Dantonio explains game decisions
Jim Comparoni | Editor
EAST LANSING - The public and pundits might have thought it was a foregone conclusion that Michigan State would get drilled by Michigan, Saturday at Spartan Stadium, but Michigan State players and coaches had other ideas.
And when the final seconds counted down on a 32-23 loss to Michigan, the Spartans didn’t feel any better about proving that they could hang with the No. 2-ranked team in the nation as a 24-point underdog, and that the Spartans might have been a couple of bounces or decisions away from having a chance to pull out one of the biggest upsets of the college football season.
The loss stung the Spartans as if Michigan State was the team expected to win by three touchdowns. Michigan State loses possession of the Paul Bunyan trophy.
“It doesn’t feel good especially this being my last time,” said senior linebacker Riley Bullough. “But I have faith in the guys next year to bring it back to E.L. next year and keep it here.”
Michigan State falls to 2-6. The Spartans must win their last four games in order to qualify for automatic bowl eligibility. There could still be a chance to earn a bowl bid with a 5-7 record, if there is a shortage of bowl-eligible teams.
Michigan State rushed for 217 yards against the nation’s top-ranked defense, and led 7-0 after a muscular opening drive. In the second half, Michigan State came back from a 30-10 deficit to cut the score to 30-23 after freshman quarterback Brian Lewerkeconnected with Monty Madaris for a 20-yard TD pass with 7:30 remaining, and Tyler O’Connor found Donnie Corley for a 5-yard strike with :01 second left in regulation.
A failed two-point conversion on an option pitch resulted in a scoop-and-score return for Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers, creating the final margin of victory.
“I’m going to keep scratching for every inch and every point that we can possibly get,” said head coach Mark Dantonio. “So when there’s :01 second on the clock, we’re going to go for two, even if it’s a mental gain to kick the thing and lose by six points. At that point in time, we’re probably losing the game. I don’t see any foreseeable way that we can scoop up the ball because it’s not legal to scoop up a ball and score on an on-side kick. So we went for two. It’s unfortunate it ended in a big celebration for them. But it happened.”
Michigan State’s defense was faulty again, allowing the Wolverines to roll up 27 points in the first half without having to punt.
“With the success that we’ve had around here, this is not an easy pill to swallow,” said Spartan co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett. “We’re always expecting to win. I’m always expecting to win.”
The Spartans’ chances of victory took a severe blow when Michigan stopped Michigan State on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line with 6:47 left in the third quarter. MSU trailed 27-10 at the time and desperately needed to cut the lead to 10 points.
Michigan State tried four run plays from inside the 3-yard line following a pass interference on third down from the 9-yard line.
The Spartans couldn’t budge the Wolverine defensive front on any of the four runs.
The Spartans were also stopped on fourth-and-one in the first quarter, on the Spartans’ second possession of the game, at the Michigan 38-yard line with the score tied 7-7.
“Fourth-and-one, when we go for it, you’ve got to get one yard,” Dantonio said. “I don’t care what we draw up; I don’t care what they draw up, you’ve got to be able to get one yard.
“Later on in the third quarter, when we’re first-and-goal at the 2, you’ve got to go for the touchdown and try to cut it to 10.
“Not to sell our football team short, but we have to be able to process it and win in those situations, win the inches.”
The Spartans not only ran it four straight times with L.J. Scott from inside the 3-yard line, with none of the plays coming close to creasing the end zone. The first play, on first-and-goal from the 2-yard line, lost a yard. The second nudged the ball back to the 2. They couldn’t get any closer and Scott was stopped on a sweep to the outside on fourth down.
Michigan State lined up its jumbo package for each of those plays, with tight ends, a fullback and no wide receivers. That package had worked well earlier in the game in helping the Spartans rush for 114 yards in the first half.
