September 17, 2015

Trends, Schemes & Analysis: 4-Minute Offense

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher


EAST LANSING - Michigan State topped the 30-point mark for the 10th straight time last weekend against Oregon, but the Spartans' 8-minute and 4-minute offenses weren't successful.

The "eight-minute" and "four-minute" offenses come into play when a team is leading and needs to run clock to protect the lead. Michigan State failed, with a pair of three-and-out drives in the final 7:53, giving Oregon a chance to stage a comeback from a late 31-21 deficit and nearly steal victory.

Spartan offensive players were not happy with themselves about this aspect of the game following the victory over No. 7 Oregon. And they continued to stew about it during practice preparation for Saturday's game against Air Force, bent on improving in some of the aspects that failed them in the final minutes against the Ducks.

So what went wrong during those six plays?



Warner said improvements are necessary from game-planning on down to execution.
"It's a total … starting from us, from the staff, all the way down through our offense," offensive coordinator Dave Warner said during mid-week interviews on Wednesday. "We just need to do a better job, evidently of game planning and then executing. I'm not sure there's any secret to it. But we just have to get in that mindset. And I think, again, you go back a couple years, that thing sort of materialized and grew as the season went on, and I expect that to happen again."

Saturday's inability to close came down to six plays.

Two runs on the first drive led to a third-and-4 incompletion intended for R.J. Shelton.

Then on the second drive, a loss of 5 yards on a first-and-10 run led to incompletions on second-and-15 and third-and-15.

"The loss of five put us behind the ball a little bit, eight ball a little bit," said head coach Mark Dantonio. "I made the decision to throw it because we wanted to play to win the football game at that point. Getting a first down is going to win the game.

"But we didn't hit it for whatever reason. A little low throw, drop on a 50/50 catch, however you want to look at it. Ball sails on one. Did enough to score 31 points, doing enough to make it happen.

"You always want to close it out. There is no perfect game. You're always talking about what you could do differently and make it a little bit better."

Breaking Down The First 3-and-Out

Let's rewind and break down what went right and wrong on those six crucial plays:

On the first drive, MSU had it first-and-10 at the MSU 43-yard line, after stopping Oregon QB Vernon Adams short on a fourth-and-1 power read keeper.

1-10 -42: LJ Scott carried for a gain of 5 on a counter handoff behind pulling guard Brian Allen to the strong, unbalanced side.

MSU faked a fly sweep to RJ Shelton before handing to Scott. (Faking the fly sweep had influenced a linebacker out of the box as part of a gain of 10 late in the third quarter, on a zone play to the strong/unbalanced side. MSU went back to that action on this play).

[Unbalanced meaning a tight end and split end were on the same side of the formation, making the TE an ineligible receiver. Why have the TE covered up? Partly to mobilize the flanker for the fly sweep fake to the play side.]

Running the play to the right also allowed MSU to run the ball away from defensive end DeForest Buckner, easily Oregon's best defensive lineman. Buckner played right DE most of the night.



Connor Cook and Brian Allen are among those who need to improve their execution in future 4-minute situations.
Play-calling, scheming and functional blocking put MSU nicely on schedule with this first-down play.

But MSU would net -3 yards on its next five plays.

2-5 -47: Scott ran for a gain of 1 on an inside zone run. Brian Allen was not happy with himself after this play. He and Jack Allen were assigned to double-team the nose guard. Both Allens engaged the nose guard, and then the nose guard slanted to his left, away from Brian.

Rather than releasing the nose guard, knowing that Jack had the area controlled, and climbing out to the linebacker level, Brian stayed with the double-team too long, ended up lunging forward and wasting himself as a blocker.

That left Oregon's MLB unblocked. That MLB came forward and tackled Scott for no gain.

Scott was also upset with himself for not running the ball harder into the line. He tip-toed a bit toward the smoke.

3-4 -48: Connor Cook threw incomplete for Shelton.

MSU schemed a good play. For the first time all night, flanker Macgarrett Kings came in motion to the two-WR side, stopped and went back, and then stopped and went back in motion to the two-WR side again. Oregon defenders didn't go with him, signifying to Cook and the receivers that it was zone coverage.

Shelton ran a zone-beater sticks route as the No. 2 receiver as part of a three-man route combination. He sat down in an open area.

Cooks was rolling to the field on the play. He threw on the run, and threw inaccurately, low for an incompletion.

Dantonio called it a 50-50 ball, indicating the QB and WR were both responsible.

Cook blamed himself, and said he was "pissed at myself" while watching Oregon drive for a touchdown in the minutes that followed.

Warner was asked if Shelton was to blame.

"That one? Yeah, tough catch (to make)," Warner said. "Tough catch. No problem with him."

Oregon then received a punt, drove 80 yards in nine plays to cut the lead to 31-28.

The Second 3-and-Out

Then the Spartans took over with another crack at the four-minute offense, first-and-10 at their 22 with 3:19 to play.

1-10 -22: Madre London was stopped for a loss of 5 on a counter sweep to the short side.

On this play, MSU shifted the line from left to right, resulting in Brian Allen moving from left guard to center, and moving Jack Allen from center to right guard.

MSU utilized this radical shift several times during the game, with a mixture of success and failure. The first time MSU showed this unique shift, the Spartans passed the ball, on a 12-yard comeback to Aaron Burbridge.

Later, London had a 6-yard gain on a power to the strong side after the center shift. MSU missed a field goal at the end of that drive.

Ironically, MSU tried to run a counter to the weak side out of this look earlier in the game, and lost three yards. That loss stalled a drive in the red zone and led to a field goal which gave MSU a 31-24 lead.

It was a surprise that MSU would go back to a counter to the weak side off of that look when it failed earlier in the game. But MSU believed in it. The problem was Oregon wasn't surprised, or fooled.

After the first time MSU showed the center shift, Oregon caught onto it and began shifting its defensive line to match up with the strength of MSU's offensive front.

HOWEVER, on this ill-fated play that began MSU's second three-and-out, Oregon's defensive line stood pat in the face of the shift and DID NOT SHIFT WITH THE SPARTANS.

MSU likely expected a shift, expected Oregon to load up to the unbalanced tight end side. MSU sought to counter Oregon back the other way and get the Ducks outflanked.

As it turned out, Oregon had more defenders waiting for the ball carrier on the weak side, foiling the play before it got started.

Secondly, when Oregon opted not to shift when the Spartans shifted, this led to MSU tight end Josiah Price matching up with Buckner at the eventual point of attack. Price essentially becomes the left tackle after the shift takes place. Price vs. Buckner was a horrible matchup for MSU.



LJ Scott rushed for 76 yards on 11 carries against Oregon.
Buckner gained two yards of penetration against Price, upsetting Brian Allen's trek to the perimeter as a pulling center as part of the counter action.

Because Price was beaten, Oregon's outside LB was able to come forward and engage Allen two yards behind the line of scrimmage, further foiling the play.

MSU pulled Benny McGowan from the back side. Because Allen and Price were bottled-up behind the line of scrimmage, McGowan was never able to turn the corner and hunt an inside linebacker. Instead, that inside linebacker surged forward behind Buckner and helped tackle London for the loss.

The negative play call was devastating to MSU's chances of holding the ball and run clock. From there, Dantonio's decision to play aggressively with the pass resulted in two incompletions and clock stoppages, serving to Oregon's delight.

"They got players too," Dantonio said in reference to Oregon's defensive front. "We talk about inches, we talk about a throw being high or a little low. We talk about a guy with possible 50-50 catches. We come up a little bit short."

2-15 -17: Cook rolled out to the field and threw incomplete to a well-covered Kings at the sideline against two-deep/man-under.

Could Cook have carried that for half of the yardage? Difficult to say. He was getting pressure from inside-out and would have had to make a strong open-field run to do damage on a keeper there, but that's certainly something the coaches and quarterbacks reviewed and considered in the film room.

3-15 -17: Cook threw incomplete for Burbridge on a square-in against two-deep coverage at 14 yards. Even if Burbridge had caught it, he likely would have been tackled short of first-down yardage.

Warner said there were no open windows for Cook to throw to on that play.

After volunteering blame from the coaches on down at the outset of the interview, Warner agreed with Dantonio about Oregon's talent level.

