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Friday, November 11, 2016

Rutgers 2016 Season Game 10: Michigan State

                                                                                     (AP Photo)

WHO: Rutgers (2-7, 0-6 Big Ten) at Michigan State (2-7, 0-6 Big Ten)

WHEN: Saturday at noon ET

WHERE: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan; Big Ten Network (TV); WOR 710AM, WCTC 1450AM, WENJ 97.3FM, WNJE 920AM, WRSU 88.7FM (Radio)

COACHES: Rutgers: Chris Ash (first season, 2-7); Michigan State: Mark Dantonio (10th season, 89-40)

SERIES: This marks the eighth meeting between the schools. Rutgers is 3-4 all-time against Michigan State. The Spartans won the previous two matchups beginning in 2014, when the Knights joined the Big Ten.

LAST WEEK: Rutgers lost at home to Indiana, 33-27. Michigan State lost at Illinois, 31-27.

RUTGERS WINS IF: The Scarlet Knights are opportunistic offensively and relatively thorough in all three phases. In two games with Gio Rescigno as the starting quarterback, Rutgers has shown more versatility and big-play ability, yet turnover proneness one week and shoddy offensive line play the next. It needs to put it all together on the road this week against the Big Ten’s 12th-ranked scoring defense. Michigan State is also far and away last in the league in sacks (seven). Of course, Rutgers will need to be clean across the board, an elusive achievement in Big Ten play. The defense forced three turnovers the last time out, and Spartan quarterback Tyler O’Connor (concussion) could be susceptible to more miscues if he suits up this week.

MICHIGAN STATE WINS IF: The Spartans’ ground game has its way. Rutgers’ last-place run defense (248.4 yards per game) showed drastic improvement in the trenches and on the edges against Indiana, but was it an outlier? Michigan State’s two-man rushing duo of L.J. Scott and Gerald Holmes guided the Spartans to 175 rushing yards against Illinois. With a questionable quarterback situation because of O’Connor’s injury, dictating the line of scrimmage and controlling the clock at home is critical.

EXTRA POINTS: Rutgers boasts two victories at Michigan State in its history: 14-7 in 1991 and 17-13 in 1988. This season, the Knights are 0-3 on the road. ... Rutgers is averaging 29.5 points per game. It averaged 3.5 points per game in the Knights’ first four Big Ten contests. ... Michigan State has dropped seven straight, the school’s longest losing streak in nearly 35 years, and is 0-6 in conference for the first time since joining the Big Ten in 1953. ... The Spartans feature two New Jerseyans on their roster: wide receiver Cam Chambers of Sicklerville and defensive lineman Gerald Owens of Thorofare.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 27, Rutgers 23


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