1st and Ten –
How to blow a season in ten seconds – Admit it, there are
those of you who went to see that movie “How to lose a guy in
ten days”. Alright, so maybe it’s too difficult to admit that
you sat in on a chick flick, but Kate Hudson’s character did all
she could within her power to prove that she could lose a guy
with her feminine wiles in only ten days. Well, it wasn’t Kate
Hudson and it definitely wasn’t with bad intentions, but in
Columbus, OH on October 15, 2005, all it took was one play to
send the Spartans into a free fall, from which they never
recovered. One botched field goal, blocked for a touchdown,
turned a potential bowl game season into, well, a season blown
in ten seconds. Now, enough readers know that football games
aren’t lost on one play, and there’s no conclusive evidence that
one play causes a team to lose five of six, including that Ohio
State game. But, if ever a team sustained a singular blow to
the head, figuratively speaking, that it never could recover
from, it was John L’s team in 2005. Perhaps the final blow was
delivered in the Northwestern game. After an MSU touchdown,
Northwestern, wait, STOP THE NIGHTMARE. Okay, sorry. The point
is that the mental breakdown in the Ohio State game hovered over
the Spartans seemingly all season long. It can’t filter through
to 2006. If you don’t think one play can define a team, a
program and a coach, talk to Kevin Steele about his time at
Baylor (the infamous 1999 UNLV game was the defining moment for
Steele and he never recovered). Whereas the pressure will fall
on Smith to ensure
that his coaching staff is on the same page throughout the year,
the senior leaders also carry the responsibility of wiping that
memory from the collective conscience of the Spartan players.
The Spartans have an extremely fair schedule, considering that
they only have two difficult road games (Michigan and Penn
State) and a non-conference road tilt at Pitt. The rest? East
Lansing. So, this should be very interesting, including the
rematch with the Big Ten favorite Buckeyes.
2nd and Seven –
Stanton’s legacy – Every time that QB Drew Stanton steps on
the field this fall, every eye in the stadium will hone in on
his every movement. And, with a potential lucrative NFL career
on the horizon, there may be a few more eyes than usual on
Stanton and what he does. Consequently, he does pretty much all
of it, and does it extremely well. Run it. Throw it. Escape
danger. Score points. Play with toughness and grit. If he
were allowed to play special teams (as he did earlier in his
career) and defense, he’d be Gordie Lockbaum-esque. But, the
man hasn’t been able to lead his Spartans to a bowl game. For
all of the grotesque numbers that he’s piled up on the stat
sheet, the only ‘stat’ that matters, the one that starts with a
W, is the one most lacking. Some argue that Stanton can only
answer for the offensive’s production, week in and week out, but
if that’s truly the case, why was Vince Young thought to be so
valuable to the Texas Longhorns last year? Stanton’s play
speaks volumes, but his gutty attitude must permeate this entire
team – offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff and the
guys selling popcorn in the stands (can’t forget them). Only
then will the true measure of his legacy be realized, that and
if the Spartans head to a bowl game.
3rd and Three –
Triple play – Outside of Stanton and his receiving corps,
the most experienced and well-rounded unit on the field this
year for the Spartans is the trio at linebacker. Kaleb
Thornhill, David Herron, Jr. and SirDarean Adams all return to
the MSU defense, and this threesome will form the nucleus of
this defense for 2006. As a group, these linebackers combined
for 188 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and five sacks. For good
measure, Adams racked up 3 interceptions, one of which he
brought back for a pick six against Notre Dame. But, giving up
165 yards per game against the run isn’t going to help them win
too many games this fall. This group can run and is physical,
but the loss of Domata Peko, Michael Bazemore and Brandon
McKinney might put too much pressure on them to fight through
blocks and make 75+ tackles each.
4th and One –
“Yo, who brought the Ringer?” – Michigan State’s sophomore
Javon Ringer is a multi-dimensional threat who can do a little
bit of everything, and for as good as Drew Stanton is, Ringer
has to be this offense’s multi-dimensional, game-breaking
threat. The 5’9”, 195 pounder is a solid blend of quickness,
shake and speed. Lots of speed. The Spartans offense should
allow Ringer some space and freedom to get out in the open field
and away from the ‘mesh’ in the middle. Regardless of how
dangerous he will be in the open field, opposing defenses must
funnel him back to the middle of the field to see if he wants
to, and can, run effectively between the tackles. With AJ
Jimmerson emerging this spring, the duo of he and Ringer could
be used simultaneously to put a ton of pressure on Big Ten
defenses.