GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Northwestern’s backfield is now a running back-by-committee with the loss of leading rusher Jeremy Larkin to medical retirement, a strategy that did not favor the Wildcats in Saturday’s 20-17 loss to Michigan and is unlikely to do so Saturday against the Spartans. John Moten IV rushed 13 times for 36 yards and a touchdown against Michigan, while Solomon Vault rushed seven times for 18 yards and Isaiah Bowser added one carry for two yards. Michigan State boasts the top-ranked rushing defense in the FBS, limiting its opponents to 1.49 yards per carry and 40.3 rushing yards per game. Without a dynamic go-to back, Northwestern’s offensive game plan will lean heavily on the pass game.
DRAFT SLANT
–QB Clayton Thorson completed 16-of-27 pass attempts in last Saturday’s 20-17 loss to Michigan and also carried the ball 11 times, including a 1-yard touchdown run. The loss to Michigan was the first game this season that Thorson took every snap, a positive sign for both fans and scouts. Thorson had been limited to a snap count in the Wildcats’ first three games this season as a precautionary measure while he finished rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered during a 24-23 win over Kentucky in the 2017 Music City Bowl.
ROSTER REPORT:
–LB Nate Hall left Saturday’s game against Michigan late in the first half with an undisclosed lower body injury and did not return. If Hall is unable to suit up against Michigan State, the Wildcats will be without one of their best tacklers. Hall has 26 tackles, including 1 1/2 for losses, and an interception this season.
–QB Clayton Thorson played his first full game of the season against Michigan, after splitting time with backup TJ Green while being limited to a snap count by Northwestern’s medical training staff. The fact that Thorson appears to be back to full health should perpetuate more cohesion in the Wildcats’ offense.
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