SB Nation - Rocco Cironi

Alamo Bowl Preview :: Texas Tech Defensive Matchups

Seth C — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:30:23 -0000

29 days ago: Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, left, passes under pressure from Texas Tech defender Colby Whitlock, center, in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Oklahoma's Stephen Good is at right. Texas Tech won the game 41-13. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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SS Cody Davis vs. QB Kirk Cousins:

Cody Davis (Strong Safety / 6-2 / 200 / RS FR) :: There were a ton of question marks regarding how the Texas Tech secondary would perform, especially after the loss of three-fourths of the defensive backfield. In stepped Davis and FS Franklin Mitchem and although the numbers may not be too terribly impressive, 72nd in the nation in pass defense, but in comparison to the rest of the Big 12, the Red Raiders are better than average, good for fifth in the conference. Davis is tited for second, along with CB LaRon Moore and CB D.J. Johnson, with six passes broken up and is second on the team in tackles with 72. The general thought that when your safety is leading the team or near the top of tackles made, something is wrong with the defense, but I would guess that most Big 12 defenses suffer the same fate and the nice thing about Davis, and the entire secondary, is that he will hit. Davis was recently named to the second team All-Freshman Defense by CFN, an honor that is well deserved.

Kirk Cousins (Quarterback / 6-3 / 202 / SO) :: Cousins is only 6th in the Big Ten in passing, but he helped the Spartans lead the Big Ten overall. There's a lot to be said about the receiver situation, but Cousins still has his favorite receiving target in WR Blair White, while WR Keshawn Martin was Cousins' fourth favorite target. Cousins completed 61.5% of his passes, averaged, 8.2 yards per attempt and had a touchdown to interception ration of 2.57 : 1.00. There's this thought that the Spartans are purely a passing team, or perhaps pass a majority of the time, and the truth is that Michigan St. is about as close to even in terms of run to pass as you can get (387 runs and 393 passes). Cousins has only had two multiple interception games (two against Michigan and two against Penn St.) which means that he's not prone to having awful games and throwing multiple interceptions. Counsins best game of the year came against Minnesota where he completed 22 of 25 passes for 353 yards and two touchdowns.

So-So Running Attack: Despite rushing the ball almost fifty percent of the time, the Spartans don't necessarily struggle to rush the ball, but aren't running down opponents either. MSU ranks 79th in the nation in rushing offense and are 7th in the Big Ten at 135.92 YPG (for comparison purposes Michigan St. would rank seventh in the Big 12). The running game is really a committee approach in that the Spartans have 5 players that average more than 20 yards a game, including Edwin Baker (47.14), Larry Caper (40.27), Glenn Winston (34.00), Caulton Ray (22.29) and Ashton Leggett (20.83). The MSU suspensions play a part here as Winston and Leggett are suspended for the bowl game. I'm sure that this will have some effect on the role of the running game, but I'd imagine that the other three players will be more than capable of picking up any slack. The truth of the matter is that MSU is their absolute best when they run as the Spartans average 172 yards rushing in their wins and only 99 yards in their losses and as you would guess, the Red Raiders are their best when they limit the opponent rushing the ball, allowing only 82 yards in Texas Tech's wins and over 210 yards in Texas Tech losses.

Solid O-Line: The MSU offensive line is actually pretty solid, especially from the sense that they allow Cousins to stay upright for most of the game as the unit has only allowed 1.08 per game. This is a fairly veteran bunch as LT Rocco Cironi, C Joel Nitchman and RG Brendon Moss are all seniors while RT D.J. Young is a junior. Texas Tech fans know that one of the keys to a successful season is keeping your quarterback up and having a fairly decent running game and the Spartan offensive line has certainly done that. This will be a pretty interesting matchup as the Texas Tech defense (detailed more below) is second in the country in total sacks and thirtieth in the nation in tackles for a loss. When we look back at the results of this game, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to think that how these two lines play will decide the game.

Brandon Sharpe
Position	DE
Year	SR
Height/Weight	6-3/254
Stats	32 tackles; 16.0 TFL; 15.0 sacks; 3 forced fumbles

I honestly had no idea that Sharpe had this in him. In 2008, Sharpe played 10 games, had 1.0 sacks, 4 tackles and was virtually non-existent. Sharpe didn't have a ton of opportunities in 2008, but he certainly made the most of them in 2009. Sharpe, paired with fellow defensive ends Daniel Howard and Rajon Henley, has had a monster year terrorizing opposing quarterbacks, good for second in the country. In fact, Sharpe really didn't get going until conference play and I believe that he completely missed or played only a handful (maybe 5 or so) plays against TAMU. Of Sharpe's 15.0 sacks, 13.0 came against conference opponents, and although he was shut-out a few games, the defensive line as a whole had at least 1.0 sack every game and during conference play, the defense averaged 3.75 sacks per game.

Michigan State preview

BoilerTMill — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:52:29 -0000

When I saw this game on the schedule I felt it was the biggest toss-up of the year. I expected to be teetering on the edge of bowl eligibility at this point (certainly without wins over Ohio State and Michigan) but I didn't know what to think of the Spartans. Being game 11, it was hard to predict how seasons would turn out on both sides. I felt confidence about beating Indiana, but I have virtually ignored Michigan State for multiple reasons. First, the game felt far off. Second, it later felt like the game would not matter. Now that it is here, I still don't know what to think.

I am really surprised that this is the best offense in the Big Ten. I am more surprised that their defense has been so bad. Like Ben and I discussed in the podcast last night, just about the opposite was expected from the Spartans. The defense has been pretty good at home, but has struggled mightily on the road. As Ben said though, they have faced better offenses (Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Minnesota) on the road than at home (Western Michigan, Montana State, Michigan).

In short this is a huge game for both teams, though we have less of a margin for error (none) than Michigan State.

