Arizona State Sun Devils vs Michigan State Spartans: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI

When: Saturday, September 14th at 4 pm EST

How (TV): FOX

Arizona State Sun Devils (Away)

A win is a win.#ForksUp | #WordsandActions pic.twitter.com/M84PVshrFS

— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 7, 2019

Head Coach: Herm Edwards {All-Time: 9-6 | ASU}

Regular Season Record: 2-0

After a fairly soft opening to their 2019 campaign, Arizona State will face their first serious test in the Michigan State Spartans. Although their first two opponents in Kent State and Sacramento State do not exactly strike fear in anyone, the Sun Devils took care of business and surrendered just seven points in each game. What should concern coach Herm Edwards is the lack of firepower on offense, with his squad putting up just 19 points against Sacramento State.

Freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels is off to a promising start, with three passing touchdowns on 588 yards, while completing 62.7% of his pass attempts. Complementing Daniels’ air attack is star running back Eno Benjamin, who has yet to score on his 46 rushing attempts but has reached the end zone twice thus far as a receiver out of the backfield.

The Sun Devils’ defensive unit has been sturdy thus far, having already forced six fumbles. Among those contributors are linebackers Khaylan Kearse-Thomas and Darien Butler, who have combined for five tackles for a loss and will look to continue to invade opposing backfields.

Michigan State Spartans (Home)

NEXT ?⁣⁣
⁣⁣#ChaseTheMoment #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/1A5kJitTFu

— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) September 9, 2019

Head Coach: Mark Dantonio {All-Time: 127-68 | CIN, MSU}

Regular Season Record: 2-0

Much like the Sun Devils, Michigan State has faced some light competition leading up to this game, with low resistance wins over Tulsa and Western Michigan. However, the Spartans have shown more dominance over lesser foes, particularly against WMU with their 51-17 whipping of the Broncos.

After sporting the 126th scoring offense in the country in 2018, MSU’s 51-point splurge last Saturday was a step in the right direction. A big reason for the improvement is the play of top wideout Darrell Stewart Jr., who has already hauled in 16 balls for 241 yards and a score. Michigan State’s offensive line also deserves credit for keeping Brian Lewerke upright by allowing just a single sack which came in the Tulsa game.

On the other side of the ball, Sparty’s defense should be able to make this game a low scoring affair with their strong pass rush. This group has made defensive coordinator Mike Tressel proud early on, with redshirt senior defensive end Kenny Willekes tallying three of the team’s nine sacks through two games.

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These two programs have faced off just three times prior to Saturday’s game, with last year’s meeting the most recent after a home and home series in 1985-86. Arizona State currently leads the series 2-1, breaking the tie by winning last year’s game 16-13 on a last-second field goal from Brandon Ruiz.

Arizona State Roster Notes

There are currently no injuries or roster changes to report for Arizona State.

Michigan State Roster Notes

Sophomore wide receiver Jalen Nailor is questionable to play against Michigan State due to a lower leg injury.

Redshirt senior long snapper Ryan Armour is out for the season with a leg injury.

Redshirt freshman defensive end Zach Slane is out for the season with a leg injury.

Head-to-Head: Khaylan Kearse-Thomas (ASU) vs Kevin Jarvis (MSU)

With this game not expected to light up the scoreboard, whoever comes out on top will do so because of they took care of business in the trenches. As a result, one of the most important matchups to look out for will be on passing downs between Arizona State’s Khaylan Kearse-Thomas and Michigan State’s Kevin Jarvis.

Khaylan Kearse-Thomas

Outside Linebacker | 6-1, 224lb | Etiwanda HS | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Redshirt Senior

2019 Stats: 9 Total Tackles | 3.5 TFL | 1.5 Sacks

After getting regular playing time the previous two seasons as a reserve, Kearse-Thomas is a fully entrenched starter who has already started making an impact in 2019. The former four-star recruit had just three sacks to his name prior to this season but should see that number increase with more playing time. With sophomores Merlin Robertson and Darien Butler lining up next to him, Kearse-Thomas will also have to serve as a key locker room piece for the Sun Devils.

Kevin Jarvis

Left Tackle | 6-4, 307lb | Maine South HS | Chicago, IL | Junior

17 career starts

When it came to protecting the quarterback, the Spartans were among the middle in the pack, ranking 57th in the country in sacks allowed and 76th in sack yards lost. The run game was worse, however, with MSU’s rushing attack ranking 115th at just 124 yards per game. Coach Dantonio will need better play from his offensive line to improve those metrics, starting with left tackle Kevin Jarvis who moves to the outside after slotting in as a guard his first two seasons. After a 2018 season where he tallied 41 knockdowns, Jarvis is more than capable of igniting his unit.

Arizona State at Michigan State – Predictions and Odds

Check out the latest odds for the Arizona State Sun Devils vs Michigan State Spartans. The odds are provided by 888Sport NJ, DraftKings, and Fox Bet NJ.

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