Michigan State Football: 5 players who need to step up vs. BYU

Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Tyler O

Michigan State football faces a tough contest on Saturday against BYU and these five players need to step up.

Facing a tough matchup against one of the few Independent teams left out there, Michigan State football knows it has to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park this week.

The Spartans are desperately seeking their third win of the season and it’s crazy to think that just three weeks ago, they were No. 8 in the country and coming off a road win in South Bend. Losing to Wisconsin and Indiana over the last two weeks, respectively, has dampened the hopes for 2016.

Fans are jumping off the bandwagon left and right, but Mark Dantonio has stated that he doesn’t believe the season is ‘lost’ just yet. He has assured fans that waiting it out could lead to positive results, and true believers in the system have faith.

Some players are facing a bigger game against BYU than others for various reasons. Here are the five Spartans who need to step up for Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.

Andrew Dowell

LB, Sophomore

With Riley Bullough and Jon Reschke out together for the second straight game, the Spartans are going to need some of their younger linebackers to step up.

Enter, Andrew Dowell.

The former four-star prospect has grown into an increased role on the Michigan State defense and Mark Dantonio is beginning to trust him more and more. Dowell tied for the team lead with eight tackles last week in Reschke’s absence and will need to do more of the same against the Cougars.

BYU has one of the top running backs in the country and if Michigan State’s plan is to stymy him, Dowell will need to step up and play aggressively. He doesn’t need to be a superstar, but he has to limit long carries from Jamaal Williams.

Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Brian Allen (65) prepares to snap the ball in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line

OL, Michigan State

This one should go without saying. Michigan State’s offensive line is facing a defensive front that ranks 96th in the country in terms of sacks. The Cougars have recorded just eight sacks in five games and that should bode well for a line that gave up four to a mediocre Indiana defense.

The trenches haven’t been won by the Spartans since Notre Dame, and that has been obvious with the recent two-game losing streak. Both Indiana and Wisconsin have been able to penetrate and get into the backfield with relative ease. Tyler O’Connor has been sent scrambling for his life.

Changes have been made. Kodi Kieler has made the switch from center to left tackle, replacing David Beedle, and Brian Allen is the new center. Allen did a solid job at left guard before being moved, but if this is going to help the team, in Dantonio’s eyes, then you should trust the head coach.

LJ Scott, Madre London and Gerald Holmes will also need more running room as it’s been limited for the past two weeks. These backs put up 250-plus yards against Notre Dame and it’s been a barren desert, in terms of yardage, since.

Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive back Demetrious Cox (7) block a pass intended for Furman Paladins wide receiver Andrej Suttles (3) during the second half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Demetrious Cox

S, Senior

One of the more disappointing players on the team through a third of the season has to be senior safety Demetrious Cox. He was voted captain prior to the opener, along with O’Connor and Bullough, but he’s not living up to expectations. He has the talent to be a ballhawk as well as a strong tackler, but we haven’t seen it yet.

Cox has missed a number of assignments this season, allowing for long passes from opponents. Defensive breakdowns nearly cost the Spartans a win against Notre Dame after taking a 36-7 lead. The defense got too comfortable and the relaxed coverage resulted in big plays from DeShone Kizer.

Who’s to blame for that? It can be split between Harlon Barnett and the backs. Barnett needs to be calling for tighter coverage with guys playing up near the line while the defensive backfield has to work together, communicate and have each other’s backs.

Not much of that communication has been seen, though. The Spartans allowed three passing touchdowns to Indiana — albeit one was a trick play — and each time the receiver was wide open. A fourth may have crossed the goal-line, but luckily Vayante Copeland had Montae Nicholson’s back and intercepted a Richard Lagow throw in the end zone.

Cox needs to be the leader of the defensive backfield and set an example for the younger players. He has to step up against BYU.

Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Tyler O

Tyler O'Connor

QB, Senior

Does Tyler O’Connor deserve a break from the harsh criticism? His Twitter mentions have been flooded with toxic tweets and that might get to a young college football player’s head, but the fifth-year senior knew what he was signing up for when he took the reigns as the starting quarterback.

Filling the shoes of one Connor Cook wasn’t going to be easy, and the growing pains have been quite evident. Michigan State’s offense is struggling with an average-armed O’Connor under center.

Still, he has shown improvements recently. After going just 18-of-38 for 224 yards and three interceptions against Wisconsin, he rebounded nicely against Indiana. He was still far from perfect, but he completed 21-of-35 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns.

O’Connor’s throws aren’t as strong as Cook’s. He under-throws often, contradictory to his predecessors constant overthrows. Sometimes it feels as if he’s winding up to throw in slow-motion, only to toss the ball behind receivers.

It’s time he figures out what’s wrong with his game and puts together a solid performance against a hapless BYU secondary that allowed over 450 yards through the air to Toledo last week.

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

LJ Scott

RB, Sophomore

It’s frustrating to watch the Spartans’ elite run game falter against inferior opponents. LJ Scott has all the talent in the world, but he’s constantly wasting opportunities to pick up chunks of yardage by crumbing in a pile of defenders straight ahead. He leads the team in rushing, but he also leads in disappointing runs.

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Partially to blame for this is Dave Warner. The offensive coordinator calls for the runs between the tackles, but he needs to switch it up a bit and give Scott a chance to showcase his top-100 talent. He wasn’t one of the most highly sought-after recruits in 2015 for no reason.

Maybe throw in some pitches, more options with O’Connor and, heck, let the guy try to catch the ball out of the backfield. Rarely do we see screen passes set up for Scott like we used to with Jeremy Langford and even Le’Veon Bell.

After his worst performance of the year (11 carries for 38 yards), Scott needs a serious pick-me-up in the form of gaping running lanes. The offensive line should have no issue creating room to run, but it’s up to Scott to take advantage and bounce it outside every now and then for 15-20 yard pick-ups.