Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State football's 31-3 loss at Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal offers three quick takes from Michigan State's 31-3 loss to Wisconsin .

1. MSU looks so far away from winning games like this

You can argue that the last great era of Michigan State football officially died at Camp Randall Stadium seven years ago. Saturday's wellness check — the first visit since — showed a fairly weak pulse.

The Spartans look so far away from winning games like this. They just don't win many individual matchups. And, discouragingly, Wisconsin isn't a team with overwhelming talent, either. But the differences were enough Saturday — a quarterback the Spartans ' couldn't stop on the move, playmakers good enough to execute on third downs, a defensive line MSU couldn't quite handle in pass protection, and defensive backs the Spartans ' receivers couldn't separate from.And thus a final score, 31-3, fitting of the game that took place.

I don't know how it gets better this season. The Spartans can move the ball between the 30s well enough, but struggle to push it into the red zone, let alone convert once there. They can run it up the gut with varying degrees of efficiency, though struggled on key downs Saturday, turning it over five times on fourth-down tries. They've got an emerging tight end in Jayden Savoury , but otherwise no one else that seems remotely able to be featured in the passing game. They've got a capable kicker and punter. But they can't be the bones of a successful team. And they've got injuries to key guys — including their one difference-maker on offense — without the depth to withstand it.They've got nothing right now on offense. You have to score to win in this game. They've scored a combined 26 points in three games against high-major competition this season and 19 points in their last three visits to Wisconsin, including a 38-0 defeat in 2019 that told us better days under Mark Dantonio weren't coming back.

Worse yet, for Spartan fans, anger gets you nothing. There's no head to put on a stake. This is the first season of a head coach in Pat Fitzgerald who MSU desperately needs to succeed. Besides, everyone to be mad at is no longer at MSU.Apathy doesn't help, either. The ability to find satisfaction in basketball season as early as November is one of MSU's challenges as a football program. Folks, donors included, only have to suffer for so long, before they can replace the frustration with the trill of Tom Izzo's men's basketball program.

And so the only choice is to endure and hope what's a relatively old roster keeps playing hard, that a defense — which isn't great but isn't the problem — doesn't let the dam break, that MSU's young QB finds a level he hasn't shown in recent weeks, that the offensive line gets/stays healthy and finds a groove, and that Savoury becomes a guy who's a problem in the passing game, and that somebody else does, too.

Otherwise, there are going to be many more days like this.

2. Savoury not a savior but increasingly good

For four weeks, we've seen signs that MSU tight end Jayden Savoury could be a difference-maker, including an incredible almost-catch against Nebraska. Saturday at Wisconsin, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound redshirt freshman was MSU's most reliable target and a player the coaches clearly think is worth featuring — and he finished with just four catches for 26 yards. It felt like more. Perhaps that's because so much offensively was a struggle for the Spartans and 21 of his yards came on three catches on MSU's lone scoring drive. That felt like something.

It's tough for a tight end to be a primary weapon. But if and when MSU ever gets one again at the wideout position, Savoury has the look of a guy who could be a heckuva complementary piece and target for MSU's quarterback. Something to consider for next season.

3. MSU's defense didn't execute the most important part of the scouting report

The Spartans' defense might not be the primary problem, but its inability to execute what had to be the top line item in the scouting report contributed to this lopsided defeat.

The key to limiting Wisconsin's offense is to limit Badgers ' QB Colton Joseph in the running game. Instead, Joseph had 41 yards on four runs on the game's first five plays, setting the stage for a 13-play 75-yard touchdown drive. On the Badgers' next possession, Joseph's 26-yard run was the long play on another touchdown drive. In all, he carried 13 times for 141 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown run.

MSU's defense had some moments, but failed at the primary objective and also on key downs when the game was still in doubt, allowing the Badgers to convert on 7 of 10 third and fourth downs in the first half, while building a 17-3 lead at the break.

MSU won't win another game with those sort of inefficiencies on defense.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.