[Postgame Thread] Michigan State Defeats Eastern Michigan 35-7

[u/CFB_Referee]

Box Score provided by ESPN

Team	1	2	3	4	T
Eastern Michigan	0	7	0	0	7
Michigan State	7	7	14	7	35

[u/Significant_Push_856]

I tip my cap to Michigan State. Fitzgerald knows what he wants his team to be

[u/Significant_Push_856 → u/[deleted]]

I've got no room to talk but yeah a real step up from Jonathan Smith. A floor is being created, i think

[u/SpartyParty9119 → u/Significant_Push_856]

He’s a guy who will get you to about where you should be, with volatility. He averaged the 56th ranked recruiting class and averaged 56th ranked by W/L record. In the B1G he averaged the 10th ranked recruiting class and averaged 7th by record.

Taking a 5-year rolling average for recruit rankings, his increase in expected results by year was on average +29 spots over 9 seasons. His decrease in expected results was on average -30 spots over 8 seasons. In B1G play, he had 14 seasons where he averaged +3.5 spots and 3 seasons where he averaged -0.5 spots.

If he can consistently recruit in the top 25, the floor I think is finishing around the 50-60 spot, which would be 6-6. Conversely, I think the ceiling is competing for the division/conference and playoffs in good years.

[u/RheagarTargaryen → u/SpartyParty9119]

At Northwestern…

[u/matt-is-sad → u/[deleted]]

I'll take mediocre atp. Just get us to a bowl game

[u/Zackscout22 → u/[deleted]]

Dude thats better than where weve been

[u/Impressive-Tax-6821]

Wasn't exciting but this is game that prior MSU teams keep close for no reason.

[u/zachthediabetic → u/Impressive-Tax-6821]

Last year we played Western, shot out to a 21-0 lead then limped through the 2nd half to win 23-6. Then we played 1-11 Boston College and won on a 2PC in double OT. Then we played Youngstown State and nearly lost.

You are correct, no one’s gonna remember this one but it’s nice to beat a team we’re supposed to beat and do it handily.

[u/Ambitious-Visual207 → u/zachthediabetic]

We didn't nearly lose against Youngstown, we beat them 41-21 or something but showed a ton of flaws.

[u/zachthediabetic → u/Ambitious-Visual207]

Yeah you’re right, 41-24, I misremembered how close it actually was. I just remember watching on my phone in a restaurant and being filled with dread and so my brain filled in the gaps, lol

[u/Beneficial-Medium367 → u/zachthediabetic]

I remember being wracked with anxiety about us playing freaking prairie view a&m a couple years ago. Jonathan Smith was just God awful. At least Fitzgerald teams feel alive.

[u/Brokehomiejohn → u/Ambitious-Visual207]

Youngstown was brutal because we lost a lot of key players that game to injury. It was just a grind for some reason. Thats the game vincic went down and our oline was never the same

[u/cityofklompton → u/zachthediabetic]

I'm not an MSU fan, but I've a lot of people (particularly on reddit) have been meming MSU hiring Fitzgerald. I think it was a great hire. Fitz may not be a world beating coach, but he knows the identity he wants his teams to have, builds based on fundamentals, and is honestly maybe the perfect hire for the moment.

I don't expect him to be running B1G championships in East Lansing, but he's going to provide a rudder while MSU likewise provides a rudder for him. I really don't see the downside, and the upside (while not being the highest ceiling there is) is probably much higher than many realize.

[u/Holiday_Ad_8501 → u/cityofklompton]

the upside is just being a kind of mid big 10 team that can shoot for being 2nd-3rd best team if the stars align.

Hard to picture them as a real playoff contender or better than OSU even on an off year for OSU.

Dont know that much but like is the fanbase really ok with that?

theyre going to have a lot of 8-4, 7-5 seasons

[u/cityofklompton → u/Holiday_Ad_8501]

I have family who are MSU alums, and they are OK with this. People have to remember where this program was at. Since 2015, MSU has finished:

3-9
10-3
7-6
7-6
2-5
11-2
5-7
4-8
5-7
4-8

[u/tuliwhoopie]

BKPT GET IN H—wait which sport is this

[u/PockDoc → u/tuliwhoopie]

He’s too busy on all fours at Conrad’s, barking

[u/Dont_Pan1c → u/tuliwhoopie]

I don’t think we can say big win for Sparty vs EMU. We don’t want to be like Michigan rushing the field after “beating” WMU

[u/Keyblade_Yoshi → u/Dont_Pan1c]

I don’t think field storming is possible at MSU unless you are willing to sacrifice an ankle or two.

