Notre Dame, my two-bit analysis, and other stuff

The Spartans play Notre Dame tomorrow, and I'll be darned if I know what to expect from either team.

It seems likely that MSU's defense will show up to play, and probably play well. But the X-factor is Notre Dame's offense. Cierre Wood, from what I've heard, will be back in ND's backfield. How effective will he be? Will he be rusty after his exile? How much will Theo Riddick play, and will he share time with Wood? Of course, I don't know how effective Notre Dame's running game will be against Michigan State, anyway. It may not matter whether Wood or Riddick play. On the other hand, I may be getting too cocky, and from my experience as a Michigan State fan, that is not good. Best to maintain a degree of humility.

Notre Dame's huge tight end, Tyler Eifert, is another player who concerns me, but aside from him it doesn't look like the Irish have many big play threats at the receiver position.  (Speaking of Notre Dame receivers, is it just me or does it seem like the Irish always have some huge tight end on their team? Through the years, they've had guys like Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson, Anthony Fasano, and many others. Much as Evanston, Illinois must have a factory that produces undersized and shifty quarterbacks, South Bend, Indiana has one that manufactures 6'5" 250 pound hulks that catch footballs and steamroll everything in their wake).

Michigan State's offense is also a question mark. I assume that Andrew Maxwell will continue to improve at quarterback, but will any pass catchers besides Dion Sims step up? I'd love to see DeAnthony Arnett, Bennie Fowler, Keith Mumphery, Macgarrett Kings, or anybody emerge as a playmaking receiver. I'm sure Notre Dame will do everything they can to contain Le'Veon Bell and MSU's running game, so it will be imperative for the Spartans to get something going in the air against ND's untested defensive backfield.

And that is my two-bit, completely unsolicited and non-expert analysis.

 Two nights ago I had a dream that Michigan State beat the Irish, 24-16.  Then again, last night I had a dream that the Spartans lost. Being an optimist, however, I'll stick with my Wednesday night dream and predict that MSU will defeat Notre Dame by that 24-16 score.

***

For me, and most other MSU fans and alumni, the Notre Dame game is the second biggest one on our schedule after the Indiana game and the battle for the Old Brass Spittoon...ha, had you going there, didn't I? All right, with all due respect to the Hoosiers, I think we all know the most important game on MSU's schedule. Anyway, the Notre Dame game is pretty darned big, and with the Spartans dominating in recent years, I suspect it's become more important for the Golden Domers. That being said, with Notre Dame's recent announcement that they are (kinda sorta) joining the ACC in football, it would be a major shame if MSU's rivalry with the Irish ended permanently after next year. You know what, it would be worse than a "major shame"...it would be a travesty. MSU and Notre Dame have a football series that dates back to 1897, Notre Dame was one of the first major football powers to agree to a home-and-home series against Michigan State, and helped MSU (then known as MSC) join the Big Ten. It's a storied rivalry that deserves to be respected and continued in perpetuity.

***

I'll conclude this post with another episode of "Mark tells you a story". This one involves Notre Dame and my first full day on MSU's campus back on September 20, 1986. Looking back on it now, I'm lucky it wasn't my last.

I recall that it was a sunny and pleasant Saturday morning and I decided to take a walk in order to purchase a "Beat Notre Dame" button at the Student Book Store on Grand River Avenue. Heading back towards Shaw Hall from SBS after making my purchase, I was surrounded by the sheer gorgeousness of the campus and was joyous over my new-found freedom as a college student. I was swelled with Spartan Spirit. As I walked south just beyond Beaumont Tower, I spotted a young man in a Notre Dame t-shirt walking towards me. He was strolling alongside, presumably, his girlfriend.  They both appeared to be enjoying the beautiful September morning as much as I was.

