So far this season, Denard Robinson and J.T. Floyd have been half in the shadows, half in the spotlight.

Robinson, a freshman quarterback, has flashily become the team's second-leading rusher, largely due to his three big touchdown runs. But he has witnessed quarterback Tate Forcier's late-game heroics from the sidelines.

And Floyd, a redshirt freshman cornerback, walked onto the Big House turf after sophomore Boubacar Cissoko was beat on a 56-yard Indiana pass. But Floyd spent his previous 15 career games also watching Michigan football from the bench.

Against the Spartans, the two out-of-staters could be thrown into the heat of the rivalry. They are not expected to start in their first game tomorrow at Spartan Stadium, but both will carry a bigger load than ever before when No. 22 Michigan (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0 overall) takes on Michigan State (0-1, 1-3) in the Wolverines' road opener.

For Robinson, that's because no one quite knows how Forcier's sore shoulder will affect his throwing.

Rodriguez reiterated Wednesday that he "fully expect(s) him to be ready to go and do everything" against the Spartans. But Rodriguez's move to close Wednesday's practice to the media for the first time in his 21-month tenure has some wondering if Forcier isn't more seriously injured, and it's not just about keeping the team focused.

"I don't want to get into specifics because I'm not (medically) qualified I guess," Rodriguez said Wednesday. "It's just a sore shoulder."

Even if Forcier is at 100 percent, Rodriguez said Robinson should expect even more snaps.

"Denard, every week, he gets a little bit more comfortability with our offense and some of the things we're doing," Rodriguez said Monday. "He's going to do more this week as well, depending again on how the game goes. We'll put him out there. And not just to run, to throw and run."

Stopping the run will certainly be Michigan State's focus. The Wolverines are the only Big Ten team that averages more than 200 yards on the ground, with 240.2 yards and three rushing touchdowns per contest.

To prepare Robinson for the hostile atmosphere, senior running back Brandon Minor has been doing everything he can, "messing with me all day in practice," according to Robinson.

"Every time he had like a pass route or something, anything, I just yell his name, just kept on bothering him, staying in his head," Minor said in an mgoblue.com video yesterday. "Just trying to take him off his balance, you know."

Compared to Robinson, there's a bit less speculation about what Floyd's role will be against Michigan State.

Rodriguez called the second cornerback position "wide open," and choosing the starter "may be a game-time decision." Floyd looked very shaky against Western Michigan. But Cissoko, who has started every game, gave up two touchdowns against Notre Dame and was pulled after letting up a deep bomb against Indiana last week.

Michigan State has the best passing offense in the conference, which should further illuminate the lack of depth in the Wolverines' secondary. With two quarterbacks splitting time, the Spartans are averaging 320.8 yards through the air — 34 more yards than the next highest team, Northwestern.

But as coaches and players have been saying all week, it's going to be about more than statistics and records this weekend.

After all, it's Michigan-Michigan State.