Here is a Tyler O'Connor story that I wrote
https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1828889

TURNING POINT: Blitz change-up keyed Bullough Pick-Six


Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher


EAST LANSING - A slight change of tendency yielded a major change in the direction of Michigan State's 24-7 victory over Maryland on Saturday.

Michigan State coaches changed the Spartans' blitz pattern on Maryland's 37th offensive snap of the game, Saturday, and it resulted in Riley Bullough's turning-point interception and 44-yard return for a touchdown.

The pick-six gave Michigan State a 14-7 lead on a day when both teams struggled mightily to move the ball on offense. Bullough's TD came with 2:07 left in the second quarter, altering a game that had been mired in a defensive tie for most of the first half.


Bullough's touchdown changed the momentum of the game and served as one of only two touchdowns the Spartans would score through the first two-and-a-half quarters of the game. It also supplied all the points MSU would need on this day, breaking a 7-7 tie and putting Michigan State up for good.

So how did MSU make it happen?

Well, the Spartans set things up by blitzing its inside linebackers as part of a six-man rush far more frequently than Michigan State has all season, or at any point in the Mark Dantonio era.

Blitzing two inside linebackers through the A-gaps is one of MSU's favorite blitzes. But it was rare to see MSU run variations of this blitz on such a frequent basis. MSU sent Bullough and Jon Reschke on interior blitzes as part of a six-man rush on 15 of Maryland's first 36 offensive plays.

"We ran that blitz way more than usual," Reschke said.

And then on the 37th snap, Michigan State brought Reschke along with a cornerback, but didn't blitz Bullough. This was the 18th overall blitz of the day for MSU, but the first time MSU dropped Bullough into the flat in pass defense as part of an overall blitz scheme.

MSU played a three-deep (cover three) zone behind the ILB blitzes on all 15 occasions, prior to this play.

The weakness of the cover-three blitz is along the sidelines. An offense usually has a window to attack a three-deep zone with comeback routes at the sideline.

Maryland QB Perry Hills tried to attack the sideline on this play.

Hills saw MSU telegraph the corner blitz prior to the snap. Hills called an audible that he thought would beat the blitz. MSU left the blitz on, rather than check out of it.

Hills expected a void along the left sideline, with the corner blitzing. Hills likely assumed that Bullough and Reschke would be blitzing up the middle, as they had done 15 times up to that point in the game.

But Bullough didn't blitz on this play. He dropped to the sideline, right where Hills attempted to throw his hot route pass.

"I was the hot player on the short side of the field," Bullough said, meaning he was assigned to take away any short blitz-beating "hot" routes. "I didn't have much field to work it. I read the quarterback, made the catch down the sideline."

When SpartanMag.com asked Bullough if he felt the QB was confused by MSU's changing its tendency and dropping him into the flat for this play, Bullough agreed.

"Yeah, I think it might have," he said. "We were showing our blitz and the quarterback kind of checked it. I think we confused him a little bit, he thought we might have changed the blitz to the other side but we kept it on. I was able to read the quarterback and make the play.

"Darian Hicks made a great block for me, so I was pretty open. Just tried to get in the end zone."

SpartanMag.com unofficially charted MSU with running the two-ILB blitz in front of cover-three zone on 30 of Maryland's 73 offensive plays on the day. That's not counting at least five 5-man blitzes, and this one crucial CB/LB blitz with Bullough dropping into the flat for the turning-point interception.

"The (inside) linebacker blitzes were working well," Reschke said. "But they were exhausting.

"Those blitzes weren't something we talked about all week. They weren't a part of the game plan as far as we knew. I think we used it a couple of times early and the coaches like how it looked and kept calling it."

Here is a story I just put together on McDowell.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1826015

Good stuff from Robert Hendricks as always.
https://michiganstate.rivals.com/photofeature.asp?SID=951&fid=51863

Dantonio says in this article that "he'll probably be able to go on Tuesday."

But that's all we have at this point.


Could Cook miss practice time for OSU?

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher


EAST LANSING - One week prior to the most important regular-season game of his career, Connor Cook is dealing with the first injury of his career.

Cook, Michigan State's third-year starter and owner of the 2014 Rose Bowl MVP Trophy, missed the second half of Saturday's 24-7 victory over Maryland due to a forearm/shoulder injury.


Cook says he is fine. But head coach Mark Dantoniofelt the senior QB lacked velocity after being driven to the turf by a Terrapins defensive end in the second quarter.

Cook played the remainder of the first half while hampered by the injury. Dantonio made the decision to seat Cook for the second half.

"I just landed on it funny and dinged it up a bit," Cook said. "Nothing too bad, it was just for precautionary reasons, wanted to get some of the younger guys involved like Damion (Terry) and Tyler (O'Connor).It was a coach's decision and we just wanted to play it safe."

Dantonio said Cook played a part in the decision, too.

"Coming out in the second half, he just didn't have the arm strength to be able to go full go," Dantonio said of Cook. "So, he was the one that said, `Hey, you've got to go with the other guy.' It was either, you can do the job or you can't do the job.

"That was my sense. Then coming out in the third quarter, I still didn't see that. You got to be able to throw the ball effectively. I think he was functional, but he wasn't what he usually is.

"I don't think it's anything long term or anything like that, but he couldn't throw the ball effectively, so we needed to make a change at that point."

Michigan State coaches and officials were not specific on the nature of the injury.

"There was no popping out of any sort," Cook said. "They looked at it a little bit. I'll be fine to go next week. I'll be good. There was a little pain here and there, but it was nothing where I couldn't deliver a pass."

Cook, of Hinckley, Ohio, is 1-1 in two career starts against his home-state Buckeyes. No. 15-ranked Michigan State (9-1) and No. 3 Ohio State (9-0) will play for supremacy in the Big Ten East and the inside track toward the Big Ten Championship Game, and possibly a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Dantonio didn't seem concerned about the possibility of Cook being hampered for the Ohio State game.

"On a scale of 1-10, I'm a 9.5," Dantonio said, when asked on a 10 scale how confident he is that Cook will be fine next Saturday. "I'm pretty confident in him. I think if we would have chosen to run the football, he could have hung in there. I just don't think he had the velocity on his ball that he usually has and I think that was bothering him. That's my personal opinion. I think he was frustrated with that. We went the other direction (with junior back-up QB Tyler O'Connor).

"We'll be all right," Dantonio added. "Connor [Cook] will be all right. I don't think there's any sense that there's long-term things there, he'll probably be able to go on Tuesday and I think he could have gone, but he felt like if he threw it hard, it would set him back a number of days more. I think that was more of an indication, at least, as he talked. So, got to go with that."

Here is a notebook that I put together from interview with Harlon Barnett today

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1824791

Here is a notebook from Dantonio presser.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1824017

I put this together quickly as a little bit of a change of pace. Will have a notebook in a little bit.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1823958

Today's DotComp is less emotional, less about story telling.

It's more clinical, and maybe boring, possibly repetitive as I don't have an editor to read this thing, and likely not at all cathartic.

