Michigan State @ Central Michigan preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2011 ) Central Michigan 7, Michigan State 45

No. 11 Michigan State, coming off a hard-fought win over then-No. 24 Boise State last week, hits the road for a intrastate battle against Central Michigan on Saturday at sold-out Kelly/Shorts Stadium. This will mark the first time in nine meetings the Spartans have played in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Last year, MSU rolled 45-7 after racing to a 31-point halftime lead. That was payback for Central Michigan's 29-27 upset win at East Lansing in 2009.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU LINE: Michigan State -20.5

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (1-0): Le'Veon Bell rushed for 210 yards on 44 carries and also caught six passes for 55 yards to lead the Spartans to a 17-13 home win over nationally-ranked Boise State last week. Bell was named co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Bell had more rushing yards that Boise State's output in total offense (206). Bell had 81 yards rushing and three touchdowns, all in the first half, in the win over Central Michigan last year. The Spartan defense held the usually explosive Broncos without an offensive touchdown for the first time since 1997 and to their lowest point total (13) since 2007.

ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (1-0): The Chippewas opened the season last weekend by handling Southeast Missouri State 38-27 as CMU rushed for 324 yards. Zurlon Tipton (180) and Anthony Garland (102) both topped the century mark in rushing, marking the first time since 1999 the Chippewas have had two 100-yard rushers in the same game. They are led by head coach Dan Enos, who was a four-year letterman (1987-90) and two-year starter at Michigan State under George Perles. Enos spent four seasons as an assistant at MSU, three under current coach Mark Dantonio, before taking the helm at CMU in 2010.

EXTRA POINTS

1. This will be Michigan State's 50th game against a current member of the Mid-American Conference. The Spartans are 40-7-2, with three of those losses coming to CMU.

2. Central Michigan has more players (68) from the state of Michigan than any of the other Division I schools in the state.

3. Central Michigan was the only FBS team in the nation not be penalized in its season opener last week.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 38, Central Michigan 17