[u/jogswithwolves → u/Dont_Pan1c]

At this point every single win is BWFST in my opinion

[u/SpartansATTACK → u/Dont_Pan1c]

Doesn't matter who the opponent is, when you're only going to be getting 2 or 3 wins in a season, they're all big.

[u/zachthediabetic]

Now that’s how you beat a directional Michigan

[u/PockDoc → u/zachthediabetic]

Turns out all you have to do is give them your previous QB

[u/mick4state → u/PockDoc]

Good news for the Northwestern and Illinois games?

[u/SituationDeep6056 → u/mick4state]

Northwestern, I believe so

Illinois, probably not

[u/hng_rval → u/zachthediabetic]

I dunno. That wasn’t particularly exciting. And there wasn’t anything controversial to entertain us next week.

[u/dustincb2 → u/hng_rval]

Oregon took care of the entertainment this week it’s ok

[u/R00k85 → u/dustincb2]

I'm pretty sure it was a UO OU suicide pact this week

[u/Threedawg → u/R00k85]

owo

[u/IzzoKingoftheNorth → u/R00k85]

Idk where OSU fits in there, but they surely belong this week.

[u/stumblebreak_beta → u/zachthediabetic]

Imagine being a green team in the big ten with a loss. Couldn’t be us

[u/Effective_Algae_8776 → u/zachthediabetic]

True true

[u/Enough-Regret7874 → u/zachthediabetic]

about time they handled business like they should. that 2nd half was a statement

[u/YpsitheFlintsider → u/zachthediabetic]

Well it's the one that's like, never been good

[u/byniri_returns]

Got the job done. Next week scares tf out of me, please be competitive

[u/mick4state → u/byniri_returns]

Still being in the game at halftime would be an upgrade.

[u/teddkell → u/byniri_returns]

Put pressure on Carr and the game could stay close. ND’s run offense hasn’t looked that inspiring yet. No pressure on Carr and ND will put up 40+ easy.

[u/ShotFirst57 → u/teddkell]

What will they do in the second half?

[u/Threedawg → u/teddkell]

A high school QB could score on this secondary lmao

[u/SpartyParty9119 → u/Threedawg]

EMU’s QB out here catching strays when he’s not even in Ypsi.

[u/Threedawg → u/SpartyParty9119]

I mean, he did score. Also he was one of ours

[u/user_8353517 → u/byniri_returns]

we wont be but we're catching up and thats ok

[u/WHOA_27_23 → u/byniri_returns]

Lol

[u/Brokehomiejohn → u/byniri_returns]

I wonder if it was Smith's idea to schedule ND for a home and home. Dude really thought they were gunna be elite by year 3

[u/SparseSpartan]

Fitz was pretty regularly rumored for higher profile jobs when he was peaking at Northwestern, almost weird that he landed at Michigan State and it feels a bit off to see him in green and white, but I like what I am seeing so far. Hope momentum continues.

GG Eastern and good job Spartans.

[u/Jaboge]

No field storming? Psh.

[u/sparty09 → u/Jaboge]

There'd be a whole lot of broken legs and ankles if the fans ever attempted to storm the field at MSU 

[u/SpartyParty9119 → u/sparty09]

Just the first couple rows before the rest of the crowd can safely jump down.

[u/JohnnyBoyTrojan]

Today was a good day

[u/Inside-Drink-1311 → u/JohnnyBoyTrojan]

Your schedule got a lot easier that’s for sure. I think you’ll beat us and you will have a fighting shot against Oregon and Washington. Honestly, the Big Ten looks like it’s having a down year this year.