2009 Record: 5-5, 3-3 Big Ten

2008 Record: 9-4, 6-2 Big Ten

Bowl Result: lost Capitol One Bowl 24-12 to Georgia

Blog Representation: The Only Colors, The Enlightened Spartan, Sparty MSU

Series with Purdue: Michigan State leads 30-28-3

Last Purdue win: 11/4/2006 at Michigan State 17-15

Last Michigan State win: 11/8/2008 at Michigan State 21-7

Long lost brothers meet again

Michigan State offense:

This is really the best offense statistically in the Big Ten? I guess you're right. Michigan is flaky. Ohio State wins with defense, as does Iowa Most of the time. Minnesota has had one great offensive game against Michigan State. Indiana is surprisingly good. Illinois has only been good for two weeks. Northwestern is opportunistic. Purdue moves the ball, but we give it away almost as much as we score. Penn State can't score against good teams. Wisconsin is afraid to pass. That leaves Michigan State.

The Spartans don't have a dominant running back like Javon Ringer any more, but their running game is surprisingly balanced. No one has run for more than 400 yards, but seven players have at least 100 yards rushing (compared to three such players for us). Leading rusher Larry Coyer (375 yard, 6 TD's) is a question mark after suffering a concussion a few weeks ago, but Ashton Leggett (110-4) took over the position with authority last week by running for 110 yards and 4 TD's on 14 carries. He had one carry for 0 yards previously, and that came in the season opener against Montana State. Edwin Baker (242-0) also had his best game of the season last week with 15 carries for 78 yards.

Ashton Leggett had a breakout game against Western Michigan

At quarterback we will see both kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol. Thoughts on that issue are best summed up here by the Michigan State faithful. Cousins (158-148, 14 TD, 5 INT, 2,097 yards) has been by far the better quarterback, but Mark Dantonio insists on getting Nichol (45-86, 6 TD, 3 INT, 680 yards) some work in each game. The duo has combined to be the best passing attack in the league, so our secondary will be tested. Expect Cousins to start and Nichol to play.

Nichol and Cousins like to spread the ball around, though there is one top receiver to focus on. Blair White (58-836-7) will remind Purdue fans a lot of Chris Daniels. He is one of the conference's top receivers and will be the number one option on many plays. B.J. Cunningham (41-510-3) is a solid second option as Michigan State will likely look to pass first. Tight end Brian Linthicum (18-259-2) gives each quarterback a reliable safety valve and goal line option. Keshawn Martin (12-251-3) is a speedy deep threat. He has a 91 yard score on his resume this season. Mark Dell (25-392-1) can also be a deep option.

The reason that Michgian State's passing game has been so successful is its offensive line. The Spartans have given up just 12 sacks on the year, but they have yet to see a pass rush as fierce as ours. I fear another Wisconsin game because Michigan State has a big, experienced offensive line. Seniors Brendon Moss, Joel Nitchman, and Rocco Cironi form the core, but juniors Joel Foreman and D.J. Young are hardly stiffs. This is not a tall line, but they are compact and strong. We must respond tot heir physicality better than we did against Wisconsin.

Michigan State defense:

While our defense may struggle to slow down their very good passing game, our own passing game should have plenty of room to move as long as we can avoid turnovers. Michigan State defends the run well, giving up barely more than 100 yards per game. They are giving up over 230 yards per game through the air with a whopping 22 touchdowns. Ball security could be even more of an issue. Michigan State has forced only 11 turnovers this season, so it is critical that we don't help them out with dumb turnovers like we have helped other teams all year long.

The run defense begins with one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten, if not the entire country. Greg Jones is a beast of a player in the middle. He already has 117 tackles (11 for loss) 7.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. He loves to get after the quarterback, and you can bet he will end up wherever the ball is. Fellow linebackers Brandon Denson (54 tackles) and Eric Gordon (70 tackles) help him out. All three are the top tacklers for Michigan State.

Michigan State starts a pair of senior defensive ends in Trevor Anderson (4 sacks) and Colin Neely (2 sacks). Tackles Jerel Worthy and Oren Wilson are stout against the run, while Worthy can get into the backfield with 4.5 sacks. Wilson is a big nose tackle that will be difficult to get around in the middle of the line, but we mostly run outside anyway.

The Spartan secondary can be exploited. Corners Chris Rucker and Jeremy Ware have been disappointing this year. Each has just one interception, but more than 40 tackles. Marcus Hyde and Dan Fortener have played every game at the safety spots, but have only one interception between them. We should have some room to move in the passing game since coverage is not their strong suit.

Michigan State Special Teams:

Aaron Bates is one of the league's better punters at 42 yards per kick. Teams are averaging 8 yards per return against him, but we seem to be employing a strategy of catching the ball then falling down of late, so it doesn't matter. Michigan State is giving up 22 yards per kick return, so ATM might have some room.

Brett Swinson is one of the best kickers in the Big Ten. He has hit on 14 of 16 field goal with a long of 45. he did miss his only attempt last week from 37, so he isn't automatic. Keshawn Martin is a dangerous kick returner who has already taken one back for a score. He also returns punts, so our coverage must be better than last week.

Intangibles:

Purdue clearly needs this more. We're on a roll (if you remove the Wisconsin game) and playing at home with a senior class that has overachieved this year. Michigan State can afford a loss, while we cannot. They at least have the fallback of a second chance at home next week. We do not.

Michigan State has also performed poorly on the road this year. They grabbed a win at Illinois when Illinois was terrible, but it was only a hard fought 10 point victory. They gave up a ton of points to Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in their other road trips. I am really surprised that their defense has underperformed this season. It was supposed to be a strength while the offense replaced Brian Hoyer and Jevon Ringer. Instead, the offense has been fine while the defense has given up a ton of yards through the air.

Defensively, we want to make Michigan State run the ball. They do not have a strong running game, and many of its numbers are inflated by last week and the opener against Montana State. They have had the luxury of two laughers there, while we have had about half of one against Toledo. If our secondary can keep the passing game in check I have confidence the run defense will come around. Michigan and Wisconsin have gashed us the last two weeks, but they are much better running teams than the Spartans. Of course, Illinois was a bad running team too.

