Michigan Football: Behind enemy lines with a Michigan State expert

In this week’s edition of behind enemy lines we sat down with Connor Muldowney of Spartan Avenue to discuss Michigan football vs Michigan State.

There’s no hiding what this week’s game is. It’s not just another fork in the road, it’s not just an obstacle on the path to a big ten title, it’s a rivalry game. A rivalry game that is full of bad blood, no respect, and pure hatred.

In the game against Michigan State, head coach Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan Wolverines have had more let downs than not it seems. But this year? Well it sure feels like this Wolverine squad is out for blood.

After blowing a two score lead on the road in East Lansing, this Michigan football team is out for revenge. They know the importance of not only putting their foot on the neck of these Spartans just for this season, but especially going forward.

Michigan football needs this win like a fish needs water. It’s a “gotta have it” matchup — no two ways about it.

But what do Michigan State folks think about this game? Are the Spartans as overmatched as a 20+ point spread suggests?

We sat down with Connor Muldowney of Spartan Avenue — the Michigan State danaides blog — to discuss just that.

Enjoy.

What were your expectations for Michigan State prior to the start of the season?

Obviously, we were all high on Michigan State after the season the Spartans had in 2021 but I did expect a slight step back because, one, 11 wins is hard to replicate and, two, losing guys like Kenneth Walker III, Jalen Nailor, and Connor Heyward were definitely going to hurt. I’d say that I probably expected an 8-4 or 9-3 season.

Has your confidence in Mel Tucker lessened this season?

I definitely wouldn’t say this. It’s tough to have a disappointing season like this right after a successful one, but I’ve had to take a step back and realize where the program was when he took over. Mark Dantonio compiled three straight mediocre recruiting classes and basically everyone transferred out after 2020. He’s hitting a refresh button and I think he’ll be just fine. This is obviously a tough year, but confidence in him is still there.

What has been the biggest reason for the Spartans disappointing record?

I think the biggest reason would be the lack of consistency. Last year, we saw a consistent offensive attack every game, led by Walker, and this year, there’s just no one stepping up regularly other than maybe Jayden Reed. Defensively, there has been no improvement so I’d say that the coordinators are letting this team down, too.

What’s your opinion of Michigan’s season thus far?

Michigan has been great. I expected them to contend again and they are. They may be playing close games early on and then they’re pulling away in the third and fourth quarters. The Wolverines have been wearing teams down which has been really impressive. Right now, it’s a two-team race for the Big Ten title.

Who are some lesser known players Michigan fans need to know about?

I think everyone knows about Jacoby Windmon by now but he’s a guy to watch for and maybe someone like Maliq Carr or Daniel Barker who could make a difference at tight end against the Wolverines. Then you have the usual suspects like Jacob Slade, Xavier Henderson, Keon Coleman, and Jayden Reed.

How do you see this game playing out?

Honestly, I don’t see it ending well for the Spartans. I think the game might be close for the first half but the Michigan run game will wear the Spartans down like it does to basically every other opponent. Michigan wins by a few scores, but Michigan State will cover the spread.

Special thanks to Connor Muldowney of Spartan Avenue for taking the time to answer our questions, and provide excellent insight on the big game coming up. For all things Michigan State athletics, be sure to head over there and check out his work and the rest of the team over there.