Michigan State Football: 5 breakout candidates vs. Northwestern

Nov 22, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Damion Terry (6) attempts to throw the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the 2nd half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State football faces a tough matchup in Week 7 against Northwestern and here are our five breakout candidates.

It was another tough week for Michigan State football as the Spartans lost in excruciating fashion to 2-3 BYU at home. Michigan State entered the game as the favorite, but played poorly and allowed the Cougars to fly under the radar and steal a 17-point win on the road.

Michigan State is now left searching for answers and with seven games left on the schedule, it will need to go 4-3 the rest of the way in order to guarantee a bowl berth. It’s been a rough season for Michigan State, but it can still be salvaged.

Heck, there are a number of games left on the schedule that would help deem this season a success if Michigan State were to come out on top — looking at you, Michigan and Ohio State.

In an attempt to focus one game at a time, here are five potential breakout candidates for Michigan State football on Saturday versus Northwestern.

Auston Robertson

DE, Freshman

It’s tough to pick true freshmen to break out, but I firmly believe that Auston Robertson can have a serious impact on the defensive side of the ball. Right now, as the defensive line is, there’s no push to get into the backfield outside of Raequan Williams and Malik McDowell.

Both Williams and McDowell should be back to play a prominent role this week after one was injured and the other suspended for a half against BYU. That leaves the two defensive end positions up for grabs. Demetrius Cooper has been entirely underwhelming and Evan Jones has been steady, but not great.

Josh King, another true freshman, has been getting more snaps, but the lack of a pass rush has meant more changes for the line on this week’s depth chart.

In fact, Robertson, who didn’t play against BYU, is listed as the second-string defensive end behind Cooper and is expected to see the field plenty on Saturday. We might see the first-year kid record his first career sack with the main focus on the Spartans’ two defensive tackles.

Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio (C) leads his team onto the field prior to their game against the Furman Paladins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Layne

WR/CB, Freshman

Another true freshman who I can see having a big game for the Spartans has to be Justin Layne who saw action in Week 6 as a cornerback. That was a bit of a surprise seeing as he was a highly-touted receiver out of Benedictine (Ohio) in the Spartans’ 2016 class.

Joining four-stars Donnie Corley, Trishton Jackson and Cam Chambers as a deadly receiving class, Layne looked to be one of the most dynamic. He could return kicks and punts and looked to be a potential special teams standout if he did play as a true freshman.

Now that his redshirt has been burned and defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett believes he can be a ‘special player’ at cornerback, Layne might get his first true shot against Northwestern on Saturday.

Darian Hicks returns from an injury and Tyson Smith will see the field often, but the fact that Layne has jumped Josh Butler to move into the second cornerback position behind Vayante Copeland on one side is telling of just how good he is.

No, he probably wasn’t just thrown into the position this past week, I’m sure the staff has seen him work as a cornerback for a while and they’re just now giving him a shot.

If Hicks struggles, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dantonio throw him in there despite being Copeland’s backup. He might step up and take over the starting job, and I can see him having a big game against the Wildcats.

Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive end Gabe Sherrod (89) celebrates with cornerback Vayante Copeland (13) after a defense stop during the second half against the Furman Paladins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Vayante Copeland

CB, Sophomore

Vayante Copeland was given some unfair, lofty expectations coming into the 2016 season and he has played well despite the defense not being extraordinary. Michigan State’s secondary has been knocked for giving up too many short and intermediate passes, but that’s much better than constant long-balls like last season.

Copeland has done a great job of keeping things in front of him and not allowing receivers to blow by. Sure, he has missed a couple of assignments on the season, but he has also bailed out guys like Montae Nicholson and Demetrious Cox on numerous occasions — the interception against Indiana in the end zone comes to mind.

On the season, Copeland has 28 total tackles, two pass deflections and an interception and he’s only getting better. With the other cornerback position in flux with guys like Justin Layne and Tyson Smith rotating with Darian Hicks, Copeland is going to need to be a rock.

I expect a big game out of the sophomore cornerback, especially with Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson not exactly proving to be the most accurate quarterback. Hicks’ side will likely be targeted more often, but I see Copeland making Thorson pay for a poor throw and taking an interception into Northwestern territory.

Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) runs the ball and is tackled by Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Tegray Scales (8) in the first quarter of the game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

L.J. Scott

RB, Sophomore

LJ Scott’s second season with Michigan State got off to a quick start. The sophomore running back rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries but has since been stymied by opposing defenses and a lackluster offensive line.

For weeks now I have predicted the breakout of Scott, but I’ve been wrong each time. Maybe this week he will finally prove me right and finish with over 100 yards for the second time this season and add a touchdown or two to his total.

The numbers for the second-year running back out of Hubbard, Ohio, have been mediocre, at best. He’s accounted for just 311 yards and two touchdowns on 4.4 yards per carry. He’s on pace to finish with less total yards than he had last season, or at least very close, as well as about half the touchdowns.

It’s time for Scott to realize his immense potential and take it to Northwestern with a strong game and a few long runs. He hasn’t impressed since Furman, but a shakeup on the offensive line may fix some things.

Scott will finish with 100 yards this week to go along with two touchdowns against the Wildcats. It’s a matter of when not if he will finally break out for the Spartans.

Oct 8, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Damion Terry (6) runs with the ball during the second half of a game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Damion Terry/ Brian Lewerke

JR/FR, Freshman

I’m leaving Tyler O’Connor off this one just because I believe Mark Dantonio is going to use this game as a tryout for the two backup quarterbacks. Both Brian Lewerke and Damion Terry have been listed as ORs on the depth chart this week with O’Connor, and there’s a good reason for that.

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The fifth-year senior hasn’t gotten the job done and hasn’t led the Michigan State offense to more than seven first half points since the Notre Dame game. That’s unacceptable for a starting quarterback and a major reason why the Spartans have lost three straight games.

Look for either Terry or Lewerke to come in during the first half and lead the Spartans on an early scoring drive. Getting off to a fast start is crucial for the success of this team and that was proven over the last three weeks and against Notre Dame as well.

Terry played well against BYU late in the fourth quarter last week, completing 6-of-10 passes for 63 yards and an interception after coming in cold off the bench.

Fans have been clamoring for the Lewerke era to start, so it’ll be interesting to see which quarterback breaks out this week.