Offensively, if we can establish some balance with Ralph Bolden I think we will do very well. If we somehow get him to 100 yards I do not see us losing because the passing game will have plenty of time to work.

Keys to the Game for Purdue:

Do not let their running game get moving
Establish Ralph Bolden
No stupid turnovers
Control the clock
Get after Cousins/Nichol

Broken Lines - Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 30

Pete Rossman — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:30:16 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Microcosm of the day. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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To the casual observer, don't let the final score fool you. Keith Nichol and Keshawn Martin both produced the best they could in the 4th quarter to make the final score closer than it would appear. If you watched this whole game though, you know the truth; that the offensive and defensive lines of Michigan State could not execute adequately. Read more about today's loss (guest editorial from Charlie Brown - AGGGHHHHHHH!!!) after the jump.

Where to start? The lines would be a good place. On offense, here were the seven starters listed : Rocco Cironi, Ethan Ruhland, Joel Foreman, John Stipek, Joel Nitchman, Brendon Moss, and D.J. Young. Of those seven, two have had injury issues in the past month (Cironi and Nitchman), one's a redshirt freshman (Ruhland), one's a converted defensive lineman (Stipek), one more is a new transfer (Young), and one was beginning to see his first significant starts (Moss). Of all those seven, the only one I completely trust right now is Foreman, and I think you can see where I'm going with this line of thought.

Cousins and Nichol were consistently pressured in the pocket, making Cousins look like the first-year starter that he is and influencing Nichol into throwing a horrendous interception in the first half. The running game was actually decent, as Glenn Winston and Larry Caper combined to rush for over 5 yards a carry (Caulton Ray, not so good - three rushes for zero yards). I think we'll see Winston as at least the back-up running back, if not the starter against Michigan, as he clearly showed the most burst today.

Regardless, the pass blocking that had been so good the past three games was mediocre today, as Cousins was continually pressed into throwing earlier than he wanted, leading to passes over his receivers' heads. Cousins looked human, but it's his fourth game starting - he's going to have a bad game sometime, and today was his day to have one.

As for the defensive line, I suppose more MSU fans are going to call for defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi's head, but that won't change the fact that the defensive line could not consistently pass rush the quarterback without the help of a blitz. If you're wondering why Narduzzi calls blitzes on third down, it's because he has to - the front four can't provide the needed pressure otherwise. Even when the blitz worked, Scott Tolczien was often able to find the open man; look to the second touchdown if you need more proof.

This is not to say the secondary is inculpable. There were numerous times today were pass plays could have been prevented if the coverage was adequate. What I am suggesting is that the secondary is currently out on an island, and would look much better if it was being supported by an efficient pass rush.

If you're looking for positives to take out of this game, there are two that I can see: That Glenn Winston might establish himself as the starting running back, and that Keshawn Martin, albeit late in the game, can be a deep receiving threat.

Alright, I'm done venting. I'm going out to have some fun tonight in East Lansing, and wherever you are, I suggest you do the same. Life's short, and it's dumb to feel sad for too long about the result of a game. At the very least, that's what I'll keep telling myself.

Kirk Cousins is MSU's Name Only Starter, and Other Observations on Michigan State Depth Chart

Pete Rossman — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:30:27 -0000

Coach Mark Dantonio named Kirk Cousins the starter for the Montana State game Saturday. However, Keith Nichol is still listed as a co-starter, and will also play in the first half. That's probably one of the least interesting parts of today's release of the depth chart (depth chart can be found here in PDF). Let's break down all the positions:

RB: Caulton Ray is the starter; Edwin Baker and Larry Caper are both listed in the #2 spot. All three of them will probably see a decent amount of snaps on Saturday.
WR: Blair White is the starter on one side, Mark Dell and B.J. Cunningham are co-starters on the other side. Keshawn Martin is backing up Blair White - no real surprises here with the exception of redshirt freshman Myles White at third string.

OT: Rocco Cironi might be more injured than we've been led to believe, as Bowling Green transfer D.J. Young is listed as a co-starter at left tackle along with Cironi. At right tackle, fifth-year senior Brendon Moss has the start ahead of another fifth-year senior, Mike Schmeding. Don't be surprised if someone else starts at right tackle in a couple games.

OG: Joel Foreman holds down his spot at left guard ahead of Ethan Ruhland. Jared McGaha has won the spot at right guard, beating out J'Michael Deane.

C: No surprises, as Joel Nitchman's starting. One time D-Lineman John Stipek is listed as the backup.

TE: The only surprise here is that Dion Sims is listed as the third tight end, behind Charlie Gantt and Brian Linthecum.

FB: Recuited as a linebacker in the JLS era, Andrew Hawken is the starting fullback ahead of Josh Rouse and Andrew Pendy.

DE: Nothing drastic has happened since camp started, as Trevor Anderson and Colin Neely are starting, with David Rolf and Tyler Hoover as the back-ups. Not much to see here.

DT: Oren Wilson has kept one of the starting spots, and Kevin Pickelman has won the second starting spot from Jerel Worthy. Antonio Jeremiah's at third string still, and isn't likely to see the field unless he can get under 320 pounds.

MLB: Greg Jones, duh. Adam Decker's behind Jones, also duh.

OLB: Eric Gordon's keeping the starting spot he had last year, and Brandon Denson's starting on the other side. It looks like all the hype around freshman Chris Norman wasn't just hot air, he's got a spot in the two deep. Jon Misch battled injuries last year, and now healthy, he's got the other OLB two-deep spot.

CB: Jeremy Ware and Ross Weaver are co-starters at one spot, and that's the only news here.

S: Danny Fortener and Marcus Hyde are starters, as announced last week.

K/P: Swenson. Bates. Done. Of note: Swenson will be performing kickoffs.

PR: Keshawn Martin will return punts in this game, with Dell backing him up.

