For the most part on Saturday, Michigan State's defense was perfect. Then it faltered down the stretch, and Arizona State slipped out of town a 10-7 win.
So it goes these days for the Spartans, whose dominance on one side of the ball is undone but their dullness on the other. Mark Dantonio acknowledged the challenge this poses for his defense at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
"Be perfect," he said. "That's the challenge: Be perfect."
Michigan State has held its opponent to 10 points or fewer in five of its past six games. Its record in those games: 2-3. While a 51-point outburst against Western Michigan two weeks ago was an encouraging sign, it was the same old story on Saturday.
"We need to be more productive," Dantonio said. "We need to score more points."
Especially in today's era of offensive football, it's critical that Michigan State catches up. Either way, Dantonio sees hope for this team in one of his former teams -- Ohio State in 2002, who went 14-0 thanks to a terrific defense.
Dantonio was the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator.
"We won a national championship at Ohio State by winning close games, low-scoring games. So it can be done," Dantonio said. "We must do things like that to win, and that's what we'll do. Only thing that I've ever asked from our players is to compete, play hard and play courageously, and I don't see any indication that we are not doing that."
The 2002 Buckeyes put up 29.3 points per game, around the national average. Their defense held opponents to just 13.1 points per game, second best in the country. Is it realistic to think Michigan State can replicate this formula in 2019?
The defense could certainly be up to the task. The Spartans allowed just 17.2 points per game last season, good for eighth in the nation, and it looks like they could be even better this season.
Whether the offense can carry its weight is a much different question. Michigan State averaged a mere 18.7 points per game in 2018. Only four teams were worse. Even if they improve upon that in 2019, will it be enough? College football isn't the same game it was in 2002 -- and even then, the Buckeyes were an outlier.
Since 2003, the national champion has averaged 39.6 points per game. That number jumps to 40.8 since 2010. Even the 2015 Alabama team, which ranked 30th in the country in scoring offense, averaged more than 35.0 points per game.
Offense rules the day, and the Spartans haven't had nearly enough of it the past two seasons. What they do have, under Dantonio, is a stouthearted defense and a penchant for pulling out tight games -- and it's here that the comparison rings truest to Ohio State.
Those Buckeyes had no problem winning ugly. 19-14 versus Wisconsin. 13-7 versus Penn State. 10-6 versus Purdue. 14-9 versus Michigan. They scored enough points to win, then let their defense take care of the rest.
Beginning Saturday at Northwestern, the Spartans must prove they can follow the first half of that blueprint. Dantonio sees things to build off of in the loss to Arizona State, like the fact the offense put together several long drives that featured multiple "explosive plays" and that Brian Lewerkie continued his strong start to the season.
"We will regroup," he said. "I can promise you that. We will coach with energy. I can promise you that. I can promise you that we will address the issues and continue to get better. I think that there are a lot of good things that are happening. Lewerke is playing well. When your quarterback is playing well, great things are going to happen for you."
And when your defense is playing lights out, epic things can happen. Dantonio knows that for a fact. But it can't be a one-way street in this game, and traffic is moving faster than ever in the other direction.
Time for the Spartans to hit the gas.
