MSU outgains them on offense and the coaches go for 2. That is all you need to know about the state of the program.
That call was bad enough to make me question the viability of this coaching staff. I hope they surprise me next year, but I think this program has lost its edge. I will now spend my days thinking about who should be the next head coach.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Thoughts on Illinois Game
Tough to evaluate this game because at this point the coaches have chosen to play for next year. They're giving the young guys the opportunity to get experience and that's a good thing for next year, but it probably means they'll lose the rest of their games this year.
The most dangerous thing about this youth strategy is that if the Spartans struggle again next year, it will make it much easier to make coaching changes. This team will have the worst record in the B1G this year. Even 7 wins next year won't compensate for that kind of debacle.
One more key lesson that emerged during this game is that it can definitely hurt you to lose key guys at key positions. The loss of Evans and Sweat on the DL may have been the biggest losses from last year. Those guys did come in with reputations for behavioral problems. I think the lesson here is to favor guys who are likely to grow into decent senior contributors rather than favor guys who could be stars but that might get into trouble and leave you shorthanded at key positions.
This team went from almost having too much talent at offensive tackle, to suddenly having no talent at tackle. The loss of Finley has turned out to be much more devastating than anticipated. Hopefully he'll be back for his senior year, hopefully Chewins adds the 30 pounds he needs to gain, hopefully Lukusa makes a big leap next year. Hopefully they have too much talent at tackle next year...
I'll say it again, the seniors have been devastating this year. Price is a shadow of what I anticipated he would be this year. Just incomprehensible. Machado has also been a big disappointment. The physical tools seem to be there, but the mental part of the game seems to elude him.
The year has been so bad that this program needs to be on a short leash. This coaching staff should only get one more year to turn things around. I greatly appreciate what this staff has done to make MSU relevant, but if they've lost their mojo, then I hope they recognize that and hand the program off to someone else with more energy (perhaps Narduzzi - more on that some other time). I hate to see a staff find ways to stick around as the program falls into long term decline. Perhaps that's the greatest coaching move this staff has left to make: it should recognize that they've lost their mojo and hand the reigns over to another staff that can continue to build this program.
The most dangerous thing about this youth strategy is that if the Spartans struggle again next year, it will make it much easier to make coaching changes. This team will have the worst record in the B1G this year. Even 7 wins next year won't compensate for that kind of debacle.
One more key lesson that emerged during this game is that it can definitely hurt you to lose key guys at key positions. The loss of Evans and Sweat on the DL may have been the biggest losses from last year. Those guys did come in with reputations for behavioral problems. I think the lesson here is to favor guys who are likely to grow into decent senior contributors rather than favor guys who could be stars but that might get into trouble and leave you shorthanded at key positions.
This team went from almost having too much talent at offensive tackle, to suddenly having no talent at tackle. The loss of Finley has turned out to be much more devastating than anticipated. Hopefully he'll be back for his senior year, hopefully Chewins adds the 30 pounds he needs to gain, hopefully Lukusa makes a big leap next year. Hopefully they have too much talent at tackle next year...
I'll say it again, the seniors have been devastating this year. Price is a shadow of what I anticipated he would be this year. Just incomprehensible. Machado has also been a big disappointment. The physical tools seem to be there, but the mental part of the game seems to elude him.
The year has been so bad that this program needs to be on a short leash. This coaching staff should only get one more year to turn things around. I greatly appreciate what this staff has done to make MSU relevant, but if they've lost their mojo, then I hope they recognize that and hand the program off to someone else with more energy (perhaps Narduzzi - more on that some other time). I hate to see a staff find ways to stick around as the program falls into long term decline. Perhaps that's the greatest coaching move this staff has left to make: it should recognize that they've lost their mojo and hand the reigns over to another staff that can continue to build this program.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Thoughts on Michigan Game
Yes, this is a rivalry game, but MSU showed today that it has the ability to do much better than it has up to this point. This is not a 2-6 team. This team was not going to beat Michigan. Too many youngsters making mistakes at inopportune times. But this team has the talent to win the rest of their games this season, save against OSU. If they are not able to do so, there need to be several changes in the coaching staff.
The coaches did much better this week than they have all year, but they still got outcoached, overall. You would think UM was the underdog, the way they ran trick plays and creative play calls on offense. That's what I thought MSU would be doing, but they stayed pretty conservative until the fourth quarter. One big difference was the use of the long pass. MSU hardly tried any, while UM hit several long passes and benefited from several pass interference calls. The few times MSU went downfield, their QBs threw the ball to the inside of the receiver. They gotta go outside shoulder to give themselves a shot at the PI calls.