KR: A.J. Jimmerson will be one kick returner, and either Martin or Glenn Winston will be the other starter. I'm guessing Martin will eventually win the job, since Winston probably still needs some time to get into playing shape.

MSU Unit Preview: Offensive Line

LVS — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:50:47 -0000

Bloodied, not beaten.

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Previously: Safeties, Special Teams.

As discussed earlier this summer, the current college football theory du jour revolves around the importance of offensive line experience. Unfortunately, this is not exactly something we have in spades: The Wall Street Journal's calculations indicate that in the conference, only Penn State has a more inexperienced line than we do. (Cue Don LaFontaine voice) In a world where we must replace our entire offensive backfield, will the Spartans' inexperienced offensive line DOOM any chance of offensive competency?

Eh, maybe. More after the jump.

Last Season: Up and down. The line often dominated lesser opponents, and was dominated by more physical teams: our cumulative rushing total against Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State and Georgia was 143 yards. (Of course, this wasn't helped by Ringer's late-season injury, but still . . . awful.) Says Joel Foreman:

"Mistakes happen. But you've got to be able to play in the big games, and we didn't do that," said sophomore Joel Foreman, who learned on the fly as a starting redshirt freshman in 2008. "You've got to be able to come through."

As we all know, MSU's running game maintained a very odd dichotomy last season: we had at once a historically productive running back, and, statistically, one of the worst running games in the conference. At least some of those who have tried to resolve the conflict have put the blame squarely at the feet of the o-line:

I've also heard from a couple of educated Michigan State fans that the reason last year's Michigan State team had about one run play—power off tackle—was the ineptness of the offensive line. That's all they could do. [Ringer] was not put in a position where he could succeed, and he managed to get drafted despite Dantonio treating him like a pack mule.

Now, you can doubt Brian's objectivity-type substance as pertaining to Michigan State, but I have no particular reason to doubt this explanation. Perhaps more telling: no MSU running back other than Ringer was able to get anything going last season. Perhaps Ringer's exceptional talent allowed him to overcome the shortcomings of the line.

Well, Ringer's gone, and so is half of the line. Can the guys who are left step it up and allow our non-Javon RBs an opportunity for success?

THIS SEASON: Training camp hasn't gone as well as everyone had hoped, as Rexrode explains:

Camp was going to be crucial for Dan Roushar's rebuilding and still-developing unit, but three projected starters - Rocco Cironi, Joel Nitchman and J'Michael Deane - missed time with various ailments.

So instead of building chemistry with that first unit, MSU has done a lot of mixing and matching. That may pay off down the line, but it's scary in 2009.

"I've just been proud of the guys," sophomore guard Joel Foreman said, "because we've had guys going in and out, in and out."

Yeesh. Not exactly the brightest of starts; we can only hope that we're getting through our injury problems early.

WHO'S GONE: Primarily, RG Roland Martin and RT Jesse Miller. Last season, all the questions were on the left side; this season, it's reversed.

THE SURE STARTERS:

Joel Nitchman, Center: While the line as a whole is inexperienced, it's certainly fortunate that the most experienced player will be calling the shots at center. Nitchman already has two years' starting experience, and appears to have put behind him the knee injury which plagued him at times earlier in his career. Nitchman is on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy (awarded to the country's best center); this distinction would be more impressive if he didn't share it with 42 other players. Nonetheless, he should be the closest we get to a "sure thing" one the line this season. Nitchman only allowed 1.5 sacks last season and should be similarly strong this year. If there's one thing to be concerned about, it's that Nitchman wasn't selected as an offensive captain; given his experience, I thought that was odd, particularly for someone who's apparently a great character guy. (Rexrode was similarly surprised.)

Joel Foreman, Left Guard: Simply, our best offensive lineman last season. The Other Offensive Lineman Named Joel was a first-team Freshman All-American last season, and allowed only two sacks all season long. Unsurprisingly, Foreman was selected for nearly all of the notable preseason All-Big Ten teams: The Sporting News (first team), Phil Steele (first team), Lindy's (second team) and Athlon (second team). If Nitchman is the surest thing on the line, Foreman is certainly our best breakout-player candidate. His play will be especially important this year, as he'll be protecting the blindside for one of two very inexperienced quarterbacks.

Rocco Cironi, Left Tackle: The big question: how's his shoulder? Cironi tore his labrum during training camp in 2008, and played the entire season injured. Under the circumstances, he had a decent season which pretty much mirrored the team's fortunes: he played well against lesser players, and badly against superior ones. (Most notably, his repeated pwning at the hands of Tim Jamison.) The New York Times thinks that he could contend for an all-conference slot; that may be a bit optimistic (only Athlon ranks him as a preseason all-conference player, and as a third-teamer at that), but if his shoulder stays healthy, even in a worst-case scenario he should be servicable.

THE CONTENDAHS: Well, we have openings at right tackle and right guard.

J'Michael Deane, Right Tackle: The awesomely named Deane played at tackle throughout the spring, and emerged as one of the team's breakout players. While he was injured for a time this past month, the plaudits largely have continued. For example:

"J'Mike can come off the ball and hit people like no one I've ever seen," Foreman said.

It's been widely assumed that we'll see him mostly at tackle, though Rexrode has reported that the coaches may exploit his run-blocking ability by playing him some at guard. The obvious problem is his lack of experience: he only appeared in the EMU game last season; perhaps it'd be a better idea for him to master one position before we start shifting him all over the place. Nonetheless, the high hopes many Spartan fans have for Deane don't seem to be unjustified.

Jared McGaha/Brendon Moss, Right Guard: Here's where things get a bit dicey. At the end of the spring, it was assumed that McGaha would be the starter. However, Brandon Moss has played himself into the discussion. I think it's going to be McGaha, but I won't be shocked if the coaches go in the other direction.

