Does this Spartan football team even have a pulse?

Another week, another disappointing loss. The Spartans get shot down by Northwestern, 54-40.

Once again, this was a game that demonstrated that Michigan State is weak in almost every facet of the game. They have an offensive line that can neither run block nor pass protect with any consistency (Exhibit A: Freshman quarterback Brian Lewerke getting hammered at the goal line for a safety). They have a defense that cannot get off the field, and cannot seem to ever get a third down stop. This is a team that is capable of getting off to a quick start, but completely incapable of maintaining a lead.

I really don't know what to add to this. What more is there to say about a season that feels like it has gone completely off the rails?

At this point, I'm really not sure how much I'll be tuning in to the MSU football season. I watched the Indiana, BYU, and Northwestern games in their entirety and I don't consider it as time particularly well spent. There's a strong possibility I'll be bailing on the Maryland game. Who knows, maybe me not watching will be a good thing for the Spartans.

A glorious weekend in Indianapolis

It was as if all the frustrations of an often disappointing regular season completely fell to the wayside in one glorious weekend.
 

Quite simply, these were the best three games the Michigan State basketball team had played all season.
 

On Friday night, the Spartans thoroughly dominated an undermanned Northwestern. Saturday, MSU played an almost flawless first half against Wisconsin. Despite a furious comeback attempt by the Badgers, MSU hung on to win by eight points.
 

And then there was yesterday's 69-55 Big Ten tournament championship victory over Michigan. The Spartans brought more hunger and passion than I'd seen from them all season, and showed everyone exactly what this team is capable of accomplishing when all the pieces are together and in sync.
 

It all bodes well for a potentially memorable NCAA tournament run.

 

Spartans 2, Land of Lincoln 0

The Payneless Spartans keep rolling along.

This week, they beat Northwestern in a practically unwatchable game in Evanston. In a contest that featured enough bricks to construct a new building on Northwestern's campus, the Spartans prevailed 54-40. Last night, in a game that wasn't nearly as hard on the eyes, the Spartans pounded the reeling Illinois Fighting Illini, 78-62. In true testament to how well MSU played, yours truly hurled nary one F-bomb throughout the entire game. Maybe only one or two "shits" was uttered in total.

As Graham Couch correctly pointed out in today's Lansing State Journal--as if you need an amateur blogger like me to affirm the insight and wisdom of a professional sportswriter--having Payne out of the lineup may actually be, in a strange way, a blessing in disguise for Michigan State. It has forced other players (namely Matt Costello, Branden Dawson, Alex Gauna, and Gavin Schilling) to both get more playing time and step up their play to make up for Payne's absence. In the long run, it may have the same impact as the 1999-2000 season, when Mateen Cleaves missed the entire non-conference schedule. In the NCAA championship game against Florida, when Cleaves was temporarily knocked out of the game after the infamous Teddy Dupay incident, the Spartans didn't panic and didn't miss a beat. Their poise was a direct result of to not having Cleaves for so long earlier in the season.

Eventually, MSU will get Payne back in the rotation, but the time he has been out may have helped make this team stronger.

In other Big Ten hoops news, Michigan dominated Wisconsin at the Kohl Center. The Wolverines thoroughly outplayed the Badgers throughout most of the game and were able to withstand a furious comeback attempt late in the game. Suddenly, Michigan looks like a player in the Big Ten championship race even without Mitch McGary. Michigan's match-up against Iowa has taken on new meaning, as has the impending showdown with MSU next weekend.

To my loyal one or two readers, look out for my Spartan football wrap up. I'm sure you're dying to read it. I hope to finally post it soon--at least before the 2014 football season begins.

Until then, stay Green my friends.

Certainly Payne-less, and a little painful (at least until overtime)

I can hear my (imaginary?) readers groaning after I use yet another Payneful pun. I promise that'll be the last time I torture you with one of those.

 

For most of today's MSU basketball game against Minnesota, it looked like it would follow the familiar Breslin Center script we've come to expect against ANY opponent: the Gophers play lights-out in the first half and take a lead into halftime. Then in the second half, Michigan State makes adjustments, the Gophers run out of steam and the Spartans pull out a win.

