Senior writer Jake Kocorowski breaks down 10 things to watch for and know before the No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers host the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday inside Camp Randall Stadium.
1. Wisconsin has established a foothold in Michigan, and won recruiting battles against MSU.
Wisconsin has faced Central Michigan, Michigan and will now take on Michigan State. BadgerBlitz.com has not necessarily mentioned this yet, but there are 10 players from the Wolverine State on Wisconsin's roster. According to UW, that's the second-largest number compared to in-state products (52).
Those include wide receivers A.J. Abbott, Taj Mustapha and Stephan Bracey, offensive linemen Logan Brown, Michael Furtney and David Moorman, linebackers Jaylan Franklin and Travis Wiltjer, and safeties Scott Nelson and Reggie Pearson.
According to Rivals, Michigan State offered six of those 10 -- Abbott, Mustapha, Brown, Furtney, Franklin and Nelson.
2. Wisconsin returns to Big Ten action against a Michigan State team that could pose problems on both sides of the ball.
Looking broadly at Michigan State, head coach Mark Dantonio's program comes in with a 4-2 record overall and a 2-1 mark in the Big Ten. Despite the 34-10 loss at Ohio State, and even the 10-7 defeat at home to Arizona State, this will be a tough conference match-up for Wisconsin.
Before allowing over 320 yards and nearly seven yards per carry to the Buckeyes, the Spartans held teams in check on the ground. Even with the big game by J.K. Dobbins and OSU, MSU still only allows 100.3 rushing yards per game while tallying 48 tackles for loss.
Despite not clicking entirely, Michigan State still averages over 260 yards of offense per game through the air -- thanks in part to wide receiver Darrell Stewart, Jr. (41 catches, 624 yards, four touchdowns). It also boasts running back that has gained over five yards per carry (Elijah Collins) and an offensive line that has only allowed eight sacks through six contests.
