5 stats to monitor for Michigan State football in 2023

Michigan State football is about to kick off next month and here are some stats to monitor for the Spartans in 2023.

While the 2022 season for Michigan State football was disappointing, it’s time to turn the page. We can however use some of the information from last season to see where this year’s team should hopefully improve. Michigan State has plenty of players on its roster this year to give fans reasons to be optimistic.

The margin of error will likely be small but if the team steps forward in these five categories, it should lead to more success.

1. Field goal percentage

Last season, Ben Patton and Jack Stone combined to go 6-for-12 on field goal attempts. A 50 percent conversion rate ranked 131st nationally. The Spartans have yet to fill the void left by Matt Coghlin who had a solid career for the Spartans that resulted in a 63.2% conversion rate. Most notably last season, the kicking woes cost Michigan State a win against Indiana as Patton missed a 22-yard attempt at the end of regulation. Had the Spartans won that game, they would’ve gone on to be bowl eligible.

2. Rushing yards per game

Few things are as predictable in football as the correlation between a quality running game and a winning record. In the 2022 season, the Spartans struggled to establish a running game. At times, it felt like they were starting to find their groove, but by season’s end the team averaged 113.2 yards per game. This ranked 104th nationally. The team struggled to establish an identity in the backfield with the loss of Kenneth Walker III. In 2021, primarily on the legs of Walker, the team averaged 176.5 rushing yards per game. It’s unlikely the team reaches 2021 levels of consistency in the rushing attack again but the 2023 numbers need to be somewhere in the middle of these two seasons.

3. Red zone scoring percentage

Whether or not a team scores six or three in the red zone often determines the outcome of games. Even more important is that the score at all. Converting in prime territory is essential. The Spartans convert it on 71.79% of red zone possessions in 2022. This ranked 122nd nationally. This partially coincides with the kicking game struggles but it’s also more holistic than that. For this team to take a step forward, this percentage needs to ideally be at least 80 percent. The top 90 teams in college football were all at 80 percent or higher. Of the four College Football Playoff teams, three of them (Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan) were in the top 10 in this category. The other, TCU finished 36th in the nation with a conversion rate of 87.23%.

4. Interceptions thrown

Ball security is job security. Michigan State is in the middle of a quarterback change. While we wait to see who wins the job, it’s crucial that whoever is at the helm protects the ball better than Payton Thorne did in 2022. Thorne threw an interception on 2.92% of his passing attempts. This ranked 81st in the nation. For reference, Michigan State opponents only threw an interception on .56% of their attempts vs the Spartans.

5. Opponent completion percentage

It’s no secret that last year teams were testing Michigan State in the passing game much more than they were with the run. The Spartans still had a strong run defense, but their secondary was tested the most. Opponents completed 66.39% of their passes against the Michigan State secondary. This ranked 122nd in the nation. The team should have a new look in the backfield of the defense. Teams will continue to test the defense in this area until they start making it more difficult on the opponents. On multiple occasions last year, the defense gave up big plays and third and long conversions. Those are the types of plays that take the wind out of a team’s sails.

At the end of the day, the biggest stats that matters are wins and losses. These five areas are key to improving the most important stats.