The Film Room: Eastern Michigan Edition

Being 2 & 0 feels great! There are still plenty of things to clean up, but I’m enjoying watching this Michigan State team figure out what it can be under fiery Pat Fitzgerald. Saturday gave us some frustrating stretches, some encouraging individual performances, and a finish that had the sideline fired up. Robbie and I had plenty to discuss on Sunday’s Red Cedar Rundown. Before getting into this week’s individual plays, I want to share a few things that stood out to me.

Defensively, holding Eastern Michigan to seven points and shutting them out in the second half deserves credit. That doesn’t mean the early third downs were any less frustrating to watch. Michigan State had opportunities to get off the field and instead allowed Noah Kim and the Eagles to extend possessions. Jordan Hall’s absence was one of my biggest questions coming into the game. With Dion Crawford stepping into a larger role, I want to take a closer look at the missed tackles and scrambling lanes that helped Eastern keep those drives alive, then see how Michigan State handled similar situations after halftime.

There were also defenders who kept catching my eye for the right reasons. Devin Vaught’s tackling in space stood out, and Charles Brantley deserves some love for blowing up the pop pass along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery. If we’re going to point out the rough snaps, we should make room for the good ones. The same goes for the effort and awareness on special teams, where Chrishon McCray’s sideline return was one of those little moments that can make a difference in field position.

On offense, I keep coming back to finding ways to make life easier for Alessio Milivojevic. My first impression was that he spent too long on his initial read at times, making it easier for underneath defenders to step into his throwing lane, leading to a few tipped balls and near interceptions. I liked the quick tempo around Fredrick Moore’s touchdown, and Cam Edwards’ work in protection deserves attention right alongside the throw and catch. I’d also like to see more of what this offense can do with play action and Alessio on the move. That isn’t a call to run hurry up on every possession or an assumption that Nick Sheridan is hiding half the playbook. I just see some things that looked promising and want to understand how they fit.

Cam Fancher is another piece of that conversation. His appearances give us a chance to look at how the offense changes with a different quarterback and what the defense has to account for. Then there is Trent Fraley, whose work at center is easy to overlook if you only follow the ball. After years of building trails, I know hikers rarely mention the miles of clear trail, but they’ll tell you all about the one downed tree they had to crawl over on their belly. Offensive linemen get the same treatment. Do everything right and nobody notices. Miss a single block or send one snap over the quarterback’s head and everyone calls it out immediately. Fraley deserves some attention for the work he’s getting right.

Finally, I loved seeing the pile keep moving on that last drive and how excited the team was about it. Those are the moments that make me want to rewind and watch the guys up front. For good measure, we’ll also revisit the goal line formation that looked like Michigan State had emptied the big and tall section onto the field. Now let’s get into the film and look at the details behind the stops, the missed opportunities, and the plays worth building on.

JORDAN HALL’S ABSENCE

Jordan Hall’s absence stood out in the first half against Eastern Michigan. Dion Crawford was my Stock Down pick on Sunday’s Red Cedar Rundown after getting shook out of his shoes a few times trying to square up ball carriers. Watching those missed opportunities, my immediate reaction was, “Hall makes that tackle.”

Hall was tremendous last year at making solo stops and keeping games closer than they probably should have been. He’s sticky like glue once he gets his hands on you, but his real superpower is anticipation. He sees where the play is going and gets there early. That can be the difference between meeting a runner under control and trying to recover after he already has you leaning the wrong way.

But linebacker is a tough position, and there was more going on than simply asking Crawford to replace Hall’s tackles. It sounded like Michigan State was also moving the green dot communication responsibilities between defenders, even swapping helmets to get the coach communication equipment to the player handling that role. That is another part of playing without Hall worth checking before drawing conclusions about the defensive operation.

For this film review, we’ll look at two plays from the first half to see where Crawford struggled and how Eastern Michigan took advantage.

