Michigan State DB vs. Spartans

Michigan defensive back Will Johnson is not expected to play in Saturday’s game against Michigan State as he deals with an injury, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Johnson left last week’s game against Illinois with a lower-body injury, and Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore described the player as questionable entering this week.

“I think right now, if I were a doctor and I’m not, I would consider it questionable,” Moore told reporters about Johnson’s condition this week.

He added: “We’ll see how it goes this week.”

The third-year cornerback from Michigan has 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, three pass deflections and two interceptions returned for touchdowns this season.

He was a major contributor to Michigan’s defensive effort during the team’s national championship run last season, with 27 stops, 4 pass defenses, and 4 interceptions.

Michigan comes into this weekend’s game with a 4-3 overall record, riding a two-game losing streak in which the team scored a combined 24 points, and with a 2-2 record in Big Ten play this season.

Amid the current quarterback issues, the Wolverines rank 130th among 134 FBS teams in passing production with 128 yards per game, and are 113th nationally with 21.1 points average.

Johnson’s absence is problematic for a Michigan secondary that has struggled at times this season, and Michigan State has improved its own passing performance in recent weeks.

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