Already pumped up with Spartan pride, and acting like an impetuous teenager, I made some smart ass remark as I walked past the Notre Dame fan (I don't remember what, but probably something along the lines of, "We're gonna kick yer ass today!"). The ND fan did not take kindly to my remark, and made a move to challenge me to a fight. His quick-thinking and reasonable girlfriend grabbed his arm and said something like, "Just let it go." He heeded her advice and the two continued on their way.  I, too, resumed my walk and when I returned to Shaw, joked about the incident with some of my floormates--but there was a part of me that was shaking just a little about the silly scuffle I just narrowly avoided with that Fighting Irish fan who was prepared to live up the nickname.

I owe a debt of gratitude to that guy's level-headed girlfriend. Thanks for preventing us two idiots from ruining our Saturday.

As it turned out, the Spartans beat Notre Dame that day, 20-15, with Todd Krumm finishing the day with two big interceptions and Lorenzo White rushing for over 140 yards.

It was an odd, but ultimately happy, first full day on MSU's campus.

A fan in absentia: Michigan State 41, Central Michigan 7

Full disclosure: I missed almost the entire first half of yesterday's MSU/CMU tilt because I went with my wife and eldest son to see The Dark Knight Rises. (It was an adrenaline-charged blast of a movie, but the main thing I took from it is that being a Gotham City police officer is a thankless job).

I didn't make it home until early in the third quarter, at which time the score was 31-0. All of the fireworks had ended by that point, and it was time for the second string. Of what I saw in that third and fourth quarter, not much made an impression other than Macgarrett Kings, the freshman wide receiver. He had two catches and is fast, with shifty moves.

From what I could tell, the Spartans simply took care of business. There was nothing fancy or earth-shattering about the Spartans' performance, though it was good to see the passing game improve, albeit against an inferior opponent.

I admit that I wasn't sure what to think about MSU playing a Mid-American Conference team on the road, but I've come around to believing it was a great event for the State of Michigan, and good public relations for Michigan State. Let's keep money in the state, because with our financial and economic problems, we desperately need it. Michigan State looks good for giving up what would have been a home game to create the biggest sporting event in Mt. Pleasant/CMU history.

Now, time to look forward to a big home night game against Notre Dame. I think it's time for payback after what happened last year. Am I right?

"The Play": Dave Yarema breaks my freshman heart on October 4, 1986

A few posts ago, I mentioned a long-ago football play that tore my insides out and inspired me to write a goofy little college essay entitled, "A Sappy Ode to Spartandom."

These days, it seems that almost everything can be found on YouTube, and sure enough, I was able to find a clip of this heartbreaking play--one that I had not seen since it took place almost 26 years ago, and one that I have since simply referred to as The Play.

Let me set the scene: I was a young, rather innocent, completely excited, and somewhat naive freshman at MSU in the fall of 1986. I was an eighteen-year-old kid who had finally broken out of his humdrum, small town existence in Michigan's thumb region and was enjoying the big wide world of college life and was absolutely thrilled to possess Spartan season football tickets, which had been purchased during that summer of '86, while waiting in anticipation of officially becoming a college student.

I was extremely hopeful about the Spartans' football season, and felt that it was going to be a year culminating in a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl.  Lorenzo White was coming off a tremendous 1985 campaign in which he rushed for a school record 2066 yards and finished fourth in the Heisman voting. Quarterback Dave Yarema was a senior and had two great receiving targets in Mark Ingram and Andre Rison. The Spartans had finished the '85 season with a 7-5 record and there was every reason to believe they would improve on it in 1986. I was convinced that my freshman year at Michigan State would be THE YEAR.

And then the season began...

After losing a close road game against Arizona State, the Spartans beat Notre Dame (on what was my first full day as a student on MSU's campus) and then pulverized Western Michigan. MSU entered its Big Ten opener against the #11 Iowa Hawkeyes looking to get the conference season off to a good start in front of a sellout crowd and national TV audience.

