EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State’s tackling problems became a magnet for attention this week after the Spartans surrendered 38 points for a third straight game, after allowing 45 at USC on the Spartans’ opening weekend of Big Ten play.
Michigan State ranks No. 17 in the Big Ten in total defense and yards allowed per play. Missed tackles have been a problem along the way, but they are also a symptom of other problems – namely the lack of proper team leverage on the ball. In other words, the Spartans are playing too many downs without having all 11 on defense playing on the same page, and arriving with numbers for swarm tackling, from proper angles.
It’s not a problem with every player on every play. But too often, Michigan State defensive players are seen bumping into one another, taking false steps, failing to defeat blocks, and arriving at the ball without the proper leverage to send the ball back to help defenders. The end result is often a Spartan alone in space trying to make an open-field tackle against an offensive player who has a two-way go.
“It starts with the leverage,” Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith said about the Spartans’ tackling problems. “We want to play with being in your right spot to maintain that leverage. We’re not always wanting one-on-one tackles. We want to play with great leverage, begin the tackle and get the party coming to them. That showed up a couple of times (on tape in the Indiana game). We didn’t have enough guys getting in the spot. Some of it because we’re playing with poor leverage and the balls going somewhere where it shouldn’t have gone.”
Michigan State needs to get its defense fixed in a hurry, if the Spartans want to pull at upset of No. 25 Michigan on Saturday.
Michigan State ranks No. 84 in the nation and No. 13 in the Big Ten in overall tackling grade, according to Pro Football Focus. Last year, Michigan State ranked No. 36 in the nation and No. 9 in the Big Ten.
What has changed?
(MORE inside SpartanMag. Join SpartanMag now – $1 for the first week – and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership.)