"They're on scholarship too and they're good," Warner said. "Our guys played well but sometimes we're not going to make the block, just like sometimes you're not going to make the throw or the catch. But it comes down to execution. When it comes down to the fourth quarter, that's when you've got to step it up a little bit and make sure we're getting things done."

On MSU's last possession, after stopping Oregon in the final minute, the Spartans needed one more first down to clinch victory. A 5-yard penalty against the Ducks made things easier.

Then on second-and-two, London gained four yards on an inside zone, with all four yards coming after contact as he powered ahead with a second-effort.

'We Need To Be Greedy'

Cook has been critical of himself through the first two weeks of the season. Earlier in the Oregon game, he threw an interception when a pass intended for Kings sailed high.

"I think there is a lot on his shoulders through the publicity and so forth," Warner said. "You're always going to miss throws, you're going to miss reads. That's part of it. And he's hard himself. He's very hard on himself and he expects a lot of himself so I'm sure it's part of why he's saying that. But he's like everybody else, we're all looking to be a little bit better."

The Spartans are ranked No. 4 in the country, averaged more yards per play than the vaunted Oregon offense, and yet are striving to make corrections and improvements.

"We've done OK but we certainly haven't achieved the way we want to," Warner said. "We're taking strides and we're looking to improve.

"I tell our offense we need to be greedy. We need to want more yardage. We need to want more points. We need to want more of everything. So that's the way we're approaching it."

Dantonio was pleased with the way the Spartans answered Oregon's first two touchdowns with strong TD drives of their own.

"Part of this game is about handling adversity," Dantonio said. "Every time they made a drive and they cut the score a little bit, offensively, we had a drive where we answered the bell, had a drive where we came back down the field and scored.

"For the most part I feel like our offense played very, very well."

But the four-minute offense - an area of astounding strength in 2013 and '14 - needs some work.

In the crosshairs: Harris will be key vs Ducks

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher

Talk about it in The Underground Bunker

EAST LANSING - In today's era of spread option football, no defensive player gets stretched by run-pass conflicts more than the slot-area linebacker.

Michigan State refers to this player as the 'star' linebacker. At other programs that institute a 4-2-5 defense, the player in the slot area might be a safety or basically a third cornerback.

Some programs, such as Virginia Tech, opt to play press man-to-man on the slot receiver with a cornerback.

MSU opts to keep a third linebacker on the field, and play several steps off of the slot receiver. This makes MSU susceptible to short hitches to the slot, as Baylor showed in the Cotton Bowl. And MSU must cover ground quickly versus bubble screens to that area, something the Spartans did exceedingly well against Western Michigan last week, but almost paid for its post-snap aggression against bubbles on one occasion when WMU faked the bubble and then released the slot receiver on a deep wheel route against 'star' linebacker Darien Harris. The receiver was wide open but dropped the pass inside the 10-yard line.


MSU prefers to go relatively heavy at 'star' linebacker with the 6-foot, 220-pound Darien Harris. In addition to being a first-responder to bubble screens, he also has an interior gap responsibility on inside running plays. Basically, that 'star' linebacker in MSU's system is asked to be two places at once. Offenses will stretch him with run-pass conflicts, showing a run action to get him sucked in, and then delivering a pass to his perimeter area. Or offenses may send a slot receiver to the sideline to threaten the bubble, and get Harris to move in that direction, and instead hit MSU inside with a running play, challenging Harris to close the daylight.

Sometimes, offenses like Oregon read Harris and decide whether the play is going to be a run or a pass several beats after the snap, depending on Harris' positioning.

Harris will be a key player at 8 p.m. on Saturday when No. 5 Michigan State plays host to No. 7 Oregon at Spartan Stadium.

A year ago, Harris started 11 of 13 games for the Spartans at 'star' linebacker. But Michigan State started pseudo defensive back Mylan Hicks in the slot linebacker position against Oregon and Baylor. Hicks wasn't great in those games, but his role revealed an evolution within MSU's system, to opt for more of a pure nickel back against some teams rather than keeping three thump-oriented linebackers on the field at all times.

Defenses have gone to nickel backs in passing situations for more than 30 years. Increasingly, nickel defenses have become base defenses in the modern game. Under Mark Dantonio and Pat Narduzzi,MSU resisted the idea of playing a 4-2-5 as a base defense, in first-and-10 situations. But, the use of Hicks in place of Harris as a starter against Oregon and Baylor signaled the beginning of a change.

With Hicks having graduated, MSU sought to improve Harris' versatility and speed for 2015, in anticipation of having him play more snaps against tempo-based spread teams such as Oregon.

Harris has dropped nearly 10 pounds since last year and is capable of playing faster, but seemed to be a bit winded a few times in patrolling the flat in the fourth quarter last week against Western Michigan.

Dantonio talks about the importance of maintaining knee-bend at pre-snap. Don't become a statue. Don't react late. Harris seemed to be one of the players guilty of becoming a bit straight-legged at times last week. Last year against Oregon, he was noticeably winded in failing to sprint to the sideline as a late fourth-and-two play broke to the outside for a touchdown.

As for last week's victory over Western Michigan in which the Spartans allowed 365 yards passing, co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel felt the Spartans unnecessarily sagged midway through the second half.

"We gave up our first touchdown drive of the entire game came in the third quarter and all of the sudden we thought the sky was falling," Tressel said. "We need to keep our swag about ourselves and we would have been fine."

In terms of a speed and strength package, there might not be a more gifted player on the team than Harris - who has a 400-pound bench and can break 4.6 in the 40. But can he play down-after-down with the quickness and endurance needed to keep Oregon hemmed in at the slot area? That will be a key area of evaluation as Saturday's game progresses.

During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Dantonio seemed to be challenging Harris.

"Darien is in his fifth-year, he's been elected captain, with that comes an added responsibility in terms of how you play and perform on the field as well," Dantonio said. "He's got tremendous speed. We clocked him under 4.5, and he needs to play like a 4.5 player.

"So sometimes you're trying to do everything right and it slows you down a little bit. You've got to be a reactionary player out there, especially at the starting linebacker position.

"So I think he's right on the money in terms of what he's got to do. He understands what he has to do. These are opportunities, and these are things he'll talk about with his children at some point in time. Games like this, opportunities like this, that's what this is about."

What About The Back-Up?

Does Harris have a quality back-up, like he did at times in 2014?

Well, last year at this time, Hicks wasn't a proven player at 'star' linebacker, or anywhere else. He had gotten on the field a handful of times on special teams and in mop-up duty heading into his senior year. Then, in 2014, MSU elevated him to a specialized role as a nickel back of sorts against uptempo spread teams.

Hicks was a surprise starter against Oregon, and registered a pass break-up on the second play of the game. Later, there were struggles when he didn't get adequate reroutes on receivers. He was a solid contributor. He provided depth. He was lost for five games at midseason to a broken arm, and returned to post a career-high four tackles in the Cotton Bowl against Baylor.

MSU was in the process of trying to develop Jalyn Powell as a DB-type option at 'star' linebacker for 2015, '16 and '17, in moving Powell from safety to linebacker last spring. However, Powell didn't like the move and allowed redshirt freshman T.J. Harrell to edge ahead of him in the depth chart by the end of spring practice. Powell then transferred to Youngstown State, saying he did not want to play linebacker.

Harrell was regarded as a riser at the 'star' linebacker position heading into August camp. But he was overtaken by true freshman Andrew Dowell for second-string status by the end of camp. Among other things, coaches said Harrell needed to show better tackling ability.

Now, Dowell (6-0, 216) is seen as a rising talent in the program. However, his only playing time last week came on special teams.

Against Oregon, the Spartans want to play a two-deep, or more, at every position on the field. MSU came out of 2014 believing that one of the keys to being able to contain the best uptempo spread teams is to play more players.

That seemed like a fine idea when Harris had a back-up like Hicks, or the possibility of a guy like Powell or Harrell, or even former Nebraska player and junior college transfer Drake Martinez.

But Powell is gone, Harrell went south on the depth chart, and Martinez missed the Western Michigan game for undisclosed reasons. In addition, Martinez moved from 'star' linebacker to 'money' linebacker midway through camp in order to give MSU options at the position after starter Ed Davis went down with a season-ending injury.