The QBs were OK, but they were outplayed by Speight. That's the bottom line. We saw the 3 QBs out there, but I wish they would have had more specific plans for each. It seems to me that every time a team puts in a new QB, that QB is able to move the ball for at least one drive -- perhaps because it takes defenses a bit of time to adjust to them. MSU may be in a position to take advantage of that, but they probably won't.
The running game showed promise. The O-line blocked well and the running backs ran hard. There is potential, but they have to do it every week.
The defense remains soft, but at least they held UM to a field goal in the second half. Ed Davis makes a difference out there. Hopefully, his presence will take this defense to the next level the remainder of the season.
The poor tackling continues to hurt this team. If you can't tackle Speight on an open run to the QB, you can't tackle any quarterback.
The youth in the secondary cost this team too many big plays.
To conclude, this team showed that it has the talent to win the rest of it's games, except against OSU. If they lose the rest of their games, it's on the coaches. Period. And Dantonio will need to strongly consider hiring coaches that are as passionate and obsessed as Harbaugh, and the rest of the B1G for that matter -- nobody is coasting. I do think that many of MSU's problems are the result of a coaching staff that decided to coast this year.
The coaches did much better this week than they have all year, but they still got outcoached, overall. You would think UM was the underdog, the way they ran trick plays and creative play calls on offense. That's what I thought MSU would be doing, but they stayed pretty conservative until the fourth quarter. One big difference was the use of the long pass. MSU hardly tried any, while UM hit several long passes and benefited from several pass interference calls. The few times MSU went downfield, their QBs threw the ball to the inside of the receiver. They gotta go outside shoulder to give themselves a shot at the PI calls.
The QBs were OK, but they were outplayed by Speight. That's the bottom line. We saw the 3 QBs out there, but I wish they would have had more specific plans for each. It seems to me that every time a team puts in a new QB, that QB is able to move the ball for at least one drive -- perhaps because it takes defenses a bit of time to adjust to them. MSU may be in a position to take advantage of that, but they probably won't.
The running game showed promise. The O-line blocked well and the running backs ran hard. There is potential, but they have to do it every week.
The defense remains soft, but at least they held UM to a field goal in the second half. Ed Davis makes a difference out there. Hopefully, his presence will take this defense to the next level the remainder of the season.
The poor tackling continues to hurt this team. If you can't tackle Speight on an open run to the QB, you can't tackle any quarterback.
The youth in the secondary cost this team too many big plays.
To conclude, this team showed that it has the talent to win the rest of it's games, except against OSU. If they lose the rest of their games, it's on the coaches. Period. And Dantonio will need to strongly consider hiring coaches that are as passionate and obsessed as Harbaugh, and the rest of the B1G for that matter -- nobody is coasting. I do think that many of MSU's problems are the result of a coaching staff that decided to coast this year.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Thoughts on Maryland Game
I may be wrong about this (I'm too drained to actually verify it), but during the Big Ten Network's documentary on the Spartans this summer (Green and White Days) I believe I heard one of the MSU coaches talking about how tough it was to come back from vacation. And I remember thinking at the time: that's not a good attitude to have when you got robots like Harbaugh working around the clock to improve their programs, and it's not a good attitude to have when the rest of the Big Ten is working around the clock to improve. Yes, coaches should be able to spend time with their families, but the bottom line is that this is a profession in which your opponents are obsessed workaholics. If you don't obsess, you will fall behind. I do think that this helps explain what has happened this year. MSU got to the top, and then assumed they could stay there by coasting. They rested on their laurels. Yes, the team isn't as talented as usual, but the talent is better than 5 losses in a row. And you can see this team getting out-coached each and every week.
The seniors have failed this team. Apart from RJ Shelton, the seniors have underperformed, to say the least.
Speaking of RJ Shelton, he is going to be a star in the NFL, and people will wonder why we didn't hear much about him in college. That's because the coaches at MSU underutilized him. They don't seem to understand what they have in their hands. He needs to touch the ball at least 30 times against Michigan.
Khari Willis is a star and could become an All-American by next year.
Your season so often depends on surprises, good or bad. This year's important surprise has been the disastrous play of the linebackers. They were supposed to be the strength of this team and they have frankly looked below average. They are missing tackles, running into the wrong holes, and getting swallowed up by O-linemen.
The secondary was also supposed to be pretty good and yet continues to make big mistakes. We're talking about guys with a lot of experience!
Lewerke clearly has a lot of potential, but he is also clearly a freshman. He needs to throw with more confidence so that the ball will get to his receivers. If he can improve his accuracy and decision making, he has all the tools to be MSU's next NFL quarterback.
