MSU at ND
Michigan State makes their biennial pilgrimage to South Bend to battle the semi-maniacal Brian Kelly and his Fighting Irish. Granted, the Spartans sit comfortably at 3-0 with all wins coming by double digits, but they haven’t ventured from home yet and they haven’t exactly played a trio of national powers.
The quarterback play has been the main topic of conversation around East Lansing, and you have to believe this is the week that the problem truly rears its ugly head. The Golden Domers held Sparty to just three points in their matchup last season, and the offense has taken a step back since then.
If QB Connor Cook can find a way to lead MSU to 20-24 points, the No. 1-ranked defense should be able to take care of the rest. Michigan State does have a unique streak going in that they have not yet trailed in any game yet this season. The Irish are clearly not the same group that finished a perfect 12-0 last season, but even so, their decisive advantage in the passing game will be enough to hand the Green & White their first L of the campaign.
UM at. UConn
Michigan also hits the road for the first time this season to take on Connecticut. If this were basketball, that might be a tricky proposition. Fortunately for Go Blue Nation, this game will be played on the gridiron, and that is not where the Huskies excel.
They played mighty Towson University in their opener and got waxed by two touchdowns. At home. Same story last week when they entertained a typically underwhelming Maryland squad. So despite the well-documented struggles of Michigan last week in their war with Akron, this trip to Hartford should not be cause for too much concern. The UConn defense is 101st (out of 123) in the country, and their quarterback tossed almost twice as many picks as scores last season (16 to 9).
This game also gives Devin Gardner a unique opportunity to clean things up in the ball-control department. Gardner has thrown at least one interception in every game he’s started at Michigan (8 gms), which is not a stat you want to be lugging around. The Wolverines’ pass defense remains an Achilles heal. Thankfully for Blake Countess and the rest, there is not enough firepower on the other side to spring the upset.
Detroit at. Washington
Technically, anything can happen on any given day in the sports world. An unknown lefty like Dallas Braden can throw a perfect game. A heavy underdog like Buster Douglas can knock out Mike Tyson. The Lions can go into our nation’s capital and emerge victorious. Wait, no they cannot. While the NFL is not scripted, this matchup might as well be.
The Lions have made this exact journey 21 times in their history. Never have they finished the game with more points than the home team. In fact, the last time the Lions won a road tilt in this series was back in 1935, when the Redskins represented Boston and played their home games in Fenway Park. So when they say you can throw current records out the window and just rely on decades of history, this is what they’re talking about. The ‘Skins have been terrible through two games this season, getting bludgeoned at home by Philadelphia and then trampled on the road in Green Bay.
Do these results matter?
Sure, they mean something. When your offense is sputtering and your defense can’t stop anybody, it’s hard to predict immediate success going forward. That is, unless the Lions are coming to town. That changes everything.
A visit from the Leos is like the magic elixir of professional sports. Present your laundry list of problems, we’ll bring in the Lions for 60 minutes of football, and by the time the final gun goes off, you should be good as new. With a hobbled Reggie Bush and a bloodthirsty crowd waiting at FedEx Field, I don’t see history being rewritten this weekend. RG3 and co. send the Lions home hungry.