Much of that MSU/Iowa game I had forgotten in the last 26 years, other than the fact that the afternoon was a bit chilly and rainy. I consulted the Michigan State 1987 Football Annual for sportswriter Jack Ebling's description of the events that led to "the play." Ebling wrote, "Without question, MSU controlled play. But midway through the fourth quarter, Iowa and its third-string quarterback ruled the scoreboard. The Hawkeyes had taken advantage of two huge mistakes--a kickoff return fumble by fullback James Moore and a nightmarish nap by free safety Paul Bobbitt--to grab a 24-14 lead. Worst of all, the Spartans had lost guard Doug Rogers, their most valuable offensive lineman, for the year on a punt-return clip and tailback [Lorenzo] White for three games on a botched screen pass. Just when things seemed the bleakest, however, MSU battled back. It scored on a perfect pass from quarterback Dave Yarema to flanker Mark Ingram in the left corner of the north end zone, making it 24-21. And after the defense held, the Spartans were moving again. Yarema was never better, taking the team into scoring position. For an instant it looked as if Ingram would score, but a jersey-stretching stop made it first-and-goal inside the 4 with enough time and timeouts remaining."

I can't help but wonder what that season, and life in general, would have been like if Ingram had managed to break free of that "jersey-stretching" and score the touchdown. We will never know. Instead, Ingram was stopped inside the four, leading to the next play...or, The Play.

I remember that Spartan Stadium was in a frenzy, and I along with everyone else in that stadium was convinced without a shred of doubt that MSU was about to win the game in dramatic fashion. In our fantasies, the final score was Michigan State 28, Iowa 24 and we would all storm the field, rip down the goal posts, and party into the wee hours of Sunday morning. Unfortunately, the football gods had other ideas.

At the time, I thought that the perfect (and only) play was a simple running play, but looking back at it now with the benefit of hindsight, I don't fault head coach George Perles for the play selection. Lorenzo White was out of the game, and the ball was far enough from the end zone that a running play wouldn't have necessarily succeeded in getting the touchdown on that play. The play action roll out pass was a good call, but the execution was lacking.

What is particularly interesting about seeing The Play again is how I mis-remembered it.  I saw it only once--in person, from about 70 yards away in the student section on the southeast corner of the stadium. I had forgotten that Yarema rolled to his right and threw across his body. According to Jack Ebling's account in the 1987 football annual, when Perles called a timeout immediately preceding the play, Yarema was told repeatedly by Perles and his assistants to just throw the ball away if the pass couldn't be completed. Apparently, Yarema forgot those instructions and threw the ball directly in the waiting arms of Ken Sims.

When Yarema threw that interception, the life went out of Spartan Stadium in a way I had never seen before or since. In an instant, the stadium went from a roaring passionate frenzy to a funeral parlor.

I can't help but feel terrible for Yarema all these years later.  He was in such distress on the sideline in the immediate aftermath of Sims' interception. Yarema had a great career for MSU, and held a number of Spartan passing records for several years, but never even sniffed a Big Ten title or a Rose Bowl.  His biggest problem was that despite all the big passing numbers he accumulated, he never seemed capable of making the big play in crunch time.

Andre Rison also was completely despondent on the sideline after the play, with his head hidden in his hands. He at least had the satisfaction of winning the Big Ten title the following year, capped off with a Rose Bowl victory.

I remember sadly filing out of Spartan Stadium amongst the walking dead, and trudging back to East Shaw Hall in a chilly drizzle, already feeling as if the entire season had been flushed down the drain. In a way, it had. MSU played Michigan the following week in Ann Arbor, but it was clear the Spartans had no energy as they were drubbed, 27-6. MSU managed to bounce back from the Michigan loss to record three straight wins and, for a little while, it looked as if the team might actually have a good season after all. Unfortunately, the Spartans suffered two stunning three-point losses in succession, to bottom-feeders Indiana and Northwestern, before closing out the season with a lackluster win over Wisconsin to at least salvage a winning season. MSU finished 6-5, but were shut out of a bowl game. 1986 was NOT the year, as it turned out--and the beginning of the end could arguably be traced back to the Iowa game and The Play.

***

I'm at least happy that finally, 26 years later, I can watch a replay of The Play and instead of feeling particularly sad or angry, I feel nostalgic. It's interesting to hear Brent Musburger doing the play-by-play with Ara Parseghian as the color commentator, since I had no idea who the broadcast team was for that game since I was, of course, AT the game and had no interest in revisiting the game until recently.