But it's the way I see things, this Sunday morning:


https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1823117

I got together with HOL publisher Sean Callahan for a Q&A on Nebraska. Here is what he had to say:

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1821941

Good story by Rico Cooney on what Brian Allen's been up against:


https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1821973

Jack's back but younger brother held his own

Ricardo Cooney
SpartanMag.com Staff Writer


EAST LANSING - Senior center Jack Allen was in no danger of losing his starting job after sitting out two games - against Michigan and Indiana - to heal from an ankle injury.

But there was an interesting dynamic in play, literally, during his absence as he confirmed his return to the starting lineup Tuesday as No. 6 Michigan State prepares for its 7 p.m. contest against Nebraska on Saturday night in Lincoln, Neb.

And that was the fact that younger brother Brian Allen took over the reigns in the middle of the Spartans' offensive line during his brother's two-game absence.

Interesting because it was the first time the younger Allen had subbed for his brother with Jack Allen, confirming that the duo never even played together during their prep days at Hinsdale (Ill.) Central High School.



Sophomore center Brian Allen stepped in for his brother Jack for two games and held his own.

And interesting because while you could sense a tinge of pride in the elder brother's voice, he admitted he had to handle the situation like he would with any of MSU's other linemen, who aren't one of his siblings.

"Yeah, I definitely cheer for him more but at the same time I'm cheering for all of the o-line guys out there,'' Jack Allen said. "It's not like I'm cheering for one guy more then the other. I want everybody to do well and for us to win.''

And his assessment of his brother's two-game performance at center?

"I think he did a great job,'' said Jack Allen, one of the Spartans' captains. "When you're a young guy, yeah, he did play a little last year, but he wasn't a full time starter like he is now so it's more responsibility on a younger kid like that. So I think he did a great job of jumping around from position to position."

Brian Allen is regularly the first-string left guard. He moved to center to replace his brother. And Brian also returned to left guard as junior Benny McGowan worked some snaps at center against Indiana. Brian has also seen time at right guard.

"There's guys that are o-linemen in this country that are true sophomores and they have trouble with just one position," Jack said. "But jumping through three of them, that really adds on to it. But I thought he did a great job fighting through adversity and things like that.''

While Jack Allen praised his younger brother's graduated role, one that required the younger Allen to assist in calling out the blocking assignments, along with Benny McGowan, Brian Allen was a little more critical of his substitute role.

"It's definitely a lot different,'' Brian Allen said. "For the Michigan game that was probably the most complex defense we would play so that was definitely tough, just all of the fronts they would bring us. They were in defenses we see over the span of a couple games, not one game. So coming into the Michigan game it was tough just to understand all of the points and just to account for everyone because the center obviously sets up all of the blocks. It was definitely a lot more responsibility going into that one but I've just got to get more consistent with stuff like that. You take steps so it's just knowing what I have to every play.''

No matter which assessment you are more inclined to believe, Jack Allen confirmed the most important aspect of his brother's stint at center.

"Yeah, it was frustrating (being out with the injury) but at the same time all I cared about was us is winning. As long as we won, I could care less. I could be sitting on the sideline in a wheelchair just as long as we win.''

Of course, Brian Allen's abbreviated run at the center spot brought up another question for next season.

Will he be the heir to his brother throne at center?

"I just did all right playing center but next year, if that's where I happen to move, hopefully I'll be playing a lot better then I did these last two games. I've played center here before, maybe 60, 70 snaps, but not like the last two games. Now I know what's it's like to start a game at center and finish it at center. So it just helps me understand the responsibility of playing that position.''

Been there, done that

The fortunes or misfortunes, if you will, of the Huskers' 2015 season had many of the Spartans feeling some compassion for Saturday's opponent.

Most of the team's seniors had no problem recalling the difficulty of 2012 when MSU lost five games by a combined total of 13 points - with three of those losses being especially painful.

The double overtime Homecoming loss to Iowa, a two-point defeat at the hands of rival Michigan and a one-point setback to Ohio State made 2012 the most difficult season of Mark Dantonio's tenure.


Associated Press

Although Darien Harris sympathizes with Nebraska's tough season, that won't stop him from doing his job.

MSU needed two road wins - an overtime win at Wisconsin and a regular season-ending victory at Minnesota - just to become bowl eligible.

The Spartans had just two wins in their last six games that season before squeezing out 17-16 victory over TCU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

"We kind of get that same vibe, which helps us a lot because we know what that feels like and we know the level of intensity they're going to have to have and we know that we're going to have to match and then exceed that intensity because we've got our own goals in front of us as well,'' said 5th-year senior linebacker and captain Darien Harris. "They're going to be at home and they're going to be hungry. They've got to win these last games to make a bowl game which is huge for them and huge for that program. So we understand all that and recognize all of that but we've got our own dreams and aspirations and it starts with Nebraska this week in November.''

Nebraska's situation with first-year coach Mike Riley is a bit more dire then MSU's was that season.

The Huskers already have six losses and would need to win out just to become bowl eligible.

Included in Nebraska's miseries this season is a three-point overtime loss to Miami-Florida, a one-point setback at Illinois, and two-point losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern.

"We definitely understand where they're at but we definitely want to come just as hard as they're going to come,'' said senior defensive tackle Joel Heath.

Inner strength

Self motivation has been the mood of the week for MSU, which still has tons to play for because the team's performance in these last four games will determine if the Spartans earn a bid to the four-team College Football Playoff.


Calhoun

And much of that motivation comes from the fact that Nebraska's polite fanbase doesn't usually give their team's opponents any fodder for hate or dislike.

"It's tough, (because) you've got to kind of create your own energy and your own controlled rage, as Coach Bowman would call it for how we have to play football,'' Harris said. "You can't grasp motivation from the fans as you would at a Michigan or Ohio State away game where you know as the bus is rolling in you're going to have stuff thrown on you and things like that that will obviously get you heated. So, you've got to find motivation from your teammates, gather it from the older guys who understand what's really riding on the season in these and at the end of the day it's always going to be about us and creating our own intensity.''

With a fanbase that is more likely to cheer for their Huskers and pay respect to Dantonio and his team rather than boo any opponent visiting Memorial Stadium, many of MSU's upperclassmen admitted to still being spooked by the genuine kindness and respect Husker fans have become known for throughout the years.

"I just think we're not accustomed to people being polite to us when it comes to football, especially opponents fans,'' said 5th-year senior defensive end Shilique Calhoun. "But we'll play off each other so someone's going to have to take the lead. And at the end of the day, it's still a football game that we want to win so I think we'll be able to drive that energy and create that madness.''

Another one of MSU's 5th-year seniors went a step further.

"At the end of the day, it's all about us,'' Heath said. "Not the way fans boo at you but the way Coach D and all of the coaches motivates us. That's what gives us the most energy.''

Here is a notebook from today's press conference. As an aside, I think Dantonio is getting tired of talking about the Big Red Machine of yesteryear. It is amazing, however, how great the Nebraska program was during its glory years. It's never going to be like that again.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1821256

MSU sent out a press release with quotes from DuPree and DeLamielleure on Eric Allen, Friday night.

I put a new lead angle on the story and used their quotes.

The same general info can be found at MSUSpartans.com, but the following is what we have on the front of SpartanMag this morning:



DuPree, DeLamielleure mourn loss of Eric Allen

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher


EAST LANSING - Three days after the passing of a Spartan legend, other Michigan State greats have eagerly come forward to praise the talents and accomplishments of the late Eric Allen.

