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."
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."