“We have it first-and-goal on the 2-yard line, hey we’re running the ball,” Dantonio said. “We ran the ball for two hundred and some yards (217). L.J. (Scott) has 139 yards. It’s first-and-goal at the 2. My take is that we’ve got to get the inches. Obviously I was wrong but I’m saying, ‘Direct runs. Direct downhill runs.’”
That’s what Dantonio was telling co-offensive coordinator and play caller Dave Warnerduring the series and prior to it, and the head coach stood behind that decision after the game.
“Ever since 2007 when Jehuu Caulcrick had 22 touchdowns, that’s what we do," Dantonio said. "Now, you want to slick ‘em a little bit? We can do that as well. But that was my decision and I’ll take the heat for it.”
Michigan’s Amara Darboh caught eight passes for a career-high 165 yards, and De'Veon Smith ran for two touchdowns.
The Wolverines (8-0, 5-0) beat the Spartans for only the second time in the last nine meetings. Michigan avenged last year's loss to Michigan State, in which the Spartans scored the winning touchdown on the final play when the Wolverines botched a punt.
Michigan State went on to a Big Ten title and a national semifinal appearance after that dramatic victory.
Wilton Speight threw for 244 yards for Michigan.
Three Spartan quarterbacks saw action. Starter Tyler O’Connor was 7 of 14 for 84 yards with 1 TD and an interception late in the first half, which set up Wolverine field goal prior to halftime.
Lewerke was 6-of-10 for 100 yards with 1 TD. He was sacked on a failed fourth-and-five situation at the Michigan 13-yard line with 1:46 remaining. Lewerke had to be helped off the field after that play, favoring a knee or ankle. He didn’t return for the final series. Michigan State did not provide an update on Lewerke’s health.
Damion Terry had one series, early in the fourth quarter, and drove the Spartans to the Michigan 8-yard line. However, a fumbled option pitch moved the ball to the 17-yard line. Terry went down with an unknown injury when he was hit while throwing an incompletion on third down. Then Michael Geiger, who hit a 52-yard field goal in the first half, missed from 34 yards.
“Too many missed opportunities when you get right down to it,” Dantonio said.
Jim Comparoni | Editor
EAST LANSING - The public and pundits might have thought it was a foregone conclusion that Michigan State would get drilled by Michigan, Saturday at Spartan Stadium, but Michigan State players and coaches had other ideas.
And when the final seconds counted down on a 32-23 loss to Michigan, the Spartans didn’t feel any better about proving that they could hang with the No. 2-ranked team in the nation as a 24-point underdog, and that the Spartans might have been a couple of bounces or decisions away from having a chance to pull out one of the biggest upsets of the college football season.
The loss stung the Spartans as if Michigan State was the team expected to win by three touchdowns. Michigan State loses possession of the Paul Bunyan trophy.
“It doesn’t feel good especially this being my last time,” said senior linebacker Riley Bullough. “But I have faith in the guys next year to bring it back to E.L. next year and keep it here.”
Michigan State falls to 2-6. The Spartans must win their last four games in order to qualify for automatic bowl eligibility. There could still be a chance to earn a bowl bid with a 5-7 record, if there is a shortage of bowl-eligible teams.
Michigan State rushed for 217 yards against the nation’s top-ranked defense, and led 7-0 after a muscular opening drive. In the second half, Michigan State came back from a 30-10 deficit to cut the score to 30-23 after freshman quarterback Brian Lewerkeconnected with Monty Madaris for a 20-yard TD pass with 7:30 remaining, and Tyler O’Connor found Donnie Corley for a 5-yard strike with :01 second left in regulation.
A failed two-point conversion on an option pitch resulted in a scoop-and-score return for Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers, creating the final margin of victory.
“I’m going to keep scratching for every inch and every point that we can possibly get,” said head coach Mark Dantonio. “So when there’s :01 second on the clock, we’re going to go for two, even if it’s a mental gain to kick the thing and lose by six points. At that point in time, we’re probably losing the game. I don’t see any foreseeable way that we can scoop up the ball because it’s not legal to scoop up a ball and score on an on-side kick. So we went for two. It’s unfortunate it ended in a big celebration for them. But it happened.”