So Martinez wouldn't be properly soaked with reps at 'star' linebacker, even if he were available. His status for Saturday's game is unknown.

That brings us back to the true freshman, Dowell.

Can Dowell provide quality snaps in the key run-pass conflict area of 'star' linebacker? MSU needs it. Harris needs it.

The strong play of redshirt freshman Vayante Copeland as a starting cornerback last week could result in more trust being given to a rookie like Dowell.



Harris had eight tackles and one TFL against Western Michigan, but MSU needs him to play faster and more consistently on Saturday.
Copeland was solid all day against bubble screens and the occasional deep test. He cinched victory by jamming and stacking WMU's standout receiver Corey Davis on a fade route in the end zone, and intercepted the pass with less than two minutes to play.

"Vayante handled what we put on his plate last week very well," Tressel said. "We feel now like we can put a little bit more on his plate. And we also came out of the game realizing you can't call plays to protect players; you need to let them play."

Sounds like they're talking about guys like Dowell.

"They're here at Michigan State for a reason," Tressel said, of young players who have yet to make an impact. "These are good football players. We need to let them do what they do. Whether it's Oregon or Western Michigan, whether it's at home or on the road, we need to let our guys do what they do."

If Dowell plays, and plays well, it could give Michigan State a fresher, more effective Harris rather than the worn-down Harris we saw last week, and at times in 2014 against Oregon.

A quick question & answer session with Harris regarding this game and the challenges MSU will face:

Q: What did you learn after last year's loss at Oregon?
Harris: That the little things matter. Coach D is always talking about the little things and we saw last year, a step here, a step there can be the difference between an incomplete pass and a touchdown. So we're really focusing on the little things, playing our game and playing to the moment. Just doing the things that we know how to do. We always have a great plan going into a game, we're practicing really hard and we're really confident in what we do.''

Q: What are some of the key elements necessary when playing a team such as Oregon?
Harris: You've got to be able to line up when you're tired. And sometimes, that's one of the hardest things you have to do because your mind is racing with a whole bunch of different things, you feel tired out there, you've been running a lot and you don't necessarily think that you can get into the right position. So that's why we've practiced fast this week. We practiced with a no huddle coming at us and we practiced getting back into our own positions.

Q: Your defense had some missed tackles against Western Michigan. What will you do to correct that against a team like Oregon, who could make you pay for a missed tackle
Harris: Western had a lot of athletes that made a lot of plays for them but we've got to go back to the fundamentals this week. A lot of tackling drills, leveraging the ball, tackling in space, like Coach D always talks about. Obviously, that will be a real key for this game because Oregon does have a lot of athletes that can get free and create on the perimeter. So our project is going to be, getting back to the fundamentals, getting back to the basics and really focusing on the details.''

Specifically for linebackers, do you have to take a differing approach when playing Oregon than you would in other games?
Harris: Yeah, definitely. We can't be downhill thumpers, like we like to be. There's a lot of Big Ten teams that kind of line up in I-Pro and run the ball downhill. But we're going to have to be able to play in space out there and we saw that a lot last year but I feel like we have the athletes to do that in the linebackers room. The game's changing and we've got to be more of cover linebackers rather than run-stopping linebackers and I think everyone's up for the challenge.'

What is your role and your message, on and off the field for this game, as a linebacker and captain for a game like this. Does your role change somewhat?
Harris: I think so. With me being the only one, me and Riley (Bullough), and with Ed (Davis) as the only guys who played in the game last year, it's just a matter of preaching to your guys that you have to be in shape for this game. You can't bulk up in the weight room as much as you want to. You've got to be in shape, nimble, you've got to be able to move, you've got to have loose hips out there. So just being able to preach that to my guys, they took it very well I thought, kind of changed up their habits this summer and I'm really looking forward to seeing what they're going to be able to do.

Have you prepared yourself for the possibility that there could be a lot of points scored Saturday night?
Harris: I don't think that ever comes out of our minds, that they're going to score a lot of points. I think the way that we approach that situation is that there's going to be a lot of adversity out there no matter what. We saw that in our first game, that there was going to adverse situations playing against Western and that it's more about how we were able to play through that. And the same will be for this week and any week after that. That it's just understanding that there's going to be adversity and that it's up to the leaders to get the team to regroup, whether it's the defense or the offense because we know that this is a team game.

DotComp: Measuring this sample against Oregon

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher

Talk about it in The Underground Bunker

KALAMAZOO - Okay, let's be honest. At the conclusion of Friday night's game, we asked ourselves: Based on MSU's uneven 37-24 victory at Western Michigan, do we now feel MSU has a better chance to beat Oregon, or a worse chance?

First of all, the Oregon we have in mind is last year's Oregon. We should table all thoughts about Oregon until we actually see the 2015 Ducks play against an FBS opponent (which they won't until they visit Spartan Stadium next week).


Regardless of whether Oregon's new quarterback, Vernon Adams, is even remotely comparable to 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, we can be sure about this: Oregon will have speed at wide receiver. They'll play fast, try to get you tired, make you sub-in some second-string DBs, and then test you with more speed.

I had concerns about MSU's ability to handle high-end speed at wide out prior to Friday's game. Now, those concerns are more well-founded.

That doesn't mean the MSU secondary and the defense as a whole can't be ultimately successful. It's just going to make it trickier, with tighter margin for error.

We knew the Broncos - with the best passing attack in the Mid-America Conference, led by true NFL prospect split end Corey Davis - were going to give the Spartans' new cornerbacks a major college test on opening night. He did, and MSU passed most of the tests, but I come away a bit concerned about the top-end speed of junior cornerback Demetrious Cox, and MSU's other options at the position.

I really like Cox as a player. And he is doing what he can to help this team by playing cornerback. But let's get this straight: MSU has three very good safeties on this team, and one cornerback that I'm currently comfortable with (Vayante Copeland).

Cox is one of the three quality safeties, along with Montae Nicholson and RJ Williamson. Cox is undoubtedly one of the four best DBs on this team. So he needs to be on the field. He is the safety best-suited to move to cornerback, as the Spartans search for answers at that position. He has made the transition to corner, and he looks pretty good in some aspects, very good in other aspects, but when Davis ran past him on a deep go route on Friday night, it might have revealed a little bit about the ceiling of this Spartan defense. And it's a ceiling that the very best offenses and wide receivers might exploit in difference-making situations this season.

Know this: Davis is a terrific receiver. "He's going to get drafted," Michigan State co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett said outside the locker room following Friday's game, on his way to meet family members and board the team bus.

Cox did a good job of muscling him on some plays. On the deep go route, Cox worked the route properly, turned his hips well, funneled Davis to the outside, and he ran with Davis initially. But then Davis hit another gear and Cox couldn't quite match it. With Davis, once he was even with Cox, he was leavin', as they say.

Davis didn't finish the play, didn't come up with the catch. But the example remains on film. Others will continue to test Cox, the way they tested Darian Hicks last year. The thing Cox has that Hicks didn't have is physical strength at the line of scrimmage. That will help.

Getting beat deep by Davis was no huge sin for Cox. We've seen the great Trae Waynes allow a receiver to run past him from time to time (see the first quarter of the 2014 Rose Bowl).

Cox's top-end speed is something we had to wonder about because we quite frankly haven't seen him play the position (other than a few snaps in the Cotton Bowl), due to practices being closed.

I'm hesitant to arrive at absolutes based on just one game. But it's hard to improve one's top-end speed during the course of a season. I'm not ready to say Cox's speed is a problem. Not at all. He will have plenty of juice against most opponents, on most plays. But we can be sure that Oregon will test him next week. And it might take only one or two failed tests to swing the balance of a game, when you're trying to play for a National Championship.

This is the good thing about Cox: He has excellent size and physicality at the line of scrimmage. He's a team-oriented guy, playing for arguably the best defensive backs coaches in America. He's well-schooled in the fundamentals, and does a good job of taking away inside routes while moving his feet and hips quickly enough to stay in phase.

This skill and physical ability made him an excellent player last night in the red zone. He pressed Davis several times in the red zone, controlled the route, influenced where the passing window would be, and then closed on that window with smarts and physicality. Western Michigan tried to beat him, and Copeland, with fade routes in the red zone, and failed.

