edge against the QB keeper (“scrape exchange”).

When MSU goes under center, that’s when your hackles go up expecting some trickeration.

Lion Tamers

5-NATE CARTER, RUNNING BACK: Carter is the only active Spartans player with more than 100 rushing yards (QB Noah Kim has 103 on the year but hasn’t played since Week 5). The preseason hope was Carter, the UConn transfer, would be Kenneth Walker III 2.0 — an instant plug-and-play, difference-making star in the backfield. And, to be fair, Carter has been decent…but, man, that’s a tough bar to reach, let alone clear.

Regardless, the talent is evident. Over 62% of Carter’s yardage this year has come after contact (469/756 yards) and he’s forced 29 missed tackles. He runs through arm tackles and around form tackles.

With Michigan State’s QB situation being an absolute dumpster fire (more on that later) you might expect Sparty to lean on the running game this Friday…if for no other reason than to hurry up and run out the clock on this season from hell. I expect the Spartans to find themselves in a lot of “3rd & Obvious”; in those situations Carter’s pass protection prowess sparkles. It’s not easy and certainly not glamorous stepping to the biggest, scariest dudes with a head of steam. This is a backs-on-backers kinda kid who lives for opportunities to lay dudes out. Keep your head on a swivel, Chop.

97-JONATHAN KIM, KICKER: Not that a placekicker ever SCARES you but Jonathan Kim hit a 58-yarder this year. It actually set the record for the longest field goal in Kinnick Stadium history. You hate to see it.

I know I said earlier there’s nothing more agitating than when a QB hurts you with his legs; I’m going to amend that. Kickers that can bomb balls beyond 55 yards are equally infuriating. If your defense doesn’t let their offense cross your 40-yard-line, you’ve won. They’re not supposed to be able to get points off that; not in college, at least.

Red Circles (Problem Areas)

12-KATIN HOUSER, QUARTERBACK: For those Penn State fans bemoaning Drew Allar’s 21 TD, 1 INT debut season as a starter your privilege is showing! MSU QBs have 12 INT’s and 4 fumbles between them. and they’re 111th in the nation in passing efficiency. The aforementioned Kim played two good games vs. buy-a-win non-conference schedule fillers (5 TD’s/0 INT) then three unspeakably bad ones (1 TD/6 INT’s), now he’s gone from the bench to the “unavailable” list. With the incredibly-average Payton Thorne long gone to Auburn and electric true-freshman Sam Leavitt shut down to preserve his RS, Houser is the only scholarship QB left on the active roster. And, sadly, he’s not very good.

COACHING STAFF: As I wrote about Northwestern earlier this year, leadership becomes a genuine concern when a sudden coaching change collides with a quarterback carousel. Michigan State is averaging 7 penalties for 62 yards per game. That’s actually significantly improved since they snapped their loss streak; they used to be in the bottom-10 of the FBS

Barnett’s doing his best but he’s the Tom Bradley who bridges the gap from Joe Paterno to Bill O’Brien. All year he’s been prepping his team, grinding film, drawing up game plans while his fanbase openly opines who should permanently fill the seat he’s so tenuously occupying. That can’t be a fun way to start a head coaching career.