text: MSU offensive line excelling with "concept-based" system
  EAST LANSING – Kodi Kieler hiked the ball, held his block and watched as Donnie Corley soared up for his first college touchdown catch.
  A little later in last Saturday's second quarter, Kieler lined up at right tackle and threw the key block to spring R.J. Shelton for a 10-yard score on a quick flip from Tyler O'Connor.
  Then in the third quarter, Gerald Holmes blasted through the middle of the line for a 73-yard touchdown run. On the left side of the line? Kieler.
  Michigan State's fifth-year senior pulled off the rare trifecta of playing three different positions in the same game, and he did so with equal efficiency. That versatility is now the calling card of the eighth-ranked Spartans' offensive line as they prepare to host No. 10 Wisconsin's physical front seven Saturday (noon, BTN).
  "It's like musical chairs on our offensive line. But that's kind of a tribute to how they learn and how our offense is such a concept-based offense," quarterback O'Connor said. "They learn the play as a whole, not just, 'OK, what does the right guard do on this play?'"
  "Obviously Kodi has been around for a long time and understands the system. He's a very smart guy."
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  On hold right now is the eight- or nine-man rotation that MSU offensive line coach Mark Staten has preferred to use since an injury-heavy 2012 season. It's a strategy that paid off with wins in the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl, a College Football Playoff spot last season and a pair of Big Ten championships.
  The Spartans have gone just six deep for most of their first two games this season, with redshirt freshman Tyler Higby joining the playing group at times in the 36-28 win over Notre Dame.
  MSU ran for 260 yards and controlled the ball for nearly 38 minutes against the Irish. They also didn't allow a sack of O'Connor after yielding two against Furman.
  "Guys were all over the place a little bit in terms of where they were playing, but I thought they played very, very well," MSU coach Mark Dantonio said. "We ran the ball effectively. … I thought they got the job done. They were athletic doing it and we had a lot of explosive plays."
  It's been a mix-and-match approach with the primary group – Kieler, Brian Allen, David Beedle, Brandon Clemons, Miguel Machado and Benny McGowan. Three linemen took snaps at different spots as Staten used six different line combinations in the game, as well as running an unbalanced set on five different plays – one of which was Holmes' 73-yard TD.
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  "Everyone is taking it really seriously in the film room. I think that's where it really starts," Kieler said. "When coach Staten goes over film and everything, he'll ask people who don't play the position what that (other) person is doing, just to make sure that if the situation does happen where they have to go in, they'll know what to do."
  Kieler played at three spots, technically playing the ineligible left tight end spot on an unbalanced line two times. Allen split his time at left guard and center. McGowan occupied both tackle spots. Clemons also bounced between his right guard spot on offense and defensive tackle on defense. The other two remained static, with Beedle playing left tackle opposite Machado at right tackle. Beedle also moved to the right side on two unbalanced sets, Machado to the left side on one of them. Higby saw spot duty at left guard.
  "I feel like we're all on the same page. Everyone is ready to go in there," sixth-year senior Clemons said. "On offensive line, no matter who's in, we have enough depth there that they're confident in themselves and understanding the way the offense works and what to do. No matter who's next to me – whether it's Machado or whether it's Kodi or Brian Allen – it doesn't matter who is next to me, they're all on the same page and know what to do."
  Wisconsin's defensive front seven will present the biggest test yet for MSU's offensive line, and perhaps all season. Opposing offenses only have the ball an average of 20 minutes and 35 seconds through three games against the Badgers. They are allowing just 82.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks 13th nationally and only second to the Spartans defense's 72 yards-per-game clip.
  "They're strong, they're big and they do the right thing all the time," Kieler said of Wisconsin. "It's just like last game – we have to be gap strong, and the whole offensive line has to do their job."