Allen passed away on Tuesday at Tidelands Hospice in Georgetown, South Carolina. He was 66.

Allen, a former Michigan State All-American and Big Ten MVP, is best-known for setting NCAA single-game records for rushing yards (350) and all-purpose yards (397) against Purdue in 1971. Allen's mark has been broken a number of times since 1971, but his legacy as a Spartan has lived on.

A three-year letterman (1969-71) and two-time team MVP (1970-71) for legendary head coach Duffy Daugherty, Allen accounted for 4,446 career all-purpose yards and 30 touchdowns. He led the Spartans in rushing and all-purpose yards as both a junior and senior.

Former Spartan All-Americans and NFL Pro Bowl legends Joe DeLamielleure and Billy Joe DuPreeexpressed their admiration for Allen late this week.

DeLamielleure, a former All-America offensive guard at Michigan State, was saddened by the news and had strong statements about his former Spartan teammate.



Eric Allen was MSU's all-time leader in rushing yards when he graduated in 1971.
"I played with four unbelievable running backs during my career: O.J. Simpson (Buffalo Bills), Mike Pruitt (Cleveland Browns), Greg Pruitt (Cleveland Browns) and Eric Allen," DeLamielleure told MSUSpartans.com. "All four of those guys were great players.

"Eric had a remarkable senior year and he performed on a national stage. He put on a show while setting the NCAA single-game rushing record at Purdue. I almost felt guilty because I literally had to hold my block for only a second and he was gone. It was like being asked to babysit when the kids were already asleep. He was so shifty, like a rubber-band man. Eric ran wild against a Purdue defense that featured a number of great players, including Dave Butz, Gregg Bingham and Steve Baumgartner. All three of those guys became NFL Draft picks.

"Eric had a couple of nicknames, including 'The Flea' and 'Easy.' We called him 'Easy' because of his running style. He was such a peanut, but he wouldn't back down from anyone. Eric almost had a split personality. He was so friendly off the field, but he was so little, yet so tough. Eric was a great team player; he was never concerned about individual honors."

DuPree, a former Michigan State All-America tight end, said Allen had amazing talent.

"Eric Allen was one of the best running backs MSU's has ever had. 'The Flea' was his call sign," Dupress aid. "I can recall him rushing for - at the time - the NCAA record against one of the Big Ten's best defenses (Purdue). He was a multi-talented athlete and a good teammate. It was my pleasure to have played part of my college football career with such an outstanding athlete."

As a senior co-captain in 1971, the 5-foot-9, 161-pound Allen broke two NCAA, four conference and nine school records en route to being presented the Chicago Tribune Silver Football award as the Big Ten's most valuable player and selected first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He finished 10th in balloting for the Heisman Trophy. Overall, he led the Big Ten in rushing (1,494 yards), rushing TDs (18) and scoring (110 points), becoming the first player in league history to crack the 100-point milestone. His 1,283 rushing yards against Big Ten opponents also set a league single-season record. Allen ranked among the NCAA Top 10 in rushing TDs (tied for fifth with 18), yards from scrimmage (fifth with 1,769) and rushing yards (sixth with 1,494). He ranked second on the team with 18 receptions for 275 yards (15.3 avg.) and returned nine kickoffs for 193 yards (21.4 avg.). Allen accounted for a then-MSU record 1,962 all-purpose yards as a senior.

After Allen was named Big Ten MVP, Daugherty told reporters, "Eric is the finest running back I've ever seen and we've had some great ones. He's got the ability to make tacklers miss by the barest of margins. He seemingly runs into their arms and then gets away. He changes direction so fast. He's only a blur in the films."

The 5-foot-9, 161-pound Allen made significant contributions as a sophomore in 1969, finishing second on the team in rushing with 349 yards (76 attempts) and two touchdowns. He recorded the first 100-yard rushing game of his career in the season opener against Washington, gaining 113 yards on 28 carries. Allen also returned 29 kickoffs for 598 yards (20.6 avg.).

As a junior in 1970, Allen earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the league's head coaches after leading the team in scoring (10 TDs/60 points) and all-purpose yards (1,511). He rushed 186 times for 811 yards (4.3 avg.) and eight TDs. Allen produced five 100-yard rushing games, including a season-high 156 yards (23 carries) at Michigan. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in each of the last four games: vs. Indiana (24-102), Purdue (28-121), Minnesota (31-142) and Northwestern (32-108). Allen also caught 10 passes for 125 yards (12.5 avg.) and two scores and returned 24 kickoffs for 549 yards (22.9 avg.).


The Georgetown, South Carolina, native recorded seven 100-yard rushing games in 1971, including a then-NCAA single-game record 350 yards on 29 carries at Purdue. Allen also set a then-NCAA record with 397 all-purpose yards. He scored on TD runs of 24, 59, 30 and 25 yards against the Boilermakers. Thanks to his record-setting performance at Purdue, Allen was named to the United Press International's National Backfield of the Week.

His other 100-yard rushing efforts came against: Illinois (37-104), Oregon State (21-119), Wisconsin (21-247), Iowa (19-177), Minnesota (34-188) and Northwestern (29-112). Allen was selected UPI Midwest Back of the Week after gaining 177 yards on 19 carries in MSU's 34-3 Homecoming win over Iowa, including TD runs of 9 and 53 yards. He scored multiple touchdowns in five games, matching his career-best with four rushing TDs in his final home game against Minnesota.

He closed out his career as MSU's all-time leader in rushing attempts (521), rushing yards (2,654), rushing TDs (28) and all-purpose yards (4,446). Today, Allen still ranks among the school's all-time Top 20 in all-purpose yards (seventh), rushing TDs (tied for ninth), total TDs (tied for ninth with 30), rushing yards (11th), rushing attempts (12th) and scoring (tied for 18th with 182 points).

Following his senior season, Allen participated in the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl.

A multi-sport athlete, Allen earned two letters in track and field and emerged as one of the Big Ten's top triple jumpers, posting a personal-best 50-5 1/4 at the 1971 outdoor championships.

He was selected as a wide receiver by the Baltimore Colts in the fourth round (No. 104 overall) of the 1972 National Football League Draft. Allen opted to play in the Canadian Football League and spent four years with the Toronto Argonauts (1972-75). He accounted for 4,270 career all-purpose yards, averaging 15.2 yards per touch (281 touches). Allen had 130 career receptions for 2,401 yards (18.5 avg.) and eight TDs.

Born May 18, 1949, Allen is survived by his mother Rebecca Allen, brothers Nathaniel Allen and Phillip Allen, and sister Ruth Naomi Allen.

Arrangements are being completed by McKnight Fraser Funeral Home. Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 1 from 5-7 p.m. at Walter S. Fraser Memorial Chapel in Georgetown. The funeral service will be held on Monday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church (417 Broad Street) in Georgetown, with burial at Morning Glory Cemetery.

