Success and Battling Senioritis
It feels like yesterday I was waiting in line for the bus in Pasadena back to the parking lot as I watched Connor Cook sit with the MVP trophy on the BTN Stage in front of the Rose Bowl. He growing comfort seemed to be apparent as he sat relishing in the most important win in the last 25 years in Spartan Football. He continued to show his moxie this past year as he shows up for the big games, even in the OSU game his stat line of 25/45, 308 and 2 TD's seems to evoke of a time few of us can remember. He struggled at Oregon last year, 29/47, 343, 2TD, 2 INT. Still those are monster games for the most part. As I look back at 2014 you see a defensive body of work that is astounding, a defense that didn't play you into games it allowed for blowouts. This year we essentially look at a body of work that includes winning by an average of 10 point over what should not be a superior set of teams(last year through the same stretch we were winning on average by 23).
Looking at Cooks stats,
DATE OPP RESULT CMP ATT YDS CMP% LNG TD INT RAT ATT YDS AVG LNG TD RAW QBR ADJ QBR
2015 Average 16 27 222 60 37 2 0 153 3 11 3 9 0 83 79
2014 Average 14 24 218 66 41 2 1 206 3 6 0 5 0 80 85
Year over year for Cook shows, a less accurate(10%), one worse game(Oregon) one game he was in a lot less(EMU), water level is about the same. I look for Cook to be the difference. Last year at Michigan he was efficient, 12-22 and 227 with 1TD. I think he needs to have a 17-25, 275, 2TD to make this thing go.
Bottom line is that I see one of two things happening on Saturday barring a huge awaking by our defense...we can lose big on Saturday, I don't think we do because of Cook and a 80% healthy OL . This season he reminds me of the uber talented worker who procrastinates and delivers without much effort in the last minutes prior to the presentation(essentially senioritis). If he isn't jacked up in those 1st few series and gets it going, it could get ugly. I love me some MSU style football, but I think the team follows Cooks play. Its time to stop waiting in the race. In the words of Cole Trickle, "Harry, I'm dropping the hammer!" Because in the end, we lose Saturday, it gets messy. If its close, look for cool hand Luke to ice this thing and for MSU its not just the next game.
It feels like yesterday I was waiting in line for the bus in Pasadena back to the parking lot as I watched Connor Cook sit with the MVP trophy on the BTN Stage in front of the Rose Bowl. He growing comfort seemed to be apparent as he sat relishing in the most important win in the last 25 years in Spartan Football. He continued to show his moxie this past year as he shows up for the big games, even in the OSU game his stat line of 25/45, 308 and 2 TD's seems to evoke of a time few of us can remember. He struggled at Oregon last year, 29/47, 343, 2TD, 2 INT. Still those are monster games for the most part. As I look back at 2014 you see a defensive body of work that is astounding, a defense that didn't play you into games it allowed for blowouts. This year we essentially look at a body of work that includes winning by an average of 10 point over what should not be a superior set of teams(last year through the same stretch we were winning on average by 23).
Looking at Cooks stats,
DATE OPP RESULT CMP ATT YDS CMP% LNG TD INT RAT ATT YDS AVG LNG TD RAW QBR ADJ QBR
2015 Average 16 27 222 60 37 2 0 153 3 11 3 9 0 83 79
2014 Average 14 24 218 66 41 2 1 206 3 6 0 5 0 80 85
Year over year for Cook shows, a less accurate(10%), one worse game(Oregon) one game he was in a lot less(EMU), water level is about the same. I look for Cook to be the difference. Last year at Michigan he was efficient, 12-22 and 227 with 1TD. I think he needs to have a 17-25, 275, 2TD to make this thing go.
Bottom line is that I see one of two things happening on Saturday barring a huge awaking by our defense...we can lose big on Saturday, I don't think we do because of Cook and a 80% healthy OL . This season he reminds me of the uber talented worker who procrastinates and delivers without much effort in the last minutes prior to the presentation(essentially senioritis). If he isn't jacked up in those 1st few series and gets it going, it could get ugly. I love me some MSU style football, but I think the team follows Cooks play. Its time to stop waiting in the race. In the words of Cole Trickle, "Harry, I'm dropping the hammer!" Because in the end, we lose Saturday, it gets messy. If its close, look for cool hand Luke to ice this thing and for MSU its not just the next game.
