Michigan State has the best defense in the Big Ten and one of the five best nationally, and the Spartans' biggest test thus far comes Saturday against Indiana.
Indiana might be woeful on defense, but the Hoosiers' offense taxes each defense it sees. IU leads the Big Ten and is ninth nationally in total offense at 535.0 yards per game. Michigan State is allowing just 203.8 yards per game.
Indiana has the best group of receivers in the league; that sets up an intriguing game-within-a-game Saturday because Michigan State has the league's best secondary.
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The headliner for each unit: Indiana junior wide receiver Cody Latimer (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and Michigan State senior cornerback Darqueze Dennard (5-11, 197). Latimer has 28 receptions for 486 yards (17.4 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. Dennard has 19 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups, and is one of the nation's top five senior cornerbacks.
Latimer is a good fit for IU coach Kevin Wilson's pass-happy offense; he has good size, is physical and can get deep. Last season, he had 51 receptions and led the Hoosiers with 805 receiving yards (15.8 yards per catch). Dennard has been an important player since he stepped foot on Michigan State's campus in 2010. He is comfortable in press coverage and is a sure tackler with good speed. He had three picks and seven pass breakups last season, and coach Mark Dantonio has praised his ball skills.
Michigan State also has to worry about IU's Ted Bolser (6-6, 252), one of the nation's top 10 senior tight ends. He uses his size well, and while he is not a speedster by any means, he can get deep on occasion.
The Spartans have another big-timer in the secondary in senior strong safety Isaiah Lewis (5-10, 208), a three-year starter. He runs well and is both a big hitter and a sure tackler.
Indiana runs a fast-paced attack, and Dantonio expressed concern during his weekly news conference.
"They're moving the ball down the field very quickly, and it only takes about three or four plays of you being tired and not being able to match up or not playing sound football or being lazy, and bad things can happen," said Dantonio, whose defense forced 10 three-and-outs last week against Iowa.
Indiana jumped out to a 17-0 lead on Michigan State last season, scoring on its first three possessions. But the Spartans' defense then took over and Michigan State won 31-27 by holding IU to 102 yards after the first quarter. But this IU team throws the ball much better than last season's squad thanks to the insertion of big-armed sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld (6-5, 230) into the starting lineup.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.