MSUSpartans.com contributed to this report. Find more on Allen at MSUSpartans.com

Lot of great photos in this gallery from Robert Hendricks. One of my favorite is the Sudfeld fumble in the pouring rain. Loved that pic. I also liked the photo of Dantonio screaming at official. That is as heated as I've seen Dantonio with an official.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/photofeature.asp?SID=951&fid=51739

Here is Josh VanDyke's weekly recap of the Mark Dantonio Show.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1817465

quotes from Dantonio on their progress, and a breakdown of their best and worst moments from the Michigan game:


Developmental Update: Willis & Miller

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher

EAST LANSING - Mark Dantonio would rather not make drastic changes to his starting lineup midway through a season - especially if the best alternatives are true freshmen.

But he has done it in the past. Last year, Dantonio started rookie Montae Nicholson in place of R.J. Williamson for three games at mid-season after Williamson had problems with his tackling and coverage. Williamson eventually tightened up his techniques and regained his job in time for the Spartans' run to a Cotton Bowl victory and eventual Top 5 finish.

This year, with Williamson out for the rest of the regular season with a biceps injury, Nicholson has experienced continued problems with tackling and coverage assignments. Dantonio replaced him in the starting lineup last weekend at Michigan, with true freshmen Khari Willis taking the strong safety job. Dantonio moved swing DB Demetrious Cox to cornerback and put another true freshman, Grayson Miller, at free safety.

With Willis and Miller at the safety positions, it marked the first time in the Dantonio era that two true freshmen have started in the deep middle for the Spartan defense.

"I thought they played excellent, for true freshmen playing their first game at Michigan in such a big series with so much on the line," Dantonio said. "I thought they played outstanding."



Willis began to emerge as a nickel back and reserve safety against Central Michigan on Sept. 26.

Miller and Willis were not perfect at Michigan, but they were solid enough to apparently have the inside track toward another starting job this weekend when the Spartans play host to Indiana (4-2), at 3:30 p.m. at Spartan Stadium. Miller and Willis were listed as the starting safety tandem in the official depth chart released Tuesday.

Miller had six tackles at Michigan, including one tackle for loss. He showed excellent speed and tackling ability in chasing down athletic players in tough situations.

"I think Grayson is an outstanding athlete, great ball skills," Dantonio said. "He's big. When he came here at camp, he had one scholarship offer, Western Kentucky. And we looked at him at camp and after he long jumped 10-6 and verticaled 37 inches and ran two 4-4s; and then went outside and caught the ball and did the drills, and he was 6'2 and a half, 205, we thought, maybe we just ought to offer him a scholarship."

No one figured he would be starting as a true freshman. But an injury to Williamson, combined with Nicholson's struggles, the need to move Cox to cornerback due to injuries, and the suspension of Mark Meyers, resulted in Miller being the next-man-up sooner than expected.

Key Tackles Late

Miller's best moment as a tackler came when he ran down speedy Michigan WR Jehu Chesson on a fly sweep for a gain of one in the fourth quarter. This came on the first play after a 16-yard punt return put the Wolverines at the MSU 28. Michigan went for a big strike on the sweep to Chesson, a play during which he scored on a 60-plus yard run one week earlier at Maryland. But Miller read it, converged with speed, and made an aggressive form tackle.

Two plays later, Willis assisted Shilique Calhoun in tackling Jabril Peppers on a third-and-nine bubble screen. Willis was solid and correct with outside-in leverage in helping get Peppers on the ground and forcing a three-and-out field goal attempt after the long punt return. That field goal gave Michigan a 23-14 lead, but the three-and-out stoppage - keyed by Willis and Miller - kept the Spartans in the game.

Despite missing almost all of his senior season at Georgetown (Ky.) Scott High in 2014 with a knee injury, Miller has made an impressive return to the field at the college level.

"He is everything that we thought he was going to be," Dantonio said. "He's an outstanding tackler and he's only going to get better. He's a very quick learner. Both those guys (Miller and Willis) are very quick learners. And they are not intimidated by the situation and they are hungry.

"So they are active players at a young age, but I think both those guys could be very, very good players for us."

Keys In Containing Butt

Willis and Miller had good and shaky moments in coverage on Saturday.

On a third-and-nine sack in the second quarter by Calhoun, Miller and Willis were in the area to cover Michigan's favorite chain-moving target, tight end Jake Butt, on a choice route near the sticks. Miller and Willis discouraged the pass attempt while linebacker Darien Harris also dropped a bit deeper than usual in MSU's base zone, having no respect for Michigan QB Jake Rudock as a scrambler.

Rudock had to hold the ball too long and Calhoun got to him on a coverage sack.



Miller had several key moments against Michigan, including having a hand in the game-winning touchdown on Michigan's botched punt.
Miller came up big versus Butt later in the game. On first-and-goal at the 18 with 3:00 left in the third quarter, Miller stuck with Butt on a corner route off a play-action fake. Miller honored the run, but didn't bite on it too hard. He stayed with Butt while Calhoun converged again. Rudock eventually attempted a hurried pass to Butt, but it fell incomplete with Miller on the spot.

One of Willis' best moments in pass coverage came on a third-down incompletion in the red zone in the first half. Willis got over to the sideline as MSU broke away from its usual press quarters (cover-four zone) and instead ran cover-two zone.

Cover-two gives the safeties half of the field to cover, rather than a quarter.

A week earlier, Cox failed to get over to the sideline in cover-two against Rutgers, resulting in a bust and a completion of more than 20 yards. Cox was playing safety at the time.

This time, Willis played like a veteran in getting the signal and carrying it out. With Willis playing a deep half, cornerback Arjen Colquhoun rolled up to play the flat. Colquhoun and linebacker Jon Reschke were in the area along the short sideline when Rudock attempted a pass to Butt on third-and-five. Reschke broke it up.

Willis was not in the area where the ball arrived, but his coverage of the high receiver over the top in defensing Michigan's high-low smash concept influenced Rudock to try to force a pass underneath. But Willis' teammates were also on task.

Butt, Michigan's second-leading receiver on the season with 23 catches, had just one reception for 4 yards on the day.

Pass Defense Lessons

Miller nearly had an interception with 5:48 left in the game when he knifed in front of Michigan WR Amara Darboh on a slot out route. Miller gained depth at the beginning of the route, then read the play and broke on Darboh quickly - quick enough to undercut the route and get both hands on the ball.

Miller didn't get credit for a pass break-up as Calhoun was flagged for being off-side on the play. But Miller's range and ability to break on the ball were nicely apparent on that play.

One play earlier, Chesson torched Willis on a deep go route. Michigan matched up its fastest receiver, Chesson, on the safety by putting him in the slot and occupying the play-side corner (Cox) with a short decoy route to Darboh.

With Willis isolated on Chesson, the play-side linebacker Reschke failed to get a bump/reroute on the speedy WR as he came off the line of scrimmage. Reschke was briefly distracted by tight end motion to his side and a play-action fake.

Willis doesn't have the speed to stay with Chesson, especially when Chesson is able to get on his quickly and unobstructed. He'll need more help, and a quicker hip turn and top-end acceleration to stay with a guy like Chesson in that situation in the future.

In the second quarter, after a Peppers 57-yard kickoff return, Willis gave up a 23-yard pass to Chesson on a key play leading to a Wolverine field goal.

