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    IU football game day: Michigan State at Indiana primer and prediction

    Mike SchumannBy IU Football No Comments
    Photo - IU Athletics

    With every conceivable goal still possible, Indiana can’t afford to let one slip away now.  In their way is a Michigan State team seemingly in a free fall.

    One team must handle success, while the other is desperate for a win.

    The Hoosiers will try to keep the Old Brass Spittoon for consecutive years for the first time since 1969.

    Here’s everything you need to know about Indiana’s week eight matchup against Michigan State in Bloomington.

    MICHIGAN STATE (3-3, 0-3) at No. 3 INDIANA (6-0, 3-0)

    • Kickoff:  3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday
    • Location:  Bloomington, Ind.; Memorial Stadium (56,626; field turf)
    • Stream:  Peacock — Dan Hicks (pbp), Jason Garrett (color), Zora Stephenson (sideline)
    • Radio:  IU Football radio network
    • Odds:  Indiana is around a 24.5-point favorite
    • Weather at kickoff:  78 degrees, cloudy/showers, wind 11 mph, 30% chance of precipitation.
    • Series:  MSU leads the series 50-19-2.
    • Tickets:  Use our StubHub affiliate link
    • The Coaches:
      • Curt Cignetti is in his second year as the head coach at IU.  He holds a 136-37 record in his 15th season as a college head coach.  He’s 17-2 at Indiana.
      • Jonathan Smith is 42-46 in eight years as a head coach, including 8-10 at MSU.

    GAMEDAY TIMELINE

    • 9 a.m. Tailgating & Parking Lots Open
    • 10 a.m. BTN Tailgate – Live at B-Town Boulevard
    • 1 p.m. B-Town Boulevard Opens
    • 1:05 p.m. The Walk & Gameday Rally
    • 2 p.m. Stadium Gates Opens
    • 3 p.m. Marching Hundred Pregame Show
    • 3:30 p.m. Kickoff vs. Michigan State

    THE OLD BRASS SPITTOON

    Since 1950, the winner of the Michigan State-Indiana game has been presented the Old Brass Spittoon. The brass spittoon came from one of Michigan’s earliest trading posts and is widely believed to be more than 200 years old. Legend has it that the spittoon was around when both institutions were founded – Indiana in 1820 and MAC in 1855. The trophy was initiated by the junior and senior classes and student council at Michigan State, and soon accepted by the Indiana Student Senate. Since 1950, Michigan State leads the series, 50-16-1.

    TALE OF THE TAPE 

    THE COMPLETE BIG TEN WEEK EIGHT SLATE

    Image

    MSU RESULTS

    Aug. 29 WESTERN MICHIGAN (FS1) W, 23-6
    Sept. 6 BOSTON COLLEGE (NBC) W, 42-40 (2OT)
    Sept. 13 YOUNGSTOWN STATE (BTN) W, 41-24
    Sept. 20 at No. 25/RV USC (FOX) L, 31-45
    Oct. 4 at Nebraska (FS1) L, 27-38
    Oct. 11 UCLA (BTN/Homecoming) L, 13-38

    MSU NOTES AND NUMBERS

    (Via Michigan State Athletics)

    ►NICK MARSH LEADS TEAM IN RECEPTIONS, TD CATCHES
    • Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh leads the Spartans with 29 receptions for 340 yards (56.7 ypg; 11.7 avg.), including a team-best four touchdown catches. Marsh had a season-high seven receptions for 77 yards against UCLA with a 5-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter. The Detroit, Michigan, native ranks among the Big Ten leaders in TD catches (tied for seventh with four), receptions (tied for 10th with 29; 4.8 pg) and receiving yards (20th with 56.7 pg).

    ►JUNIOR QB AIDAN CHILES RANKS AMONG BIG TEN LEADERS IN TOTAL OFFENSE 
    • Junior Aidan Chiles has started 18 consecutive games at quarterback for the Spartans. Now in his second season at MSU, Chiles is completing 61 percent of his passes (87-of-142) for 1,019 yards and nine touchdowns against three interceptions. Chiles had his 10-game streak of at least one passing TD snapped at Nebraska. He currently ranks among the Big Ten leaders in points responsible for per game (seventh with 14.3 ppg), passing touchdowns (10th with nine), passing efficiency (10th with 138.2 rating), rushing TDs (10th with five) and total offense (15th with 200.8 ypg).

