It’s a far different era now for both CMU and Michigan State (3-0), but can the Chippewas make it interesting?
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Last week, starting cornerback Vayante Copeland texted his teammates to tell them he would miss the rest of the season with a fracture vertebra.
The Spartans captains normally say a few words after each workout to evaluate practice or address an issue on the team. It will be interesting to see if the Chippewas can force Michigan State QB Connor Cook to look elsewhere. There was plenty of speculation about who might be the top receiver on this year’s team.
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is concerned about the depth of his team after redshirt freshman cornerback Vayante Copeland was lost for the season to a neck injury and junior middle linebacker Riley Bullough will have to sit out a half after getting ejected for targeting in the victory over Air Force.
The Michigan State Spartans are coming from a 35-21 win over Air Force in Week 3.
It was the first test this season to challenge how deep into the roster the coaching staff’s development skills and diamond-in-the rough recruiting reputation could go.
Through two games, Michigan State has capably filled the roles of those departed stars, thanks to the long-awaited breakthrough of a senior wideout and the emergence of two promising young tailbacks. I had time to prepare myself with Ed going down early in camp. “I feel like we can win out, we have the pride, we have the heart, we have the toughness to win out, so I’m expecting nothing less”. In receiving, Ben McCord rushed for 147 yards and one touchdown while Devon Spalding added 102 yards.
-CB Arjen Colquhoun started last week in place of Copeland and will do so again. The Chippewa defense was able to slow the Orange passing attack, but the same could not be said for the running game. They have a strong defense and a playmaker at receiver in Aaron Burbridge, but it’ll be a smart, mistake-free and opportune passing game that will be the key to success in an improving conference.
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The Chippewas are facing another tough P5 opponent this Saturday in East Lansing. Games against Central Michigan, Purdue and Rutgers in the next three weeks should be step-over victories for the No. 2 team in the country. Jones, a sophomore, came to Michigan State as a highly recruited player out of Cincinnati but has yet to become part of the regular rotation. Dantonio has a 75-31 record with the Spartans and the development of quarterbacks in his regime is certainly commendable.
