SB Nation - Charlie Gantt

Multitude of Casualties - Penn State 42, Michigan State 14

Pete Rossman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:14:30 -0000

Yup.

"It's worth noting throughout history / kids come around corners to a multitude of casualties."

- The Hold Steady

In the third quarter, Penn State actually punted. I certainly don't remember the game occurring in such a fashion, I remember Daryll Clark completing passes to his wide receivers on the sidelines and having said receivers walk into the end zone. It's not just that Penn State's offense was playing so well, it's that Michigan State offered them prime field position by way of spotty kick return coverage or two uncharacteristic Kirk Cousins interceptions where he forced the ball down the field. Either way, Michigan State got blown out, and thus ends one of the most painful struggles to bowl eligibility in Michigan State history.

The most shocking aspect of this game was the contrast between the two halves Michigan State played. The adjective for the first half was "conservative". The offense was balanced (almost to a fault, even though the run game was fine), and couldn't sustain a drive. The defense went into its typical "bend but don't break" mentality, and I was stunned to see it actually...well, work. Twice Penn State had to settle for field goal attempts (although one of these FGs was attempted on 3rd and 15), which they both missed. A late touchdown gave Penn State a 7-0 lead, then MSU had its best (read: only) significant drive of the game, an 87-yard drive ending with a gorgeous catch by Charlie Gantt to tie the game back up.

Then came the downfall.

I'm not going to rehash all aspects of the third quarter; I'm not interested in giving any Spartan PTSD. The one moment that sticks out in my mind was Clark dropping back with Penn State up 21-7, fresh off a Cousins' interception. The MSU rush was prolonged in reaching Clark, and when that happened, I cringed, and waited for the inevitable. Yup, completed pass to Zug near the sideline, and Zug did the Lindy Hop* into the end zone.

Alright, enough negativity. Next up is a bowl game, something Illinois, Indiana, Purdue and Michigan fans wish they could say. This bowl game will most likely not be in Detroit, also a positive. As for other glints of hope, Keshawn Martin once again had a 70+ yard TD play, Greg Jones had another stellar performance (15 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks), and Cousins knows what he did wrong:

Yeah, I made poor decisions on both of them. I can't do that, it cost the football team and when you get in a little bit of a catch up mode because you're doing three-and-outs and then they get ahead by a couple of touchdowns. Instead of just staying patient and letting the game still come to me, I just tried to do too much to try and get it back so fast that I was trying to make plays where there weren't plays there to be made.

The biggest positive - any shred of credibility this defensive scheme had was obliterated last afternoon by 6 PM. That means changes will have to be made by Narduzzi, Dantonio, etc., because if they want to remain competitive; bend but don't break won't cut it anymore. One of the reasons MSU was so successful last year was that in the games they won, they won the turnover battle in almost every game. This year, State didn't force as near as many turnovers (I don't have the numbers to prove this, but this sure seems to be the case). At any rate, something needs to change, and any change in scheme to accommodate a better pass defense is welcomed

One more month until the last MSU football game of the season. In the meantime, I hear Michigan State plays this game with an orange sphere and two peach baskets. Apparently they're quite good in their matches, and if you need a break from fishing the remote control out from your drywall, that'd be your best bet.

At any rate, play us out Craig.

*Note - may not have happened. Zug definitely had the time for it though.

Mining the Box Score: Northwestern Edition

KJ@theonlycolors — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:53:02 -0000

Here's to the linebackers. (Photo credit: MSU FB page.)

MSU-NW box score is here. Up-to-date MSU season statistics are here. Up-to-date Big Ten statistical leaders are here.

Bullet-pointing through the numbers from Saturday:

How do you beat a team that gains 3 more first downs than you do (22-19) by 10 points? One way is to give up the majority of those first downs on your opponent's side of the field. Of Northwestern's 13 offensive possessions, 10 resulted in drives of at least 20 yards. But 8 of those drives ended with 41 yards or less of yardage, meaning the Wildcats got into the redzone just twice (scoring touchdowns both times). The bend-but-don't-break thing definitely worked Saturday. The question is whether the success was a function of (a) the MSU defense buckling down once Northwestern crossed midfield, (b) the Northwestern spread offense stalling out when it had less room to work with downfield, or (c) good old-fashioned random good fortune. (Option (b) seems unlikely to me, since Kafka threw downfield pretty infrequently.)