PLAY 1: A Chance to get off the field

With just under ten minutes remaining in the first quarter, Eastern Michigan faces third and 10 from its own 3 yard line. The Eagles appear to be in 10 personnel, with one running back, no tight ends, and four receivers, including three to the offense’s left. Michigan State shows four defenders along the line of scrimmage and two deep safeties. At the snap, No. 1 Kenny Soares drops into coverage, leaving three defenders to rush Noah Kim.

MSU matches receivers with zone help underneath and toward the sidelines. The coverage holds up, leaving Kim without an obvious open target, so he takes off as the pressure closes in. Watch No. 18, Dion Crawford, in the clip below. He is in position to challenge Kim before the sticks, with No. 21, safety Nikai Martinez, available to help. Instead, Crawford gets juked and overruns the tackle opportunity.

Crawford needs to anticipate the cut, recognize where his help is, and break down under control. Use leverage to limit Kim’s escape away from Martinez, then shorten those steps and stay balanced enough to react. Instead, Kim reaches the first down marker and keeps the drive alive. Finish the tackle and Eastern has to punt from deep in its own territory. Getting an offense into third and long is only half the job. You still have to get off the field.

PLAY 2: Make the tackle underneath

With about two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Eastern Michigan faces third and 10 from Michigan State’s 41 yard line. The Eagles need to reach the 31 to keep the drive alive. Once again, the Spartans have an opportunity to get off the field.

Eastern spreads it out with an empty backfield, two receivers to the top of the screen and three to the bottom. The widest receiver at the bottom is outside the frame. Michigan State appears to counter with nickel personnel, using four defensive linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs.

The Spartans show what appears to be a two deep look, with No. 45, Brady Pretzlaff, sitting underneath in the middle while other defenders match receivers. Focus on No. 18, Dion Crawford, matched against Eastern’s No. 5 Harold Mack, and how the Eagles create space for their receiver. At the bottom of the screen, Nos. 3 and 9 run short in breaking routes toward the middle. At the top, No. 24 pushes vertically while No. 5 breaks toward the sideline on an out route. That vertical route helps clear space outside, giving No. 5 room to use his quickness against Crawford. That is a favorable matchup for Eastern, but Michigan State still has an opportunity to win the down. The receiver catches the ball well short of the sticks with his back toward the defense. Crawford has a chance to close and limit the gain before the receiver gets moving. Instead, the receiver turns, squares up, and makes Crawford miss.

Give Eastern credit for creating the matchup and Mack credit for making Crawford miss. But Michigan State still has to finish this play. The ball is caught underneath, help is available, and the first down marker is several yards away. Crawford misses, but Vaught rallies to the football and helps keep Mack two yards short of the sticks. MSU ultimately gets the stop, but it turns what should have been a comfortable fourth down into fourth and short. Credit Vaught for recognizing the throw and closing toward the receiver while the ball is still in the air. Vaught is quickly becoming one of my favorite players on this defense. His anticipation and tackling have stood out to me.

CAM FANCHER

I love the selective use of backup quarterback Cam Fancher. He completed all six of his passes for 44 yards against Eastern Michigan, with a long of 17 and no interceptions or sacks. I don’t see a quarterback competition here, and I don’t get the impression the coaching staff does either. Why not mix in a sixth-year veteran who brings experience, works hard in practice, and gives the offense a different look?

Fancher plays bigger than he looks, especially considering he is about three inches shorter and roughly 20 pounds lighter than Alessio. His different skill set gives the offense another dynamic, and being a lefty adds another wrinkle. Fancher gives future opponents more to prepare for, from the threat of a quarterback run or a run-pass option to a moving pocket that attacks the other side of the field. Those details might sound small, but defenses only have so much practice time during the week. Every extra look asks them to spend some of it preparing for something MSU might use only a handful of times. I love that little chess move. It’s the game behind the game. Now let’s look at two plays to see what Fancher brings.

