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The Central Michigan Chippewas (1-2, 0-0 MAC) came through with a strong showing on the road against Syracuse. With a record that doesn't tell the whole story of their season thus far, the Chippewas have something to prove Saturday against yet another Power Five opponent in #2 Michigan State (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten). Both teams are looking to make a statement in this game in East Lansing.
The Spartans are coming off a winning performance against a solid Air Force team, who came into the match-up with the same goal as the Chippewas: to knock off the all-mighty Michigan State Spartans. Senior quarterback Connor Cook threw for four touchdowns against the Falcons, further cementing his status as a potential Heisman candidate.
Central Michigan will face a tough game this Saturday, as they've been outscored in their past two games against the Spartans by a total of 86-14. That being said, this has all the makings for a trap game, as the Spartans will be looking ahead to the start of B1G play.
Quick Game Info
Game Time/Date: Saturday, September 26 at 12 p.m. EST.
Location: Spartan Stadium (75,005) in East Lansing, Michigan.
TV/Online Stream: The game will be available on the Big Ten Network, and the BTN2Go app.
Radio: There are multiple feeds through which to hear the game. For CMU fans, 95.3 WCFX and 98.5 WUPS are the flagship stations for the IMG Sports Radio Network. You can also download the CMU Gameday App on both the Apple Store and Google Play Market. Michigan State fans can listen to the game on one of the many Spartan-affiliated radio stations, found here.
Odds: Michigan State is a 28.5-point favorite over the Chippewas, according to Odds Shark.
Players to Watch:
Connor Cook (QB, MSU) - By this time next year, there is little doubt he will be in the NFL battling for a starting position. He is one of the highest rated quarterbacks in this draft class for a reason. Cook is a mastermind for the Spartans, and he can make every throw in the book. Last week against Air Force, he threw for 247 yards and tossed four touchdowns. Those totals give him 695 yards through the air and 8 touchdowns on the season. He will give the Chippewa secondary fits, and it will have to be a point to attempt to lock down his receivers.
Aaron Burbridge (WR, MSU) - This senior receiver has played out of his mind so far this season. As Connor Cook's new favorite target, Burbridge has accumulated 374 yards, along with four touchdowns. In last week's game alone, three of Cook's touchdown passes were to Burbridge. He is a key part of the Spartan offense, and his success leads to the success of the team.
Devon Spalding (RB, CMU) - The sophomore experienced his first blaze of glory as the starting running back for the Chippewas last week. Nearly reaching 200 all-purpose yards, Spalding enjoyed a nice change of pace, after combining to rush for less than 25 yards in the first two games of the season. Expect for Bonamego to lean on Spalding for some production against a strong Spartan defense.
Blake Serpa (DL, CMU) - The senior defensive leader was forced to sit the first two games of the season for the Chippewas, due to injury. In his first game back, Serpa managed five total tackles and one sack. He is a force on the Central Michigan defensive line, and he'll be needed to clog up some holes to stop the Spartan running game.