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Indiana Football vs Michigan State: 5 Spartans to watch out for on Saturday

By Alec Lasley

BLOOMINGTON, IN - SEPTEMBER 22: Brian Lewerke #14 of the Michigan State Spartans looks to throw the ball under pressure from Charles Campbell #93 and Nile Sykes #35 of the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - SEPTEMBER 22: Brian Lewerke #14 of the Michigan State Spartans looks to throw the ball under pressure from Charles Campbell #93 and Nile Sykes #35 of the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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EVANSTON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 21: Elijah Collins #24 of the Michigan State Spartans runs against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on September 21, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan State defeated Northwestern 31-10. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 21: Elijah Collins #24 of the Michigan State Spartans runs against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on September 21, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan State defeated Northwestern 31-10. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

2. Elijah Collins

Collins could be on his way to the next great Michigan State running back, as just a redshirt freshman, rushing for 357 yards through his first four games of 2019.

The sneaky, barely 6-foot back was wildly inconsistent through two weeks as he put together 17-yard and 192-yard performances, but then settled down and two straight weeks of 70-yard games, something that will be more of Collins speed the rest of the season as Big Ten play settles in.

What makes Collins so deadly is his explosiveness and agility. His quick feet make him a difficult tackle for most defensive linemen and once he gets in the open field, he is almost impossible to stop.

One part of his game that has a lot of comparisons to a former MSU running back is his patience. Like Le’Veon Bell, Collins lets the play develop in front of him and allows for holes to be created by his offensive line before breaking through.

If Michigan State’s offensive line struggles, it could be a long day for Collins as he doesn’t necessarily have the strength quite yet to hold off multiple tacklers.

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