Maryland Football: 5 Toughest Games in 2015

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2. Nov. 14 @ Michigan State

Oct 25, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) stands on the field between plays during the 1st quarter of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State has really become a powerhouse football program in recent years. The Spartans are coming off an 11-2 season that was capped off by a Cotton Bowl victory over the Baylor Bears. They are showing no signs of slowing up as they’re poised to contend for the Big Ten title again this season.

The Spartans are solidified at quarterback with senior Connor Cook, who has just been a model of consistency these past couple seasons. He’ll likely break some school records in his final season, including the most wins as a starter. Cook will be well protected by one of the nation’s elite offensive lines, which features All-American center Jack Allen and left tackle Jack Conklin, who is projected to be playing on Sundays in the future. 

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Cook will be joined in the backfield by a loaded corps of running backs. The workload will somehow be split between four players. The most proven of those four is Delton Williams, but his status is unclear after being suspended in the spring. Even if he can’t play, the Spartans have plenty of other talent, including freshmen Madre London and L.J. Scott, who may the best of the whole bunch.

The Spartans defense, which has finished in the top ten the last four year, is projected to be really good again. They are led up front by Shilique Calhoun, who has 16.5 career sacks. A couple other names to watch out for: defensive end Lawrence Thomas and defensive tackle Malik McDowell, a former U.S. Army All-American.

Michigan State also has another rising star in the middle of the defense: junior middle linebacker Riley Bullough. As a sophomore, Bullough recorded 29 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions. There are some holes on the back-end of the defense though. The Spartans have to replace Kurtis Drummond and Trae Waynes, so it’ll be interesting to see how that unit fares in 2015.