Nick Holt calls what his team will see Saturday "real football."
The Purdue defensive coordinator smiles when he sees the old-school approach to offense that Michigan State is known for under head coach Mark Dantonio. Holt also knows it is worlds apart philosophically from what they practice against with Jeff Brohm's spread, wide-open passing style.
Traditionally Michigan State (4-3, 2-2 in Big Ten) likes to line up with its quarterback under center. The Spartans want to load the box in tight formations and physically control the line of scrimmage with a pounding rushing offense. If Holt is correct in his assessment, Saturday's game will be a physical challenge for Purdue's defensive front and linebackers.
"I think they're going to get back down to the basics and maybe keep control of the clock, use multiple tight ends and some heavy, big personnel," Holt said. "We've got to match their physicality and go toe-to-toe with them."
Michigan State's rushing offense is currently eighth-worst in the nation and second-to-last in the Big Ten, thanks in part to multiple injuries. The Spartans have started a different offensive line combination in each of their first seven games and tailback LJ Scott has been out four games with an ankle injury. Scott returned against Michigan last weekend but ran for just 25 yards on 10 carries in the Spartans' 21-7 loss to their intrastate rival.
"You've got to be productive running the football because otherwise, it becomes second-and-10 or whatever it is. But that's all a part of it. So we've got to find a way to do that and keep pressing it," Dantonio said Tuesday afternoon. "So let's not all say it's the offensive line or one thing. It's a combination of things. Problems always are a combination of things."
In three of its four wins this season, Purdue has held its opponent under 100 yards rushing and last weekend held Ohio State to its lowest total on the ground of the Urban Meyer Era. Stopping the run has been a staple of Holt's defensive philosophy and has allowed his play-calls and blitzes to be particularly effective in the middle part of this 2018 season.
"Our linebackers need to be able to flow so it's critical that (Lorenzo Neal) and myself either maintain our spot or get up the field," Purdue defensive tackle Anthony Watts said. "If we don't do our job in the middle, the whole defense is unorganized and we know that."
Prior to Holt arriving at Purdue in 2017, the Boilermakers (4-3, 3-1) hadn't finished in the upper half of the Big Ten in rushing defense in a decade. The Boilermakers are fourth in that statistical category this season after having faced four schools currently among the nation's top 40 rushing offenses in Missouri, Boston College, Illinois and Nebraska.
"I think our guys like the challenge of the physicality of the run game and they're going to see it this weekend with Michigan State," Holt said.
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