Getty Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke
Two undefeated teams will meet in Week 3. No. 18 Michigan State will host Arizona State to see who will get their first loss.
The Spartans did not put on their best performance in Week 1, but they made up for it last week against Western Michigan. Brian Lewerke finished with three touchdown passes. Elijah Collins kept the offense balance with 192 yards on the ground. Michigan State scored 51 points in the win.
Arizona State has been a big question mark so far this season. No one knows who they are. They faced Sacramento State in Week 2. The Sun Devils were expected to roll but they held a slim 9-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The game ended 19-7 which means that they took their opponent too lightly.
Arizona State vs. Michigan State Preview
Herm Edwards will lead Arizona State into bowl action against Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Jayden Daniels will face his first real test against Michigan State’s defense. He has not thrown an interception over the team’s first two games but that could change this week. Arizona State does not run the ball very well. As a team, the Sun Devils are averaging 3.1 yards per carry. This does not bode well heading into a game against a stout defense.
Herm Edwards is back on the sidelines and his team has not clicked just yet. He knows the importance of playing a team like Michigan State.
“Now we’re gonna play a legitimate football team,” Edwards said. “They’re big-time. They’re good and they’re gonna stop you. You can do everything right and they’re gonna beat you and you can’t worry about that because that’s gonna happen.”
Michigan State seems to under achieve every season. Lewerke has been the model of inconsistency during his tenure at Michigan State. So far this season, Lewerke has turned the ball over just once and the offensive line has done a great job at protecting him. He has only been sacked once. Collins has 209 rushing yards through two games and is averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
It is the Spartans’ defense that is going to carry them wherever they go this season. This is a hard team to score points on. Like Edwards said, they are going to stop you. The Spartans prepare very well for opponents and they perform that way on the field.
“Now, it becomes consistency and performance much like I said I guess on Sunday night. We have to continue to do that and get better and better and better,” Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said. “They (Arizona State) play hard and with emotion. Should be a great challenge for us and a great football game, so we are looking forward to that.”
Arizona State vs. Michigan State Pick & Prediction
Michigan State has not been great ATS in recent games. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, they come into the Arizona State game as 14.5-point favorites. That half point is going to give people fits. That has backdoor written all over it. It is Michigan State’s job to avoid that.
You typically never see an o/u as low as 41.5 in college football, but that’s where we are at for this game. These are not explosive offenses. They like to play defense and stop the other team. When a line is this low, typically the odds makers know something that the average viewer does not.
PICK: Michigan State -14.5
UNDER: 41.5
SCORE PREDICTION: Michigan State 28, Arizona State 10
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