 

For most of the game, it appeared there'd be no deviation from the usual scenario, despite the fact that Richard Pitino's pressing, zone-playing team was causing problems for the Spartans. Still, by the waning moments of the second half, MSU seemed in control of the game. However, a funny thing happened on the way to the "inevitable win": Gary Harris missed two free throws, and the Gophers raced down court for the game-tying lay up. Ugh, another overtime game. As a fan, I felt emotionally and physically drained after the first 40 minutes of play, how could I bounce back for "bonus basketball." (Just imagine how the players felt?).

 

In overtime, though, it was ALL MSU. Instead of getting down on themselves for not finishing the job in regulation, the Spartans dominated the Gophers. I give this team this much: they are one resilient and unflappable bunch.

 

Denzel Valentine bounced back from his brutal performance against OSU and made some crucial plays down the stretch. Kenny Kaminski was also outstanding, and reminds me of Kirk Manns the way he strokes that outside shot. Keith Appling and Gary Harris were their usual smooth selves.

 

But how much longer can the Spartans get by without Adreian Payne? They should be able to survive a truly dreadful Northwestern team*, but after that, life without Payne could get tricky. Here's hoping he is healthy enough to play by the time the Spartans take on Illinois on January 18.

*The day after I posted this, Northwestern stunned Illinois, 49-43 for the Wildcats's first conference win of the season. Perhaps I spoke to soon when I dismissed them as "truly dreadful." Still, this is a game that MSU should win.

Reporting from vacation

I'm reporting from Warner Robins, Georgia. On our way to our family vacation in Orlando.

Naturally, I missed the Spartan football game, since we were driving. We were in Kentucky when the game started and had taken a restroom pit stop in Tennessee when it ended. Happy to see MSU took care of business.
 

Checked into our hotel room just as the MSU basketball game started, but it was nowhere to be found on the cable TV here, and honestly I'd have been too wiped out to watch the whole game, anyway. The Spartan hoopsters got the job done.
 

Yesterday was a great day to be a Spartan, and I've been proudly wearing my gruff Sparty sweatshirt.

Back to football, though. I admit I was wrong about Connor Cook. Early in the season, I (along with many others) doubted whether he could be an adequate starter. He has become more than just adequate, he's a leader of the Spartan football team.
 

Now the Spartans are Legends Division champions for the second time in three years. Now, many doubt whether they can beat Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. To paraphrase Robert Kennedy, "Some people ask 'why?,' I ask 'why not?'" Why can't MSU beat Ohio State? Just because the Buckeyes have won 23 in a row? That streak has to end eventually. All the pressure should be on OSU in this game. The Spartans, as the decided underdog, can play loose and with no worries.

MSU football has been proving the doubters wrong all season. Even the Detroit "blue wall" media have thrown up their hands, given up, and have written glowing stories about them. The Spartans can continue to silence the critics with a win over the Buckeyes. Why not?

Off on vacation

I'll be on vacation in Orlando, Florida until the first week of December. I don't know if I'll get a chance to write in this blog, so farewell for now.

I'm still much more in a football mood than basketball, so my focus is much more on the MSU football team's final two games than it is on the hoops team's tournament in Brooklyn.

Northwestern might be the best 4-6 team in the country. Talk about a hard luck team. After I saw the 'Cats conference opener with Ohio State, I was convinced Northwestern was truly the main contender for the Legends Division title. Unfortunately, injuries and bad luck have plagued them ever since. Still, I expect Northwestern to give MSU a tussle tomorrow, but the Spartans should pull away in the second half for the win.

I'll be driving from Indiana to Georgia on Saturday, and won't see any college football, so I'll have to get updates on my phone and the car radio.

So unless I can write some blog posts via Android RAZR, as I'm doing now, farewell 'til we meet again, and as ever: Go Green.

Second place isn't all that bad, and schadenfreude tastes especially sweet today

I'm watching the Big Ten Network's replay of the Michigan State/Northwestern basketball game.

Remember early in the conference season when I said Michigan was the team to beat in the Big Ten? Well, I was wrong. I am happy now to be able to admit it.

Congratulations to the Indiana Hoosiers, who earned the outright Big Ten title with a come-from-behind victory over Michigan.