In any event, Nitchman has has been highly complimentary of McGaha's play:

He is a good guy. He works hard; he is very explosive and very strong in the weight room. I think he has one of the best cleans on the whole team. He just has to keep working with Coach Roushar, keep developing his technique, and he is going to be a great player here.

McGaha, like Deane, only saw action in the EMU game last season, so there's not too much information available with which to make a prediction. RG will be a critical position on the line this season, as our inexperienced running backs may struggle to run inside without substantial help from the interior line.

Moss is similarly inexperienced at right tackle, although he did see some time at tight end in 2007. Moss is a senior; unless he distinguishes himself substantially from the pack, the coaches may be inclined to go with a player who can help us not only this season, but in the future as well.

THE RESERVES:

D.J. Young, Left Tackle. Transfer from Bowling Green, where he saw significant playing time in 2007; currently a walk-on, though he may receive a scholarship when one opens up. Interesting backstory on him is here. Apparently the coaches have been impressed:

Young's work on the field has put him in a "real tight" competition with senior Brendon Moss for playing time at tackle, offensive line coach Dan Roushar said.

"I'm thrilled that he's here," Roushar said of the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Young. "He's going to factor in the two-deep, and he'll be a guy that will play. You'll see him play."

Rexrode noticed the same thing:

Young has opened eyes with his pass-blocking ability. The former Sexton standout transferred from Bowling Green, has walked on at MSU and is making a real push to start right away.

But the problem is, of course, that a walk-on is this high up on the depth chart.

Other players who may see playing time: Nate Klatt (more information on his play during training camp is here), Chris McDonald (left/right guard) and Ethan Ruhland (RS freshman who has impressed some during camp). Not too much about any of these players; they'll see playing time if the injury problems return.

Know thy Opponent 2009: Michigan State Spartans

BoilerTMill — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:15:49 -0000

My Big Ten road trip last season was to East Lansing. I braved the wind and cold to officially watch our bowl chances go up in smoke. This year, Michigan State comes to West Lafayette on Senior Day. It will be the final home game for 21 Purdue seniors, and if we don't have five wins or more at this point, it could mean the difference between a bowl game and another season home for the holidays.

Michigan State is an interesting team. We did not adapt to the cold well last year and had a number of dropped passes. We handed them seven points on an awful interception before halftime. Also, at one point we had to play a fourth string walk-on scout team quarterback. Still, we did not play that badly (at least on defense) in a 21-7 loss. That gives me hope that this year can be different.

2008 Record: 9-4, (6-2 Big Ten)

Bowl Result: lost Capitol One Bowl 24-12 to Georgia

Blog Representation: The Only Colors, The Enlightened Spartan, Sparty MSU

Series with Purdue: Michigan State leads 30-28-3

Last Purdue win: 11/4/2006 at Michigan State 17-15

Last Michigan State win: 11/8/2008 at Michigan State 21-7

Last season for the Spartans:

Last year was a Purdue-esque season for Michigan State. I think we can all agree that the Big Ten as a whole was in the middle of a down year. Michigan State played nine mediocre-to-bad teams and four really good teams. Predictably, they finished with a 9-4 record. They lost a relatively close game on the road at California, got trucked by Ohio State and Penn State, then lost the Capitol One Bowl to a good Georgia team. There was little doubt they were the third best team in the conference, as there was clear separation between them, the top of Ohio State and Penn State, and everyone else.

Are Sparty and Pete long lost brothers?

A huge reason for their success, Javon Ringer, is now gone. Brian Hoyer is also gone at the quarterback position. Their 2009 non-conference schedule is sneaky tough. Aside from a gimme game against Montana State, Michigan State hosts two of the better teams in the MAC. Games against Central Michigan and Western Michigan are hardly easy wins because both teams feature solid offenses with veteran quarterbacks. Both are more than capable of pulling an upset. There is also a trip to Notre Dame, where everyone in the country hopes the Spartans can continue their ownership of the Irish in Notre Dame Stadium. The hopes of a nation are with the Spartans that day, as a Michigan State victory would give Notre Dame one of the critical four losses needed to assure they don't get another undeserved BCS bowl bid.

As far as our game last season with the Spartans, I felt it was another missed opportunity. The defense played well and prevented Ringer from going totally nuts, but our offense failed to do anything until a final 98 yard drive that prevented a shutout. We had a good game plan, but one mistake (Siller's awful pick six) pretty much ruined any chance of a victory.

Michigan State offense:

Michigan State must find a way to replace Javon Ringer. Ringer had a monster season, rushing an astounding 390 times for 1,637 yards and 22 TD's. For good measure, he added 28 receptions for another 190 yards and even returned 11 kicks for 224 yards. He outscored the kicker, which is rare, and accounted for more than a third of Michigan State's total yardage gained on the season. Andre Anderson was second on the team in rushing attempts and yards with only 26 carries for 97 yards. Hoyer and Ashton Leggett are the only other players that had a rushing touchdown, each scoring once. Glenn Winston, who was recently released from jail, has now been reinstated as well.

How do you replace a guy that touches the ball on 429 different plays? Anderson, now a sophomore, is first in line to be the starter at tailback. Most likely, however, they will try to replace the yards by committee. A.J. Jimmerson and Leggett will also be contributors as Michigan State looks, at this early stage, to have the same running back-by-committee approach that we will have. They also have a star running back recruit that is a bit of a wild card like our own Al-Terek McBurse. Edwin Baker was one of the best high school running backs in the country last season. He is 5'10", 205 and already has enough size to make an early impression.

The quarterback battle is another key area for Michigan State. Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol appear to be dead even for the starting job at the moment, and both could play significant minutes. Nichol sat out last season after transferring from Oklahoma, while Cousins saw a decent amount of action as Hoyer's backup. Cousins' 32 completions on 43 attempts gave him a very high percentage. He ended up with 310 yards passing and two touchdowns against one interception. That in-game experience may give him a very slight edge for now.

