Oh man MSU and the pirate. He always has our number it seems like. We're at .500 vs MSU this century. Well, actually not quite, but I'm not counting that infernal snow bowl.
My honest assessment is that our offense is very streaky. They won't get anything going for at least one quarter, maybe manage a FG, and then we may pop off 10-14 unanswered points. Our opponents may get going early, like the first or second series, and then something clicks in the defense and they usually tighten up and play better until late in the 3rd quarter. It would not surprise me at all for MSU to jump out to a 20-3 type lead, then we close to about 20-17, maybe take a lead early in the 4th like 24-23, and then either lose at the end on a FG or win at the end with a score of our own. I'd say the final will be something like 33-30.
I'll settle for them passing short routes all day if we can keep them out of the endzone. I will say that it seems like our defense at times will come alive and pull something out of their arse, and actually play up to the talent level they were recruited at. We need to be able to get pressure on the QB, force his throws, get his timing off we will win.