Michigan Football: Behind enemy lines with a Michigan State expert
By Josh LaFond
What advantages does Michigan football have over Michigan State? Which mitten state powerhouse will claim bragging rights and possession of the Paul Bunyan trophy? We sit down with Spartan Avenue to discuss.
The pinnacle of “hate week” will culminate in a high-noon battle come Saturday. Undefeated Spartans and Michigan football will face off for not only state bragging rights and the Paul Bunyan trophy, but for a potential college football playoff birth.
To get more info about the enemy, we sat down with Connor Muldowney, the site expert for our Michigan State affiliate, Spartan Avenue.
Without further ado, we bring you this week’s edition of Behind Enemy Lines.
What were your expectations for Michigan State coming into this year?
I’ll be honest, I didn’t think Michigan State would be anywhere near as good as it’s been. After a 2-5 season and with so much roster turnover and still so many Mark Dantonio guys, I expected a bowl game, but probably 6-6 or 7-5 were the expectations. I never imagined the Spartans would be 7-0 heading into Michigan week.
Where does Payton Thorne rank among recent Spartan quarterbacks?
That is a great question.
Payton has been a pleasant surprise but I’ve been driving the bandwagon since last season when he lit up Penn State in the first half. He’s been that dude for me and I think he has the potential to be MSU’s best quarterback since Connor Cook or even better than he was.
He’s smart with the ball in his hands, doesn’t panic, doesn’t make any bad throws, and is usually on the money. Where does he currently rank?
I’d say he’s probably already the best since Cook. And this is coming from a huge Brian Lewerke fan. If he continues this trend, he might just end up better than anyone Dantonio had.