Many of the top receivers return from a unit that was very balanced. Blair White (49-659-1) had the most receptions, but tight end Charlie Gantt (19-304-4) was the leader in touchdowns. Michigan State was not afraid to go to Gantt in short yardage situations or at the goal line. Gantt actually had the longest reception of the season for Michigan State with an 82 yard catch and run. B.J. Cunningham (41-528-0) will be the main #2 receiver, while Mark Dell (36-679-3) led the team in receiving yards. This is an experienced receiving unit that should help the growth of either Cousins or Nichol.

The Spartans must replace the entire right side of their offensive line, which was possibly the best part of the line. Rocco Cironi at 6'6" 308 is the anchor at left tackle, and he is an excellent run blocker. This line will likely excel at run blocking once again as the passing game gets used to a new quarterback. Of course, this late in the season Michigan State should be together and will likely be playing much better than at the beginning. Joel Foreman and Joel Nitchman provide stability as returning starters at left guard and center, respectively.

Michigan State defense:

It is no surprise that Michigan State's defense continues to get better, as Mark Dantonio is a defense-first style of coach. This year, the Spartans return eight starters from a unit that got better, but still struggled against the really good teams on its schedule. Cal, Penn State, and Ohio State scored seemingly at will on the Spartans, but this unit did play a respectable game against Georgia in the bowl game.

One of the biggest losses on defense was safety Otis Wiley. Wiley delivered a hit on Kory Sheets in the 2007 game that led to a fumble return for a touchdown that sealed the game for MSU. Junior Marcus Hyde is the leading candidate to replace him after registering 31 tackles and an interception in reserve action. Johnny Adams could see the field at cornerback, and he already has hurt us. It was his pick six just before halftime in last year's game that virtually sealed that loss. Unfortunately for him, Ross Weaver and Chris Rucker already have the starting spots nailed down. Danny Fortener will man the other safety spot, giving Michigan State one of the most experienced secondaries in the Big Ten. The group managed 14 interceptions last year, but four came from Wiley.

Linebacker Greg Jones is probably the player to watch on the defense. He led the team in tackles and tackles for loss last year, registering 127 stops and 14 behind the line of scrimmage. He is excellent against the run and could be one of the top linebackers in the nation. Eric Gordon and Brandon Denson will play the outside spots, though Denson is a bit undersized by Big Ten standards. Gordon was second on the team with 85 tackles and added three sacks in 2008. This unit is not afraid to blitz the quarterback, making pass protection difficult.

Senior defensive end Trevor Anderson has been with Dantonio since his time at Cincinnati. He had 8 sacks a year ago, but three came against Michigan. He tends to play in streaks, so he will either have a monster game or all but disappear against us. Colin Neely is the newcomer to the defensive line at the other end position. He and tackle Kevin Pickleman are undersized, but will be sued more as pass rusher than run stoppers. That's to be expected as good as MSU's linebackers are. Oren Wilson is a true sophomore, but he started every game at tackle as a freshman last year.

Michigan State Special Teams:

Brett Swenson makes sure that the Spartans get points any time they get near the end zone. He was 22 of 28 on field goals with a long of 50 yards. He has made 52 career field goals in his time in East Lansing, making him one of the Big Ten's most proficient kickers. Aaron Bates also returns as a solid punter, averaging 42 yards per boot. The punt coverage wasn't great, however, as teams averaged 10 yards per return and MSU did give up a touchdown.

The kickoff return game struggled mightily, not even averaging 20 yards per return. It should be a lively competition to see who gets the starting job here, but A.J. Jimmerson is the leading candidate. With Wiley gone, Michigan State also must find a new punt returner.

Intangibles:

It is senior day for us, so that has to be worth something. Unfortunately, we are getting Michigan State at the end of the season instead of the beginning. By this point, both the quarterback and running back derbies should be settled. The defense will likely play at a very high level all season long. All they need is an offense that can go out and give them 20-25 points per game. With no Ohio State on the schedule, it is possible that the Spartans will be a week away from a very big home game against Penn State for the Big Ten title. If they are looking ahead it will be beneficial to us, but I doubt they will be looking ahead.

Still, I don't think this is a daunting team. Last year they were good and just beat up on a mediocre league. They are in the same position to do so this year. Our game in East Lansing was hardly a dominating blowout. Our mistakes gave MSU more than enough to win. We handed them seven points and generated virtually nothing on offense because of dropped passes. This has been a wild series since 1997 where the best team hasn't necessarily won every game. That was true of our surprising upset in 1999 as it was of Michigan State's in 2000.

I hate myself for leaving this game early

Game Outlook:

Again, I don't like that this game is at the end of the year. Michigan State is too solid of a team and could have too much to play for. Look at some of our recent wins over them. In 1997 and 1998 we won because of their mistakes late in games they dominated. Our last win in the series in 2006 came about because of a late interception that set up Casey Welch's late field goal. When we have won it has been because the Spartans screwed up. If they play a mistake free game we lose. I see that happening again here.

Prediction:

We had better five wins at this point, because if we're counting on this one as #5 I think we will be in for a long wait. I still think Indiana is our ace in the hole for getting win #6 and the bowl bid that comes with it. Beating Michigan State would be nice, but they simply are better and more experienced than us right now. I think we lose a close one at home where their maturity comes through. Michigan State 24, Purdue 21

An Almost Timely Early Look at the 2009 Schedule - Week 9 vs. Michigan State

JG2112 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:00:16 -0000

More photos » by David Banks - AP

Why must you be, such an angry old man?

Browse more photos »

Previously: Syracuse, The Air Force Academy, California, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Purdue, Penn State, ~~Ohio State~~.

Michigan State: At a glance:

Location: East Lansing, Michigan

Stadium: Spartan Stadium (size: 75,005)
Expected Attendance: 0. The game's in Minneapolis.
Undergraduate population: 36,337.
First season: 1896
Number of Big Ten Titles: 9 6
All-time record: 592-403-44
All-time bowl record: 7-11.

