Minnesota is in town, and a few other odds and ends

Fresh off their stunning 22-21 victory over Iowa, the Minnesota Gophers are in town to face the Spartans.  That win over the Hawkeyes probably caught MSU's full attention, and I expect the Spartans to play a focused game today and bouce back from last week's disappointing loss at Nebraska.  I'm looking at a 38-10 MSU victory today--but based on how wrong I was with last week's prediction, perhaps I should stay away from prognostication.

I can't afford season tickets to Michigan State football, but I do have a modest streak of attending at least one game per year for the last 18 seasons.  This year, it was in danger of ending, but I'm happy to report that I just ordered tickets to the final home game against Indiana.  It probably won't be a great game, as the Hoosiers are a terrible team, but it is senior day and Kirk Cousins' last home game as a Spartan.  In addition, other outstanding seniors like Trenton Robinson, B.J. Cunningham, Joel Foreman, Keshawn Martin, and Keith Nichol will be playing their final games at Spartan Stadium.

Beyond that, one of my favorite activities of the autumn is attending Michigan State football games.  MSU's campus is gorgeous in the fall, and there is something simply sublime about bundling up, drinking some hot coffee or hot chocolate in the stands, and being a part of the whole pageantry of college football.  The older I get, the more I appreciate it.

In other Big Ten action today, Michigan and Iowa square off in Iowa City in what should prove to be a fascinating game.  Can the Hawkeyes rebound from last week or can the Wolverines win a big road game.  This game is a toss-up, but I'll give the game to Iowa based on home field advantage and a desire to atone for last week.  Nebraska takes on Northwestern in Lincoln, and though the Wildcats could give the Huskers a tough time, Nebraska should ultimately roll.  Ohio State should demolish Indiana, and Wisconsin is probably seething after their last two road heartbreakers and will take it out on poor Purdue.

The biggest game today is Alabama and LSU, which promises to be an outstanding game in the heart of insane SEC country.  Since the game is in Tuscaloosa, I'm going with the Tide to win a defensive tussle with the Tigers.

On the banner of this blog, there is a photograph of Bob Apisa, Clinton Jones, Bubba Smith, Gene Washington, and George Webster (overlayed with the name of the blog which I realize is difficult to decipher--I need to work on that).  The picture was taken in 1965, the first of two consecutive Big Ten championship years for the Spartans and two runs at the national title.  I have a deep appreciation for those great teams, and the role they played in the integration of collegiate athletics.  My intention for this blog is to not only write about the current Spartans, but to explore various aspects of Michigan State sports history.  So look for future posts that delve into the storied past of MSU athletics.

MSU basketball exhibition vs. Hillsdale

I managed to score two tickets to the exhibition game against Hillsdale and took my ten year-old son.  As soon as we stepped into Breslin, I immediately fueled him with Pepsi and popcorn and we were fairly good to go for the rest of the evening.

It's hard to take much from games like these.  Although Hillsdale played hard, they were clearly overmatched.  The Spartans led the entire game and really were not seriously challenged at any point in the game, as should be expected in an exhibition.  The final score was a fairly lackluster 80-58.

It was fun to see all the new faces on the MSU basketball team.  They are young, but have several athletic newcomers who should be enjoyable to watch this season.  I really have no idea what to expect from this year's team, but the sense of the unknown makes it more exciting, if that makes any sense.

Here are some observations, but keep in mind that I was sitting 28 rows up, behind the basket on the south side of Breslin, trying to keep my son entertained and dealing with several rugrats making lots of noise on my left: not exactly a position to be able to concentrate as fully as I'd like.

Travis Trice is one player who really stood out for me in this particular game.  The kid looks like a natural leader on the floor, has a nice smooth shot, and really works hard.

I had not seen Russell Byrd until tonight, and he's another player with a silky smooth shooting stroke from the perimeter.  Of course, I suppose it's easier to look smooth when one is playing against an overmatched team like Hillsdale, but I still like what I saw.  Trice and Byrd have big upsides, and both could develop into excellent contributors in the near future.

Of the other Spartan players, Draymond Green was solid, Derrick Nix looks to be in the best shape of his career, and Keith Appling did a great job guiding the team at point guard, though he struggled from three-point range and had a few ugly turnovers.  It will be interesting to see how much time Trice gets this season at point guard.  If he continues to play with the confidence and determination he displayed tonight, he will get significant playing time.

But I have absolutely no idea how these guys will play next week against North Carolina.  I suspect it could be a tough game for the Spartans, but they just might have the youthful energy and guilelessness to surprise some people.  And nobody likes an uphill challenge more than Tom Izzo.

