Advertisement

Michigan State football predictions vs. Maryland: Will Spartans notch cathartic win?

carlos monarrez, rainer sabin, jeff seidel, chris solari and shawn windsor, detroit free press
·2 min read
3

Free Press sports writers share their predictions for the Michigan State football game against Maryland on Saturday (3:30 p.m., NBC):

Carlos Monarrez

The Terps can score. So can the Spartans. Expect something close to NBA All-Star level of defense this week. Last team with the ball wins. The pick: Maryland 35, Michigan State 33.

Rainer Sabin

The fallout from the Mel Tucker drama continues to shake the Spartans at their core. The deflating loss to Washington last Saturday was proof of that. The Spartans surrendered a school record 713 yards against star Michael Penix Jr. and the high-flying Huskies. Now, they will face another potent offense led by an experienced quarterback, Taulia Tagovailoa. The Terps are averaging 39 points per game, and Tagovailoa leads the Big Ten in passing yards. It could be another long day for MSU on its home field. The pick: Maryland 35, Michigan State 22.

CHRIS SOLARI: Is Michigan State facing a quarterback competition again?

Jeff Seidel

This is going to be a great weekend of college football. Colorado at Oregon (Prime’s magic runs out). Ohio State at Notre Dame (Irish for the win). Ole Miss at ‘Bama (who will play QB?). And even Florida State at Clemson (I love me some FSU). But I have serious doubts it will be fun in East Lansing for Green and White. This might be the day for MSU students to tailgate and then head back to the dorms to watch far more entertaining games on TV. The pick: Maryland 28, Michigan State 10.

Chris Solari

While the Spartans show resiliency to bounce back and stay in the game until the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa and the Terps’ passing attack again proves too much to stop for a young secondary. Maryland pulls away late, while MSU’s offense shows improvement before its defense fades. The pick: Maryland 27, Michigan State 17.

RAINER SABIN: Making a clean break from Mel Tucker won't be easy for MSU football

Shawn Windsor

Tagovailoa isn’t Penix, but he’s a reasonable facsimile, and his accuracy and mobility will cause issues again for the Spartans defense. Another week to settle into Harmon Barney’s leadership should help overall and particularly the offense. And while Noah Kim will play better, it won’t quite be enough. The pick: Maryland 27, Michigan State 23.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football predictions vs. Maryland: A cathartic win?