Even though a Michigan win would have given MSU an opportunity to earn a share of the Big Ten title, I couldn't bring myself to wish anything but ill will for the Wolverines. It was an interesting experiment to watch that UofM/IU game and see what my reaction would be. Could I pull of Michigan? The answer was a resounding NO. I am physically and emotionally revolted by the sight of the block "M", the sound of that irritating "Hail to the Victors", and those hideous yellow highlighter-hued uniforms. I don't want Michigan's help, and I don't want them to have any momentum or good feeling heading into the Big Ten tournament or NCAA tournament, and I sure as heck don't want to share a conference title with Michigan. In short, screw the Blue.

Rarely has schadenfreude tasted as sweet than the way Michigan seized defeat from the jaws of victory against Indiana. The best part of Michigan's loss was that, coupled with MSU's win over Northwestern, the Spartans finish above Michigan in the final conference standings and have a better Big Ten tournament seeding that they would have had if Michigan had beaten IU.

I thought that the race for Big Ten Player of the Year might come down to the UofM/IU game. In the battle between Burke and Oladipo, I suppose Oladipo was slightly better than Burke, based mainly on the fact that Indiana won the game, but really it was a draw. The real star in this game was Cody Zeller, who scored 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. (Oladipo had 14 points and 13 boards).

***

A few posts ago, I dissed Northwestern and all but guaranteed a 15-20 point win for MSU. I should have known better, given the way the last few meetings between MSU and Northwestern have gone. With Indiana already beating Michigan, and the MSU players surely knowing about the result, there was no longer a share of the conference title to play for. The game was a slog, with Northwestern playing like it was the NCAA championship game and the Spartans looking fairly uninspired and sloppy. As often happens at Breslin, though, MSU finally surged ahead in the last 4 minutes or so to pull out a win.

It's getting late, I'm tired, and I really need to go to bed. But I will be back to write about Big Ten basketball later.

My afternoon at Spartan Stadium: (Northwestern 23, Michigan State 20)

First the good news about yesterday's excursion to MSU and the Spartan football game: The weather was perfect for a mid-November Saturday: Sunny, temperatures in the low fifties. Our seats, purchased weeks ago through StubHub, were pretty darned good for the ridiculously low price I paid for them. We were in Section 3, Row 32 on the east side of the north end zone.

We had a pleasant walk from the northwest corner of campus, past Kellogg Center, over the foot bridge crossing the Red Cedar, and cutting through the gauntlet of tailgaters crowding Jenison Fieldhouse on the south side of the walkway and the athletic fields on the north side. As we approached the north side of Spartan Stadium, the Spartan Marching Band was just approaching the tunnel. Our timing was perfect. I took this snapshot with my phone camera:

The Spartan Marching Band's consistent excellence is the one thing that can be counted on even when the football team is mediocre or bad...and this year's team is definitely mediocre.

I wonder if the football gods are now cursing us after two consecutive 11-win seasons.

I really didn't get too emotionally invested in this game, and never really expected MSU to beat Northwestern. However, the Spartans once again had plenty of opportunities to make the crucial plays necessary to win, but could not execute. It's the story of the season.

A few observations from the game:

The turnout was better than I expected. It was a late arriving crowd, as many of them were no doubt enjoying the sunny and warm for November weather, but by the midway point of the first quarter, I estimate a crowd hovering around 70,000. The fans were also into the game and behaved well, reserving most of their ire for the for some questionable officiating [doesn't that sound familiar?] at various points in the game.

I haven't been one of those fans demanding the firing of Dan Roushar, but I had to question MSU's 4th and goal playcall in the first quarter. It was the play immediately after Le'Veon Bell's run to the goal line where it appeared to everyone, except the officiating crew, that Bell had scored a touchdown. On the very next play, Bell ran again and was caught in the backfield. Neither Northwestern nor the 70,000 or so fans were fooled by the play. A play action pass or naked bootleg may have worked--but that's being a Monday morning quarterback.

I still can't believe MSU was winless in Big Ten home games this season.

DeAnthony Arnett made one great catch in the game, then disappeared for the rest of the day. His season has been just one mystery for what has proven to be a baffling year for MSU football.

Michigan State 31, Northwestern 17, and Spartans all alone as Legends Division champions

There will be no sharing of the Big Ten Legends Division title.  The Spartans won it outright by defeating a pesky Northwestern Wildcats team, 31-17. 