Continuing on that line of thought: A combined 39 tackles for the 3 starting linebackers (15 for Eric Gordon, 14 for Greg Jones, 10 for Brandon Denson). Once again, Pat Narduzzi stuck with the base 4-3 defense for 90% of the defensive snaps, even against 4- and 5-WR sets. It seemed like Northwestern was picking up 5-10 gains at will on passes toward the sidelines all game, but in the end the linebackers made enough plays to get those 8 Northwestern drives in the 20-to-41-yard range to stall out. And, as Pete noted in the game recap, 4.5 of those 39 tackles went for a loss. The result was cumulative losses of 22 yards for Mike Kafka, partially offsetting the 64 yards he picked up eluding Spartan tacklers all afternoon. (He was particularly elusive against MSU defensive linemen, who recorded just 1.0 TFLs.)
47 pass attempts and 18 rush attempts by Kafka (including the 3 sacks) for Northwestern vs. 6 rush attempts by running backs. That's the definition of a one-man show. Easy to see why Kafka seemed to run out of gas on the two final Wildcat drives.
Zero sacks allowed by the MSU O-line. This may sound repetitive, but Kirk Cousins had all day to throw the ball all day.
The result: 4 pass completions of 20 yards or more to Blair White. 3 of them in the 2nd half, when Don Treadwell seemed to stumble on the concept of the play-action pass.
Only one pass completion to a tight end this week (Charlie Gantt). Can we bust the Ganthisimslek monster out against Iowa, please?
Total of 18 yards in negative results for the two running backs. The telegraphing of the runs up the middle needs to stop.

First-down stats:

15 rushing attempts for 83 yards (5.5 yards/carry). Two of those attempts were a first-and-goal from the four and a Keshawn Martin end around. Of the 13 first-and-10 carries by running backs, 8 went for 4 yards or more. The run blocking was actually pretty darn good when the defense didn't necessarily know a run was coming. Only one first down run went for a loss (of 3 yards); the other 15 negative RB rushing yards came in (presumably) shorter-yardage situations in which the Wildcats were expecting the run.
9-13 on passing attempts for 119 yards (69.2% Comp%, 9.2 yards/attempt). And one of the 4 incompletions was a dropped pass by Martin that would have gone for a healthy gain. First-down play-action passes = YES, PLEASE.

In the full-season stats category:

Still the #1 passing offense in the league: total yardage (280.4/game), yards/attempt (8.5), TD-INT ratio (15-7), and pass efficiency (146.3).
We've crept up to #6 in rushing yardage per game but (1) we're over 20 yards/game behind the #5 team and (2) our numbers are skewed upward by the low number of sacks allowed. (Nichol/Cousins rushing yards may also be a factor, although there are certainly other Big Ten teams with mobile QBs.) For the season, MSU running backs are averaging just 3.85 yards/carry. Take out the Montana State game and that number drops to 3.71.
Put it all together and we rank #3 in both total offense and total scoring.
Blair White now ranks 4th in the league in receiving yards per game (90.7) and 2nd in receiving TDs (6).
Somehow, the MSU defense now ranks 4th in the conference in scoring defense and 5th in total defense. In both cases, I'd note we're there's a large gap between the top 3 defenses in the league (Penn State, Ohio State, Iowa) and the #4 team.
Third in the league in rush defense. I think that ranking would hold even if you backed out lost yardage from sacks.
Ninth in the league in pass defense--although we're in the middle of a clump of 6 teams within 15 yards/game of each other. (So we have an average below-average defense against the pass.)
Greg Jones leads the conference in tackles/game at 12.1. Surprisingly, he ranks "just" 4th in solo tackles.
We're dead last in red zone defense: both scoring percentage (18/19=94.7%) and TD percentage (13/19=68.4%). Let's hope those are regression-to-the-mean kind of numbers.
Ninth in the league in penalty yards/game (58.7), ahead of only Indiana and Illinois. Not the kind of company to keep if you want to compete for a conference title.

In the looking-ahead-to-next-week category:

Reason for optimism vs. Iowa: MSU now ranks 1st in the conference in both sacks allowed (6) and sacks by the defense (21, tied with PSU). Iowa, meanwhile, ranks 8th in both categories (15 and 13, respectively).
Reason for pessimism vs. Iowa: Despite the two forced fumbles on Saturday, MSU still ranks dead last in the conference in turnovers created (8). Iowa, on the other very menacing hand, ranks 1st with 22 (15 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles).

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.

The Friday Five is Laconic about Michigan State's Breakout Football Players

Pete Rossman — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:38:57 -0000

Living in three or four places in the span of a little more than a week has robbed me of a lot of my time in the past days. Because of this, the Friday Five will be a bit abbreviated this week. To make up for it, why not add in your two cents? This week - the top five players who will breakout on this year's Spartan football team.

5. Dion Sims - An absolute physical specimen. He has to be in the conversation, but he also has to be down on the list because Garrett Celek, Brian Linthecum, and Charlie Gantt will all be ahead of him on the depth chart.

4. Chris Norman - See the reasoning for Dion Sims as to the depth chart. Extremely quick and strong, and might make the two-deep.