On this play, Willis bit on a play-action fake while there appeared to be no receivers in his area.

However, Chesson had lined up as a tight end on the other side of the formation. Chesson ran a bender route behind Willis as Willis bit up on the play-fake. Chesson made the catch in Willis' vertical quarter.

Using Chesson as a tight end was a new look for Michigan. His speed getting into a route from the tight end position caught Willis off guard, when combining it with the play-fake.

Miller came over to tackle Chesson in Willis' assigned area.

Willis, who had three tackles against Michigan, is sure to get tested in the weeks ahead, especially in the hip-turn and speed department.

Miller gave up a moon-shot 32-yard reception to Darboh on a third-and-nine pass in the third quarter. Darboh came back for the pass, which was slightly underthrown. Miller will learn to play a ball that stays in the air that long better in the future.

"Both of them have a couple things they have to clean up," Dantonio said. "But they were active, they were productive, and they're very good players and I thought they were beyond their years in terms of how they handled things, in terms of adjustments and just the intensity of the football game. So I thought they did very, very well."

Nicholson played nickel back against the Wolverines on Saturday, without incident. He played that role most of last season.

Nicholson was coming off another shaky performance at Rutgers. He showed improved tackling in the first half of the game at Rutgers, but he was the responsible party on two of Leonte Carroo's three TD receptions against the Spartans.

Nicholson also missed a tackle on a third-and-long QB scramble late in the game.

Against Michigan, Nicholson failed on a tackle opportunity during Peppers' 57-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.

Willis also missed a tackle on Peppers on a shovel sweep in the third quarter. Peppers beat linebackerRiley Bullough and Willis to the edge in turning the corner for a 28-yard run.

Willis has looked like a more natural, reliable tackler in the past two weeks than Nicholson. But Willis will need to remain solvent, and continue to make progress, in order to hold Nicholson off for the job.

Tyson Smith, Next Man Up

Cox is expected to remain at cornerback at least a while longer as Darian Hicks continues to recover from an apparent head injury suffered at Rutgers. Hicks started against the Scarlet Knights but had to come out of the lineup, midway through the game.

Cox and Colquhoun started at cornerback against Michigan.



Tyson Smith is likely to be the third true freshman to rotate into the secondary, this weekend.
Junior Jermaine Edmondson filled in for Hicks at Rutgers. However, coaches passed up the option of starting Edmondson with Colquhoun at Michigan (with Cox and a freshman at safety) in favor of moving Cox to corner, Edmondson to the bench and both freshmen at safety.

Edmondson didn't see action with the Spartan defense at Michigan, but provided the key block in helping Jalen Watts-Jackson find the end zone on the game-winning touchdown via Michigan's botched punt.

With Watts-Jackson out for the year, due to a hip injury sustained on the touchdown, and Hicks questionable, Dantonio said on Tuesday that true freshmen Tyson Smith and Josh Butler are likely to be activated for duty against the Hoosiers on Saturday.

Michigan State came into the season believing it needed to have nine defensive backs available to take on the best uptempo spread attacks, such as Oregon. Michigan State planned to use the same approach to defensing Indiana, but Michigan State is without five defensive backs who played against the Ducks: Hicks, Meyers, Watts-Jackson, Williamson and Vayante Copeland.

In trying to piece together an eight-person defensive backfield playing group, the Spartans will likely go with: Colquhoun, Cox, Miller, Willis as starters; Nicholson and Edmondson as the top reserves off the bench. After those six, Michigan State listed three true freshmen in filling out the top nine in the secondary: Butler, Smith and fellow true freshman David Dowell.

Smith and Butler are set to play this weekend.

"There's no question that both those guys could have showed up on special teams already, but in my mind, they should be playing significant plays if we are taking a red-shirt off of them," Dantonio said. "And so that's why we have not played them yet because they weren't in a position to play significant plays.

"I think this week, Tyson will be for sure. I think maybe Josh, but we'll see. We do have other options there. He's a good player, though."

Wide receiver R.J. Shelton played a handful of snaps at cornerback in the Cotton Bowl against Baylor. However, he told SpartanMag.com on Tuesday that he has not yet repped at cornerback in practice this year. So he is apparently not an option MSU is considering at this point.

Jim and I check in with a V-Cast after practice tonight.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1816388

Jim and I check in with a V-Cast after practice tonight.

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1816388

For those of you who weren't able to listen the Dantonio Show, here is a recap from Josh VanDyke

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1814788

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1813976

DiNardo: MSU travel delay will be a factor

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher


EAST LANSING - Michigan State players are saying they haven't been affected by Sunday morning's travel difficulties, and head coach Mark Dantonio is thanking those who helped.

But at least one expert and former coach says Michigan State's unexpectedly long stay in New Jersey will loom as a problem throughout the week.

"I think that's something that is going to add up and be a factor," analyst Gerry DiNardo said on Big Ten Live.

The Spartans' charter jet was unable to fly out of New Jersey, following Michigan State's victory at Rutgers, late Saturday night, due to mechanical problems.

Michigan State's game against Rutgers ended around midnight. The Spartans expected to fly out of Trenton, N.J. at about 2:45 a.m. and get back East Lansing around 4 a.m.

Instead, the Spartans learned that the flight would be canceled as they pulled into the airport in Trenton at about 2 a.m. A replacement plane had to be flown up from Florida and would not be ready until the following morning on Sunday.

The Spartans were bussed back to the Embassy Suites hotel in Piscataway, N.J., which had served as the team's hotel on Friday night. The Spartans did not have reservations for Sunday night, but worked with the staff at Embassy Suites to find room.

After checking back into the hotel at 3:40 a.m. following the physical game against Rutgers, players slept three to a room. Some MSU support staff slept five to a room. Team managers and trainers slept in the Embassy Suites ballroom.

The Spartans got a few hours of sleep, were up for breakfast at 9 a.m., bussed back to the airport at 10 a.m., and learned that take-off would be further delayed. They didn't arrive in East Lansing until approximately 2:45 p.m. on Sunday.

"Think about this: They don't get home until Sunday at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon," DiNardo said. "Jim Harbaugh was on the Final Drive with us, already talking about (and preparing for) Michigan State on Saturday night and Michigan State hadn't even kicked off against Rutgers yet. Even if Michigan State had stayed on schedule, they wouldn't have gotten home until late Saturday night. But it got worse than that."

Dantonio began Tuesday's press conference thanking those who helped make Michigan State's extended stay in New Jersey a bit more manageable.

"I want to thank the Embassy Suites Hotel in Piscataway, New Jersey, the New Jersey Highway Patrol and the Rutgers police and also Academy buses, as well, for helping deliver us safely to where we were going that evening," Dantonio said.

"It was crazy," said junior linebacker Riley Bullough. "We didn't know what was going to happen the entire time. We got to the airport, found out we couldn't take off, ended up hanging out there for a while, got back to the hotel pretty late, but then Sunday came, we got on the plane, eventually got out of there, took a while."

Dantonio usually has the players in for a light workout on Sundays, film study and positional meetings. The team usually has Mondays off.

This week, because of the travel problems, the Sunday delays at the hotel and airport counted as MSU's day off. The Spartans conducted their usual Sunday film meetings on Monday this week.

