MGoBlog: Michigan State offense hampered by injury, lack of playmakers

The Feeble Foe Film: A Deep Dive into Michigan State’s Struggling Offense

The embattled Michigan State Spartans limp into Ann Arbor on Saturday to face the hated Michigan Wolverines, a matchup pitting Kyle Whittingham against Pat Fitzgerald with neither team feeling great about their season. Michigan fans know the story of this campaign, but Sparty is feeling morose too. After a 2-0 start, the Spartans have lost six in a row and a slew of injuries have crippled any chance of improvement. The question now is whether they have enough left in the tank to beat Michigan in a game MSU always gets up for. MGoBlog reported this week on a detailed film breakdown of the Spartan offense, which provides a sobering look at what the Wolverines will be facing.

This rivalry has a way of magnifying everything, and for Michigan State, that means the spotlight is on an offense that has fallen far short of expectations. The analysis, which breaks down Michigan State’s recent performance against a good defense, shows a unit hampered by inexperience, injury, and a lack of playmakers. The stakes are high for both teams, but for Michigan, this game represents a chance to salvage a season that has been a major disappointment. For Michigan State, it’s about pride and avoiding a historic collapse.

The Achilles’ Heel: A Depleted Skill Position Group

The optimism that greeted Michigan State’s season was built on two foundations: the progression of quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and the addition of running back Cam Edwards from UConn. Both have been undermined by injury. Edwards, who looked like a “Dude” for the Huskies a year ago, suffered a season-ending ACL injury against Nebraska, leaving a significant hole at running back. Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson and WKU transfer Marvis Parrish are now tasked with filling that void, though neither has the same explosive potential.

The loss of Edwards is a major blow, but it’s part of a larger problem at the skill positions. The wide receiver situation, which MGoBlog flagged as a concern before the season, remains bleak. The group is, in the analysis, a collection of “just guys.” The starting receivers include Fred Moore—yes, that Fred Moore from Michigan—and Rodney Bullard, a Valdosta State transfer, with Crishon McCray, a Kent State transfer, in the slot. Their production reflects their level of competition. At tight end, the Spartans lean on Jaden Savoury and Brennan Parachek, but neither is a dynamic receiving threat, forcing Milivojevic to throw into “a lot of mid” all season.

“The performance against Northwestern was unremarkable, 72 yards on 15 carries for a 4.8 YPC… but a long of 12. It was a pretty pedestrian, but efficient day on the ground for Patterson.”

The Quarterback Question: Milivojevic’s Ups and Downs

That leaves the offense squarely on the shoulders of Alessio Milivojevic. The second-year starter showed flashes of promise at the end of last season, but this year has been a mixed bag. He’s put together some nice performances but also some “iffier” ones, with the Northwestern game charted by MGoBlog falling into the latter category. The analysis concludes: “I don’t think Milivojevic is bad, but he’s not actually good yet either.”

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His stats on the season reflect this pedestrian quality: 1,263 yards, a 65.4% completion percentage, 6.8 yards per attempt, 7 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Against a top-tier defense like Notre Dame, he struggled, throwing two of his three picks. The film against Northwestern highlights his biggest issue: accuracy. The analysis points to two missed touchdown opportunities where Milivojevic simply overthrew open receivers downfield. “That was the meat on the bone that was agonizing if you were a Spartan fan,” the report states, “where Milivojevic’s arm just wasn’t accurate enough.”

He’s not a complete statue, however. Milivojevic can move and has shown a willingness to fight for yards. He’s rushed for 106 yards on 24 carries this season and has made some nice throws on the run. But his mobility is not a focal point of his game, and he isn’t a threat to consistently break games open with his legs. The Dilithium Rating, a measure of a quarterback’s rushing threat, gives him a modest 4 out of 10.

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The Line of Scrimmage: A Surprising Bright Spot

One area where Michigan State has held up is the offensive line. The interior of the line, in particular, has been solid. Center Trent Fraley, a standout transfer from North Dakota State, has been a superb performer in the B1G, and guards Conner Moore and Nick Sharpe have done solid work.

The tackles have been a bit of a different story. When LT Ben Murawski missed the Northwestern game, Georgia Southern transfer Robert Wright Jr. started at RT with Rakeem Johnson sliding over to LT. The tackles looked “a bit weaker than the interior line” on both run plays and in pass protection.

Tempo and Scheme: A Different Look for Michigan

The Spartans represent the first opponent the Wolverines have faced this season that utilizes tempo as a regular part of its arsenal. While not a “breakneck pace,” Michigan State uses it much more than the slow-paced offenses of Minnesota, Iowa, and Penn State that Jay Hill’s defense has seen so far. How the defense adjusts to picking up the pace will be a key storyline to watch.

Schematically, Michigan State is mostly a shotgun offense, running about 97% of its plays from that formation. They use a heavy dose of 11 and 12 personnel, often flexing their tight ends. They are primarily a zone-blocking team, with only a few gap plays where a lineman is asked to pull. The offensive philosophy seems to be one of playing it safe, milking clock, and relying on the defense to win games, which is a stark contrast to the high-flying offenses Michigan has faced in the Big Ten recently.

The story of this Michigan State offense is one of what could have been. With a healthy Cam Edwards and a more experienced, accurate quarterback, this unit could have been a threat. Instead, it’s a group depleted by injury and limited by talent, forced to grind out wins that rarely come. For Michigan, this should be a defense’s dream matchup. For Michigan State, it’s just another step in a season that has gone horribly wrong.

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