3. Keshawn Martin - Martin showed glimpses of big play ability last year, but only had 11 receptions. With the way the offense used him on trick plays last year, don't be surprised if he sees more touches, be it through receptions or punt returns.

2. Keith Nichol/Kirk Cousins - Whoever starts will obviously breakout. The only reason I have the duo at number two is that to breakout, one needs to have some degree of anonymity, and the quarterback battle has received a lot of press in the past months.

1. Larry Caper - One of the running backs is going to breakout this season, and Caper seems to have shown the most potential in camp. Why not?

What say you commenters?

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

Previewin': Michigan State

Beauford — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:00:18 -0000

Maize n' Brew mercilessly drifts through yet another preview; this one long overdue. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Michigan State Spartans

Previously: Illinois, Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa

Explanation and indemnifications found: here

The Michigan State Spartans enter this season with high expectations tempered with the knowledge that a workhorse running back and a marginal but experienced quarterback need replacing.

Javon Ringer was a good back who probably isn't irreplaceable. His numbers - detailed below - are largely a matter of increased work load.

Hoyer was pretty inconsistent during his senior season with a 9/9 TD to INT ratio. That, uh, that isn't so good (of course, when you're dealing with a Threet/Sheridan situation, anything looks good, so don't rush to judge).

On the positive side, the defense returns 8 starters including the vast majority of defensive backs, and every starting linebacker. That defense had better be good; they're going to be carrying an offense that may take some time to get their act together. Another plus for the Spartans is their special teams which return kicker Brett Swenson and punter Aaron Bates. Space emperor, he is not, but Bates is a very good punter.

More Previewin' Dead Ahead; Click Below

2009 Schedule

9/05	Montana State	12:00 PM
9/12	Central Michigan	12:00 PM
9/19	@ Notre Dame	3:30 PM
9/26	@ Wisconsin	TBA
10/03	Michigan	TBA
10/10	@ Illinois	12:00 PM
10/17	Northwestern	12:00 PM
10/24	Iowa	7:00 PM
10/31	@ Minnesota	8:00 PM
11/07	Western Michigan	TBA
11/14	@ Purdue	TBA
11/21	Penn State	TBA

Michigan State opens the season fairly tamely with a pair of OOC patsies, and follows with Notre Dame. Much like the Michigan schedule, Notre Dame will be this team's first test, and will serve as a good barometer for how the season will play out. Important to note that despite last year's 9 win season, the Spartans still lost to the four best teams on the schedule; Cal, Ohio State, Penn State, and Georgia. This year they duck Ohio State and pick up Illinois.

One thing the media will harp on that is off base:

I alluded to this in the front section of this preview, but the departure of Ringer might not be as devastating as many are predicting. Javon Ringer put up some monster numbers last year, mostly due to a workload that averaged just over 30 (30!) carries a game. The rushing attack as a whole, however, averaged just 130 yards per game - good for 77th in the country. For a one-time Heisman candidate (early in the season last year there was some talk, IIRC), 130 YPG is pretty weak. Ringer's numbers are largely a matter of attempts being super inflated. Iowa's Greene - the other workhorse back - had only 23 attempts per game. Ringer, for all his accolades, only averaged just over 4 yards per attempt - 18th in the conference in terms of rushing. On the one hand, this could be construed to be a positive for the Spartans. While they are replacing a workhorse senior, they're not exactly replacing Berry Sanders. Durability is certainly a trait that is admirable in a running back, and I'm not saying that Ringer wasn't any good. Rather, I think his numbers are a result of his increased workload, not a truly stellar rushing attack. The bevy of backs they expect to suck up the work load should be able to replicate the 4.2 yards per attempt that Ringer averaged. Who are those backs? Glad you asked.

Senior Back A.J. Jimmerson

Ashton Leggett, Andre Anderson, and AJ Jimmerson are the primary candidates fighting it out for playing time, and I expect all three to get significant carries throughout the season as they fill Ringer's void. Leggett was a two star to Scout from Muskegon, MI and at 5'11" 235, he's a big boy. Recruited as a fullback, I would expect him to see some time at the goal line and in short yardage situations. On the other side of the coin, Andre Anderson is a fleet footed Sophomore of the 190 lbs. variety capable of breaking off big plays. The change of pace should be effective for the Spartans as D'Antonio continues to use the clock management and down-and-distance strategies learned under Tressel. AJ Jimmerson rounds out the trio, but by no means should be considered lacking. A 4-star prospect out of Missouri, he looks to be a strong, balanced back.