Cox's ability to play strong in the red zone is a major, major plus.

Settle It In The Red Zone

Being able to win in red zone is becoming a difference-making component in today's college football. "It's pretty much all about finishing in the red zone today, wouldn't you agree?" said Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen last January while watching the National Championship Game with other coaches as part of an ESPNU live studio program.

I thought Mullen's quote, and his colleagues' agreement, was fascinating. And I'm not going to argue with him. Learn from him.

The fast, ball-setting rules combined with the uptempo spreads of today's college football have made it harder to stop quality offenses between the 20-yard lines than ever before. Scoring and rushing yardage have escalated, nationally, in recent years, thanks in part to uptempo spread offenses.

Against the best offenses, a Top 10 defense can give up 500 yards and 30-plus points and come out of it feeling it has played well enough to win.

Michigan State has arrived at the philosophy that the answer against the best, uptempo spread teams (such as Oregon) is to stop the run, make a team one-dimensional with the pass, contain those passes between the 20-yard lines by tackling well in space and preventing the big play. And if said offense is proficient enough to get inside your 25-yard line, then stop them there once you're able to squeeze routes a little tighter due to the safeties and slot-area linebacker being able to play in closer quarters as the field shrinks.

Believe it or not, this strategy might have worked just fine against the best offense in the country last year - Baylor. But that game remains a nightmare of sorts for Spartan fans, despite the historic victory. Seeing the Bears throw for 600-plus yards makes some wonder what the heck MSU was doing in pass coverage on that day. Seeing Western Michigan chuck it around for 365 on Friday night reawakens some of those concerns, especially with Waynes having left for the NFL.

The chief problem for MSU in the litmus test against Baylor wasn't the fact that Baylor completed an absurd number of short routes to the free-release slot area, but that the Bears scored
three touchdowns from outside the red zone. MSU felt it was on schedule, defensively, in allowing the short-area, slot stuff while shutting down the run.

MSU planned to stop Baylor in the red zone, and did so on four occasions. MSU forced four Baylor field goals. No one forces Baylor to attempt that many field goals.

But Baylor wrecked MSU's ideas by scoring three times from outside the red zone. (One TD coming on a double-pass trick play, and another when Cox and Williamson miscommunicated on how to squeeze a cover-three seam.) (Baylor punched in a 19-yard TD pass on a trick play to an offensive lineman. Western Michigan went to a similar wrinkle trick of sorts in sneaking an h-back past linebacker Darien Harris for a 29-yard TD.)

Why am I talking about the Baylor game? Because Baylor - along with Ohio State and Oregon - represent the state of the art in college offenses. And Baylor is the most recent state-of-the-art offense that MSU has played. Oregon will be the next. MSU is in the conversation as a National Championship contender. Beating Oregon next week will allow MSU to stay in that conversation.

Some of MSU's theories worked against Baylor. Some didn't. Meanwhile, Western Michigan succeeded in probing some of the soft areas of MSU's zone defense that were also compromised by Baylor.

Was MSU's pass defense exposed by this MAC opponent on Friday night? I wouldn't go that far. Again, I'm cautious about arriving at absolutes.

It was uncomfortable for Spartan fans to watch Western Michigan slot receiver Daniel Braverman scurry around for 13 catches and 109 yards on Friday.

In the SPARTAN Plus Pre-Snap Read, we predicted that Braverman would be a bigger problem than Davis. It's unclear whether that turned out to be true, but the point is that the mixture of WMU's system, along with Braverman's talent and the soft spots in the Spartans' base zone coverage, led us to conclude that the ball was going to get fed to Braverman. MSU knew it, and tried to limit his yards after the catch, while hoping to dish out some hard hit. As it turned out, MSU didn't get than many hard hits on him. That kid is good.

The WMU quarterback was on-time and on-the-money, and Braverman finished all but one of his opportunities (failing to haul in a deep wheel route against Harris, on a well-conceived trick play. On that play, WMU faked a bubble screen to Braverman, then sprung him down the sideline on a the wheel after the bubble action sucked the play-side safety away from helping. This ploy matched Braverman's speed on Harris, giving Braverman the one-step edge in knowing where the play was headed.)

That wheel route wrinkle, and the sneak route to the H-back (and Baylor's TD pass to the offensive lineman) represent the answer to the answer for offenses. If a quality defense such as MSU is going to play bend-but-don't-break and then try to stop you in the red zone, the answer for some offenses is becoming to run trick plays in the red zone, or at the edge of the red zone. Save your trick plays for the edge of the red zone. That's a novel concept. WMU did it on Friday night, and they were smart to do it, because Cox and Copeland were good in the red zone, and Braverman's effectiveness diminishes as the offense gets closer to the goal line.

So why was Braverman so open all the time? That's just the way MSU plays it. Every coverage as a weakness, as Dantonio likes to say. MSU elects to be soft in the slot area. MSU wants to press the corners, play the safeties shallow, and have the slot-area LB (Harris) leaning more to help stop the run than most 4-2-5 defenses might do these days.

Making sure to stop the run leaves MSU a little more vulnerable to short-area curls and some intermediate benders. MSU is willing to make that trade, between the 20s.

Braverman, with his excellent ability to read defenses, and run tight routes, continually sat down in weak spots in the zone. WMU quarterback Zach Terrell, was excellent in anticipating the openings, delivering the ball on-time and on-target, and doing so without telegraphing passes. Dantonio was most impressed with his ability to remain efficient despite getting rocked by seven sacks, and several other hurries and knockdowns.

Some Numbers To Consider

Western Michigan amassed 365 yards on 50 pass attempts.

When including the seven sacks, WMU netted just 326 yards of passing on 57 attempts. That's an average of 5.7 yards per pass attempt. That average would lead the Big Ten in that category, most years.

The 365 yards might seem extreme. But when wrapped within the overall construct, combined with allowing just 18 yards of rushing, and making the Broncos one-dimensional on offense, MSU's pass defense might not have been as substandard as one may think.

Will MSU mix up its coverages a bit more against Oregon, and change the pictures of its soft spots for the new Ducks QB? Changing coverages hasn't been MSU's mode of operation in the past, and that philosophy has served them well.

However, Oregon's run game will be much harder to stop than WMU's. We may see Oregon return to the QB keeper in the spread option being more of a facet to its offense than it was last year, when the Ducks were trying to protect Mariota.

WMU did some good things on offense, but the Broncos don't have nearly the run-pass conflict component that the Ducks will present.

But MSU will play more players than last year, try to stay fresh, try to contain the ground game, try to limit big plays by tackling in space, and stop Oregon in the red zone. In the meantime, there is no margin for error at cornerback. Can't get beat deep. That's where Cox will need to answer.

And so will the other corners.

Copeland was pretty good most of the night. He gave up a route or two to Davis on some fine angle routes. But for the most part, he was excellent for a freshman playing in his first game.

Second-stringers Arjen Colquhoun and Jermaine Edmondson were each beaten on significant plays, in limited playing time. That wasn't a positive.

Overall, MSU's individuals in the secondary didn't get beat much. I counted three or four times in 57 pass attempts. The other completions were structural, not individual beatings. And it's a structure MSU may tweak here and there, but is unlikely to change. And I don't blame them.

"I thought they played pretty well," Dantonio said of the cornerbacks. "I would say they are solid right now. But it's a game-to-game thing.

"We made some mistakes that have got to be cleaned up, but that happens in the first game."

How confident is Dantonio that those mistakes will get corrected?

"Very confident," Dantonio said. "We've got good players. We have players playing for the first time, like Vayante Copeland. I thought he did a nice job. Demetrious Cox is out playing full-time corner, probably for the second time. Arjen Colquhoun played and Jermaine Edmondson played. So we had a lot of guys out there playing, and they're all going to get better because they all had an opportunity to play. So they're going to prepare even more, and they'll know what to work on. That's usually the way it goes. You get more confident.

"Davis is a very good player," Dantonio added. "The quarterback was on target. Everybody's got good players. You can see why they were effective last year. And they didn't quit. Well-coached football team. They were going to have a plan.

"They max protected, and they made plays," Dantonio said of WMU's passing attack. (The max protection component, by the way, was something we highlighted in the Spartan Plus Skull Session podcast and the Pre-Snap Read).