PLAY 1: Fancher goes against the grain

Near the start of the third quarter, Michigan State faces first and 10 and comes out in 12 personnel, with one running back, two tight ends and two receivers. Eastern Michigan counters with four down linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs in a nickel look. The outside corners match the receivers while one safety stays deep and EMU No. 4 moves toward the line of scrimmage at the snap, leaving what looks like a single-high coverage structure. Fredrick Moore, No. 6, motions before the snap, and No. 2 Cam Fancher sells the handoff to No. 4 Patterson before rolling right. MSU No. 3 Rodney Bullard and No. 88 Kai Rios work across the middle of the field, occupying defenders and helping create space for the throw to the sideline.

Watch No. 31 Jayden Savoury work across behind the offensive line from the opposite side of the formation and release into the flat. Then watch Eastern’s No. 4 react slightly to the handoff fake. That movement toward the line subtly helps give Savoury a little extra space on the outside. The play action gives Fancher an open target, but throwing left-handed while moving right still requires him to get his body in position to deliver the ball. Much easier said than done when you’re moving away from your dominant arm.

Fancher handles it well, putting enough zip on the throw without adding too much mustard. Savoury gets a catchable ball and an opportunity to turn upfield, gaining seven yards and setting up second and three. A convincing fake, a well-timed release, and a controlled throw make this look simple. That is exactly what you want on first down.

PLAY 2: Fancher keeps it and keeps moving

I love the design here. Michigan State faces first and goal from just inside the 10 and lines up in 12 personnel, with one running back, two tight ends, and two receivers. Both tight ends start at the bottom of the screen before Jayden Savoury works across the formation. This looks like a situation where MSU wants to run, and Eastern is ready to attack, bringing Nos. 4 and 6 from the secondary to join its four down linemen on a double blitz.

Fancher sells the handoff to No. 4 Patterson, then keeps the ball as those extra rushers close in. A handoff would have put Patterson in immediate danger of being tackled in the backfield. The blocking looks consistent with duo, with double teams up front from the tackles/guards and single block assignments from the tight ends. At the top of the screen, No. 3 Bullard works to stay between his defender and the runner without grabbing, but he’s put in an assignment pickle when his man blitzes. Fancher looks to be reading his key off a specific defender and decides to keep it as the defenders dive down towards the trajectory of the running back. The action uses Eastern’s aggressive response to the run against it.

That is what I like about having both Patterson and Fancher as threats. The defense has to account for both, and the fake creates an opportunity for the keeper. Fancher finishes it with some toughness, too. He keeps his legs driving through contact and falls forward for another three yards. You don’t always get that kind of finish from a quarterback. Fancher plays bigger than he looks, and this is a good example.

THE EAST LANSING PEOPLE MOVERS

The offensive line continues to improve with more playing time together and is gaining confidence and chemistry. I love that MSU rotated in a bunch of young guys across the line in this game. It’s a great way to reward good practice while also building important depth. Trent Fraley was particularly strong, I thought, and continues to be a very consistent snapper. Get this man some maple syrup because he was making pancakes all day long. I haven’t seen an official number, but I counted several. If you’ve seen a pancake stat for Fraley, drop it in the comments.

PLAY 1: GOAL LINE MUSCLE

Around the nine minute mark of the third quarter, Michigan State faces first and goal from the 2 yard line and tells the receivers to ride the bench. Time to bring in the big nasties. No. 80 and No. 93 line up in the backfield, with an extra offensive lineman on the right and a tight end on the left side of the offense. Eastern crowds the line with eight defenders, setting up a pile of humanity at the goal line. Alessio stays on the field, but Trent Fraley snaps directly to No. 0 Cam Edwards while the quarterback moves away from the action. This is a tricky, subtle move and shows Fraley’s savvy in executing the snap. Cool play design. Cam Edwards is doing his part to restore the good name of Wildcats after J Batt tarnished it by leaving for Kentucky.

Edwards meets resistance before the end zone, and that is where No. 52 Nick Sharpe takes over. Watch him gather Edwards up and help carry the pile forward like a dad picking up a kid who has gotten into something he shouldn’t. Just effortless looking strength and great awareness of where his teammate needs to go. The initial contact doesn’t end the play because the guys behind Edwards keep working. That finish gets him into the end zone and saves Michigan State another snap from short yardage.

