Michigan State will be looking to get back to .500 this weekend when it faces Illinois on the road. Not only would a win give the Spartans an even record with two games to go, but it would bring them one step closer to a bowl game, a bid that requires just two more victories.

Let’a look at three interesting trends heading into the contest:

Michigan State is 4-1 in its last five trips to Illinois

Dating back to 2005, when the Spartans made the trip to Champaign, Illinois, they were successful. Michigan State has gotten the best of Illinois, winning four of their last five matchups. 

In those five games, Michigan State has completely dominated Illinois, outscoring the Fighting Illini by 100 points, 177-77.

Most recently, the Spartans beat the No. 16 Fighting Illini 23-15, in November 2022. That game marks the last ranked win for the Spartans. 

This will be the first time Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith will face off against Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini. 

The Spartans’ recent struggles on the road

The Spartans have had chances for statement victories on the road over the past few years but they are 3-11 on the road since the departure of Kenneth Walker. 

This season, the Spartans did have an impressive win at Maryland, but the Terrapins aren’t known for their home atmosphere, which was mostly Spartans fans back in September. 

Michigan State has been tested on the road this season with losses to Boston College, Oregon and Michigan. The Spartans had their chances to win those games, but ultimately, too many turnovers caught up to Michigan State. 

Michigan State have been underdogs in all four away games this season and against Illinois, the Spartans are three-point underdogs.

The difference in response after bye week

Both teams are coming off of their second bye week of the season. Looking back, both teams responded differently after their first bye week.

The Spartans came out strong off their bye in mid-October, beating the Iowa Hawkeyes,  32-20. 

The Michigan State defense played well, limiting the Hawkeyes to zero first-half points and relatively shutting down running back Kaleb Johnson, the best back in the conference. 

This bright spot for the Spartans is in their lone win since September and the best they’ve looked all season. It is possible the bye week had something to do with the Spartans’ performance against Iowa. 

On the other hand, Illinois stumbled out of the bye week, with a nail-biting 50-49 overtime win over Purdue, the consensus worst team in the Big Ten.

The Fighting Illini defense was shuttered, allowing over 500 yards of offense to a poor Boilermakers’ offense. 

If both teams play to the level they did coming off their first bye week, then Michigan State will have the advantage. 

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