Most awesome alum: undoubtedly John C. Holmes, who .... oh wait, that's not him? Oh.

Well, then I guess it's a close race between Jimmy Hoffa and honorary alum Robert Mugabe. Yes, the Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe was once in possession of a Michigan State honorary degree (alas, it was revoked in 2008).

Most awesome Michigan State fan site: The Only Colors. Runner-up: Spartan Tailgate.

The Quad has Sparty as preseason # 31.

Jump with me.....

The Big Ten Network could care less if you have kids if you're a Gopher or Spartan fan. This game is slated for a 7:00 CST start on Halloween, which means 4 second row tickets in section 109 may go unused at the Vault, and instead of going overboard on beer at ~~TCF~~ Stub N Herb's, I'll load up on Sweet Tarts and Dubble Bubble. Thanks alot BTN - I may go trick or treating as Gerry DiNardo (XFL edition, of course) and scare all the neighborhood kids.

This will be Minnesota's first game against Michigan's agricultural school since 2006, when Minnesota won 31-18 in East Lansing. The teams' last meeting at Metrodump was in 2005, when Amir Pinnix rushed for 206 yards in a 41-18 victory. Of course, you can't talk 2005 Michigan State football without talking about John L. Smith and the bumbling coaches.

Times are changing, of course, and the dour, unhappy elephant Mark Dantonio is now the coach. He has instilled discipline, technique, and resolve to a team that found the second-half meltdown to be a rite of passage as the year got colder (something Coach Brewster has yet to solve for the Gophers). Last year, State went 9-4, losing to Cal, Ohio State, Penn State and Georgia. Most notably, Michigan State beat Michigan for the first time in 9 years (Plaxico?) and for the first time at Michigan Stadium since 1990.

While State has a number of pieces in place, there are a few significant questions marks that need to be solved and of course, they start with:

Michigan State on Offense: Brian Hoyer was the two-year starter and has now departed. Think of him as Bryan Cupito, and you'll realize how little he did or was noticed, and how his departure didn't even cause shoulders to shrug in central Michigan. This year has seen Oklahoma transfer (this guy couldn't beat out Sam Bradford at QB? FAIL) Keith Nicol and Kirk Cousins battle for the starting job. The position remains open as fall camp approaches.

Ever heard of Javon Ringer? If you watched every snap of every Michigan State game last year, you would have heard his name called 418 times, 390 of those on rushing plays. He's now backing up Chris Johnson and the tequila-free LenDale White in Tennessee, and leaves a significant hole in the MSU backfield. The returning rushers should be rather fresh as they only received 7% of the rushes. Andre Anderson, who got 26 of those in 2008, probably is first-string at this point, though incoming freshmen Edwin Baker and Larry Caple will probably get significant time as well.

State returns all but one of their top 9 wideouts and tight ends, including Blair White, BJ Cunningham, Mark Dell, each of whom had over 35 receptions last year, and TE Charlie Gantt.

Finally, on the O-line, State loses multi-year starters Roland Martin and Jesse Miller on the right side of their line, and will probably fill those spots with seniors Brendan Moss and John Stipek. The other three positions will probably be filled by Rocco Cironi, Joel Foreman, and Joel Nitchman.

Bottom Line: Michigan State's Offense: Think Ohio State. Think Iowa. Michigan State runs a conventional pro-style offense focusing upon the run game first, field position, conservative play-calling and play-action. The Spartans will be breaking in a new quarterback and new running backs the first part of the season, which could lead to problems when they play, say, Notre Dame. However, they should be aided by a strong defense that will give them good field position. By the time of the Minnesota game, the offense should be good for 23 points or so.

Michigan State's Defense: The defense is very solid, returning 8 starters. Dantonio's defensive focus (he was Ohio State's defensive coordinator when they won the 2003 BCS championship) has solidified what had been a porous unit in the past for the Green and White.

On the defensive line, MSU loses two starters, Long and Kershaw, but the best one, Trevor Anderson, returns. He had 30 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks in 2008.

As for linebackers, all 3 starters return, but look for junior Greg Jones, the pre-season Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year. He had 127 tackles in 2008, calls the defenses and is almost unblockable. Also returning are the other two starters, Eric Gordon and (in a weird way, a meld of the Gophers' offensive attack) Adam Decker. Behind the returning starters is incoming freshman Chris Norman. This is probably the strongest part of the entire team. It will be important for Stommes, Wills and the other Gophers linemen to get releases from the defensive line and attempt to put a block on these linebackers - otherwise, the Gophers' rushing attack is going to get stalled due to the Spartans' stellar linebacking play.

The defensive backfield is also deep and talented, and in comparison to the Gophers, runs eight deep. Starting S Otis Wiley has departed, but Chris L. Rucker, Jeremy Ware, Marcus Hyde, and Dan Fortener return.

Bottom Line: Michigan State's Defense: State's defense is experienced, stout, and disciplined. If the Gophers' rushing game expects to have any success, it needs to put blocks on those solid Spartan linebackers. MSU also seems to have enough quality defensive backs to be able to deal with a 4 or 5 WR look should the Gophers choose to attack through the air. Finally, if the Gophers attempt to use MarQueis Gray in a WildRodent formation, well, he'll have to shed Greg Jones. I fear this is a match-up that the redshirt freshman QB will have difficulty with.

Michigan State on Special Teams: Both specialists return. Brett Swenson does the kicking, has a long of 50 yards, and is used to kicking in the cold and at night. The punter, Aaron Bates, punted 71 times in 2008, averaging over 41 ypk. Importantly, Michigan State is deep at wide receiver and at defensive back, meaning that some quality wide men will be on the kickoff and return teams. This unit I feel will be better than, say, Penn State's, and they may have the experience to stop Troy Stoudermire from having a big day.

