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The Michigan State Spartans will head out on the road to face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. Neither Michigan State nor Minnesota, so it might be the defenses that decide this one.
Michigan State's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their fifth straight loss. They were dealt a punishing 49-0 defeat at the hands of Michigan. Michigan State was already down big by the end of the third quarter and they stayed that way after failing to score in the fourth.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, the Spartans had trouble moving the ball and finished the game with only 182 total yards. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Michigan gained 477.
Meanwhile, the third road match was the charm for Minnesota, as they earned their first road win of the season. They skirted past Iowa 12-10. The victory was just what Minnesota needed coming off of a 52-10 defeat in their prior contest.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Minnesota, adding 12 points to the final score. All those points came courtesy of Dragan Kesich: he added 12 points with four field goals.
Michigan State's defeat was their third straight at home, which dropped their overall record down to 2-4. Those losses could be blamed on the team's lackluster offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 5.3 points per game. As for Minnesota, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Michigan State is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. This contest will be their sixth straight as the underdogs (so far over this stretch they are 2-3 against the spread).
Michigan State was pulverized by Minnesota 34-7 in their previous matchup back in September of 2022. Thankfully for Michigan State, Tanner Morgan (who threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns while completing 88.5% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check CBSSports.com after the match to find out.