"There was no rest this weekend for us, really," Bullough said, "but we're feeling good now."

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1813973



MSU 'working very hard' on special teams issues

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher

EAST LANSING - Mark Dantonio made a couple of intriguing special teams changes late in Michigan State's win at Rutgers on Saturday. He may not stick with those changes at Michigan this weekend, but Dantonio is clearly annoyed with the Spartans' troubles on special teams this season.

"If you look at one aspect of who we are as a football team right now that's got to be cleaned up is special teams," Dantonio said. "We've had too many things happen."


Dantonio replaced kickoff specialistKevin Cronin with Michael Geigerbriefly at Rutgers. Neither kicker has been able to consistently hit the end zone - something that could become a problem in Ann Arbor with Michigan having sprung Jehu Chesson for a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last week against Northwestern.

Cronin has seven touchbacks this year on 34 attempts. Michigan's Kenny Allen has 15 touchbacks on 35 attempts.

Allen is 7-of-9 on field goal attempts,with both misses coming from behind 40 yards.

Geiger, who was All-Big Ten as a freshman in 2013 but was hampered by a hip injury last year, is just 5-of-9 this year. He is 4-of-8 on kciks from 20 to 39 yards.

Back-up quarterback Tyler O'Connor replaced struggling freshman Jake Hartbarger for a pooch punch on Saturday. O'Connor's punt was downed inside the 10-yard line.

Dantonio wouldn't reveal whether those replacements were possibly due in part to injuries.

"Wouldn't be fair to those guys (to talk about injuries)," Dantonio said. "We're going to allow our players to compete this week, and those that are able to play will play. How's that?"

Hartbarger has shown a booming leg on most opportunities this season, but has hit a ball-handling slump in the past two weeks.

Michigan State's season-long struggles on special teams continued at Rutgers. senior long-snapper Taybor Pepper, who has been reliable throughout his career, bounced a snap to Hartbarger in the first quarter. Hartbarger bobbled the snap and shanked a punch amid a heavy rush. Hartbarger also shanked a punt later in the game, which set up Rutgers with a 47-yard field and a short TD drive.

Hartbarger fumbled a snap in the cold rain of the Purdue game, a field-flipping error that sparked Purdue's comeback.

Using O'Connor at punter will make opponents nervous, due to his mobility, passing ability and Dantonio's reputation for calling special teams fakes. Opponents have become increasingly wary of potential fakes, often leaving punt-safe units on the field. That's fine with Michigan State, to, as punt-safe units are far less likely to bust positive return yardage.

Michigan State's coverage units were without major incident at Rutgers, which boasted one of the top return men in the Big Ten in Janarion Grant. This indicated a measure of improvement over MSU's September problems, which included a kickoff return for a touchdown by Western Michigan, and a punt return for touchdown by Oregon.

Geiger had a field goal blocked in the first quarter at Rutgers, as Brian Allen allowed penetration.

Later, Geiger barely made a 30-yard field goal, which he banked in off an upright.



"Historically in the last nine years we have not played like this on special teams. (We are) working very hard to clean those things up, but it's the nature of the game so things happen. Usually, if you have a quiet special teams day, you've done a pretty good job usually, but that's not been the case.

"We can't drop the football, can't have a bad snap, can't allow people to come through on field goal block, so all those type of things. (We have) got to do better in certain different areas, so we will address those things and challenge our players."

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1813974

LJ Scott could experience first-time vibe as starter

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher

EAST LANSING - True freshman running back LJ Scott could be in line for his first college start on Saturday, and he'll do it in college football's biggest stadium.

With redshirt freshman running back Madre London's status uncertain after an apparent knee injury last week at Rutgers, the time might be coming for Scott to emerge as a feature back who may have to carry the ball more than 20 times a game.


"I think this is why he came to a place like Michigan State," said head coach Mark Dantonio. "He's played on a big stage already, in the Oregon game on a real big stage. Every game here is a big stage. Oh, I think L.J. will be fine. I think he's handled that situation. He will be ready to go."

Dantonio said he held Scott out of the first half of the Rutgers game with a knee situation. Scott chipped in an enormous 15-yard romp on a key third-and-one situation during the game-winning drive at Rutgers, receiving key blocks from fullback Trevon Pendletonand tight end Paul Lang.

Scott and London split carries evenly through the first six games. Now Scott might be called upon to take on a larger share of the work load.

Scott leads the team with 418 yards rushing (6.0 per attempt).

"L.J. is getting more and more confident each and every week," Cook said. "Going all the way back to Western, I remember, like the end of that game, handing him the ball to him trying to get the clock out, watching him break tackles and I was kind of shocked, like, wow, this kid is a freshman. And he's just going to continue to get better as the season goes on and each and every week moves forward.

"He's a good running back and he's smart. Usually freshman running backs take time to learn a playbook or don't know how to block or don't know who is accounted for, but L.J. puts in the time, he puts in the extra hours in the film room. Coach Warner gets him right being a running backs coach, and he understands the game, and that's what you want from a guy who is younger to understand what's going on, and that's what he does. I think he's going to continue to get better."

As for the adrenalin level of facing the arch-rival, Dantonio says he had little advice for first-timers.

"Guys want to know: Hey, what's it like? Well, I can't really tell you, you've got to experience it first-hand," Dantonio said.

When Dantonio was a first-year assistant under Nick Saban in 1995, Saban and holdover assistants Pat Shurmur and Bobby Williams told new staff members they would only need a few minutes of time on the field during pre-game warm-ups for the Michigan game to get a feel for what the rivalry is about. Dantonio hasn't gone into specifics about it, but he seemed to feel it again in his first game as head coach in 2007 against Lloyd Carr's Wolverines. There was less animosity during the Rich Rodriguez years, as Dantonio had a previous positive relationship with Rodriguez from their years in the Big East.

Last year, Michigan rankled Dantonio when linebacker Joe Bolden spiked the Spartan Stadium grass with a tent stake during pre-game. The stunt prompted Dantonio's decision to go for an extra touchdown in the final minute. Dantonio said "it got shoved," presumably back at them.

Dantonio qualified that remark and touchdown by saying the stake incident "comes from the program," and not former head coach Brady Hoke.

Cook says he has felt the vibe prior to kickoff.

"Coach usually says you don't have to say anything about it, as soon as you are out there for warm-ups, you kinda feel it," Cook said. "You know, the attitude, the emotion, there is just something in the air that you get, that you feel playing against Michigan.

"It's very intense. There is a lot of heart that goes into this game, and just starting out and going out there and feeling it, smelling the air, all that stuff, it kinda runs through your body, runs through your veins and you kinda just get more pumped up than you would for any other opponent."

The vibe begins in a different way on the practice field.


"I think you're always going to see signs in (Coach Dantonio) and the rest of our coaching staff when this week comes up," senior senior linebacker Darien Harris. "We had our normal Tuesday lift this morning and it took about 35, 40 minutes to even start moving some weight, because (strength) Coach Mannie had to give his spiel that he gives every year for this game, and that's how it's going to be for the rest of our coaches. They're fired up for this, ready to go.