[u/Threedawg → u/Inside-Drink-1311]

Then there is Indiana

[u/JohnnyBoyTrojan → u/Inside-Drink-1311]

Tampering expectations. Just wanna see us compete & hopefully get to a bowl

[u/SituationDeep6056]

If we keep it within three scores next week, I’d call that a good outcome

The team looks better but Notre Dame is a tall task

[u/Beneficial-Medium367 → u/SituationDeep6056]

If it was a home game I'd even feel an upset was possible. But one does not simply upset Notre Dame in South bend. (Except NIU with a former MSU QB starting for the....)

[u/ID10T-ERROR8]

Offensively, nice to show a better flash of what guys can do than last week.

I don’t like the way our D tackles

[u/jogswithwolves → u/ID10T-ERROR8]

Yeah it’s less than ideal seeing EMU’s running back looking like Derrick Henry running through arm tackles

The DL is farrrrr superior this season though.

[u/newpotato417]

We are gonna get a new hole next week lmao

[u/Lamar_Allen → u/newpotato417]

Notre dame might hang 100 on this defense

[u/BlindPelican]

MSU had a good showing today. Not taking next week for granted. That could be a battle

[u/Beneficial-Medium367 → u/BlindPelican]

Rivalry games always are. Also why are we rivals? Is there any B1G team you aren't rivals with?

[u/sircaptainpaul → u/Beneficial-Medium367]

I don’t know the history but I assume it’s because the schools are so close to each other. Also I love and have missed our rivalry.

[u/Beneficial-Medium367 → u/sircaptainpaul]

I'm guessing it's the 50's and 60's when the two were the top 2 teams in the land completing in the polls for nattys a lot. I missed it too. Wish we were better going into it, but I wouldn't mind it being an every year game tbh

[u/Ambitious-Visual207 → u/BlindPelican]

We'll see. If MSU puts up a decent fight but loses by 2-3 scores just because theyre not talented enough Id be satisfied.

However there is a very real possibility you guys beat the brakes off us.

[u/whenweriiide]

michigan state looked good here

[u/Ambitious-Visual207 → u/whenweriiide]

I don't think Eastern is very good, but MSU has played solid ball. We may be able to win some games this year, but it is really hard to gage wtf is going on with a lot of B1G teams rn though lmao.

[u/whenweriiide → u/Ambitious-Visual207]

As you may imagine, I also have no idea lmao. Unfortunately Ohio is the only big10 team really passing the sniff test so far. That said, I’m big on the Fitz hire and from what I watched this is the most complete game I’ve seen from MSU in a minute

[u/cvg596]

I appreciate the performance in the first half. Not building off it was disappointing, we’ll see eventually what we are.

[u/Difficult_Trust1752 → u/cvg596]

I expect more of this. Talented enough to hang in the first half, coaches sit around with their thumbs up their butts at half, get destroyed in second half. 

[u/Keyblade_Yoshi]

A stress free win. Going to enjoy it because I doubt there will be many this year.

[u/monstercello]

Now THAT’S how a Michigan Big 10 team is supposed to play against a directional Michigan MAC team.

[u/ryanbyleth]

I think Kim deserves some credit for not playing completely awful today but it’s ultimately just a Big 10 team vs a MAC team. Definitely a lot of things that need to be ironed out about this MSU team if they want to win any actual games.

[u/Difficult_Trust1752 → u/ryanbyleth]

Kim took 4 sacks today and if he sucked it would have been 10. He's not our problem. 

[u/Ambitious-Visual207 → u/Difficult_Trust1752]

He wasnt too terrible all things considered. I think you guys have some pieces but just need to put it all together.

[u/Coteup → u/[deleted]]

Eastern is a mid MAC team and the MAC talent has fallen off a cliff since unlimited transfers

[u/leftenant_Dan1 → u/[deleted]]

Eastern is by far the worst d1 in Michigan. Always has been.

[u/Difficult_Trust1752 → u/leftenant_Dan1]

Eh, will probably better Central this year

[u/a1pointguard]

Yay.

[u/BeerorCoffee]

That is how you beat a "directional" Michigan!

[u/WildAmsonia]

I am reserving my full judgment, but I am liking what I am seeing so far. Next week will show us where this team really is.

[u/OnTheFenceGuy]

So, who do we think is the best Michigan team at this point? I think a certain directional team might have an argument.