The Spotlight Dance -- Michigan State

Iowa OT Kyle Calloway vs. Michigan State DE Trevor Anderson

Kyle Calloway (sr.) 

Dimensions - 6-foot-7, 320

Position - Right tackle

Back story - It's been a tough go for Iowa's OTs this season.

Calloway and Bryan Bulaga were all-Big Ten last season. This year, they've been behind. Calloway missed a ton of camp with an IT band strain and is a step behind. Of course, Bulaga missed three weeks with the thyroid illness.

Against Wisconsin last week, UW freshman linebacker Chris Borland made a play that nearly brought the Badgers back into the game. The 5-11, 230-pounder ducked under Calloway and blew up a screen pass, sacking QB Ricky Stanzi and forcing a fumble. Wisconsin recovered, but missed a short field goal and bid for a 13-10 lead. It was a screen, so Calloway isn't supposed to blast his block into the stratosphere, but he's also not supposed to whiff.

Here's what Kirk Ferentz had to say this week about Iowa's OTs:

"I think they're behind in that what we're seeing when they do struggle, and that hasn't been that much, but they aren't at midseason form," he said. "We're working through it.

"Bryan missed three entire weeks and both he and Kyle missed significant time in camp. In fact, I can't remember when they were out there. That's why camp is so important because that's where players get their timing down and where they really smooth things out. The amount of work that you do during the season is really minimal when you compare it to what you do in camp. They're both playing catch-up and they're both close to getting where we want them to get and that's going to help us."

Five games left for this.

Calloway could do a lot today to shore up his draft stock, which, according to ESPN scout types, hovers in the late rounds.

From ESPN's NFL draft blog (from last weekend): "He does an adequate job getting into position and fights to sustain as a run blocker but is a liability in protection. His hand use is very inconsistent and he whiffed on defenders on several plays, and until he improves in that area speed rushers are going to eat him alive."

Trevor Anderson (sr.) 

Dimensions - 6-foot-2, 260

Position - Defensive end

Back story - Anderson appeared to injure an ankle at the end of last week's victory over Northwestern. He talked to reporters Tuesday and seems good to go.

“For real,” he told The State News of East Lansing. “I'm serious, man. It's going to be a live game.”

This season, Anderson has five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. For his career, he has 20.5 sacks and 37.0 tackles for loss.

Michigan State has been able to pressure opposing QBs with its four down linemen. DT Jerele Worthy is becoming a star as a redshirt freshman and will be a load for C Rafael Eubanks. But last week against Northwestern, Spartans DC Pat Narduzzi sent a lot of blitzes at the Wildcats. A favorite seemed to be linebackers off the edge, but he also sent LBs up the middle, too.

Will Anderson be able to burst around Calloway? Or will MSU have to blitz Stanzi?

Judges?

Calloway's long arms should come through. Remember, Iowa's tackles have faced the Big Ten's best DEs in consecutive weeks, Michigan's Brandon Graham and Wisconsin's O'Brien Schofield. They'll make a lot of tackles look like potzers.

Anderson is bucking to make that elite class, but Calloway can erase pass rushers. He's shown this, even this season.

Ferentz keeps saying the OTs best football is ahead of them this season. It needs to be this week.