One final note: I was genuinely impressed with how hard Hillsdale played, and the Chargers had one player who stood out for his moxie and grit.  He is a little guard named Tyler Gerber (#12).  The Hillsdale athletics website has him listed at 5' 10", but he didn't look any taller than 5' 7" from where I was sitting.  He finished with about 10 points and hustled the entire game.  He looks like a gym rat who isn't afraid of challenging anyone, even if his opponent is a foot taller than he is.  Good luck to Hillsdale the rest of the season.

Nebraska 24, Michigan State 3: Postgame thoughts

The only part of today's score I got right was Nebraska's point total: 24.  Thank you Bo Pelini for going into victory formation and not running up the score in the last five minutes of the game.

Not to make excuses, but it appeared that the Spartans were tired.  They had played Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin in succession--all three emotional wins.  Probably none more so than the Wisconsin game.  State just looked flat for most of the game, but credit must also go to Nebraska, who played some intense smothering defense.  They contained the running game, covered the receivers like a blanket, and basically made it a long day for MSU's offense

Nebraska knew how important this game was for their chances at a Big Ten title, and playing it surrounded by a sea of red certainly didn't hurt.  I'd like MSU's chances a lot more at home, but that's the way it goes.

The last hurdle MSU's football program must cross is playing well on the road in hostile environments.  They are getting closer in this regard, as this game wasn't nearly as bad as last year's Iowa game.

In any case, getting through this four game stretch (OSU, Mich, Wisc, Neb) at 3-1 is pretty darned good.  The schedule gets easier from here on out, with home games against Minnesota and Indiana, and road games against Iowa and Northwestern.  Of course, those games against Iowa and Northwestern could get tricky, particularly Iowa--where MSU has had lots of trouble in the past.  Still, not quite as daunting as the first half of the Big Ten season.

Now, it's time for the Spartans to regroup and get ready for a very winnable game next Saturday against Minnesota.

Nebraska Cornhuskers: pre-game thoughts

I finally am able, this morning, to get one of the kids off the computer to write my thoughts about the game against the Cornhuskers, which is just a little more than an hour away.

So let me cut to the chase.  I'm nervous.  It's in Lincoln, where the last time the Spartans played (in the first game of 1996), they were mauled 55-14.  Granted, those were different times.  It was Saban's second year as head coach and the Spartans were talent-depleted.  Tom Osborne had the Nebraska machine going strong, with a team that would go on to finish 11-2 and #6 in the nation.  MSU was simply the first of several teams the Huskers would demolish that season.

The 2011 Michigan State team has considerable more talent than that '96 squad, and Nebraska doesn't seem quite as daunting as Osborne's team.  Still, the nervous Nelly, glass-is-half-empty, expect-the-worst MSU fan that I have been conditioned to become after years of disappointment is concerned about this game.  I have flashbacks of the Iowa game last year, and am reminded that the Halloween weekend has not been kind the Spartans the last few years.  Last season's Iowa road debacle took place the day before Halloween, and the heartbreaking (and poorly officiated) '09 road loss to Minnesota was on Halloween.

Well, haven't the last few years under Dantonio been all about defying expectations?  Why can't MSU beat Nebraska in Lincoln?  Of course they can!  After all, last season the Spartans clinched their first Big Ten title in 20 years by defeating Penn State in Happy Valley for the first time since 1965.  This year, they knocked off Ohio State in Columbus for the first time since 1998. (Granted, it was a depleted OSU team, but I digress).  MSU has now beaten Michigan for the fourth consecutive year, a feat I never thought I'd see in my lifetime.  And as further icing on the cake (to borrow yet another well-worn cliche) the Spartans beat the #4 Wisconsin Badgers on a hail Mary pass.  Yes, the last few years have been about defying expectations and killing old demons.

I can't be expected to give an unbiased prediction regarding the outcome of this game.  With this in mind, I will say that the Spartans defeat the Cornhuskers, 27-24.

Michigan State Spartans sports from a fan's perspective

Hello, my name is Mark and I'm a 1991 graduate of Michigan State University.  I am also a devoted follower of Spartan sports.

For the last three years, I have written another blog called "Brainsplotch," which was intended to be a catch-all type of blog chronicling my everyday musings and interests.  However, at the time I started Brainsplotch, in August 2008, the MSU football team began its second season under head coach Mark Dantonio.  The Spartans had the first, of what hopefully will become, many exciting seasons with Dantonio at the helm.  Caught up in the euphoria of the Spartans' best football season since 1999, Brainsplotch quickly became a de facto Spartan sports blog.