"We came in, Monday morning to watch film from the Rutgers game, and Coach Tressel was saying how he hasn't slept since the night before, because he had been up watching film. So you're always going to get a different vibe when this week comes up, and when we hit that practice field today, it's just going to be something different out there."

"I'm expecting a very loud, hostile environment," said Cook, who has never started a game at Michigan Stadium. "There is no such thing as a perfect football game, and things are going to go wrong, and I'm just trying to get focused right now as the week goes on and trying to picture myself making plays, visualizing myself making plays, and not being too high and not being too low and just staying level headed.

"In an environment like that as soon as Michigan makes one big play, the stadium is going to erupt, but we've just got to continue to fight forward and fight to the end.

Me, right now it's obviously early we have pretty much almost a whole week until we play them, couple more days, but I'm just trying to get mentally focused right now and visualize myself making plays and o

"Obviously, playingin stadiums like Iowa, in stadiums like Nebraska, playing at the Rose Bowl and playing at Ohio State at Indianapolis when 75, 80 percent of the people there were rooting for Ohio State, we've played in loud environments before, playing at Oregon, so obviously playing in those type of venues will have me ready for a venue like this."

https://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1813977

Offensive Notebook: 5th different starting o-line?

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher


EAST LANSING - Michigan State might be preparing to use its fifth different starting offensive line for Saturday's game at Michigan.

Or they might not.

Mark Dantonio gave no hints about the health and status of senior tri-captain center Jack Allen during the head coach's weekly press conference on Tuesday.

When asked if there is a chance that Allen won't play, Dantonio said: "Always a chance."



If Jack Allen (66) has to miss any time on Saturday, Brian Allen (65) will move to center.
When the question was rephrased, Dantonio said: "No, we don't talk about injuries. There is a chance he will play; there is always a chance. It's life."

Allen left Saturday's victory over Rutgers with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury, with less than two minutes remaining in the game. He was helped off the field while putting light weight on the ankle.

Allen, a finalist for the Rimington Trophy in 2014, also played left tackle in each of Michigan State's past two games, in replacing the injured Jack Conklin.

Allen and was listed as an either/or starter at center in Michigan State's official press release on Tuesday, with brother Brian Allen.

Conklin was listed as an either/or starter at left tackle along with Kodi Kieler.

Conklin has not played since going down with an apparent lower body injury during Michigan State's victory over Central Michigan on Sept. 26. His replacement, Dennis Finley, was lost for the year with a broken leg against Purdue on Oct. 10.

Michigan State has either/or candidates at all five offensive line positions in its official depth chart.

"There is no question that there are a lot of 'if' or 'or' type things on the depth chart, but until you practice throughout the week you really don't know where you're at," Dantonio said.

Shuffling Out Of Necessity

Michigan State has six offensive linemen that have played more than one o-line position this season.

"We've got guys that can move in and out of different positions, and we've tried to square it away during games when we've had to do it, or coming into the next game," Dantonio said. "(Offensive line coach)Mark Staten has done an excellent job, getting our guys ready, whole, part-whole. Our guys are in that room, submersed in that offensive line room. A guard will learn how to play tackle, a tackle will learn how to play guard; we will move people around to play center. We have four different people that have played center, so we've been able to adapt."



Preseason All-America candidate Jack Conklin is listed as a possibility to return to the lineup this Saturday at left tackle.
But they haven't been able to thrive. Michigan State's run game was adequate last week against Rutgers, especially in the game-winning drive, but not as forceful as the Spartans' ground game during high points of the 2013 and '14 season. MSU rushed for 132 yards on 38 carries against Rutgers.

Also, Michigan State struggled with slide protections and blitz pick-ups against Rutgers, especially when Brian Allen was at center rather than Jack. Michigan State must improve in that area against Michigan, which threatens and disguises quick-hitting blitzes better than any team in the Big Ten.

"You look at their defense from top to bottom, they're very talented, they have a great front seven," said quarterback Connor Cook. "Big, fast, defensive linemen who pressure the quarterback, get in the backfield and make tackles for losses, and they do a little bit more man coverage than they did last year, with the new d- coordinator from Florida (D.J. Durkin)."

Michigan ranks No. 2 in the nation in total defense, allowing just 181.3 yards per game.

"Last year they did a lot of cover-two, two-man, more zone coverage than man," Cook said. "Looking at the film this year they do a lot more man coverage, cover-one, and they lock the guys up on the back end.

"Their linebackers, similar to the ones they had last year. They got three returning guys, and they're active, they run from sideline-to-sideline, make tackles, fly to the ball.

"But, you know, it's why we come to a school like this. We look forward to it, and we're just going to strive for greatness each and every week and just put our best foot forward."

Donavon Clark has flourished at right guard and right tackle for the Spartans. He began the year as a right guard. He moved to right tackle when Kieler went down with an injury in the Oregon game.

Clark was outstanding against Rutgers. His best plays included pulling, turning the corner and leveling a linebacker on Cook's power read keeper on a third-and-three in the first half. Also, Clark wasn't guilty of any of the pressures or hits on Cook on Saturday, and moved nicely (although crossing his feet) to stay with feared designated pass rusher Turay Kemoko on a fourth-and-11 conversion in the first half.

Michigan ranks No. 8 in the Big Ten in sacks. Its two best sack men penetrate from the inside, as defensive tackles Willie Henry (four sacks) and Maurice Hurst (three sacks) lead the team in that category.

"All of the film I've watched, I would say this is the best defense that they've had so far," Clark said. "They play very hard, they are very technique-sound in what they. It just shows how much better we have to be as an offense."

Clark made the first start of his career as a redshirt freshman at left tackle at Michigan in 2012, subbing for the injured Dan France. The 2012 Spartan offensive line was also riddled by injuries throughout the year.

"I remember that Thursday, before we left on that Friday, coach pulled me out before the meeting started and said, 'Donavon, you're about to get your first start,'" Clark said. "So I was like a little nervous at first, but at the same time I did what I had to do and ever since then I've been able to just develop, on and off the field."

Michigan won that game 12-10 on a last-minute field goal. It marked the only time since 2007 that Michigan has beaten Michigan State.

Michigan played at Michigan State in each of the past two seasons. That's the only trip to Michigan Stadium that current Spartans have made.

Dantonio was asked if it's motivation for seniors to win at Michigan Stadium, where they have yet to win in their careers.

"Retribution is not the reason we play in these games," Dantonio said sternly. "We're always looking forward. I think we have won a lot of football games, I don't think they're dwelling on that one, 2-point deal."

Price Ready To Return?

Elsewhere, junior tight end Josiah Price is listed as an either/or starter, along with Jamal Lyles and Paul Lang. Price has been out since the Central Michigan game.

Price was available for last week's game against Rutgers but Michigan State was able to hold him out.

Price is Cook's favorite target in the red zone. He had seven catches through the first four games, four of which have gone for touchdowns.

Williams For London?

Running back Madre London is listed as an either/or starter at tailback along with LJ Scott. London went down with a lower body injury in the second half of the Rutgers game. Dantonio said Scott was held out of the first half due to a knee ailment.

Scott leads the team in rushing with 418 yards, and in yards-per-carry at 6.0.

