Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/82695
MICHIGAN STATE PREVIEW SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS New faces litter Spartans offensive depth chart BY WES MORGAN Kirk Cousins exhausted his eligibility and moved on to the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Now it's up to junior Andrew Maxwell to keep Michi- gan State among the Big Ten Conference's elite. A After an 11-3 campaign last fall, which included a Legends Division title, a loss to Wisconsin in the league championship game and a triple-overtime victory over Georgia in the Outback Bowl, Maxwell leads an offense that will rely heavily, per usual, on the running game. Junior Le'Veon Bell (6-2, 244 pounds) and senior Larry Caper (5-11, 222) com- bine for a potent tandem out of the back- field, with Bell clearly the team's work- ✦ GAME FACTS Michigan State — Mark Dantonio (46-22, sixth season). Series Facts: This will be the 76th meeting between Notre Coaches: Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (18-10, third season), Date: Sept. 15, 2012 Site: Spartan Stadium (75,005) Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET Television: ABC Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129). Dame and Michigan State, with the Fighting Irish boasting a 46-28-1 record against the Spartans dating back to 1897. new era began in East Lansing, Mich. late last month after quarterback horse. Bell has already rushed for 280 yards and four touchdowns combined in wins over Boise State (17-13) and Central Mich- igan (41-7), averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Caper registered a team-best 503 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman in 2009, but has been overshadowed ever since. In 2011, he chipped in 121 yards and a score behind Bell's 948 yards and 13 touchdowns. Maxwell seems to have all the tools to be a solid signal-caller for the Spartans, and MSU's opener against Boise State on Aug. 31 was an example of how the box score doesn't always tell the full story. The Spartans' 17-13 victory over the depleted Broncos featured three Maxwell intercep- tions and no passing touchdowns. The first-time starter finished 22-of-38 pass- ing for 248 yards. But there are several SEPT. 12, 2012 Junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell has connected on 42 of 69 passes for 523 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions during the Spartans' 2-0 start this year. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE Notre Dame bested MSU 31-13 in South Bend last season. The Spartans have won three of the last five contests (2007, 2008 and 2010). Prime Personnel: Offense — Junior running back Le'Veon Bell took over starting duties midway through 2011 and finished with 948 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades. The 6-2, 244-pounder compiled 62 carries for 280 yards and four scores in MSU's first two contests this sea- son. Defense — Junior defensive end William Gholston is looking to pick up where he left off in 2011, when he was is the anchor of the defensive line (70 tackles, 16 stops for loss and five sacks). He tied a program record with five tackles for loss in an overtime victory against Georgia in the Outback Bowl. ber of question marks in 2012, but the defense is primed to dominate. The Spartans return nearly the same group that ranked 10th nationally in scoring allowed (18.4 points per game), ninth in rushing yards allowed (100.5), 11th in passing yards surrendered (176.9) and sixth in total defense (277.4) … Graduated quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 723 of 1,128 passing attempts for 9,131 yards with 66 touchdowns in his four-year career in East Lansing. He owns nearly every one of the program's major passing records. It's a tough act to follow for junior Andrew Maxwell, who completed 29 of 51 passes for 294 yards with one touchdown over the past two years as a reserve. For The Record: Michigan State's offense may have a num-