Duck season

I'm sitting in the sofa, half-watching ESPN College Game Day. Several minutes ago, I almost fell over when I heard Desmond Howard say...gulp...nice things about Michigan State.

The big game is today, and honestly I have no idea what to expect. I hope that, at the very least, it is a close game. As I wrote in my previous post, Marcus Mariota creates a big challenge for the Spartans (and as I write this, Game Day is playing a feature about Mariota's journey from Hawaiian high school player to probable first round draft pick playing college ball in Eugene, Oregon). On the other hand, it's not as if MSU has never been successful against a quarterback with a similar skill set as Mariota.

While all the focus has been on MSU's defense versus Oregon's offense, nobody seems to be talking about the Spartans' improved offense--though just as I write that, the Game Day guys have glowing words for Connor Cook. This Spartan offense is light years ahead of where it was last year. MSU should have the weapons to score points on the Ducks.

If MSU loses this game, it won't be due to lack of preparation. The Spartans literally cranked up the heat in their indoor practice facility to become acclimated to the unseasonably high temperatures expected in Eugene. To prepare for Oregon's uptempo offense, the Spartans had not one, but TWO offensive units on the field during practice. As soon as one play was over, the second offensive unit was already in place and snapped the ball almost immediately.

Well, younger son wants his computer back, so I'm signing off for now. If I don't make it back today, here's hoping the Spartans do some Duck hunting this evening.

The win over Jacksonville State, and the showdown with Oregon

I've meant to get back to this blog sooner than this, but I blame my absence to the start of the school year and a few other "real life gets in the way" situations that have kept me away from the computer.

When we left off, the Spartans were about to take on Jacksonville State in the 2014 season opener. I truly believed that JSU would put up a better fight than they did, and I was pleasantly surprised by the way MSU completely dominated the first half of the game. The Spartans had their way with the Gamecocks, taking a commanding 38-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The game really couldn't have gone better for MSU. The Spartans were able to sit Connor Cook and the other starters in the second half. Tyler O'Connor, Damion Terry, and a host of other backups gained valuable playing time in the second half. Consequently, the second half was a snooze. The teams traded touchdowns and MSU came away with a 45-7 win.

The Spartans take on Oregon in two days, and I honestly have no idea what to expect. Autzen Stadium in Eugene is a notoriously tough place to play, the Ducks have their usual "basketball on a gridiron" offense led by Marcus Mariota--a quarterback who has the speed and quickness of a Denard Robinson combined with size and the ability to throw the ball. He seems to combine all the best attributes of, say, Denard Robinson, Russell Wilson, Braxton Miller, and Taylor Martinez. Mariota may be the best quarterback MSU has faced in the Mark Dantonio era.

Obviously, an MSU win would be huge in a hostile environment against a quick strike offense in extreme heat. (Temps are expected to hit the mid-90s in Eugene, Oregon). As a fan, I'm trying to view this game philosophically. If the Spartans lose, I don't want to be as dour as I was last year after the Notre Dame game. This has the makings of an incredibly tough game, and as long as MSU keeps it competitive, it should be beneficial for the Spartans in the long run.

Michigan State football thoughts

On two separate occasions today, I have tried to write my preseason thoughts about the 2014 MSU football season. Both times, the device I have used has CRASHED, and I've lost everything I wrote. So let me just say that I have upgraded my usual "cautiously optimistic" to "reasonably confident."

If I can get a PC or smartphone to cooperate, I will elaborate later.

Game Day is here

It's finally here.

Michigan State's 2014 football season starts tonight at 7:31 PM. Ready or not, it's time to buckle the seat belt and get ready for the thrill ride.

The Spartans' opening day opponent is the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, a team that--despite being at the FCS level--should not be taken lightly.

A quick Wikipedia search yielded the following information about Jacksonville State: First of all, the school is located in Alabama and NOT Florida. So let's get that straight right away. JSU's most famous alumni are author Rick Bragg and former Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Todd Jones. Ashley Martin, the first female to ever score a point in NCAA football, was a Jacksonville State player.

The Gamecocks have been playing football since 1904 and have an overall program record of 521-366-40. Not too shabby. They have won 18 conference titles, and since joining the Ohio Valley Conference in 2003, have won their league three times. Jacksonville State is currently riding a streak of eleven consecutive winning seasons, and entering the 2014 season are ranked #6 in FCS. They are coming off an 11-4 2013 season.

The Spartans better strap on their helmets tightly.

Jacksonville State is led by first-year head coach John Grass (who, coincidentally, is two days older than yours truly). The Gamecocks feature a quick strike offense led by senior running back DaMarcus James, who rushed for 1477 yards in 2013. JSU also piled up 3033 yards through the air last season.

MSU should have enough to win this game, but it may not be easy. With some new faces in the Spartans' defensive backfield, I could see some missed assignments or miscommunication leading to some big plays for Jacksonville State. The Spartans may also have some first-game jitters that may not disappear until after the first quarter.

Expectations are so high for MSU, that the Spartans may try a little too hard to look good and may stumble a bit in the early going of the game. By the second half, however, Jacksonville State should wear down and MSU should get it fully rolling. I see the Spartans winning this by a score of something in the neighborhood of 41-17. 41 points may be a bit too high for MSU's point total, but the Spartans' offense should be able to score on Jacksonville State. If anything, I may be lowballing the Gamecocks' total. Depending on how MSU's revamped defense performs (with a secondary that is replacing Darqueze Dennard and Isaiah Lewis, as well as a linebacking corps that lost Max Bullough and Denicos Allen), JSU could go over 20 points. Though I'm not certain of the score, I'm confident that Jacksonville State will be no pushover.

