Michigan State vs. Richmond: 5 determining factors and a prediction

Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch breaks down Michigan State football’s game against Richmond, 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Spartan Stadium. TV: BTN. Vegas line: Not yet available

1. Noah Kim, Part II

MSU won’t know exactly what it has in Noah Kim at quarterback until he’s facing pressure in his face and pressure to score points to keep pace — two sorts of pressure he’s more likely to see in the coming weeks against Washington, Maryland and Iowa. But we’ll still learn a few things about Kim in his second start. We did in his first, the best of which was his resiliency after a rough start, caused as much by dropped passes as his own misses.

Richmond is an experienced defense with some quality, including a couple guys who could play above the FCS level. But this game is more about MSU’s offense and Kim making it move. Another slow start would be concerning. And while a prolific showing against the Spiders wouldn’t prove much, it would give hope and confidence to the idea that Kim is capable of slinging it against Washington next week and keeping up with Michael Penix and the high-octane Huskies.

2. Getting in a groove up front offensively

If there was a red flag for MSU in its opener, it was the lack off push and control by the offensive line. I know CMU has a some guys who can cause problems. But if you’re not getting your way against the Chippewas, it’s not going to happen in the Big Ten. MSU’s running backs rushed 27 times for 142 yards. MSU’s quarterbacks were sacked twice. If the Spartans had just played Maryland or Iowa, you’d think they might be onto something. But the push wasn’t consistent and it wasn’t there for some of the tough yards.

It wasn’t an alarming offensive line performance, but it wasn’t promising, either. The Spartans could use a day up front when they have their way — to know what that feels like and assure themselves they’re capable of it.

3. How bad is this Richmond offense?

The Spiders’ offensive performance in a 17-10 home loss to Morgan State last week was as bleak as the outcome. Richmond rushed for less than 100 yards, turned it over four times and new starting QB Kyle Wickersham, while 23-of-30 passing, tallied just 169 yards through the air while being sacked five times. Richmond head coach Russ Huesman described his offense’s effort as embarrassing and bemoaned the overly-complex approach from his new co-offensive coordinators. Oy. Playing at MSU next probably isn’t the best way to fix it.

Can it get better on the road against Big Ten competition? Can it get worse? If the offense is simplified and some mistakes eliminated, does Richmond have the playmakers to cause MSU some trouble? There’s no evidence of that. Wickersham, while mobile, isn’t an elite runner or someone who makes people miss. And the offensive line, supposedly a strength, struggled last week. Maybe this unit finds its way as the season goes along. It’s unlikely to happen in East Lansing.

4. Getting Maliq Carr going

MSU’s coaches didn’t hide their expectations for tight end Maliq Carr entering the season. In the opener, he had one fantastic touchdown catch but was otherwise a non-factor, other than one memorable drop. He’s got an NFL build and NFL talent, but he didn’t look like an NFL player in Week 1. For all of MSU’s depth at receiver and promising young talent there, this team could really use consistent hands, blocking and playmaking from Carr this season.

Carr's got the ability to be a matchup problem against anyone. It would help to believe that’s coming if he had a bounce-back game Saturday.

5. Getting out of this game healthy

There’s a lot for MSU to get out of this game. But nothing is more important than getting out healthy. We saw a year ago what early injuries did to the Spartans heading into the Washington game and the Big Ten slate. The Spartans need to get their work done quickly in this game, get some younger players time later on and get home feeling good about how they’re playing and the state of the roster.

RELATED: Couch: Running back Nathan Carter finds peace, purpose at Michigan State, where he was meant to be

Prediction

It’s unlikely that the Spartans take Richmond lightly. Maybe if this was a veteran MSU team coming off a big season, waiting for bigger games to start, maybe then there'd be a chance the Spartans come out flat. But this is a young group, with many players making their second appearance in their current roles, some of them in competitive position groups — like at receiver — and all of them coming off a game in which things didn’t start well and the vibe in Spartan Stadium for a while wasn’t a whole lot of fun. The Spiders are catching a hungry MSU a team at a bad time, without much of a counterpunch of their own.

Make it: MSU 47, Richmond 6

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU football vs. Richmond: Prediction, preview, TV info, betting line