The No. 8 Washington Huskies travel 1,800 miles to face the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, September 16 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Live coverage will streamed exclusively on Peaco*ck, starting at 5:00 p.m. ET. Keep reading for how to watch and key storylines for the game.
Washington
The eighth-ranked Huskies travel to Spartan Stadium for the first time in 54 years on Saturday, when they’ll try to improve to 3-0. This is their last non-conference matchup against the Spartans before Washington joins the Big Ten next season.
Washington won this matchup last season, 38-29, upsetting a Michigan State team that was No. 11 at the time.
While Michigan State is dealing with off-the-field issues that could impact momentum on it, Washington seeks to prove that it is a legitimate contender for the Pac-12 title and College Football Playoff.
The team’s star quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., is the impact player to watch on offense. In his sixth season of college football, Penix Jr. is 2-1 against Michigan State after also facing the Spartans with his former team, Indiana. This is his second season as the starter for the Huskies. Last year, he started all 13 games and led the FBS with 357 passing yards per game.
“Our offense is going to put up points. I would hate to be going against [UW offensive coordinator Ryan] Grubb,” Penix Jr. said last week. “Every time I snap the ball, I know where I want to go, and I really have no problems reading the defenses they give me.”
Washington is coming off establishing wins over Boise State and Tulsa, during which Penix Jr. threw for a combined 895 yards and eight touchdowns. His top targets are Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze.
The Washington offense is the star of the show for this Huskies team. Michigan State’s defense will have to limit big plays and keep up to give its offense the chance to secure the upset.
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Michigan State
Michigan State’s team is at a crossroads as it deals with the fallout of head coach Mel Tucker’s suspension over sexual harassment allegations. The Washington matchup, already set to be a major test against a ranked opponent, will show whether the Spartans can perform on the field amidst significant leadership changes.
With the formal hearing for Tucker still weeks away (October 5-6), Michigan State’s secondary coach, Harlon Barnett, has been named acting head coach. In addition, Mark Dantonio, the winningest football coach in Michigan State history, has returned to the program as associate head coach after retiring in early 2020. Barnett and Dantonio know each other well, as Barnett was part of Dantonio’s staff for much of his time as head coach.
“I called Coach Dantonio this morning, and his response was, ‘Alan, whatever you need, I’m here to help.’ He’s excited to be back…he definitely will wear a headset either on the sidelines or up in the booth, and he’ll offer his knowledge of his coaching career,” Michigan State Athletic Director Alan Haller said Sunday. “I think he’ll be a tremendous asset for our student athletes and our staff, and the student athletes were fired up when I mentioned that to them.”
The Spartans have redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim under center at the moment. Kim is starting his third game ever for Michigan State and coming off a career-high 292 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-14 win over Richmond (FCS). Should Kim struggle in the first true test of the season, redshirt freshman Katin Houser could be given a chance to show what he can do.
Michigan State’s secondary will face the toughest test against Penix Jr. and co. The Huskies’ perimeter threats are plentiful, so the key to the Spartans staying in this battle is the young defensive backs consistently winning one-on-one.
How to watch the Washington Huskies vs. Michigan State Spartans
- When: Saturday, September 16
- Where: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan
- Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
- Watch: Peaco*ck
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NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football and primetime games announced to date:
| Sat., Sept. 16 | 5:00 p.m. | Washington at Michigan State | Peaco*ck |
| Sat., Sept. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Syracuse at Purdue | NBC,Peaco*ck |
| Sat., Sept. 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Maryland at Michigan State | NBC,Peaco*ck |
| Sat., Sept. 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Ohio State at Notre Dame | NBC,Peaco*ck |
| Sat., Oct. 14 | 7:30 p.m. | USC at Notre Dame | NBC,Peaco*ck |
| Sat., Nov. 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Michigan State at Ohio State | NBC,Peaco*ck |
| Fri., Nov. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Penn State at Michigan State (Ford Field) | NBC,Peaco*ck |
The remaining NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football games will be announced during the season.