I love the approach here. MSU brings in its size, puts the ball directly in Edwards’ hands, and trusts the blocking and collective effort to finish the job. There is a wrinkle in the snap, but the objective is straightforward. Move the people in front of you. After a long, physical drive, the touchdown makes it 21 to 7 and gives the Spartans another reason to feel good about their work up front. Sometimes the most entertaining play is a bunch of big guys deciding the pile is going to move.

PLAY 2: This is SPARTA!

With roughly 30 seconds remaining and Michigan State leading by 28, the reserves have an opportunity to finish the game. No. 7 Brandon Tullis takes what looks like a straightforward dive into the A gap, the space between the center and guard. Eastern meets him at the line of scrimmage and gets him wrapped up short of the first down marker. This looks like a routine stop with the game already decided. See the picture below.

Then it’s like somebody sounds a Spartan horn and summons the troops. Linemen converge on Tullis, get behind him, and start driving the pile. A runner who looked stopped suddenly has an entire moving crew behind him. The mass of bodies rolls past the sticks and keeps going, adding about 15 yards after Tullis initially looks wrapped up. Watch the effort from the guys up front. They see their teammate still fighting and get right into the middle of it.

This was one of my favorite moments of the game. The outcome was settled, but these guys still wanted to finish their blocks and move somebody. That speaks to coaching and the mentality being built in the offensive line room. The starters had earned their rest, and the reserves made the most of their opportunity. One last job for the East Lansing People Movers.

TAKEAWAYS

Michigan State took care of a team it was supposed to beat. I’m still not sure how good this team is, but put the first half against Toledo together with the second half against Eastern and imagine what we’d be saying about the Spartans. The next step is putting those stretches together for a full game. Notre Dame will give us a much better idea of where this group stands.

What encouraged me most was the willingness to keep working, especially from the reserves on that final drive. Nobody needed to push that pile to secure the win. They did it because their teammate was still fighting for yards. That brought back a little of the feeling from the Michigan State team that went down to Miami and dragged the Hurricanes into The Deep End. I’m not putting this group in that company yet, but I’d love to see that mentality take hold. Be the tougher team and make the opponent earn everything.

Offensively, there are some useful pieces to build around. Fancher gives Sheridan another way to challenge a defense without creating a quarterback controversy. The heavy packages put the ball in the hands of runners who can finish, with plenty of size around them. Fraley and the rest of the offensive line deserve credit for the work that makes those opportunities possible. The details matter, whether it’s selling a handoff, finishing a block, or joining the pile when a play looks over.

I sure hope Jordan Hall is healthy and ready for Notre Dame. I have some personal appreciation for how miserable an elbow injury can be. Last year, a windstorm dropped a massive oak across my yard here in Missouri. While I was cutting it up with a chainsaw, a section under tension twisted and whipped toward my face. I got my arm up just in time, but my elbow paid for it. I looked like Popeye, and it took more than six months before it felt normal again. Hopefully Hall’s recovery is much quicker than mine. I suspect he’s considerably tougher than me, but toughness only gets you so far when something needs to heal. His anticipation, tackling, and communication would be welcome against the Irish.

And as for Dion Crawford, I may have been a little hard on him here. Linebacker is a tough position, and one rough half doesn’t define a player. I’m pulling for him to bounce back and have a heck of a game the next time his number is called. Michigan State may need him in a big spot later this season.

Finally, a shoutout to Coach Fitz and everyone at Michigan State who helped honor the lives lost and the first responders on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. A meaningful tribute and a classy gesture.

For more discussion, catch Robbie and me on The Red Cedar Rundown every Sunday. You can also find me on X @W00dsyOwl. Let me know which plays or players you want to see next. I’m always happy to go back to the film.

And don’t forget to vote in this week’s survey.

Go Green!