No. 9 Michigan State has one last non-conference test before Big Ten play starts, welcoming Wyoming and former FCS national champion head coach Craig Bohl to Spartan Stadium.
How to watch Michigan State vs. Wyoming: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Can the Cowboys keep it closer than they did against Oregon?
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Both of these teams played Oregon earlier this season, with different results: the Spartans fell 46-27 to a late fourth-quarter Duck surge, while the Cowboys were blown out 48-14. Michigan State's other two games (45-7 vs. Jacksonville State, 73-14 vs. Eastern Michigan) have been blowout victories, and quarterback Connor Cook has made serious strides in his junior season.
Bohl is in his first year at Wyoming, joining the program after a historically successful run with North Dakota State (including three straight national titles). The Cowboys earned one-possession victories over Montana, Air Force and Florida Atlantic (all at home), with the defeat to the Ducks standings as their only loss thus far this season.
How to watch, listen and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: ESPN2
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Michigan State is ranked No. 9 in both the AP and Coaches Polls. Wyoming is not ranked in either poll. The Spartans are 2-1 this season, while the Cowboys are 3-1. Michigan State has won both all-time meetings between the two schools.
Vegas: Michigan State opened as a 32-point favorite. The line has since moved to 28.
Weather forecast: 78 degrees and sunny.
Two things at stake
With a loss, Michigan State would be eliminated from playoff contention.
This is Wyoming’s last opportunity for a marquee out-of-conference win, and would be a big boost for Bohl’s first year with the program.
One big matchup
Shaun Wick vs. Michigan State rushing defense. Wyoming has struggled all-around on offense this season, but its junior running back is quietly putting together a good year. Through four games, Wick has run for 404 yards on 66 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per rush and 101 yards per game. Wick isn't the only Cowboy who has had success on the ground, either -- sophomore D.J. May has rushed 47 times for 221 yards.
Michigan State’s defense looks as deadly as ever, holding Eastern Michigan to 1 yard of offense in the first half last week. The Spartans held Jacksonville State and Eastern Michigan to 1.3 and 1.1 yards per carry, respectively, but Oregon’s vaunted rushing offense was able to put 173 yards (at 4.3 per carry) with three touchdowns on the ground. Wyoming’s running back duo won’t pose quite the test the Ducks did, but it’ll likely be a more difficult task than the Gamecocks or Eagles offered.
Further reading
For full coverage of Michigan State, head over to The Only Colors. For more on Wyoming and the rest of the Mountain West, check out Mountain West Connection.
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