    • Chiles has also proven to be a running threat and ranks second on the team in rushing with 186 yards on 58 carries with a team-high five scores (31.0 ypg); he has 12 carries of 10-plus yards (tied for second among Big Ten QBs) and has run for 23 first downs (tied for third among Big Ten QBs).

    ►OMARI KELLY PROVING TO BE A PRODUCTIVE ALL-AROUND THREAT FOR MSU 
    • Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly, who is in his first season at MSU after transferring from Middle Tennessee State, leads the team in receiving yards (347; 57.8 ypg) and all-purpose yards (470; 78.3 ypg). He is also second with 24 receptions. Kelly ranks 19th in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (57.8) and tied for 18th in receptions per game (4.0), while also ranking second in the Big Ten in punt returns (19.7 avg.).

    ►MATT GULBIN ANCHORING THE OFFENSIVE LINE   
    • Graduate senior center Matt Gulbin, a Wake Forest transfer who joined the program in 2025, has taken every snap on offense this season for the Spartans (396). He is graded the second-best center in the FBS by Pro Football Focus (80.5). Gulbin is currently on the Rimington Trophy Watch List for the nation’s best center.

    ►MAKHI FRAZIER LEADS GROUND GAME IN FIRST YEAR AS STARTER     
    • Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier leads the team and ranks 11th in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging 63.8 yards per game (4.4 per carry) with two touchdowns. In his first collegiate start, Frazier ran for 103 yards and a touchdown against Western Michigan, then followed up with 81 yards on 17 carries in Week 2 against Boston College. In the Big Ten opener at USC, Frazier had 61 yards on 14 carries.

    ►RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 
    • Michigan State has scored on 22 of its 23 trips to the red zone this season, good for a .957 percentage, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 14th in the FBS. The Spartans have scored 18 touchdowns in the red zone, including 11 rushing TDs, along with four field goals. MSU’s TD percentage in the red zone (.783) ranks first in the Big Ten and 10th in the FBS.

    ►JORDAN HALL LEADS TEAM, RANKS AMONG BIG TEN LEADERS IN TACKLES   
    • Junior co-captain linebacker Jordan Hall leads the team and ranks tied for ninth in the Big Ten with 45 tackles (7.5 pg). He recorded a career-high 15 tackles, including nine solo stops, in the win over Boston College on Sept. 6 to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. Hall had his first career interception to go along with eight tackles at Nebraska on Oct. 4.

    ►PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN RYAN ECKLEY A WEAPON ON SPECIAL TEAMS 
    • Redshirt junior punter Ryan Eckley, a Ray Guy Award candidate and preseason All-American, led the Big Ten in punting in 2024 with his 47.9-yard average and was a second-team all-conference selection.

    • Eckley has showed why he is one of the best punters in the nation in the first six games of the season. Although he doesn’t meet the NCAA stat minimums, Eckley would rank No. 1 in the FBS with his 51.4-yard punting average. He also ranks first in the Big Ten in 50-yard plus punts (12) and second with nine punts inside the 20. Eckley has dropped six punts inside the opponents’ 10-yard line, including three at the 1 and one at the 2.

    • Eckley has a career punting average of 47.9 yards per punt (119 punts for 5,705 yards), which would rank No. 1 in school history (current record: Bryce Baringer, 46.0 avg.). That average also ranks No. 1 among current active players in the FBS.

    • Michigan State also ranks No. 6 in punt returns (19.7 avg.) and No. 8 in the FBS in net punting (39.9 avg.).

    MORE COVERAGE

    PREDICTIONS

    There are variables at play to watch in this one.  The weather could be a factor.  Aidan Chiles’ health is uncertain.  And Indiana must not lose focus after a big win.

    But Michigan State’s weaknesses fall right into IU’s hands.  They give up a lot of points, and they can’t protect the quarterback.

    One way or another, the Hoosiers keep the Spittoon.

    TDH PREDICTION:  INDIANA 45 MICHIGAN STATE 17

    • ESPN SP+ (Computer):  Indiana 40 Michigan State 14 (95% win probability for IU)
    • ESPN FPI (Computer):  Indiana has a 96.4% chance to win.

    For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.

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