"We played very, very well against the run, it's just that guys got loose," Dantonio said. "They were sort of isolating it and throwing it to No. 84, and he's a good player."

And it should make Cox, and the rest of them, that much better by next week, having faced some quality opposition at the WR position on Friday night.

Here is the d-line notebook that I finished a few minutes ago. I feel like drinking the last few Summer Shandy's in the fridge. First, I think its a good time to pelt the kids with water balloons. They are waiting outside with a bucket full of them. Trying to be sneaky about it.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1799400

Not surprised that they are listed as co-starters. Mildly surprised that Reschke is the first mentioned at 'money' linebacker. Both will play a lot this year.

link below:

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1796298

Good to have Robert Hendricks out there. He's the best. Good stuff as always.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/photofeature.asp?SID=951&fid=50964

Below for a pretty good chunk of notes, quotes & video from Tressel, Barnett about Cox, Gerald Owens, more on Dowell, TJ Harrell and Riley Bullough:

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1794312

A version of this story was posted earlier today.

We reworked it a bit for its current slot:




Jack Allen driven 'for the good of the team'

Ricardo Cooney
SpartanMag.com Staff Writer

Talk about it in The Underground Bunker

EAST LANSING - During Michigan State's spring football season, senior offensive lineman Jack Allen said being one of six finalists in voting for the Rimington Trophy (awarded to the nation's best center) would serve as part of his motivation for having a successful final season as a Spartan.

Allen's answer came after he had once again been asked about the holding call during Jeremy Langford's apparent 11-yard touchdown run vs. Ohio State. The flag denied MSU what could have been a two-touchdown lead over the Buckeyes at halftime in the game that decided the champion of the Big Ten's East Division.

The flag resulted in a field goal attempt, which missed - followed by an OSU touchdown, and a far different vibe for the rest of the evening, and the season.


Robert Hendricks

Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Jack Allen wants to be one his team's leaders this season.
The Buckeyes went on to win that contest 49-37 before destroying Wisconsin 59-0 in the conference's title game en route to an eventual national championship.

OSU's run to the national title is something MSU seems capable of matching in 2016, after consecutive 11-win seasons and Top 5 national finishes in the polls. A senior-loaded roster that knows and understands what it takes to put itself in a position to make a national title run begins, in some ways, with Allen - the man who initiates every offensive play. He's also the man QB Connor Cook relies upon to make adjustments to blocking schemes and protections just seconds before each snap.

Now, Allen is making adjustments to some of his stated goals and intentions. Apparently, after reviewing his spring response to the question about the flag, and some soul searching, Allen has changed his answer a bit. When asked again, during Media Day in early August, about the Rimington Trophy, and the penalty against the Buckeyes, his answer and philosophy were decidedly different.

"I'm not really worried about things like that. All I can focus on is how well I play for my teammates and Michigan State,'' said Allen, who has 30 starts at center and five at left guard. "Luckily, I've had coaches and people like Ken Mannie to help keep me humble. So my main motivation, the chip that I've held onto, has come from those coaches, scouts and evaluators who said I either wasn't big enough, wasn't fast enough or wasn't strong to play at this level for Michigan State. Actually, I think most of the schools and a lot of coaches in the Big Ten didn't think I would be good enough to play at this level. So the fact that I have been able to find some success at this level with this team means so much more.''

That being said, Allen is still just the fourth center in MSU history to be named a first team All-American at his position. And he will probably garner All-America status again this season, if he continues to build off of what he has done in his first three seasons as a Spartan.

But Allen wants something bigger - for himself and his teammates. And he wants to do it by being one of the leaders behind MSU's success.

That's why Allen has abandoned all talk of individual success for a chance to lead his team to the same trek the Buckeyes enjoyed last season as eventual national champions.

So much so, that the 6-foot-2, 296-pound lineman was clear about his desires for the 2015 Spartans. Clear enough for him to admit that he has been working on something during the offseason that has really never been a part of his training: stepping outside of his comfort zone to become more of a vocal leader.


Robert Hendricks

Expect more vocal leadership from Jack Allen.

"I've had good role models in that area,'' he said. "I look at guys likeKirk Cousins and Joel Foreman and see how they handled themselves as leaders and how much the team respected them and what they had to say and I think I can do that. I'm still not where I need to be as a vocal leader because that's never been me in the past. Ever since I started playing football, I was always that guy that led by example. I was told or taught what to do and did that on the field and that's how I was a leader. But I understand that you have to be a guy that's willing to stand up, and step up and out of your comfort zone for the good of the team and your teammates.''

Part of the culmination in that training will be revealed when Allen delivers - at some point during August camp - his senior speech. It's a rite of passage for every senior, throughout the course of preseason practice.

"I've got some things written down that I want to say but I know there's got to be other stuff that I talk about that comes from the heart,'' he said. "And most of that will be about what it's meant to be a part of this program and play with these guys. It really has been an honor to be able to play here.''

And what would it mean for him to be named a captain during his final season in green and white? Well, even though he is not as polished a speaker as he would like to be, Allen had no problem expressing what it would mean to be named one of the team's leaders by his peers.

"I'm not going to say it's the only thing I've thought about because I still have a job to do whether I'm in that position or not but, yes, I would consider it an honor if these guys thought enough of me and about me to have me represent them as one of the leaders," he said.

If that's the case and Allen is fortunate enough to earn the honor of being named a captain, you get the sense that that would hold so much more meaning for him than any postseason honor ever could have during his tenure.

And it would just fuel his fire to deliver, first and foremost, for the good of the team.

Some interesting news and nuggets from Dantonio today.

I like what I am hearing about the corners, I think its noteworthy that Dantonio mentioned the possibility of moving Cox back to safety. That's a good sign. You want to hear that, because it means that other guys are making positive gains.

Not surprised that Andrew Dowell is going to play as a freshman. They've loved him since the moment he got on campus.

I tried to make it clear int he notebook that neither Dowell nor Martinez worked at 'money' in the scrimmage. Both of those guys are at 'star'

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1793183

Spent time with Chris Frey this afternoon. Good interview. He's not Ed Davis, but he does strike me as a guy that will kill for his teammates.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1792452

link below

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1792447

August 12, 2015

Ed Davis, out for year; what's next at SLB?

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher


EAST LANSING - Senior strong inside linebacker Ed Davis was lost for the season due to a knee injury sustained midway through Wednesday's practice, the university stated via Twitter on Wednesday evening.

"We're so disappointed for Ed Davis," head coach Mark Dantonio said Wednesday evening via Spartan Football's Twitter feed. "His presence in the lineup will be missed. Ed is a tremendous playmaker and a solid leader.

"He will still have an important role on this team and he might have the opportunity to qualify for a sixth year of eligibility.


"Our program has faced adversity before, so now it's time to adopt the 'next man up' mentality. Ed's injury provides otehrs with an opportunity to have a positive impact on the team."

Sophomore Chris Frey (6-2, 235, Upper Arlington, Ohio) will have the inside track to become the first-string strong inside linebacker at MSU, also known as Sam linebacker and 'money' linebacker.

Frey saw action in 13 games last year as a true freshman, mostly on special teams. He posted 19 tackles.

Jon Reschke (6-2, 228, Soph., Sterling Heights, Mich./Brother Rice) is also a candidate for an expanded role. Reschke and Shane Jones are battling for second-string Mike linebacker behind Riley Bullough.

Reschke missed most of the spring with an upper body injury. He began camp as a fourth-string Mike linebacker but has quickly regained favor with coaches this week. He had 13 tackles as the back-up toTaiwan Jones in 2014.

Can Reschke move outside to Sam linebacker? Coaches are likely pondering that question in camp right now.

Bullough (6-2, 230, Jr., Traverse City St. Francis) was Davis' back-up at Sam linebacker in 2014. But the Spartans have become extremely comfortable with Bullough setting the defense as the new first-string Mike linebacker.

From a frame and athleticism standpoint, Bullough might be the best fit for Sam linebacker as Davis' replacement, but would MSU move Reschke to Mike linebacker and move Bullough to Sam linebacker just to get the proper athleticism and body types in place in the front seven?

