EAST LANSING — Already down two right guards, Michigan State football offensive line coach Jim Michalczik looked all the way to his left for a replacement.
Brandon Baldwin, who started the Spartans’ first three games this season and 10 games a year ago at left tackle, got the assignment Saturday at Boston College. With less than a week to prepare for the position shift.
The senior’s move to guard allowed redshirt freshman Stanton Ramil to make his first collegiate start at left tackle, with Luke Newman remaining at left guard, Tanner Miller at center and Ashton Lepo at right tackle in Saturday’s 23-19 loss at Boston College. Outside of a brief appearance by Dallas Fincher at right guard replacing Baldwin, those starting five offensive linemen remained static throughout the rainy night.
Though that may not be the case Saturday when No. 3 Ohio State and its brawny, NFL prospect-laden defense visits Spartan Stadium (7:30 p.m., Peacock). Even though Michalczik’s options are limited aside from Fincher, a senior who spent the majority of his MSU career playing center before moving to guard this season.
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“I came out of the game thinking I got to play more, and I got to get some guys in,” Michalczik said. “Dallas was a guy, I had him rotating as the series went and probably should have done some more. But we gotta rotate some guys.
“I’ve gone through some seasons playing five or six. I don’t want to do that right now.”
MSU ran for 127 yards, but running backs Nate Carter and Kay’ron Lynch-Adams continued to see defenders in their faces on handoffs in the backfield on multiple occasions, an ongoing issue. Carter ran for just 9 yards on nine carries, while Lynch-Adams had 38 of his 61 yards on six fourth-quarter carries, finishing with 15 attempts in the game.
“Those plays just kill you,” Michalczik said of defenders meeting running backs on the give. “A missed assignment here or a really bad technique here. And that’s one of the core things of our run scheme — we don’t want negative plays. And we’ve had way too many of these this year.”
The offensive line allowed just one sack of quarterback Aidan Chiles, but he was under constant duress and had to spin out of pressure to avoid oncoming rushers en route to a career-best 57 yards on nine attempts.
Although Boston College’s front seven is a veteran group, it is not nearly at the level of Ohio State. The Buckeyes start three of the top 70 players in Pro Football Focus’ current NFL draft prospect rankings, featuring defensive ends Jack Sawyer (37th) and JT Tuimoloau (41st) with defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (67th) between them. Their defense also has possible a first-rounder in cornerback Denzel Burke (32nd) and another potential high-round pick in safety Lathon Ransom (50th).
“Great players all around, guys that are going to have their names called in April,” Newman said Tuesday of the Ohio State defensive line. “But at the end of the day, it’s just football.”
Of the Spartans’ five offensive linemen who played almost exclusively at Boston College, only Baldwin entered the season with much playing experience at MSU. Miller arrived via transfer from Oregon State, while Newman moved up a level from Holy Cross of the Football Championship Subdivision. Both also changed positions, Miller was an All-Pac 12 guard for the Beavers a year ago, while Newman was a two-time FCS All-American at left tackle.
Michalczik reiterated what coach Jonathan Smith said after Broscious’ injury, that moving Miller — who arrived with a center-QB relationship with Chiles after being Oregon State’s No. 2 center a year ago — back to guard would not be an option.
“I probably don’t see it,” Michalczik said. “He’s done a phenomenal job there for us. It’s a tough, tough, tough spot. He directs everything. He’s done a hell of a job moving guys. With different guys coming in there, he’s able to help them out.”
Ramil took a redshirt and missed last season as a true freshman due to injury. Lepo, a third-year sophomore, got 73 of his 96 offensive snaps for MSU last season at left tackle.
“At the end of the day,” Newman said, “it’s just about fielding the five best.”
With both Kristian Phillips and Gavin Broscious out for the season after each suffered left-leg injuries in the first three games, Fincher is the only experienced reserve. The lack of depth was spotlighted during pregame warmups at BC, when Fincher on the second unit was flanked by three true freshmen — Rustin Young at left tackle, Andrew Dennis at left guard and Rakeem Johnson at right tackle. Redshirt freshman walk-on Cooper Terpstra handled snapping.
“We’re mixing some guys around,” Newman said. “Some of our second group guys play a lot of positions. Rustin and Rakeem can really play anywhere on the offensive line. It’s just about finding who the next best guy up is if something were to happen.
“I wouldn’t even say that we even technically have a solid depth chart with the 2s. We got a lot of our versatility within that group.”
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football OL limited as Ohio State’s talented DL awaits
