Notebook: Injuries, MSU’s bad fumble luck, WMU tight ends shining, EMU visits Ohio’s fortress
Lots of injury news to stay on top of, plus notes on the Broncos tight ends, EMU visiting a difficult play to win and how MSU is hunting fumble recoveries.
Mitten Football is a reader supported publication aiming to bring independent coverage of FBS college football in Michigan, with a particular focus on the Michigan MAC teams. Considering subscribing for $8 a month ($87 a year) to support this work. And consider sharing Mitten Football — referrals from trusted sources are the strongest endorsement.
East Lansing — Joe Rossi didn’t quite want to go so far as to say it’s bad luck, but it’s fair to say the breaks have not been going Michigan State’s way when it comes to recovering fumbles.
Of six times that Michigan State’s opponent has put the ball on the deck, the Spartans have recovered just one, against Eastern Michigan early in the second half. The 16.7 percent recovery rate from MSU’s defense is better than just four teams, three of which haven’t recovered a fumble all year.
“I'm not going to say that because I don't want to, like, say things that are coming down to luck,” Rossi said. “But, yeah, like, I think sometimes those things come in bunches, where like you're close, close, close, and then all of a sudden, boom, all of a sudden, you got — one's bouncing to your area.”
And while six opponent fumbles is not a particularly large denominator, the Spartans feel like it’s been a fair share of missed opportunities in not scooping up fumbles by the opposing offense.
Take what happened when MSU did recover one against EMU. After Harold Mack fumbled across midfield on what was going to be a third down conversion and MSU recovered, the Spartans offense marched for a touchdown. That helped pile on and put MSU up 28-7 after an opening drive touchdown out of halftime from the offense.
The Spartans drill fumble recoveries and punch outs in a number of ways, but some of it does come down to good bounces and the cliches about success being contagious — one fumble recovery could open the floodgates.
“I think, you know, you just gotta get one,” defensive lineman Eli Coenen said.
Western Michigan’s tight ends shining
Across the last two games, Western Michigan’s tight ends have accounted for three of the Broncos’ eight touchdowns, including three of the four that Broc Lowry has thrown in those games.
First Adam Parks had his pair of touchdown receptions against Kent State in an eventual blowout, and Nate Levicki followed up with a nifty touchdown catch on a fourth down vs. Central Michigan to put the Broncos up 14-0 at the time.
“I think our tight ends played probably their best game as a unit on Saturday,” WMU head coach Lance Taylor said.
Levicki is currently third amongst Bronco receivers with 145 yards and 12 catches, with the recent touchdown and Parks isn’t far behind with 10 catches for 98 yards and the two scores. Toss in Ryan Brotherton with three catches for 40 yards and a score, too.
While those stats might be relatively uninspiring on their face, it’s worth considering the WMU offense has been one of the lower-volume passing offenses in the country and that Parks, Levicki and Brotherton have accounted for roughly a quarter of WMU’s passing yards and half of Lowry’s passing touchdowns have gone to the tight ends.
But on top of their prowess to catch a pass or two, the group has been a definitive plus in the run game, particularly the tight ends who haven’t caught a pass: Enese Tonga and Brennan Wooten, who have delivered relentlessly for the Broncos in the run game.
“Wooten, Brotherton, Enese, all three of those guys who we don't talk about a ton played really well,” Taylor said. “I thought Wooten probably played his best game as a Bronco. He was really physical, got a ton of movement. And I just thought, one of the things that stood out to me about Wooten was just the strain to finish down field. I showed several clips yesterday, from our game, to the team in our team meeting and he was on a couple of those and it was just really him blocking his man all the way to the whistle. The strain and effort to finish, that his man wasn't going to make the play.”
WMU even got into some 14 personnel (four tight ends) to run the ball vs. Central Michigan, and while there were quips about 15 personnel, the Broncos wouldn’t be wrong to want to build the plane out of tight ends with the way the group has played.
Andrew Graham
Eastern Michigan visits the fortress that is Peden Stadium
Ohio, since the start of the 2022 season, is 26-1 at its home of Peden Stadium. There aren’t many, if any, other college programs that can boast such a stretch of home dominance over the last four-plus seasons, one that includes wins over Iowa State and West Virginia.
The last time Ohio lost at home was Oct. 28, 2023, a 30-16 defeat at the hands of Miami (OH). It’s been more than 1000 days since the Bobcats last lost a home game.
Since then, it’s been a 15-0 run at home for Ohio.
“They've only lost one,” EMU head coach Chris Creighton said about Ohio’s home record since 2022 began. “That's super impressive.”
Andrew Graham
Andrew Graham
Injuries of import
WMU S Micah Davis: No specific update this week; still is a matter of getting cleared to practice, then the return timeline should be pretty quick.
CMU QB Angel Flores: In the concussion protocol per head coach Matt Drinkall. Status for Saturday vs. Miami (OH) is uncertain.
CMU DE Korver Demma: Doubtful for Saturday, per Drinkall, with an undisclosed injury.
CMU DL Max Van Fleet: Doubtful for Saturday, per Drinkall. Sustained what appeared to be a lower leg/ankle/foot injury against Ohio. Did not play vs. Western Michigan.
CMU RB Jayden Clerveaux: Cleared concussion protocol and expected to play after missing the WMU game.
CMU WR Shawn Foster II: Expected to be out still vs. Miami (OH), per Drinkall, as he’s still dealing with a soft tissue injury.
CMU C Losini Maka: Broke part of right thumb, but will play and snap left handed, per Drinkall.
EMU QB Noah Kim: Popped up as questionable on injury report before playing Toledo, played then sat late as the game got out of hand. Status will be sussed out this week in practice before playing Ohio.
EMU WR Nick Devereaux: Not expected back this week, but some time in November seems on the table as the wideout is set to begin running again soon, per Chris Creighton.
EMU LB Zach Mowchan: Questionable the last two weeks but played with an undisclosed injury. Worth monitoring his status going forward.
EMU RG Cole Dellinger: Listed as questionable for the first time ahead of Toledo but didn’t play. Had been out the prior five weeks.
UM S Rod Moore: Listed as questionable on Wednesday, appeared to suffer minor ankle/lower leg injury vs. Penn State.
UM DT Enow Etta: Popping up on report as questionable with unknown injury. Played in full on Saturday vs. Penn State, no prior indication of injury.
UM OG Brady Norton: Questionable for second straight week on Wednesday, was out on Saturday vs. Penn State.
UM C Jake Guarnera: Questionable again but played vs. Penn State.
UM OT Blake Frazier: Listed as questionable on Wednesday. Played on Saturday after being listed as probable through the week.
UM OT Andrew Bablola: Listed as probable after being questionable all last week and available vs. Penn State. Didn’t play vs. Nittany Lions.
MSU QB Alessio Milivojevic: Questionable on Wednesday’s report, did not appear injured vs. Northwestern.
MSU OT Ben Murawski: Listed as questionable after missing Saturday’s loss vs. Northwestern.
MSU LB Jordan Hall: Out vs. UCLA after being out all last week.
MSU QB Cam Fancher: Out vs. UCLA after being out all last week.
MSU LB Caleb Wheatland: Questionable on Wednesday after being out the last two weeks.
MSU LB Brady Pretzlaff: Questionable after being out all last week.
MSU RB Jaziun Patterson: Popped up as questionable, hasn’t been on the injury report prior this season.