These are bothersome questions for MSU to answer, considering that with Davis the Spartans looked like they might have the best defensive front seven in the country.

Frey and Reschke are promising linebackers, but not in the class of the rangy, physical, fast Davis.

True freshman Tyriq Thompson has been repping at strong inside linebacker since enrolling in January, but would represent a steep drop-off from Davis if he has to play.

Davis (6-3, 230, Detroit Southeastern) was set to be a second-year starter for the Spartans in 2015 and a potential difference-maker. Davis was a preseason All-Big Ten pick by Lindy's (first-team), Sporting News (second team), Athlon Sports (second team) and Phil Steele (second team).

Davis was honorable mention All-Big Ten by coaches and media last year while leading the team in production points in 200. He ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 58 and was third on the team in tackles for loss with 12.

Freshman WRs Davis, Stewart eager to impress

Paul Konyndyk
SpartanMag.com Associate Editor

Talk about it in The Underground Bunker

EAST LANSING - With four seniors and two juniors ahead of them on depth chart, it seems likely that freshmen Darrell Stewart (6-1, 198) and Felton Davis (6-4, 181) will have to wait until 2016 to earn regular work at wide receiver.

But experienced depth at wide receiver hasn't prevented the two first-year players from making a strong initial impression during training camp at Michigan State.

"Felton Davis and Darrell Stewart have both been impressive," Mark Dantonio said after practice on Wednesday. "They've got to learn it, and this is about consistency and performance over a period of time."

Freshman quarterback Brian Lewerke shares a similar viewpoint.

"Those guys are awesome," Lewerke said. "They've been awesome catching the ball. We've gotten a little connection, and I'm trying to get on the same page with them. Overall, I think they are great players."

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Sustaining a high level of play can be difficult for freshmen during training camp. It is common for first-year players to hit a wall as practices get more physical, and the mental burden of absorbing a playbook becomes cumbersome.

"Here we are at Day 5," Dantonio said. "Can they keep they keep their legs? What they do in these next two weeks with the opportunities they have is really going to tell."

Both Stewart and Davis played demanding schedules at the high school level in their respective home states of Texas and Virginia.

Stewart was named district MVP at the 6A level (largest school) during his senior season at Houston's Nimitz High. He played quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back, and was a standout on special teams as a four-year starter.

"Just give me the ball, and I'll make magic happen," Stewart said with a grin. "I am a Y-A-C receiver. Get me the ball and I'm getting you yards after catch."

Davis was one of the most sought after prospects in the Richmond area as a multi-sport standout in football and track at Highland Springs. He was also recruited as a power conference track athlete, but always loved football a little bit more.


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"My height and my speed make me difficult to match-up against," Davis said. "I use both to my advantage, because you don't see too many tall people who are really fast."
Sometimes tall wide receivers struggle to the catch the ball with their hands. Those that do have a tougher time making the transition from high school. Unlike those players, Davis excels catching the ball away from his body.

"It's been a lot of hard work, and I've been playing wide receiver since I was three," Davis said. "I have a lot experience catching the ball in different types of ways."

Nothing the two freshmen have experienced to this point in their football careers has prepared them for the mental grind during the dog days of training camp. But Davis did get a taste of what's to come during a special teams period on Wednesday.

He found himself doing a double take after a hard hit from linebacker Darien Harris, a fifth-year senior and second-year starter at the 'star' position.

"We were doing some kickoff stuff and he hit me," Davis said. "I slid about five yards on my back. I got up real quick."

Stewart has had his learning curve lightened by program veterans who have been there to answer questions during his transition to college football.

"Those guys have treated me like their little brother from the first day," he said. "They showed me the ins and the outs and the different things I needed to do to be prepared."

Added Davis: "My mindset is learning from the three guys in front of me on the depth chart. They know what they are doing, and I am trying to soak everything up like a sponge and rolling with it."

A rigorous off-season routine, which included countless hours of hill running and agility work has also proved beneficial for Stewart.

"I want to take advantage of the opportunity in his program," he said. "I am trying to be great, that getting in extra work to make sure I am prepared for the college level. Everything is different with this whole atmosphere. You've got to be in tune and in shape."

Stewart and Davis have developed a close bond during their short time in the program.

"That's my boy," Stewart said. "I love his excitement and his energy. He is my motivator. He gives me energy and I give him energy."

"We're pretty tight, already," Davis added. "He is learning the Z and I am learning the X, but it is great having someone to go through the system with."

LJ Scott developmental update on the front:

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1791653

August 11, 2015

WR Notebook: Transitioning, but still talented

Paul Konyndyk
SpartanMag.com Associate Editor


EAST LANSING - Michigan State does not have a workhorse receiver like Tony Lippett, who had 65 catches for 1,198 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior. But the Spartans have personnel at wide receiver capable of keeping the Spartans on top as Big Ten's top passing offense.

"Tony and Keith were great players, but we had a lot of guys making plays at wide receiver last year," senior wide receiver Aaron Burbridge said. "MacGarrett (Kings) made plays. I made plays. AJ (Troup) made plays. RJ (Shelton) made plays. Other guys can make plays too."


Robert Hendricks

Aaron Burbridge has 80 catches for 918 yards in 37 career games for Michigan State.
Burbridge and Kings have proven themselves as part-time starters over the past three seasons, combining for 156 receptions, 1,816 yards, and seven touchdowns. R.J. Shelton (5-11, 195) is another proven commodity, whose role expanded beyond perimeter running plays as a sophomore in 2014. Seniors AJ Troup, DeAnthony Arnett, and junior Monty Madaristook steps toward regular playing time during spring football. Each is a serious candidate for regular work at wide receiver this season.

"We'll evolve as we go," wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel said. "Whoever's hot, that's who you play and that's what we've always done. You get into a rhythm and you're attacking the DB and you are doing well, I am going to want you to stay out there."
Co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner is open to playing five or more wide receivers on a regular basis in 2015.

"It depends on who shows in practice over the next three weeks, that they deserve to be on the field," he said.

Experience and versatility make Burbridge one of the most valuable skill players in the Spartan program, and strong candidate to elevate his play as a senior.

"He knows all of the positions, he can play any wide receiver position, which is great," Warner said. "He can do it without having to think a whole lot. He can go out there and play and that is when a guy can be successful, and let their natural athletic ability take over."

Burbridge caught 29 passes for 358 yards (12.34 avg.) and one touchdown as a junior. He has 80 catches for 918 yards (11.4) and three touchdowns in 37 games over three years as a part-time starter.

Burbridge is still working off rust from a foot injury in April that prevented him from running during the summer.

"He's there, and I'm fired up to see what he can do," Warner said. "He just needs to get to the point now where his conditioning is back

Added Samuel: "He's got to get his receiver legs back, and that part is coming. His hand and eye coordination is still there. I am not worried about him catching the ball. I am not worried about his knowledge. I am more worried that he gets his feet up under him and gets his conditioning back."

Whereas injuries have been an issue for Burbridge, Kings has struggled with accountability. A handful of off-the-field incidents marred a productive 35-game career that includes 76 catches for 942 yards (12.4) and four touchdowns.

Warner and Samuel, however, seem reasonably confident that Kings has turned over a new leaf as a senior.

"It's a day-by-day process," Warner said. "He has to take care of business both on and off the field. I have a lot of confidence in MacGarrett that he is going to continue to take care of business."

Added Samuel: "I think he realizes when he makes a bad decision, it hurts his own family and his football family too. He is making better decisions. He is being more responsible. He is making the choices that would put him in a leadership position. Maybe that was something he wasn't doing before."

If Kings continues on his current path, Samuel expects him to play an even bigger role on offense than he has to this point in his career at Michigan State.

"I want him to be as close to an All-American as he possibly can possibly get to. I think he's got the ball skills. He's got the speed. There is no limitation to how good he can be. Every day he's got to go to work. I have been sending him little motivational things every day to make sure the leadership and the work ethic in practice is where it needs to be and he's responded.

"It's going to be a success story."

'two guys that look the part'

Freshmen Darrell Stewart (6-1, 198) and Felton Davis (6-4, 181) have gotten a lot of work during the first week of training camp.

