MAINTAIN THE CHIP?
When asked if his program can maintain the chip on its shoulder after all of the success it has had, Mark Dantonio smirked and said: "Yeah, all you have to do is read the paper every now and then. Absolutely."
That was likely a reference to the publicity and coverage first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh has been getting since being hired in December, but Dantonio didn't acknowledge it by name.
"I believe it's how you're built," Dantonio said. "We're trying to build for the long haul here. I've said we're here to stay. You don't get there by being happy with where you're at. You have to have some type of mindset that you're going to be challenged.
"We were 13-1 and we tried to refocus ourselves. We lost two games. We could have done better. But we lost two. I don't think we went into the season taking it for granted that we were just going to throw our helmet out there. You want to be confident but not taking things for granted.
"We believe in hard work here and we believe in toughness here and giving great effort and having knowledge about what www do. That has brought us positives.
"We're here to stay. That's something we have to constantly say to our team and preach to it: You're going to be measured on what you do next. You have to raise your level of play. "
"We have a senior class that has as much experience as any class since we've been here. They have to lead. Just because you're becoming a senior doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be a leader. These guys were sophomores when we won the Rose Bowl. Now they have to assume a leadership position. But they have to work on it."
ON LJ SCOTT:
"We have a lot of good freshmen coming in at a lot of different positions. LJ Scott is a guy at tailback that is going to be in the hunt. He is a good enough player to come and play now. It looks like it on film. When he gets here, we'll figure it out. It's important that he comes in in shape. We'll see how he works."
TJ HARRELL TO GET A LOOK AT RB
* One of the byproducts of Delton Williams' suspension appears to be T.J. Harrell getting another look at running back. Harrell spent a week or so at running back last fall during his rookie year at MSU while being redshirted. He moved back to linebacker for most or all of bowl practice.
Williams was expected to be the first-string RB for the outset of spring practice but was suspended indefinitely due to last week's legal problems.
Harrell is listed as the No. 3 tailback, behind co-starters Madre London and Gerald Holmes.
Harrell (6-1, 211, Tampa, Fla.) is also listed as the No. 3 star LB behind Darien Harris and Jalyn Powell. (Chris Frey is now listed as the No. 2 Sam LB).
Dantonio on Harrell: "He will play some star 'backer. He'll also play a little bit of tailback. I think that fits into the depth chart. He was an excellent tailback in high school, a 10.6 100 meter guy. So we are going to work him in there a little bit and see what happens. At some point in time we have to determine is he here (at RB) or here (at LB)."
As for Frey, Dantonio said: "He moves to Sam 'backer. I think that's probably better-suited for him to play in the box a little more. But he has the ability to go outside and play. We see so many formations now that you have to be able to play out."
* On signing day, Dantonio said he and the university would pursue getting three years of eligibility for junior college transfer Drake Martinez. Martinez was initially granted just two years of remaining eligibility by the NCAA after transferring from Nebraska to junior college.
"That's ongoing but I think it's going in the right direction," Dantonio said, in terms of getting a third year for Martinez. "We just need to get closer on everything, all the data that's been gotten."
* Dantonio said kicker Michael Geiger had surgery to repair a hip flexor and is out for the spring.
This post was edited on 3/24 1:21 PM by Jim Comparoni
When asked if his program can maintain the chip on its shoulder after all of the success it has had, Mark Dantonio smirked and said: "Yeah, all you have to do is read the paper every now and then. Absolutely."
That was likely a reference to the publicity and coverage first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh has been getting since being hired in December, but Dantonio didn't acknowledge it by name.
"I believe it's how you're built," Dantonio said. "We're trying to build for the long haul here. I've said we're here to stay. You don't get there by being happy with where you're at. You have to have some type of mindset that you're going to be challenged.
"We were 13-1 and we tried to refocus ourselves. We lost two games. We could have done better. But we lost two. I don't think we went into the season taking it for granted that we were just going to throw our helmet out there. You want to be confident but not taking things for granted.
"We believe in hard work here and we believe in toughness here and giving great effort and having knowledge about what www do. That has brought us positives.
"We're here to stay. That's something we have to constantly say to our team and preach to it: You're going to be measured on what you do next. You have to raise your level of play. "
"We have a senior class that has as much experience as any class since we've been here. They have to lead. Just because you're becoming a senior doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be a leader. These guys were sophomores when we won the Rose Bowl. Now they have to assume a leadership position. But they have to work on it."
ON LJ SCOTT:
"We have a lot of good freshmen coming in at a lot of different positions. LJ Scott is a guy at tailback that is going to be in the hunt. He is a good enough player to come and play now. It looks like it on film. When he gets here, we'll figure it out. It's important that he comes in in shape. We'll see how he works."
TJ HARRELL TO GET A LOOK AT RB
* One of the byproducts of Delton Williams' suspension appears to be T.J. Harrell getting another look at running back. Harrell spent a week or so at running back last fall during his rookie year at MSU while being redshirted. He moved back to linebacker for most or all of bowl practice.
Williams was expected to be the first-string RB for the outset of spring practice but was suspended indefinitely due to last week's legal problems.
Harrell is listed as the No. 3 tailback, behind co-starters Madre London and Gerald Holmes.
Harrell (6-1, 211, Tampa, Fla.) is also listed as the No. 3 star LB behind Darien Harris and Jalyn Powell. (Chris Frey is now listed as the No. 2 Sam LB).
Dantonio on Harrell: "He will play some star 'backer. He'll also play a little bit of tailback. I think that fits into the depth chart. He was an excellent tailback in high school, a 10.6 100 meter guy. So we are going to work him in there a little bit and see what happens. At some point in time we have to determine is he here (at RB) or here (at LB)."
As for Frey, Dantonio said: "He moves to Sam 'backer. I think that's probably better-suited for him to play in the box a little more. But he has the ability to go outside and play. We see so many formations now that you have to be able to play out."
* On signing day, Dantonio said he and the university would pursue getting three years of eligibility for junior college transfer Drake Martinez. Martinez was initially granted just two years of remaining eligibility by the NCAA after transferring from Nebraska to junior college.
"That's ongoing but I think it's going in the right direction," Dantonio said, in terms of getting a third year for Martinez. "We just need to get closer on everything, all the data that's been gotten."
* Dantonio said kicker Michael Geiger had surgery to repair a hip flexor and is out for the spring.
This post was edited on 3/24 1:21 PM by Jim Comparoni
