Michigan State football is staring down Saturday’s noon kick against Aidan Chiles and Northwestern, and holy smokes, their injury report is absolutely brutal. They’re missing four starters on defense, two on offense, and two key second-string defensive players. This isn’t just a tough break, folks; it’s a full-on crisis that makes their already rough 2-4 season, complete with a four-game losing streak, look even more dire.
The Defensive Dwindle Is Real
Joe Rossi’s defense? It’s been absolutely gutted. Seriously, how are they supposed to stop anyone? They’re without captain Jordan Hall and fellow starting linebacker Brady Pretzlaff, both of whom got banged up in the first quarter of that wild 38-37 overtime loss to Illinois. Talk about a double whammy! Backup Caleb Wheatland is out too. Then you add starting cornerbacks Tre Bell and Tyran Chappell, along with backup Charles Brantley, all sidelined. Plus, cornerback Keshawn Williams is also on the unavailable list. First-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who’s facing his alma mater for the first time, nailed it on his radio show: “Defensively, we gotta get a lot of guys ready to play. We’ve unfortunately had a lot of injuries on that side of the ball.” That’s the understatement of the year, man.
Offense Takes Its Lumps Too
And don’t even get me started on the offense. They’re taking their lumps, big time. Left tackle Ben Murawski is the latest starter added to the “out” list. Running back Cam Edwards? Done for the season with a knee injury he suffered against Nebraska, which is just absolutely crushing. And backup quarterback Cam Fancher is still out from getting hurt in that loss at Wisconsin on October 3. Wide receiver Charles Taplin is listed as questionable, so who knows if he’ll even see the field. Beyond those key guys, MSU, sitting at a rough 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten and desperately trying to snap a four-game skid, will also be without fullback Jay Coyne, running back Darrin Jones Jr., tight end Joe Caudill, and offensive lineman Tristan Comer. This team is literally crawling into Saturday’s game.
Northwestern’s Own Woes, But Not as Bad
Now, let’s be real, Northwestern isn’t exactly strolling into East Lansing at 100% either, though their situation feels a lot less like an emergency room. The 4-1 Wildcats, who are 1-1 in conference play, have 10 players listed as out: DB Josh Fussell, RB Daniel Anderson, LB Max Mohring, LB Jason Reynolds II, DL Callen Campbell, LB Qayvier Johnson, OL David Anchondo, OL Ezomo Oratokhaim, OL Jacob Miller, and TE Chris Petrucci. Yikes! On top of that, linebacker Amare Jordan and tight end Luke Dehnicke are doubtful. Plus, defensive backs Robert Fitzgerald and Damon Walters, along with defensive lineman Migo Jackson, are questionable. At least they’ve got some good news with defensive backs Braden Turner and Timi Oke being probable. So yeah, both teams are dealing with significant roster challenges, but Michigan State’s list is just… something else.
Look, Saturday’s game in East Lansing is gonna be less about X’s and O’s and more about who’s got bodies left to put on the field. With both teams seriously banged up, especially Michigan State trying to pull themselves out of a four-game freefall, it’s going to be a brutal grind. Can Coach Fitzgerald somehow rally these depleted troops, or will this injury crisis completely derail their season? We’re all watching to see if they can pull off a miracle.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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