MSU will have a rematch next week with the Wisconsin Badgers for the Big Ten title.  The Badgers crushed Penn State, 45-7 (and in the process, inexplicably left their starting quarterback Russell Wilson in the game until the very end of a blowout win--yet another reason to dislike Bret Bielema and hope that MSU clobbers the Badgers next week).

As usual, Northwestern put up a valiant effort.  I certainly won't miss seeing Dan Persa.  That elusive, gunslinging little guy has been a constant thorn in MSU's side for four years, although the Spartans have managed to beat the Wildcats in each of those years.  It certainly hasn't been easy.

Although MSU had already clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship, make no mistake: this game against Northwestern WAS important.  It assured MSU of it's 10th win (the first time that MSU has ever recorded back-to-back double-digit victory seasons), and kept the Spartans' momentum going.  If State had lost, I can just imagine the headlines ("MSU limps into Big Ten title game", "Spartans again falter on the road", etc.) as well as the inevitable belief in some circles that the Michigan Wolverines ended the season on more of an upswing than the Spartans and would be a better representative in the title game.  Trust me, I've been around here long enough to know that this would be a common refrain.

Now, of course, all of the pundits seem to believe that MSU has no chance next week.  They are starstruck by Wisconsin's win over Penn State and seem to have forgotten that Wisconsin always plays better in Camp Randall.  Also missing in some of the analysis I've heard--namely from Mark May and Lou Holtz on ESPN--is that Will Gholston didn't play in the first MSU/Wisconsin game.  Despite not having one of MSU's best defensive players, the Spartans were still able to win.

Fine, let the so-called experts think what they want to think.  I feel confident that MSU is going to lay it all on the line next week.  They are still smarting over not making it to the Rose Bowl last year, and have dedicated their season to this goal.  I am not going to go so far as to guarantee a Spartan victory next week, but the Badgers better strap their helmets on tightly.

Next up, the Northwestern Wildcats

With the Thanksgiving holiday, I've been a stranger lately, but I've made it back in time for today's football game against Northwestern.

I've heard some people say that, since the Spartans have already clinched the Legends Division, this game is not important and MSU should rest some players.  I agree with Mark Dantonio that this talk is ridiculous, and I'm happy that Dantonio has stated this publicly with conviction.

As we know, college football is a popularity contest, so any blemish on MSU's record would hurt them when it comes to BCS rankings and national polls.  It doesn't matter to the BCS computer or the pollsters if the game "doesn't mean anything".

Additionally, what message is sent to the players if the coach downplays the importance of a game?  The Spartans need to treat this game just like any other on their schedule.

Northwestern is a dangerous team, with Persa, Ebert, and Colter on the offensive end.  The Wildcats beat Nebraska in Lincoln, so that should tell you everything you need to know about what Northwestern is capable of doing.  The Wildcats make me nervous.

The Spartans, though, are on a mission for not only an outright Big Ten crown, but a BCS bowl game.  I fully expect them to play at their best, and I look for the Spartans to win this one, 34-24.

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In other Big Ten action, Michigan should finally end a seven-year drought and beat Ohio State.  Purdue should roll over Indiana, and in a mild upset Minnesota will beat Illinois in Minneapolis.  Wisconsin will beat Penn State and the Badgers will be MSU's opponent next week in the Big Ten championship game.

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One final note, congratulations to the MSU hockey team for their stunning victory over the Minnesota Gophers.  Tom Anastos has the Spartan icers playing extremely well.

Michigan State 37, Northwestern 20

I am getting excited about this MSU football season, and this feeling is both exhilarating and a little scary. I, like many other Spartan fans, have been burned too many times before--but something seems different about this year. (Am I crazy to feel this way?) The Spartans have been mentally prepared for every game they've played, and have consistently made the big and important plays exactly when they've needed them.

As far as the Northwestern game goes, the Spartans set the tone immediately by jumping all over the Wildcats in the first quarter. By the time Northwestern woke up, they were down by 17 and could never get back in the game.