In any case...

The direct line from Biggie Munn to Mark Dantonio (or "Five Degrees of Munn")

The direct line from Biggie Munn to Mark Dantonio:

Biggie Munn, the godfather
Duffy Daugherty, assistant under Biggie Munn
George Perles, graduate assistant and later defensive line coach under Duffy Daugherty
Nick Saban, defensive coordinator under George Perles
Mark Dantonio, defensive backs coach under Nick Saban

Old Spartan football games on Big Ten Network, and how I love them (In particular, 1987 MSU/UM and 1998 MSU/OSU)

I am an absolute sucker for the Big Ten Network's "Greatest games" series. During the slow summer months, these replays get quite a bit of rotation as BTN tries desperately to fill programming time. I find it fun to revisit these games years later, to reminisce about the old uniform designs, the cheesy graphics used in the original broadcasts (the same graphics that seemed so hi-tech at the time), and even other minutiae like the clothing and hairstyles of the spectators. (I can't believe how utterly ridiculous and horrible we all looked in the 1980s. However, I suppose we'll be saying the same things twenty years from now when we watch replays of current games).

A few weeks ago, BTN broadcasted Michigan State's 17-11 win over Michigan from the 1987 football season. This was an especially pleasant treat, because with the exception of highlights on YouTube, I hadn't seen this game since it was originally played on October 10, 1987.

I had completely forgotten that MSU--and Michigan--had run several wishbone plays. Maybe I simply didn't understand the significance of this back then, or else I flat-out didn't notice or care.

I had also somehow forgotten what a slobber-knocker that game was. Twenty-two guys just obliterating each other on practically every play: the direct result of how the game was played back in the 1980s, particularly when the two coaches (Perles and Schembechler) had the same "three yards and a cloud of dust" offensive philosophy.

The Spartans dominated the game, with hapless Michigan quarterback Demetrius Brown almost completing more passes to MSU defensive backs than his own receivers. Still, Michigan scored a touchdown and two-point conversion early in the second half--after Andre Rison coughed up the ball on a fumbled punt return--and were remarkably only down by six points. On two separate occasions in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines had a chance to score a winning touchdown, but each time Demetrius Brown threw a pick. Todd Krumm's interception with under a minute left in the game finally sealed the victory for Michigan State.

The 1998 Ohio State game still blows me away. To this day, it's stunning that the Spartans came back from a 24-9 deficit to score the final 19 points of the game, stop the Buckeyes on a goal-line stand in the final minutes of the game--sealed by a Renaldo Hill interception--and come away with a 28-24 victory over a powerhouse football team loaded with NFL talent. Almost sixteen years later, it still ranks as one of the greatest upsets in college football history.

Julian Peterson drills Joe Germaine in the 1998 MSU/OSU game (AP Photo)

When Ohio State took the 24-9 lead in the third quarter, it looked at that point like the Buckeyes were en route to rolling to a victory. It looked especially bad when the Spartans were forced to punt deep in their own side of the field, but in one of those crazy twists of fate that can completely change the momentum of a game, the ball hit an OSU player at midfield and the Spartans recovered. From that point on, MSU played like a team that was given an adrenaline injection, while the Buckeyes seemed to be waiting for MSU to simply pack it in. The Buckeyes would wait almost the rest of the game for this to happen, but it never did.

Watching the game, I am reminded of how aggravating and frustrating that '98 MSU football team could be. They were capable of crushing Notre Dame (42-3 lead at halftime en route to a 45-23 win) and beating #1 Ohio State at The 'Shoe--yet they could also lose to a weak Minnesota team and follow up the OSU upset with a home loss to Purdue. The Spartans had talent on that team, but it was raw talent. Players like Plaxico Burress and Julian Peterson showed flashes of brilliance that would come to full fruition the next season, when the Spartans finished 10-2.

It's been fun passing the lazy days of summer watching these old games and engaging in one of my favorite activities: reminiscing.

The end of June post

Time for me to get in my end-of-the-month post.

The NBA draft took place last week, and both Adreian Payne and Gary Harris were selected in the first round. Of the two, Adreian Payne--barring injury--should have the best NBA career. He has the length and the inside/outside game.. But I wish both Payne and Harris the best.

Maryland and Rutgers are set to officially join the Big Ten on Tuesday, July 1. I'm underwhelmed by the addition of these two schools, and think it waters down the conference. I suppose Rutgers women's basketball improves the Big Ten, and Maryland men's basketball is formidable, but neither school was added with athletics that much in mind. It's a money grab, plain and simple.

Maybe as time goes on, I'll soften and fully accept Maryland and Rutgers in the Big Ten. But as of now, it doesn't excite me at all. The bottom line is that, in many ways, I don't like the direction college athletics is taking. I don't do well with change to begin with, and this sort of change is irksome for me. I grew up with a Big Ten that actually had TEN schools. Now the conference has added three more schools in the span of three years. I was just finally getting used to Penn State in the Big Ten.

Now, Maryland and Rutgers have been added, and not due to athletics, not due to academics, but in a cynical attempt to stake a claim of the east coast television market. Sure, Jim Delany will claim that this had nothing to do with it, but let's be honest. That's what it was about.