With London out, Dantonio activated junior running back Delton Williams and inserted him into the game. Williams missed spring practice and part of August camp due to a road rage incident in March during which he brandished a hand gun. After ending Williams' suspension in August, Dantonio considered keeping Williams on the bench as a redshirt all year, but changed his mind after London went down with the injury.

Williams carried two times for six yards against Rutgers.

Williams (6-1, 228, Erie, Pa.) ranked third on the team in rushing in 2013 and '14, and led the team each year in yards per carry. He has 560 career rushing yards.

"I think you will see him in the mix on special teams and, you know, we'll see him in the mix as a running back as well," Dantonio said. "Depends on how he plays and how he's practicing, how much we will see him. That decision was made based on the situation in the game and everything that was going on. I thought it was the right decision to make."

A general overview story, using some of Dantonio's new quotes from Tuesday:



'Come confident, and ready to play'

Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher

EAST LANSING - It's one of college football's great rivalries, but rarely has it meant so much to people outside the state.

Michigan and Michigan State have played in the past when both teams were undefeated, both in the Top 15. But rarely, if ever, have both teams come into this game with realistic talk of the National Championship being part of the narrative.

For Michigan State, there were National Championship hopes in August, and half of September. Since then, Michigan State has merely tried to eke out victories while enduring a series of injuries that have quelled all national title talk - for the moment.


Michigan, meanwhile, after battling back from a 24-10 deficit at Utah to lose by a touchdown, has put together three shutout performances against Northwestern, Maryland and Brigham Young. Michigan suddenly is listed as the fourth best bet to win the National Championship by Vegas sports books, trailing only Ohio State, Baylor and LSU.

Technically, Michigan State is still in the National Championship picture. Michigan is climbing into the discussion. The winner of Saturday's game will emerge as the biggest threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten East, and possibly take a step toward the Big Ten Championship Game and maybe the College Football Playoff.

It's one of the three biggest national games of the college football weekend. ESPN's GameDay will be on site. And it happens to be one of the most contentious in-state rivalries in college football.

Few mid-season rivalries in the sport can equal Michigan-Michigan State in terms of hatred and fervor. Now, a dash of national implications add spice. In comparison to other mid-season rivalry games, MSU-Michigan has upstaged USC vs Notre Dame for 2015, and is more important than last week's Oklahoma-Texas or Miami-Florida State games.

But, within the state of Michigan, the national importance is overshadowed by in-state animosity and tunnel vision.

"What we need to do," said Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio, "is be focused on the present, understand what they do and do well, stop what they do and do well, play to our best abilities, play with great effort, come with an attitude - just like they will."


Michigan State (6-0 and ranked No. 4 by the coaches and No. 7 by the Associated Press) and Michigan (5-1, and ranked No. 12) have squared off in hateful, memorable battles in the past, leaving fans on each side to revel, complain and - most importantly - remember the outcomes for decades.

Can the average Bears fan remember the scores and circumstances of their games against the Packers in 1978? 1987? 1990? 1995?

Wolverines and Spartans fans can.

In those cases, Michigan State's victories over Michigan spoiled seasons of high expectations for the Wolverines. In three of the seasons mentioned above, MSU victories over the Wolverines fueled Michigan State to Big Ten championships.



Connor Cook and Michigan's Delano Hill had a brief exchange after Cook ran him over during a QB scramble early in last year's game. They'll be back on the field together, Saturday.


This year, Michigan has the chance to eclipse Michigan State's pre-season hype, which the Wolverines have already done, to an extent, in establishing a one-loss record while playing tidy, physical and correct football through six games. Michigan is one of the hottest teams in the country.

Michigan State's record is perfect, but the Spartans are far from the finished product Spartan fans enjoyed at the end of the 2013 and '14 seasons. MSU ended those campaigns with a pair of major bowl victories and Top 5 finishes - something Michigan has never accomplished.

Now, despite the undefeated record, and 32 wins in his last 35 games - including six of seven against the Wolverines - Dantonio was asked about being the underdog in this game. He was asked if he is surprised how quickly Michigan has come together.

In the past, when Dantonio has been asked at mid-season about the apparent progress and potential of his teams, he has cautioned observers to wait until the end of the season for a full analysis. "Let it play out," is one of his favorite lines.

He might have been tempted to use those words in relation to the University of Michigan's success at the midway point of this season, but that might have come off as disrespectful.

Instead, a straight-laced, diplomatic, coat-and-tied Dantonio was measured in his words of respect for Michigan during his weekly news conference on Tuesday.

"Am I surprised (by Michigan)?" Dantonio said, repeating the question, possibly surprised by the question itself. "I think every football team that goes out there, I don't care where they're at, they expect to win. So the expectations are high at Michigan State, the expectations are high down the road, and I think that's the way it is. That's probably the way it's always been, so I don't think there is any difference there."

Dantonio has embraced the underdog role in the past, the shoulder chip. But on Tuesday, he wasn't quite as willing to publicly accept that angle - maybe because someone tried to place it on him. Dantonio seems to like being an underdog on his terms, not someone else's.

When asked if he finds motivation in being an undefeated underdog, Dantonio said: "No, I don't.

"I think you're only underdogs if you think you're underdogs," Dantonio continued. "So it's what you think about things. It's not what, quite frankly, you write about things."

Dantonio would have preferred that his team was impressive enough through six games to enter this game as a 10-point favorite, and then he would probably find a way to play the underdog, disrespected card some how, some way, behind the closed doors of team meetings. But this time, this year, with the Spartans' offensive line and secondaries sputtering through injuries, he can probably understand why Michigan is favored.


The questions are whether Michigan can maintain its level of play against a talented but troubled rival, and can Michigan State finally achieve a level of mid-season form for 60 minutes while possibly starting its fifth different offensive line of the season, and its third different defensive backfield in three weeks?

"In regard to injuries and things of that nature, you always have a plan," Dantonio said. "That's why you work your twos, that's why you recruit other players. So, I've said it all along, when things happen like this or like that, it should make your football team stronger in the long run, and that's what we are always looking toward."

In the Rose Bowl season of 2013, Dantonio's second-stringers were largely redshirt sophomores who had been in the program for three years. They were seasoned and ready to help. Now - depending on the health of junior cornerback Darian Hicks, whose status for Saturday is unknown after he was knocked out the Rutgers game in the second quarter - MSU could conceivably have true freshmen as back-ups at all four positions in the secondary.

Hicks is listed as a starting cornerback on the official depth chart released by Michigan State on Tuesday, but so was center Jack Allen, who missed the end of the Rutgers game with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury. Dantonio entertained no questions about injuries on Tuesday.

RECRUITING UPDATE: Detroit's Corley Visits Tennessee
His '13 and '14 teams were remarkably injury-free. Now Dantonio seems to be paying a debt to college football gods for the good graces of those seasons.

"You're only halfway through," Dantonio said, "but I think what you know about Michigan State right now is that we will hang in there and we will hang tough and we will play through some pain, and that we will play through some adversity and that we've come out on the other end, and that's the positive. Are we perfect? No. Do we have some playmakers? Yes. That's what you know, halfway through.

"So you've just got to figure it out and play. Get ready to play. Come confident and get ready to play."