But what is particularly impressive about Michigan State is the way they consistently responded to every score Northwestern made. When the Wildcats finally got on the scoreboard to make it a 17-7 game, State immediately marched downfield, scored a touchdown, and went into intermission up 24-7. Then, when Northwestern took the second half kickoff and quickly scored again to cut the deficit to 24-14, and looked for all the world like they'd stolen momentum, the Spartans did not go into panic mode like, ahem, the Bobby Williams or John L. Smith teams of the past. Instead, they foiled the 'Cat's onside kick attempt and proceeded to stick it to the Wildcats again, upping their lead to 31-14. It was that sequence of events (NU TD, failed onside kick, MSU TD) that I believe sucked all of the air out of Northwestern.

Cudos to the Spartans for their outstanding special teams play and for the brilliant placekicking of Brett Swenson. This young man is the best kicker MSU has had since Paul Edinger (he really reminds me of Edinger, too. Not only does he physically resemble him, but he has icewater in his veins just like Edinger had). With one more year left in his college career, Swenson has a chance to become one of MSU's all-time great kickers. One more thing, when a team can consistently win the field position battle and force turnovers, that team will almost always come out victorious.

In conclusion, there just seems to be something very special about this team. They may not be the most talented team in the Big Ten, and their defense may give up its fair share of yardage, but they are tough, resilient and confident. They are becoming a reflection of their head coach, Mark Dantonio. I think that good things may be on the horizon. Only time will tell.

My Spartan Memories, Volume 1: November 12, 1977

In keeping with the Michigan State football theme that I seemed to have established thus far with this blog, I might as well keep the ball rolling, so to speak. I never consciously aimed to make this a "Spartan football blog," but with our nation's economy in utter shambles, and the election year increasing in intensity and nastiness, my mind really craves escapism lately. For the moment, MSU football is providing that escapism. So why not escape along with me?

I have been mulling this idea around in my head for awhile, and was actually going to start it prior to the Indiana game. However, it wasn't until now that I have finally got around to doing a little feature that I will call "My Spartan Memories." I hope all of my one or two readers out there in cyberspace enjoy it.

Michigan State will be playing the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston tomorrow, so this is a perfect opportunity to reflect back on the very first MSU football game I ever attended. The date was November 12, 1977 and the place was, naturally, Spartan Stadium. I was a nine year-old fourth grader. The game program pictured above is the actual program that I begged my parents to purchase for me at the game. Look closely at the pant legs of the Northwestern quarterback, and one can see the actual stain from the hot chocolate I accidentally spilled on the cover. (Although the photo shows two MSU players about to deliver a bone-crunching sandwich hit on the QB, giving one the impression of Spartan domination, I suspect that this photo was taken during the '76 game in which the Spartans were drilled 42-21).
 

Allow me to provide a little background. I was literally born a Spartan fan. Both of my parents graduated from Michigan State, and were students during the last period of truly great MSU football in the mid-sixties. My parents were on the sidelines at the 1966 "Game of the Century" between State and Notre Dame. (My father was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Traditionally, DU brings a large bell to every home game and rings the bell for every point MSU scores. So if the Spartans score a touchdown and extra point, the bell is rung seven times). I grew up on stories of Duffy Daugherty and Bubba Smith. (I may share some of these stories in future posts).
 

Although as a child I was raised a Spartan, it wasn't until I reached nine-years-old that a light switch went on and I became an actual football fan. I had a rivalry of sorts going on with the kid who lived next door to me, who was a Michigan fan. (At the time, we lived on the northwest side of Detroit, a city dominated by the University of Michigan. Spartan Nation, if you think a "blue wall" exists in the Detroit area now, it was really bad in the '70s.). The neighbor kid had gone with his parents to see the Wolverines squeek by Navy, 14-7, earlier in the '77 season. I remember him showing me the football program he'd aquired at the game. I decided that I wanted to see an MSU game, and I'm sure I pestered by parents about going to a game throughout that season (my memory on that particular point is a little hazy).
 

On November 12, 1977 my wish was fulfilled and I drove up to East Lansing with my mom and dad to watch the Spartans take on the Wildcats. My memories of the day and the game are fragmented now, so just today I researched the game by reading the account of it published in the November 13, 1977 Lansing State Journal. I work at a library in downtown Lansing, so it was easy for me to take some time during my lunch break to investigate the microfilm.
 

