Both Illinois and Michigan State are reeling, but one will get back on the winning track when the teams meet Saturday in a Big Ten Conference matchup in East Lansing, Mich.
Illinois (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) is coming off a 24-17 homecoming loss to Purdue on Saturday and has dropped three of its past four.
Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema said following the latest setback that “it’s just been of those years” and that between spring practice and fall camp, his team is a group “that really has to learn things the hard way.”
“Instead of being where we could be, should be and in my mind a better place than where we are at, we are 2-3,” Bielema said during his weekly press conference Monday. “The thing that we can’t do is let that make us fall to a lower place. This week, to play at Michigan State and to be on the road, I think it’s a perfect kind of environment to regroup.”
On the other side, Michigan State (2-3, 0-2) has lost three in a row and did little right in a 31-3 defeat at Wisconsin last week.
Of late, Michigan State has struggled in every facet, whether it’s putting pressure on the opposing quarterback (the Spartans had no sacks against Wisconsin), scoring or making impact plays on special teams.
“It’s all three phases,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “You just point the thumb (at me). You don’t point the finger. You point the thumb. You look at what you can do better individually. What your group can do better and just stick together as a team.”
Michigan State will see a familiar face in Illinois quarterback Katin Houser, who spent his first two seasons with the Spartans before playing two years at East Carolina and then transferring to Illinois.
Houser has completed 65.8% of his passes (102 of 155) for 1,246 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions through five games.
The Spartans’ offense is led by running back Cam Edwards, a UConn transfer who has produced 304 yards and three touchdowns on 64 carries.