.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
The BYU football team travels to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday. Here are three things you need to know for Cougars vs Sparty.
The BYU football team is coming off a 55-53 victory over Toledo in Provo, while the Spartans suffered a disappointing 24-21 loss to Indiana. BYU owns a 2-3 record while MSU sits at 2-2.
The Cougars are trying to hand MSU its third-straight loss, but since Mark Dantonio took over in 2007, the Spartans have lost three-straight just twice.
The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. MDT and can be viewed on ABC.
Give Jamaal Williams the ball
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
This one is simple. Jamaal Williams is the best player on the BYU football team.
When Williams gets going, the BYU offense follows suit.
This won’t be easy against the Spartans. They have a big, physical front four and have the talent to control the line of scrimmage. The Cougars struggled mightily against UCLA, and the Bruins have a similar (but less talented) defensive line.
Still, the Cougars must be feeling pretty good about their ability to run the ball after Williams posted a school-record 286 yards.
Not to mention, Squally Canada also got into the fun, posting a career-high 49 yards on nine carries.
If the Cougars can average four yards per carry, I think they can pull off the upset in East Lansing. But, if they can’t establish the run, I don’t think the passing attack is talented enough to carry the Cougars to a victory.
Williams is good enough to salvage a broken play or two, but he’ll need his offensive line to be on the same page on Saturday. Coach Mike Empey spoke to that after practice on Wednesday, saying they’re emphasizing unity going into the game.
The Spartans are ranked No. 16 in the country in rush defense, so BYU will have its work cut out for it. Still, when you have an NFL caliber player on the roster, you have to utilize him.
Sparty won’t be at full strength against BYU
While the Spartans have a strong defense, they won’t be at full strength against the Cougars.
Starting defensive tackle Malik McDowell will be suspended for the first half after a targeting call he received last week against Indiana. Seems crazy to me that this hit was flagged, but there you go.
This is the hit that got Malik McDowell ejected from the game … Unbelievable.https://t.co/mE0WTGCNyN
— Rob Donaldson (@DraftCharge) October 2, 2016
Raequan Williams – MSU’s other starting defensive tackle – will also be out. So one would imagine that the Cougars can get the ground game working against backup players.
Linebacker Riley Bullough will also miss the game (his third straight).
I don’t think the absences mean BYU’s offense will march up and down the field with ease, but I do think that it gives the Cougars some hope.
Once McDowell returns in the second half, running the ball will get much more difficult. Look for a heavy dose of the J-Swag Daddy early and often in East Lansing when McDowell is on the bench.
Sparty’s offense is vanilla, but that’s a compliment
LJ Scott leaps over Notre Dame linebacker Nyles Morgan. Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State is really, really good at what it likes to do. The Spartans run the rock and beat down opponents with physical play.
Sure, that’s what 99 percent of all Big 10 teams do, but Sparty is one of the best.
LJ Scott is MSU’s lead back, and he’s currently averaging 4.5 yards per carry. For the most part, the Cougars have been pretty good at shutting down the run, but MSU may wear the Cougars down.
This feels somewhat like the Utah game to me. Neither team is going to score 40 points, and play play fairly conservatively on offense.
BYU did a great job of containing the Utah running game until the fourth quarter. The Cougars were gassed and Utah went to work carving the Cougars on an 11-minute drive. I’m concerned that may happen against the Spartans as well.
The Spartans have juggled the offensive line depth chart the past two weeks, but they’re big and strong up front. BYU has been rotating defensive lines in and out since the Utah game, to help them stay fresh, but it may not make a difference.
Want your voice heard? Join the Lawless Republic team!
BYU will have to get Sparty in some third and longs and set on the pass. Quarterback Tyler O’Connor hasn’t set the world on fire this year, so the Cougars will want to force him to beat them.
More from Lawless Republic
This article originally appeared on 
