Michigan State football defensive PFF grades from Indiana loss

On Saturday, Michigan State football did not play their best defensive grade. Indiana was stopped on a fourth down failed conversion and a kneel down as the Hoosiers raced out to 38 points. The Spartans did not record a quarterback hit, let alone a sack. It was a defensive disasterclass, with personnel issues galore to make matters worse.

That said, there were a few bright spots in the bad day for the defense.

Top five Michigan State football defensive PFF grades from Indiana

• DT Ben Roberts: 73.1
• CB Malcolm Bell: 70.0
• DE Jalen Thompson: 69.7
• CB Joshua Eaton: 68.8
• DE Kekai Burnett: 67.6

Three defensive linemen making the list for top five is somewhat surprising. However, Roberts was a stout force up front until an injury had him hampered the rest of the game. Roberts and Burnett each recorded a pressure and had the top pass rush grades among the Spartans on Saturday.

Thompson played a stout game and added a hurry of his own after missing last week with injury.

Bell was the best defensive back on the field, and his stat line of four catches given up on four targets do not tell the story. The UConn defensive back played at a high level against the IU receivers. Bell finished with seven tackles and certainly passed the eye test.

Eaton was a surprise on this list. Halfway through the game he was benched in favor of Aydan West. However, he came back on field after West struggled. Additionally, this grade does not factor in a personnel problem where the defensive back was completely out of position on a long touchdown run. That said, the Texas State transfer had the highest coverage grade on the team. Not a bad game at all.

Bottom five PFF defensive grades against IU

• EDGE David Santiago: 55.3
• LB Aisea Moa: 43.9
• DB Dontavius Nash: 42.4
• CB Aydan West: 42.3
• S Devynn Cromwell: 34.8

Moa substituted in late for Jordan Hall with the game out of hand, and was caught flat footed on a few runs, tanking his grade.

Santiago being on the list is a surprise, as the eye test on Saturday had me grading him as the best Spartan amongst the edge group.

Nash, West, and Cromwell did not have their best games on Saturday. All got caught with struggles in coverage, and then were not in position to tackle. Fernando Mendoza went 12-of-13 for 226 yards and had three touchdowns targeting the trio of backs, who also had four of the team’s nine missed tackles. It was a tape to flush and burn for those three. For West, it is growing pains. For the others, I am not sure what to say in support of the seniors.

The Spartans play Michigan this Saturday, where they will shoot for redemption.