EAST LANSING, MI -- Coach John L. Smith's Spartan football team has been making limited progress each week, but the Michigan State University defense must make a quantum leap Saturday, October 16 or there will be a town full of mighty sad alumni here for homecoming.

Minnesota is coming to Spartan Stadium with one of the most fearsome offenses in the nation. The Gophers rank second in the Big 10 in scoring with a 36.2 average and tops in the conference rushing racking up 301 yards per game.

Spartan defenders have made opposing running backs look like All-Americans, giving up 174 yards on the ground, ninth in the league. The main culprit - sloppy tackling. Smith called the Spartans' inability to tackle his biggest disappointment in watching MSU topple Illinois, 38-25 in a shoot out last week. Time after time Spartan defenders had plays diagnosed and were in position to hold the Illini to little or no gain only to have runners slip out of their grasp and run for long gainers.

Pierre Thomas carried 21 times for 188 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 9.0 yards per carry.

Minnesota comes in with the third best rushing average in the country, led by a pair of last year's 1,000 yard rushers.

Sophomore Laurence Maroney tops big 10 runners with 135.8 yards per game to rank 10th in the nation. Junior, Marion Barber III is averaging 107 yards. The pair has combined for 14 rushing scores this season, six for Maroney and eight for Barber.

Offensively, MSU came alive against the Illini, rushing for 253 yards and passing for 234 for a total 487 yards.

Drew Stanton, showing increased confidence since coming off a knee injury and starting the last three games, was 21 of 28 for 199 yards passing.

In addition to an about face on defense, MSU will need to get another outstanding game from its committee of runners. The trio of DeAndra Cobb, Jehuu Caulcrick and Jason Teague combined for 216 of State's 234 yards against Illinois. On the season they've helped MSU to a 194.3 average, second in the conference.

They'll need to take good care of the ball, also. Minnesota leads the conference in turnover margin, +1.83. The Spartans are still smarting from last season's 44-38 loss to the Gophers when Minnesota erased a 17-0 first quarter lead.

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