Michigan State’s defense was faulty again, allowing the Wolverines to roll up 27 points in the first half without having to punt.
“With the success that we’ve had around here, this is not an easy pill to swallow,” said Spartan co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett. “We’re always expecting to win. I’m always expecting to win.”
The Spartans’ chances of victory took a severe blow when Michigan stopped Michigan State on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line with 6:47 left in the third quarter. MSU trailed 27-10 at the time and desperately needed to cut the lead to 10 points.
Michigan State tried four run plays from inside the 3-yard line following a pass interference on third down from the 9-yard line.
The Spartans couldn’t budge the Wolverine defensive front on any of the four runs.
The Spartans were also stopped on fourth-and-one in the first quarter, on the Spartans’ second possession of the game, at the Michigan 38-yard line with the score tied 7-7.
“Fourth-and-one, when we go for it, you’ve got to get one yard,” Dantonio said. “I don’t care what we draw up; I don’t care what they draw up, you’ve got to be able to get one yard.
“Later on in the third quarter, when we’re first-and-goal at the 2, you’ve got to go for the touchdown and try to cut it to 10.
“Not to sell our football team short, but we have to be able to process it and win in those situations, win the inches.”
The Spartans not only ran it four straight times with L.J. Scott from inside the 3-yard line, with none of the plays coming close to creasing the end zone. The first play, on first-and-goal from the 2-yard line, lost a yard. The second nudged the ball back to the 2. They couldn’t get any closer and Scott was stopped on a sweep to the outside on fourth down.
Michigan State lined up its jumbo package for each of those plays, with tight ends, a fullback and no wide receivers. That package had worked well earlier in the game in helping the Spartans rush for 114 yards in the first half.
“We have it first-and-goal on the 2-yard line, hey we’re running the ball,” Dantonio said. “We ran the ball for two hundred and some yards (217). L.J. (Scott) has 139 yards. It’s first-and-goal at the 2. My take is that we’ve got to get the inches. Obviously I was wrong but I’m saying, ‘Direct runs. Direct downhill runs.’”
That’s what Dantonio was telling co-offensive coordinator and play caller Dave Warnerduring the series and prior to it, and the head coach stood behind that decision after the game.
“Ever since 2007 when Jehuu Caulcrick had 22 touchdowns, that’s what we do," Dantonio said. "Now, you want to slick ‘em a little bit? We can do that as well. But that was my decision and I’ll take the heat for it.”
Michigan’s Amara Darboh caught eight passes for a career-high 165 yards, and De'Veon Smith ran for two touchdowns.
The Wolverines (8-0, 5-0) beat the Spartans for only the second time in the last nine meetings. Michigan avenged last year's loss to Michigan State, in which the Spartans scored the winning touchdown on the final play when the Wolverines botched a punt.
Michigan State went on to a Big Ten title and a national semifinal appearance after that dramatic victory.
Wilton Speight threw for 244 yards for Michigan.
Three Spartan quarterbacks saw action. Starter Tyler O’Connor was 7 of 14 for 84 yards with 1 TD and an interception late in the first half, which set up Wolverine field goal prior to halftime.
Lewerke was 6-of-10 for 100 yards with 1 TD. He was sacked on a failed fourth-and-five situation at the Michigan 13-yard line with 1:46 remaining. Lewerke had to be helped off the field after that play, favoring a knee or ankle. He didn’t return for the final series. Michigan State did not provide an update on Lewerke’s health.
Damion Terry had one series, early in the fourth quarter, and drove the Spartans to the Michigan 8-yard line. However, a fumbled option pitch moved the ball to the 17-yard line. Terry went down with an unknown injury when he was hit while throwing an incompletion on third down. Then Michael Geiger, who hit a 52-yard field goal in the first half, missed from 34 yards.
“Too many missed opportunities when you get right down to it,” Dantonio said.