Prior to reading the newspaper account, here are my memories of that game: I'm pretty sure we parked on the south end of campus. I distinctly remember taking a shuttle bus to Spartan Stadium. It was extremely cold that day, but it was at least partly sunny. I received a free MSU raincoat/windbreaker (with a prominent Arby's logo on it). I loved that thing and wore it until it fell apart. As far as the actual game goes, all I remember is that State absolutely hammered Northwestern that day, and the final score was 44-3. I couldn't remember precisely who scored for the Spartans, but had a vague recollection of Kirk Gibson catching a touchdown pass. I remember all of us shivering on the old wooden bleachers of the north endzone, and briefly warming up with hot chocolate. We left a few minutes before the end of the game (on the way out of the stadium my parents bought me the game program pictured above), and I recall, in the warmth of our '75 Valiant, listening to the radio play-by-play announcers describe the [inebriated?] students tearing down the goalposts in jubilation. (Ah, the seventies!).
 

Here is how reality meshes with my perception (and in some ways contradicts my memories): the State Journal reported that it was indeed extremely cold that day (even by the standards of November in Michigan) with temperatures in the low 30s and a northerly wind of 15 miles per hour. I was also correct in recalling the Spartans' total domination of Northwestern that day, but had no idea of the extent of that domination. The Spartans racked up an astounding 607 total yards (275 rushing and 332 passing). After Northwestern took an early 3-0 lead on a Sam Poulos 37-yard fieldgoal, State struck back with 31 consecutive points. Kirk Gibson did indeed take a pass from Eddie Smith into the endzone for a score. (Gibby crossed the goal line with 29 seconds left in the first half to give MSU a 31-3 lead at intermission). Here's where the memory is a little faulty: I swear that the reason Michigan State couldn't convert their final PAT of the game was because the students were already in the process of "goalpost removal." However, the State Journal makes no mention of this (and, in fact, doesn't mention the goal posts being torn down) so perhaps I'm wrong on this point. (Can anyone out there clarify this?).
 

The Northwestern team that Michigan State faces tomorrow is undefeated. The Wildcats have won four of the last six meetings between the two schools and easily have had more gridiron success of late than MSU. Since MSU's last Big Ten title in 1990, Northwestern has won three (1995, 1996, 2000). However, when these teams met in '77, Northwestern was an absolutely terrible team. They entered the game winless (and finished the season 0-11). According to the State Journal, the day before the '77 game against the Spartans, a newspaper article was published in Omaha, Nebraska suggesting that Northwestern was on the verge of being removed from the Big Ten. They were to be replaced by the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Northwestern coach Jon Pont was incensed by the rumor and quickly squashed it. (My dad used to talk about Northwestern being so inept that they were going to be forced out of the Big Ten, but I was always a bit skeptical. Funny to see that such rumors were actually published and discussed in '77).
 

 

The 1977 Spartans were a good football team. After starting the season a bit shaky, they finished strong and placed third in the Big Ten with a 6-1-1 conference record (7-3-1 overall). The following season, with senior quarterback Eddie Smith and senior flanker Kirk Gibson (not to mention an underrated defense), MSU won the Big Ten title. Unfortunately, due to an extremely harsh NCAA probation, the Spartans were never on television and were barred from representing the Big Ten in the 1979 Rose Bowl. (I don't know if MSU football has ever fully recovered from those NCAA sanctions, but that's something to be explored in a later post). 

 

 

My first Spartan football game was a fantastic experience, and is at least partly responsible for making me the MSU fan I am today (for better or for worse). Let me end this post with some stats from that 1977 Northwestern game:
 

Attendance: 61, 228 (I do remember there being quite a few empty seats that frigid November Saturday)
 

Northwestern 3 0 0 0 -- 3

Michigan State 10 21 7 6 -- 44
 

Eddie Smith: 24 attempts and 15 completions for 286 yards passing, 3 TDs (2 passing, 1 rushing).

Mark Brammer (TE): 7 catches for 108 yards, 1 TD

Kirk Gibson (FL): 3 catches for 103 yards, 1 TD

Jim Earley: 7 carries for 83 yards

Steve Smith: 63 yards rushing and 2 TDs (and no, he's not the same Steve Smith who led the MSU basketball team to the 1990 Big Ten title!)

Bruce Reeves: 62 yards rushing

Dan Bass: 15 solo tackles

Mel Land: 13 solo tackles