Now, finally, I have decided to venture out with a second blog devoted entirely to my personal thoughts and feelings about Michigan State sports. As with Brainsplotch, I will not pretend to be an expert and will not spend too much time analyzing such subjects as recruiting or strategy--I'll leave most of that to people who actually know what they are talking about.  I hope some of you Spartan fans out there in cyberspace will follow me on this journey.

MSU sports posts from 2010 will be here soon!

I am slowly posting MSU sports posts from 2010, written in another of my blogs, in THIS blog. So if you want to read by blather from 2010, stay tuned.

Second Annual Brainsplotch (Treasures From the Spartan Attic) Big Ten Football Awards

 For the second consecutive year, I'm handing out the much coveted Brainsplotch Big Ten football awards. I know that the recipients will be thrilled with the announcement. Since most of these awards are in offensive categories, it may look like I'm being a homer and favoring Michigan State. That's really not the case (at least that's not the intention). Since MSU had the top offense in the conference (and a mediocre defense), it's only natural that many of the players mentioned are Spartans. Without further adieu, the winners are: MVP: John Clay, running back, Wisconsin. Clay is the most rugged back in the conference, and he's only a sophomore. Trying to tackle this guy has to be about as easy as tackling a Mack truck. It's scary how good he could be next year. He practically carried the Wisconsin offense on his back, averaging 116 yards rushing per game and scoring 16 touchdowns in helping the Badgers to a 9-3 regular season record. Best running back: John Clay, Wisconsin. No surprise here, since I also named him conference MVP. Honorable mention: Evan Royster, Penn State. Royster had another outstanding year for the Nittany Lions. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry, gaining 1104 yards on only 188 carries. Best quarterback: Darryl Clark, Penn State. Clark was Mr. Consistency for the Nittany Lions. He also led the conference in passing efficiency and touchdown passes. He also provided great leadership for the Nittany Lions offense. Honorable mention: Kirk Cousins, Michigan State. Call me a homer, but I give a slight edge to Cousins over Joey Elliott of Purdue. Cousins, only a sophomore, was second in the conference in passing efficiency, and threw 18 TDs compared to only 7 interceptions. Best wide receiver: Keith Smith, Purdue. It's hard to argue with a guy who had 91 catches for 1100 yards, far and away the best numbers in the conference. Honorable mention: Blair White, Michigan State. Okay, I'm really going to be accused of being a homer here, but Michigan State led the Big Ten in passing offense, and part of the reason was the sure hands of former walk-on White. Best kicker: Brett Swenson, Michigan State. Another great year for "Super Toe" Swenson, who led the conference in field goals made (18) field goal percentage, hitting 18 out of 20. He also led the Big Ten in scoring for kickers, with 94 points. Honorable mention: Stefan Demos, Northwestern. Demos tied with Swenson and Daniel Murray of Iowa for the most made fieldgoals in the conference, finished third in the field goal percentage (78.3 %), and also placed third in points scored for kickers with 85. Best punter: Zoltan Mesko, Michigan. Mesko led the conference in punting average (44.5), a full yard more than his closest competitor, and boomed a 66 yarder. Honorable mention: Ryan Donahue, Iowa. For a team that had a fairly weak offense, Donohue was a valuable weapon for the Hawkeyes. He also nailed a 73 yard punt, which is very impressive in itself. Best defensive player: Greg Jones, linebacker, Michigan State. Before dismissing this as pure homerism, please hear me out. Jones was far and away the best player on the Spartans' mediocre defense and was recently named first team All-American by the Associated Press and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. So I'm definitely not alone in my estimation. Jones led the conference in tackles (141) and was fifth in sacks. Honorable mention: Brandon Graham, defensive end, Michigan. Another standout performer for a team that had a poor defense. Graham led the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss and was second in sacks. (In my humble opinion, he's also one of the hardest hitters in the conference). Few players have a nose for the ball carrier like Jones and Graham. Coach of the year: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa. Ferentz did a great job in leading a team with a strong defense, but suspect offense, to a second place finish in the conference. Honorable mention: Bret Bielema, Wisconsin. I give Bielema a slight edge over Pat Fitzgerald, who did another fine job with Northwestern. Bielema led the Badgers to one of the quietest 9-3 finishes in the country. After the disappointment of Wisconsin's 2008 season, Bielema was impressive in how he was able to get the Badgers to bounce back in 2009.