Bottom Line: What to Expect: These are the kind of games that Minnesota is going to have trouble with: a well-drilled, disciplined team which plays the field position and punting game. Obviously, Minnesota is trying to move to this style of offense, but in year one, at game nine, they may not be there yet. Further, this is a serious trap game. The Gophers will be returning home after games at Ohio State and Penn State. It's Halloween night, so the players may be thinking ahead to the parties that evening (Sparty will be flying home and won't have that issue). The high-powered Illinois offense is at TCF seven days later. Michigan State may be an afterthought, as silly as that may seem for a team ranked third in the preseason prognostication for the Big Ten.

Looking at this game on August 5th, there are two keys for the Gophers to have success against the Spartans: (1) score early and force Michigan State to play catch-up; and (2) minimize Greg Jones's influence on the game. If they can do either of these things, the game stays close. If they do both, the chance of winning is very good.

However, I don't see it happening. The Spartans have the depth, experience and guile to combat the Gophers' offense, and it will have just enough offense to get the points it needs. The Agricultural School of Michigan will win its first trip to the Vault.

Michigan State 23

Minnesota 20

Poll

What will be the outcome of the Michigan State at Minnesota game on Halloween night, October 31st, 2009?

Michigan State - big victory

48 votes

Michigan State - squeaker

41 votes

Minnesota - overwhelming victory

18 votes

Minnesota - last second field goal, let's go to Sally's

65 votes

172 votes | Poll has closed

There's A Game On Saturday? 'MSU' Edition

Oops Pow Surprise — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:34:40 -0000

Welcome to this week's "M.S.U." edition of TAGOS! No, "M.S.U." doesn't stand for Michigan State. I mean, okay, it does, but not here. Today, it stands for "Making Shit Up," which is what we'll be doing for the next several hundred words. Let's get to know the SPARTAAANS! the best way we know how--without doing any research.

QB Brian Hoyer (Sr.): Hoyer is the emotional leader of the Spartan offense, and it's easy to see why. Armed with a quick arm and a quicker smile, Hoyer can break up the tension in a huddle or a film session with ease. Hoyer likes Miller Lite, NASCAR, and his bulldog Fart. The rascal rightie even tattoed "MADE IN THE USA" on the dog's stomach with arrows pointing to its unneutered scrotum, despite animal cruelty laws specifically prohibiting the practice. Ever the prankster, Hoyer "proposed" to his girlfriend of five years, only he handed her a box without a ring, just a "YOUR [sic] FIRED" note crumpled on the inside.

TB Javon Ringer (Sr.): Ringer is arguably the hardest worker in college football, running the ball over 40 times a game in a strategy that cannot possibly fail. Ringer, a 4.0 Economics major, embraces this gameplan. Amid growing worries about the state of the US economy and the concurrent skyrocketing taxes on the wealthy under likely President Obama, Ringer longs to live in Canada, and a healthy, safe senior season would make that impossible, as he would likely be drafted within the first four rounds of next season's draft. If Dantonio wears Ringer out and the diminutive tailback can't crack 4.60 in the 40-yard-dash at the NFL combine, he's all but assured to be shipped off to Saskatchewan, just in time to avoid the 2009 American Credit Wars. No, seriously, there will be actual violent wars. It'll be Wells Fargo tellers with guns and bombs going off in every Citigroup building known to man.*

WR Mark Dell (So.): Dell was the violent dictator responsible for over a million of deaths in Southeast Asia during the late 1970s. He escaped to Thailand after Vietnam's invasion and subsequent collapse of the Khmer Sparty Green party. Dell faked his own death in 1998 after two decades of shadow rule, again escaped (this time to East Lansing), and worked his way into the starting lineup within two years. Despite being a septegenarian former despot, Dell is lightning-fast and will not hesitate to murder an opposing defensive back on the field if he feels the coverage is too tight.

LT Rocco Cironi (Jr.): Uh... his name's Rocco... hell, I don't know, just pick some dude from the Sopranos and that's him. Except that AJ twat.

RG Roland Martin (Sr.): Poor Roland. He remembers all of them, of course, he's no animal. But he thinks about you all the time. He remembers the sweat clinging to your bodies in that motel room in Ypsilanti, the Kid Rock on the radio that you both said you hated but wouldn't turn off, and that feeling that you were both living the first day of the rest of forever. But football doesn't take time off, and neither could he, and while he says he wants you, you can't help but think that what he really wants is 2006 all over again. Time changes everyone, though; he's a starting lineman, and you have mauve armrests. So you both run, he on the field, you (more metaphorically, of course) from yourself. Both from the truth. He wouldn't even know what to say to you if he saw you on the street some day. Would you?

The doubts will always poison this, sadly, because that's what doubts do. He wonders if you'd love him if he wasn't an athlete, young and carefree. You wonder if he'd even want you if he didn't have such an intense fetish for quadriplegia.

DT Justin Kershaw (Sr.): Justin Kershaw is the team's foremost authority on the Pokemon franchise and is proud to tell anyone who will (or won't, really) listen about his acquisitions. Dantonio, understandably, would prefer his mammoth guard to engage in activities not usually eschewed by people by the time their 15th birthday rolls around, but as the coach admits, "[a]t least he'll never, ever get an STD, ever."

MLB Adam Decker (Jr.): Decker was the dominant force in the Alabama State Senate from 1993 to 1998, passing comprehensive health care reform for the uninsured and calling for tougher budget control on lotteries and other gambling measures. He was defeated, however, by Republican Mitch Connor after a News 9 investigation showed Decker had been receiving money from the controversial Gay Nazi Muslim Elitist Federation Against America. Decker was exiled to Minnesota, where he suffers to this day.

P Aaron Bates (So.): Is the team's best cross-stitcher. Once shit a squirrel; damned thing's still alive and running around the locker room.

K Brett Swenson (Jr.): Is sorry, Aaron, ate his chocolate squirrel.

And there you have it. Based on that eclectic mix of personalities, I'm just certain Iowa will win by 10 or whatever.

*Somehow nobody will be injured. If American banks can't make money, what makes you think they're at all capable of killing?