"A stunning moment for the Michigan State fans," Musburger says after the interception, and that about summed it up. A few seconds later he says that it has just started to rain (as if the football gods were commenting on MSU's demise). That's just as I remember it--so I suppose my memory isn't as faulty as I originally suspected.

I suppose, now that MSU finally has a coach (Mark Dantonio) leading the football program to success not seen since the '60s, it's easier to view this sad old video clip. Hell, even the natural grass field now looks a thousand times better than that old worn out synthetic turf of the 1980s.

***

That late October afternoon, grey and overcast with a mist of rain in the air, I slowly made my way back to Shaw Hall, maybe feeling slightly older and a little less naive. It had become even more clear to me that being a Michigan State fan would never be easy. I trudged back with my floormate Ron, both of us silent in our mourning. I don't remember anything about what happened when we returned to Shaw: probably shared a quiet dinner in the almost empty cafeteria, and I probably then retired to my room and wallowed in pity while listening to The Queen is Dead. 

The 1986 season would go on to be a disappointment for the Spartan football team and its fans, but little did I know that good times were not too far away.

***

ADDENDUM: Here is a podcast, recorded in September 2008, that I recently found on the Spartan Sports Network. Dave Yarema, who served as an honorary captain for the September 6, 2008 MSU/EMU, discusses the 1986 Iowa game and the nastiness from "fans" that ensued. He sounds like a good man, and I'm happy that he has found peace and contentment after his college football career, and that tumultuous '86 season.

http://www.spartansportsnetwork.com/uploads/showsfiles/67.mp3

Beast mode: Michigan State 17, Boise State 13

The one MSU player who was truly in "Beast Mode" last night was Le'Veon Bell, and when I saw this photo posted on Facebook today, I knew I had to post it on this blog.

It was far from the prettiest game ever played, but it was a win against a quality opponent, and in the end that's all that matters.  Here are some observations of last night's Michigan State victory:

Playing the very first game of the season against a very good opponent like Boise State only magnified the relatively minor flaws and kinks in Michigan State's team. If MSU had opened against a weak team like UAB or Youngstown State, I don't think many would notice these flaws because the Spartans would more than likely roll in a blowout.  The value in starting the season against Boise State is that the areas in which the Spartans need to improve are readily apparent.

The good news is that the mistakes MSU made are fixable, and to a large extent were repaired in the second half of the game.  For example, Andrew Maxwell threw three interceptions, all in the first half.  His decision making and overall play improved drastically in the second half.

The defense was outstanding, and was as good as advertised. Le'Veon Bell made quite a statement in a nationally televised game, and Dion Sims will be a big, bruising target for Andrew Maxwell.

On the subject of Maxwell, I was disappointed to read so many disparaging comments about him on Facebook during the game by Spartan fans. (I must force myself to stop looking at Facebook during MSU football and basketball games, there are too many hysteria-driven comments).  Folks, it was his first game as a starter...and it's not as if he was going up against Eastern Michigan or Kent State. This was Boise State (72-6 record since 2006) under the lights on national television.  That would give anyone a case of stage fright. Overall, I think Maxwell had a good game, and much better in the second half when it mattered the most.

Looking at Maxwell's deficiencies, the good part is that they are all fixable. Some poor performances happen simply because the player in question lacks talent or physical ability. This is definitely not the case with Maxwell. He is mobile, athletic, and has a cannon for an arm. His problems last night were with decision making, which is a common problem with new quarterbacks. Believe it or not, even Kirk Cousins had those problems in his first year as a starter in 2009, and to a lesser extent in 2010.

At this point, I'm a little more concerned about the wide receivers.  But once again, it has to be pointed out that all of these guys were starting for the first time in their careers. Both Bennie Fowler and Tony Lippett can fly, it's just a matter of hanging onto the ball.  Look for MSU to open up the passing game a little bit against Central Michigan to help these guys work the kinks out.

Back to Le'Veon Bell for a moment. The man has the most incredible spin move I have seen since Barry Sanders, and I really don't think that's a stretch.

Well, I'm being forced off the computer now, through forces beyond my control. I may or may not get back to this later (probably not). In any event, it was a solid win for the Spartans last night.

One more day...

Out of curiosity, I took a look to see how this year's low number of returning starters for Boise State football compares to years past for that program. Here is what I found, going back to 2009.

2009...14
2010...21
2011...14
2012...6

I have no idea what this means, other than six returning starters is ridiculously low compared to the three previous seasons, which might lead one to believe that Boise State will have some trouble this season. On the other hand, Chris Petersen has demonstrated that he is one of the premiere head coaches in college football, and I highly doubt that he is crouching in fear because he only has six returning starters. He has had several months to prepare for this and my assumption is the new starters will be well prepared.  I also assume that with the higher profile and success Boise State has had over the last six years or so, the Broncos have had incrementally better recruiting classes and, thus, better athletes.

So as usual, I approach another MSU football season with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Don't get me wrong, the last two years have been great, and there is definitely reason for optimism--but I've been a Spartan football fan for too long to get cocky or over confident. Quite honestly, the preseason hype and love MSU has been receiving SCARES me a little bit.

More later...

A little catching up to do...

I finally get around to writing in this blog, and I have to fight my way through annoying pop-up ads just to write a post.

Only nine days until MSU's first football game of 2012, and I'm steeling myself for another four-month adventure ride.  With new faces at receiver and a brand-new quarterback, there are some unknowns with this team, and I really don't know what to expect.  Boise State should give the Spartans a good test in the opener, and I would not be shocked if the Broncos stole a victory here.  I don't necessarily expect Boise State to win, but they will arrive in East Lansing with no fear whatsoever.  Heck, look at their track record: since Chris Petersen became coach, Boise State has the obscene record of 73-6. In the last four seasons, the Broncos are 51-2! Sure, they lost some significant contributors from last year's team, including starting QB Kellen Moore, but something tells me they have plenty of guys who are just pining to get on the field. This game will not be easy for Michigan State.

Here's a little potpourri of MSU sports-related topics that I've been mulling over for the last few weeks:

Joe Rexrode, the excellent sportswriter for the Lansing State Journal, has left the LSJ for the Detroit Free Press. I'm not surprised to see this guy's career advance.  He's one of those writers whose skills transcend mere sports writing, and it was only a matter of time before his career advanced beyond Lansing.  I've long appreciated his wit, intelligence, work ethic, and great writing, and he should bring a welcome Green-and-White presence to the Freep.

Speaking of good local sportswriters, Jack Ebling's book Heart of a Spartan is officially out, and I'd love to pick up a copy (and I'm sure I eventually will buy one), but I just can't afford the 50 buck price tag right now. It's just gonna have to wait awhile.

I still haven't been on the MSU campus to see the enormous new Spartan Stadium scoreboards, but I've heard they are impressive. My only concern--and it's a lame, splitting-hairs concern--is that, from photos I've seen, the north end zone scoreboard looks "tacked on" the stadium, with the scoreboard supports resembling scaffolding that was left there and never removed. So my concern is merely cosmetic. I hope that  the scoreboard supports will be fully integrated into the Spartan Stadium architecture. (Go ahead and roll your eyes all you want!).

Some time ago, probably during the 2011 football season, I wrote about how I planned on finding and posting my own, literal, treasures (or perhaps, more accurately, garbage) from my personal "Spartan attic."  Well, a few months ago while going through some old papers, I found just the ticket.  I admit that I am an inveterate packrat, and I have saved notebooks from as far back as my MSU student days in the late '80s and early '90s.  In an English 101 notebook from my freshman year in '86, I found a silly little essay I wrote for my own amusement called "A Sappy Ode to Spartandom", and it was written shortly after the MSU football game lost a heartbreaking game to Iowa--a game I attended. So, here it is...

"A Sappy Ode to Spartandom" (written in October 1986)

I thought we were going to win. I honestly thought we were going to win. State had the ball first and goal at the Iowa 3 and there wasn't any doubt in the minds of anyone in the stadium that we were going to run it up the middle for an easy six and win the game. But did this happen? Of course not. What happens? [Dave] Yarema drops back and throws the ball in the end zone for an interception and we lose.

It's games like the one I just described which test the endurance of long-suffering Michigan State fans like myself. Sometimes I even wonder why I didn't go to a school with a better football team, like that snob school down in Ann Arbor. Luckily, I always come to my senses and remember that Michigan State is the best school in the world. 

Michigan State and Michigan State sports have always been a part of my life, so much so that if anyone ways something bad about either one, I take it as a personal insult. Both of my parents graduated from State, so I can remember watching the Spartans on television or listening to them on the radio all of my life. I can still remember the 1974 Michigan State-Ohio State football game in which the Spartans upset the favored Buckeyes. Levi Jackson ran the ball 83 [sic] yards from scrimmage for the winning touchdown. After the game, I knew where I was going to college.

I love Michigan State. Sure, as a Michigan State fan, I always have to hear about how much better the University of Michigan is. However, I never let these comments bother me. There is no school I'd rather go to, and that includes any Ivy League school or Its Royal Highness, the University of Michigan. Whenever I walk home from Berkey Hall after my English class and see the architecture and ivy on the old buildings and Beaumont Tower rising in its infinite majesty, I start playing the fight song in my mind and thank God that I'm a Spartan forever.

And on that note, I will sign off for now. I'm headed up to the Upper Peninsula for a five-day camping vacation, but will try and post one more time before the Boise State game.

One month until football season (and other thoughts)

It has been a long time since I last wrote in here as I have, for the most part, taken a break from Michigan State sports and college sports in general.  That's not to say I have been living in a cave and have not taken note of the Penn State situation or the Big Ten meetings in Chicago, but I have been spending most of my time enjoying the summer, watching in my son's Pony League baseball team in June (and working with him on his baseball skills), watching (and being frustrated by) the Detroit Tigers, recovering from an unexpected hernia repair surgery in July, and occasionally tuning into the Olympic Games.

So let's play a little catch-up: The NCAA handed down sanctions against Penn State, and by-and-large I agree with them.  What surprised me was the ruling that Penn State vacate all football wins between 1998 and 2011, thereby stripping Paterno of the all-time record in victories. My immediate reaction was that the NCAA was piling on.  But at the same time, I can understand the argument that the cover-up of Sandusky's evil during this period gave Penn State a competitive advantage that it most definitely would NOT have had if the world knew what Sandusky was doing.  What happened at Penn State was "lack of institutional control" at its most egregious, so it's hard to argue that they were hit too heavily by the NCAA.

Michigan is getting a lot of love from the media (like that's something new?).  They are the consensus media pick to win the Big Ten football title this year. Michigan should be good this year, but Big Ten champions? I'm definitely not convinced.  Then again, I'm hardly an unbiased observer.

This morning, Jack Ebling was on Staudt on Sports.  Unfortunately, I did not catch the entire interview because I had was in a doctor's appointment (follow-up checkup to make sure I recovered from my surgery, in case anyone is interested).  I was surprised to hear Ebling on Staudt's show, because I thought that Ebling and Staudt (two of the kingpins and elder statesmen in Lansing-area sports) did not get along.  This notion was based on something Ebling said on the radio a few years ago when he called out a certain local sports commentator, but not by name. At the time, it was obvious to me that his anonymous sports commentator was Tim Staudt.  If Ebling and Staudt had differences in the past, it must be water under the bridge now because both guys seemed to enjoy the interview, and Ebling had some interesting things to say about his career as a journalist, the upcoming Big Ten season (he goes against the grain and picks Purdue to win the Leaders Division), and his soon-to-be released book about MSU football, Heart of a Spartan.  The book is a must-buy, as it sounds outstanding.

As we approach the start of college football, I will try to post more in this blog.  I meant to post more this summer, but obviously that didn't happen. I think I was more burned out than I realized and really needed a few months to recuperate, since it's such hard work being a couch potato sports fan.