"Those guys are sort of unknown right now," Warner said. "We want to give them the opportunity to see if they can light it up at all. And if that happens, they'll get more reps and get more opportunities. That is the way it is at every position, and maybe even a little bit more so at wide receiver because we have high expectations for some of those guys and there are some unknowns.

Stewart and Davis have made the most of their opportunities thus far.

"Darrell Stewart and Felton Davis both are two guys that look the part, run the part and act the part out there," Dantonio said, "so it'll be interesting to see how they retain things and how they move forward once real pads come on and we get farther into this than two a days, or in summer camp."

August 11, 2015

Dantonio watching freshman DBs closely

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher


EAST LANSING - With Michigan State getting into the full-pads portion of August camp, Mark Dantonio is beginning to form opinions on his incoming freshman class.


He's not yet ready to proclaim which of them have a good shot to be in the playing group, but he'll spend the next few days looking closely.

"It's sort of early, but I'm spending a lot of time with the defensive backs," Dantonio said.

There are potential openings for playing time at cornerback, with Michigan State looking to replace the three men who started games at that position last year - Trae Waynes, Tony Lippett and Darian Hicks.Hicks is out for about a month with mononucleosis.

Junior Demetrious Cox has an inside track to start at boundary cornerback. Senior Arjen Colquhoun and junior Jermaine Edmondson are the top candidates competing at the other corner position, with redshirt freshman Vayante Copeland also getting a look with the twos.

Meanwhile, incoming freshmen Josh Butler (5-11, 170, Mesquite, Texas) and Tyson Smith (5-10, 170, Southfield, Mich/Orchard Lake St. Mary's) are getting a chance this week to demonstrate their talents.

"You see that Josh Butler looks good, Tyson Smith looks good, David Dowell looks good," Dantonio said. "I've been impressed with those safeties. I could go through all those guys. They all look good.

"Our linebackers have played pretty well.



Linebacker Andrew Dowell.
"(Wide receivers) Darrell Stewart and Felton Davis both are two guys that look the part, run the part and act the part out there.

"I think it takes a little bit of time for our offensive linemen and our defensive linemen, but they look talented."

Highly-touted running back Larry Scott has been impressive as well.

"So it'll be interesting to see how they retain things and how they move forward once real pads come on and we get farther into this than two-a-days or in summer workouts," Dantonio said.

The Spartans will take time working and fine-tuning the two-deep in the third week of August and get into preparation for Western Michigan during the fourth week. For now, freshmen are getting a close look to see which of them are capable of helping this season.

"We've got to look at every freshman as they come in," Dantonio said. "We're going to make sure we go ones, twos and frosh so that the frosh are getting reps."

That means, during "team" periods, the first-string will run a play, then the second string will run the same play, then true freshmen will run the same play as a third repetition is staged.

In a normal practice, only the first two strings would get a chance to run the rep. Freshmen will get the third rep for the next few days.

"It takes a little bit longer, but we're going to go ones, twos and frosh and see how they make their way," Dantonio said. "And then we're going to put them against our ones at times, too, throughout practice, so we're going to see them measure up not just against frosh but against the ones as well as the twos. We're just going to try and build their resumé and see how they handle it as we go."



Wide receiver Felton Davis.
Some freshmen get immediate playing due to being physically outstanding, such as Montae Nicholson last year and Taiwan Jones in 2011. Sometimes it's based on need at a position.

"I think it's just a matter of where our need is, can people stay healthy, and how ready are the players," Dantonio said. "Montae Nicholson played last year. He's a great athlete, great tackler, great ball skills so we put him in there.

"Some other guys played, as well, but it was because of need or because of their abilities, and I think that's usually what happens."

Offensive guard Brian Allen, linebacker Chris Frey and defensive tackle Malik McDowell also saw enough playing time last year to exhaust their freshman eligibility.

"We played more freshmen last year than we have in the past, but you go back and look at the 2011 class and those guys are all fifth-year seniors right now, and we only played one, Taiwan Jones, yet it's a great class," Dantonio said.

Thus, sometimes MSU has an influx of excellent talent but doesn't have the need to play many, or any, of them.

It remains to be seen how this year's freshman class will end up. Fans and media will learn more on Wednesday when selected true freshmen are made available to media for interviews.

August 11, 2015

Media Day Notebook: 'We're In Shape'

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher

EAST LANSING - Three days into August camp, Mark Dantonio approves of what he is seeing from a conditioning standpoint from his Michigan State Spartans.

"We look like we're in shape," Dantonio said during Monday's Media Day press conference. "We look like we have explosive players in the back end when you look at their 40 times and their short shuttles and their long jump and their 40 times, their vertical jump. I think my feeling is we have good skill, and we sort of paid the price with our big people. They can run, as well."



Senior linebacker Darien Harris, in one of several publicity photos released by MSU on Monday.

Dantonio is entering his ninth season at Michigan State. He's piloting a program that has finished in the Top 5 in each of the past two seasons - the only team in the nation that can make that claim.

Dantonio feels off-season focus and workouts have been in line with what he saw in 2013 and 2014 that led to Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl wins.

"I think our players worked extremely hard in our bottom line program, which is: Hey, you're getting it done or not getting it done at the end of the day," Dantonio said. "Got a lot of players lifting a lot of heavy weight, a lot of players running extremely well.

"I think we're in a good place."

The physical readiness has been complemented by strong leadership, Dantonio said.

"The leadership has been very good early in this camp from our senior group, and that's always extremely important," Dantonio said. "There's great direction within our program at the ground level, at the player level. When you have that at the player level, that gives you an added advantage in games. Players lead on the field. They have to. They have to get it done on the field."

In terms of conditioning and the emergence of new leaders: "It's been a great summer," Dantonio said.

Drawing A Crowd

More than 70 media members were on hand for Michigan State's Media Day on Monday, easily the biggest gathering of the Dantonio era for the annual event.



There few empty seats in the press room, Monday.

"We're on the move a little bit, and we've got some momentum," Dantonio said. "We were selling hope back then (when I first started), a little bit more of an unknown, and now we're selling the results of what's happened. The bar is set very high. We understand that. That's probably why you're all here.

"I think people look at things and say that they've done this, they've done that, okay, what's the next step? That's where 'Reach Higher' comes into the play."

"Reach Higher" being the mantra Dantonio set down for this team at Big Ten Media Days in late July.

Dantonio says that mantra is subject to readjustment throughout the course of the season.

"That's something that we go into the season with and speak to fall camp about a little bit and our mindset as we move forward, but hings are always changing," Dantonio said. "We come off of one thing and go into another thing. It's sort of what sticks, but initially moving into the season, that's the thought process, that - as I told our football team - we're competing at a very high level. We're already up here. But we need to go a little bit higher to get where we want to be."

Terry, O'Connor Still Waiting

Dantonio was non-committal on stating which reserve quarterback - Damion Terry or Tyler O'Connor - has the inside track toward the No. 2 job this fall, and thereby for the starting job in 2016.

"Right I don't think there is a distinction, but certainly as we move forward in fall camp you try and make those decisions," Dantonio said.

In 2012, junior Andrew Maxwell struggled in his first year as a starting quarterback. Dantonio said he felt Maxwell would have had a better chance to succeed if he had gotten more chances to play as a freshman and sophomore.

Dantonio was asked on Monday if he will look to get O'Connor or Terry on the field more this year in order to take steps toward a similar problem in 2016.

"Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry are both guys that have been on the field a lot for us already," Dantonio said. "They both have a good grasp and knowledge of the offense, and when the time comes, they'll have to assert themselves on the field.

"As far as playing them early, if the opportunity presents itself, we want to play those guys early, much like we did last year. Even in the Penn State game, I wasn't afraid to put Damion in on the 5 yard line. That was his time. But it was a tough situation.

"But I think both those guys have done a nice job so far."

Unready To Anoint

Dantonio was asked on Monday if his linebacking corps is the fastest he has had at Michigan State, and whether his linemen - on both sides of the ball - mark the best the Spartans have been in the trenches during his tenure.

In both instances, Dantonio stopped short of issuing advance credit.

"I think you make those distinctions at the end of the year," Dantonio said. "We've been pretty good on the defensive line here in the past, so I think all the ability is there. We certainly have a lot of good players back and they're very active and we've got some depth there."