One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success:

With all the focus on the replacement of the two starters, and a defense that returns 8 starts, one of whom is linebacker/deathbringer Greg Jones, there are two facets that I believe are being overlooked. First, the wide receiver position actually returns quite a bit of talent, headed up by Mark Dell. Dell led the conference last year in yards per catch at just under 19. He's a big-play target that will bail out his fledgling QB. The other two returning starters, Blair White and BJ Cunningham had 84 receptions between the two of them. Add into the mix preseason all-conference tight end Charlie Gantt, and the receiving options are very good, and very deep.

However, the offense isn't without a trouble spot looming that has nothing to do with quarterback or running back. The entire right side of the offensive line is being replaced, which could have Nichol or Cousins running for their lives.

Most important contributors on each side of the ball:

Offensively, it's going to be whichever quarterback slides into the roll of starter. D'Antonio, for the time being, has said that his quarterbacks, Oklahoma Transfer Keith Nichol and in-state talent Kirk Cousins, will platoon at the position. It's been said a million times, but if Michigan State wants to be successful they'd better pick one of these guys to be the starter, and make sure he's confident enough to not look over his shoulder every time he throws a pick. Platooning QB's can be a very dangerous game to play in terms of the quarterback's psyche. Cousins offers perhaps more of a pocket presence, but Nichol is dangerous on the run. A 4-star out of MI-Inkster (Lowell - not Inkster. Corrected in comments - B2), I predict that Nichol will be getting the majority of snaps by season's end by virtue of more upside, and his ability to make plays with his legs should things break down.

McGuffie did not break this tackle

Defensively, I cannot say enough about Greg Jones, linebacker, humanitarian, and all around nice guy. He destroys the run, rarely getting sucked into blocks, and he'll be playing exclusively in the middle this year. Last year he was a first team all conference player. This year he's been named to preseason watch lists for three national awards: Butkus Award (top collegiate linebacker), Lombardi Award (college lineman of the year) and the Lott Trophy (defensive player of the year).

Area that scares you as Michigan Wolverines:

Mark Dell and his big-play ability scares me. Last year, the defense was good on a down-to-down basis, but very susceptible to the big play. The Spartans return one of the biggest play makers in the conference.

Area that makes you salivate as the Michigan Wolverines:

The Wolverines get Michigan State relatively early in the schedule. There is a good possibility that State will still be gelling on offense, and struggling to put points on the board. The new QB/RB tandem will be interesting to watch. Additionally, while the defense does return 8 starters, we had one of our more successful days offensively against the Spartans last year. I just hope our offense is clicking by the time we make the trip to East Lansing (a long shot, perhaps).

Random factor that you think will come into play this season:

First road game remains a mystery under Rodriguez. For Carr, it certainly meant death. It is a rivalry game under the lights (maybe) with a true freshman QB. I smell trouble.

Overall Record:

While some have predicted a 10-win season for the Spartans (I'm looking at you, Chengelis [note, a link was provided, but is now behind a paywall. - B2]) I don't see it happening. In fact, I look at this Michigan State team and see more question marks than Penn State, Ohio State, and Iowa. Again, Michigan State has improved, but seems unable to get over the hump to beat teams that are truly in the top-tier either in conference or out.

8-4

Final Big Ten Standing:

4th

Bowl Destination

Outback Bowl

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?

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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

Linking Laconically . . . is keeping it concise.

LVS — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:33:47 -0000

The last few times I've attempted this, I've been a bit more loquacious than laconic. The edict has been given, however, so here's to less Faulkner and more Hemingway:

(Note: edited to remove redundancies. -- LVS)

Basketball Prospectus | Unfiltered: That Strangely Benign New Three-Point Line
TAFKATBTW™ is baaaaaaaaaaack.
2009 Spring Football Media Guide Available Online - MICHIGAN STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
Indispensable.
Spartans to face several questions | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Lacy asks the big questions, and puts the rest here. Personally, I've been agonizing more over what's going to replace Panchero's in the southwest corner of the stadium . . .
DETNEWS | Winston: Tough Call for Dantonio
The answer is "no."
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Don't they mean "$aban"? lolololololol
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. . . and Michigan as a dark horse for the conference championship, if you're Blair White.
Six Big Ten players named to Mackey Award list - Big Ten - ESPN
Charlie Gantt is one. Dion Sims will be next year.
Big Ten position rankings: Linebackers
Big Ten position rankings: Defensive line
Rittenberg sez: MSU linebackers good, d-line not so much.
How Michigan quarterbacks fared at Elite 11 camp | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Consensus seems to be that it wasn't the finest weekend of Boisture's football life, but not the worst, either.
SBNation covers Big Ten Media Days like no one else - Blog Huddle
Your official SBN Big Ten Media Days link repository. Major kudos to Bucky's 5th Quarter, Hail to the Orange, and Maize 'n Brew (and Eleven Warriors, for that matter) for doing outstanding work earlier this week.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone.