If there was a game made for Joe Bachie, this week’s might be it. For the Michigan State middle linebacker, the physical, intense nature of the rivalry with Michigan is right up his ally. There will be no intimidation when he arrives in Ann Arbor. No, this is exactly where Bachie wants to be — in the thick of one of the most bitterly contested rivalries in college football.
Source: Detroit News
Starting quarterback Wilton Speight is out multiple weeks with an injury and backup John O’Korn will get the start for the No. 7 Wolverines (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) against the Spartans (3-1, 1-0). There are also a few injury concerns for Michigan State heading into its first road game of the season.Source: MLive.com
The Spartans host the Irish this Saturday in a huge primetime matchup for the Megaphone Trophy. This will be the last time the two teams meet in the regular Season until 2026. With the stage set, the young Spartans are a slight underdog to the Fighting Irish. Through the first three weeks, plenty of players have emerged as weapons for the Spartans, like Darrell Stewart, Josiah Scott, and Brian Lewerke, just to name a few. While the Spartans will need a complete team effort to beat the Irish on Saturday, these are the players that the team needs especially good games from
Source: isportsweb
Believe it or not, the biggest key to victory against Notre Dame on Saturday isn’t Brian Lewerke or LJ Scott, or even special teams, but rather it will be the linebackers that decide this one.
Source: Spartan Avenue
The program found rock bottom. Attitudes were dismal. A leader was needed. Enter Joe Bachie. Or, as he was known then, Joey. Two rival schools in suburban Cleveland merged in 2013 to form Berea-Midpark High. That was Bachie’s sophomore year. The Titans went 2-8, but the seeds were planted about what was to come. Bachie helped guide his team to an 8-3 playoff season the next year. In his senior year, Berea-Midpark made a repeat postseason appearance.
Source: Detroit Free Press
As Antjuan Simmons first stepped onto the field Saturday, he could feel the nerves setting in. It’s a natural reaction — it would be his first college game ever. His teammates, the older veterans he sought leadership from, told him to stay calm before the game and enjoy the moment. But still, it was a true freshman’s debut in front of a crowd over 70,000 strong.
Source: The State News
Coach Dantonio previews the game against Bowling Green. Special guests include: Quarterback Brian Lewerke and Linebacker Joe Bachie
Source: Spartan Sports Network
Like at running back on offense, linebacker is one of a few positions at which the Spartans can be at ease. The question is whether their linebackers will be just solid or game-changers. Senior captain Chris Frey returns on the strong side. He led the Spartans in tackles last season with 96. MSU could use him to become more adept as a pass rusher, which Denicos Allen once did so well from Frey’s position.
Source: Lansing State Journal
Be prepared, because you never know when your number will be called. That’s the mentality coaches try to instill in players at nearly every level. Even if it’s a cliche, it’s the right mindset to have, but not everyone takes it to heart because the odds of actually getting meaningful snaps can be slim.
Source: MLive.com
The Michigan State football team practiced for two hours in shells on Thursday in preparation for the team’s second scrimmage of preseason camp on Friday. Following the team’s 16th practice of preseason camp, several assistant coaches and players met with the media to give an update on the team.
The expectation for the Michigan State football 2017-18 linebacker group was clear at MSU’s media days this afternoon. The same words resonated from co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel to senior linebacker Chris Frey. “Leaders of the defense”. “Tough and focused”. “Nobody runs the ball.” “Our time.”
Source: isportsweb
To say the linebacker corps is the strength of the Michigan State defense is far from a hot take. That’s been the case for the Spartans in nearly all of coach Mark Dantonio’s 10 seasons, and it’s a trait that dates back decades. Under Dantonio alone the names have been impressive, from Greg Jones and Eric Gordon to Max Bullough and Denicos Allen, followed up by Riley Bullough and Darien Harris, linebacker has been the heart of the Spartans defense.
Source: Detroit News
Joe Bachie was an underrated recruit coming out of Cleveland, Ohio, in Michigan State’s 2016 class. However, he has already ascended to the top of the prestigious MSU middle linebacking position. He now joins the greats who have played the position before him like Percy Snow, Max Bullough and Chuck Bullough. The middle linebacker is the quarterback for the defense and now all eyes are on Bachie.
Source: Spartan Avenue
Mike Tressel always has been a high-intensity coach. That shouldn’t change now that Michigan State’s co-defensive coordinator has resumed coaching linebackers, a position group that’s expected to be among the Spartans’ deepest and most experienced this season.
Source: Detroit Free Press
“They wanted us to be a more player-led team,” senior linebacker Chris Frey said. Team members say that leadership development has been a key focus throughout an offseason carried out largely behind closed doors.
Source: MLive.com
Mark Dantonio doesn’t often name starters this early in the process, but after watching Bachie’s performance in the spring game, it’s become clearer to the head coach. Naming him the starter as a sophomore could mean that he will be a three-year starter and a reliable leader on defense.
Source: Spartan Avenue
When Michigan State traveled to Maryland on Oct.22, then-freshman Joe Bachie made the trip as a mostly anonymous reserve linebacker. The former 3-star recruit was never mentioned before the season as a likelihood to play in 2016 as a true freshman in a deep and talented linebacker pool. But a surprise development on that windy night in College Park, Maryland brought him out of anonymity in a hurry.
Source: MLive.com
It’s been an eventful and silent spring for Michigan State’s football program, which has two practices left before breaking until late July. That means there is a lot of ground to cover with who is playing well and who is not. Here’s a look at six Spartans who helped themselves and three who hurt their stock in Saturday’s Green and White scrimmage at Spartan Stadium
Source: Detroit Free Press