The Spartans are led by four seniors on the d-line and a stock-on-the-rise sophomore in Malik McDowell. The seniors include All-America candidate Shilique Calhoun, DE/DT Lawrence Thomas, and DTs Joel Heath and Damon Knox.

On the offensive front, junior left tackle Jack Conklin is an All-America candidate and rated as a potential first-round draft pick next spring if he chooses to leave early for the pros. Senior center Jack Allen was a finalist for the Rimington Award in 2014 and is the only finalist returning to college football this fall. Right tackle Kodi Kieler and offensive guard Donavon Clark are longtime starters and reliable veterans.

"Offensive line wise I think this is the most depth we've had," Dantonio said. "You go back and look at our last two seasons, haven't been sacked too much, ran for about 2,000 yards as a group, and that's sort of been the norm the last couple seasons, and I think now they're getting a little bit more recognition. Good football team in those areas, but I think we'll anoint those people at the end of the season rather than at the beginning. But they have all the makings. They're good players with experience."

As for the linebackers, the Spartans will have an upgrade in the speed department at Mike linebacker with sophomore Riley Bullough. Meanwhile, seniors Ed Davis and Darien Harris are experienced, athletic and ready to play fast.

"Yeah, it's a fast group, and we've got to be able to play sideline to sideline, especially with what teams are doing offensively now," Dantonio said. "But again, I'm not ready to anoint our football team because we've had some great football teams here and we've had some great defenses. That 2013 defense had some guys that could really run, too.

"We'll see how they go, but they're good football players. We have some depth at those positions, and that's what's exciting. That's a positive."

Point After

Dantonio unplugged on … The Allen Brothers:

"They're so ornery. They'll mix it up a little bit, and they compete against each other. Both are very tough, strong, physical type players. Great feet. Athletes."

Dantonio didn't mention it by name, but it's clear what he was talking about here:


https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1791079

National Championship? 'That's where our goals are'

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher

Talk about it in The Underground Bunker

EAST LANSING - Considering that Michigan State is returning tons of talent from the only team in America that has finished in the Top 5 in each of the past two seasons, it may seem odd that the Spartans are almost never mentioned by local, regional or national press as a National Championship threat.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has rarely - if ever - specifically been asked about the National Championship during the media tour run-up to the 2015 season.


And judging by his answer to an open-ended question during Michigan State Media Day on Monday, the ninth-year head coach seems to be comfortable "laying in the weeds," as he likes to say.

When asked what would constitute a "successful season" for the No. 6-ranked Spartans in 2015, Dantonio didn't mention the National Championship by name.

"I think a successful season is a season where you finish on the up note," Dantonio said. "A benchmark for us is going to be getting to the playoffs and all those type of things. That's where our goals are."

"Those type of things?" That was a blurred reference to the National Championship. But he steered away from using those words.

"Our goals, our initial goals, are extremely high," Dantonio said. 'I will say that. I don't go into the season saying I think we're going to lose these two games."

Translation: He thinks his team can win all of them. But that's as far as he went in that direction.

"The wins and the losses are going to come and go," Dantonio said. "That's a part of life. That's a part of who we are. It's going to be how we handle both ends of the stick that's going to determine are we ultimately successful.

"You reevaluate your goals as you move forward," Dantonio added. "This is what I want for our players: I want relationships, I want them to graduate, I want them to win, I want them to go to bowl games. I want us to give back, and when they walk out of here, feel good about their experiences here. That makes it a positive season for me.

"But you've got to handle negativity, too. That's a part of it."

In going 11-2 and winning the Cotton Bowl last year, Dantonio may have been proudest of his team's ability to bounce back from damaging losses, refocus, and come back strong.

"We regathered ourselves and we did what we needed to do to get back in the hunt in both situations," Dantonio said. "Coming after the Oregon game we had a ways to go to get back to where we were in the Top 10 and we were able to do that. And after the Ohio State game, we had to regather ourselves and made a run and we end up in a Big Six bowl. In both cases we rallied the troops a little bit.

"We didn't succeed in those two games so we didn't reach our goals, and that's the bottom line. We won 11 games, we ended up No. 5 in the country, we did what we did, but the fact of the matter is we lost two games where if we win either of those games, I think we are a little farther along."

Dantonio would prefer that the goals remain the same for all 12 games of the regular season. In order to do it, he is counting on senior leadership to help his team battle through problems this year and stay on course for the Big Ten Championship Game, the College Football Playoff and the National Championship.

"I don't sense complacency," Dantonio said. "I think our guys have goals in mind, goals internally, what they want to do, and I think right now guys are motivated on those.

"Now, we need to be able to stay motivated, too. That's a key. Can't fall away.

"Problems are going to come," Dantonio added. "We talk about that all the time. It's how we're going to handle those problems that are going to make the difference. Focus on the positive and stay grounded."

The Spartans have 17 seniors in the two-deep.

"We've got some maturity here," Dantonio said. "We've gone through some tough times. We've got to handle the things that are going to come our way, and they will come, I promise you, they will come."

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1791080


August 10, 2015

Hartbarger starts camp strong

Paul Konyndyk
SpartanMag.com Associate Editor

Talk about it in The Underground Bunker

EAST LANSING - Michigan State is breaking in a new punter for just the third time since 2007, and first-year special teams coordinator Mark Snyder is eager to see physically-gifted redshirt freshman Jake Hartbarger demonstrate that he can perform under pressure the wayMike Sadler did as a starter from 2011-2014.

"He has tons and tons of potential, and he has a big leg," Snyder said. "He needs to do it under pressure. He's got to show me under pressure."


Robert Hendricks

Redshirt freshman punter has big shoes to fill with the graduation of Mike Sadler.
Hartbarger, who redshirted last season after signing as a consensus Top 5 punter in the Class of 2014, has made a favorable impression during training camp thus far.

"(He) had a tremendous first day, and he can be as good as there is," Dantonio said. "But he's young, he's a freshman, so we need to test him throughout camp and make sure his go times are right, which they are. We've got a great snapper, so we should be good, but it's new territory, new ground. As he moves forward, he'll get more accustomed to things, and he needs to take a leadership role with our punt team."

Hartbarger is pleased with the way he is punting in practice.

"As far as consistency at the start of fall camp, I feel happy with how things are going so far," he said. "Chemistry between punter and snapper is also good."

Although he has a stronger leg than his predecessor, Hartbarger is determined to continue the trend of pinning opponents on their own goal-line as Sadler did so effectively during his four years as a starter.

"We have had a tradition of good punters come through here with Mike and guys that have come through here before him," Hartbarger said. "It's not all about the big ball. I like to pin people inside the 20 too. I learned a lot from Mike. He helped me out with a lot of little things technique-wise."

Third-year starter longsnapper Taybor Pepper should be a calming influence for Hartbarger.

"It should be a great help," Snyder said. "He is a great longsnapper. He is really good. He puts the ball back there in a hurry. That should help a lot. He's just got to relax and punt the ball."

Hartbarger has not experienced the pressure of punting in front of 75,000 plus on game day. But he regularly faces simulated pressure in practice.

"Just heat him up verbally, bring people after him, have people yelling at him from behind," Snyder said. "Any kind of distraction that you can give him."

Back-up quarterback Tyler O'Connor, who was one of the better punters in Ohio during his high school career at Lima Central Catholic, hasn't boomed as many punts during practice as Hartbarger. But he has shown the mental toughness needed to perform under pressure.

"Tyler is a gamer," Snyder said. "He probably don't have the leg that Jake has but he is ballplayer. He brings an added dimension too because he can throw it and run it. Maybe not the potential, but he has other ingredients. If Jake don't get it done, we're fine having other ingredients."

O'Connor was approached about a potential role as a specialist last spring.

"During the spring, coaches invested a kicking shoe in me," O'Connor said. "That has worked out pretty well. I have actually gotten better. I had some instruction over the summer, and I have had a few good days this camp. It is going well, better than I thought. I am better than I was in high school."

O'Connor averaged 38 yards per punt as a senior in high school. He also converted 26 of 29 PAT kicks.

Here is a practice notebook with Dantonio video, and updates on several players including Burbridge, Shelton, Geiger, Hartbarger, and several others

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1790270

Here is the story I wrote.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1790242