The fake field goal was a terrible decision. Geiger is kicking pretty well this year.
This team seems to always finds a way to blow good drives. Receivers fumble, penalties at terrible times, bad coaching decisions. It's unbelievable.
This team can move the ball, it just has to stop shooting itself in the foot. The running backs are looking pretty good, the receivers too. Lewerke should be good in a few games. This team can score points.
The seniors have failed this team. Apart from RJ Shelton, the seniors have underperformed, to say the least.
Speaking of RJ Shelton, he is going to be a star in the NFL, and people will wonder why we didn't hear much about him in college. That's because the coaches at MSU underutilized him. They don't seem to understand what they have in their hands. He needs to touch the ball at least 30 times against Michigan.
Khari Willis is a star and could become an All-American by next year.
Your season so often depends on surprises, good or bad. This year's important surprise has been the disastrous play of the linebackers. They were supposed to be the strength of this team and they have frankly looked below average. They are missing tackles, running into the wrong holes, and getting swallowed up by O-linemen.
The secondary was also supposed to be pretty good and yet continues to make big mistakes. We're talking about guys with a lot of experience!
Lewerke clearly has a lot of potential, but he is also clearly a freshman. He needs to throw with more confidence so that the ball will get to his receivers. If he can improve his accuracy and decision making, he has all the tools to be MSU's next NFL quarterback.
The fake field goal was a terrible decision. Geiger is kicking pretty well this year.
This team seems to always finds a way to blow good drives. Receivers fumble, penalties at terrible times, bad coaching decisions. It's unbelievable.
This team can move the ball, it just has to stop shooting itself in the foot. The running backs are looking pretty good, the receivers too. Lewerke should be good in a few games. This team can score points.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Thoughts on Northwestern Game: Coaching Still the Main Problem
Yes, the Spartans have a lot of holes in talent, but the disappointing results this season are still mostly about poor coaching.
The QBs and the O-line are average to below average, but we saw today that this offense can score points with the talent they have. Even Alabama takes a few long shots down the field, and at long last, MSU took a few shots down the field and it greatly paid off. I guess we can at least take some comfort in the fact that the OC seems to have learned some lessons. At this point, the OC might as well just open up the playbook and work his butt off every week to add wrinkles. This offense can and better score points the rest of season. There is no excuse.
The tragedy was seeing that this week it was the defensive coaching staff's turn to show an incredible inability to adapt. The inability to adapt was most clear when Northwestern's best receiver scored a ridiculously easy touchdown to put the game away. Matt Millen saw the danger before the play unfolded, I saw it, everybody saw it. And yet the defensive coaches who get paid the big bucks didn't see it. I don't know how that can happen. Is it stubbornness? I don't know...It just doesn't make sense.
The amazing thing is that this team is actually moving backwards on the fundamentals. How can the tackling be so poor for a Dantonio defense at this point in the season? How can the special teams be so out of position, multiple weeks. The bottom line is that while the talent is not championship level, the talent is simply not as bad as the results being produced. Coaching is the main problem this season.
The QBs and the O-line are average to below average, but we saw today that this offense can score points with the talent they have. Even Alabama takes a few long shots down the field, and at long last, MSU took a few shots down the field and it greatly paid off. I guess we can at least take some comfort in the fact that the OC seems to have learned some lessons. At this point, the OC might as well just open up the playbook and work his butt off every week to add wrinkles. This offense can and better score points the rest of season. There is no excuse.
The tragedy was seeing that this week it was the defensive coaching staff's turn to show an incredible inability to adapt. The inability to adapt was most clear when Northwestern's best receiver scored a ridiculously easy touchdown to put the game away. Matt Millen saw the danger before the play unfolded, I saw it, everybody saw it. And yet the defensive coaches who get paid the big bucks didn't see it. I don't know how that can happen. Is it stubbornness? I don't know...It just doesn't make sense.
The amazing thing is that this team is actually moving backwards on the fundamentals. How can the tackling be so poor for a Dantonio defense at this point in the season? How can the special teams be so out of position, multiple weeks. The bottom line is that while the talent is not championship level, the talent is simply not as bad as the results being produced. Coaching is the main problem this season.
Monday, October 10, 2016
A list of mistakes that may explain the rough season
I wanted to put together a short list of problems that I think have produced this extremely disappointing season.
First, I hate to call out specific coaches because you hate to see people's jobs in jeopardy, but people get paid big bucks for this and if MSU wants to build a winning program, these are things that need to be considered. The bottom line is that the offensive coordinator is simply blowing it in a lot of ways. He is not showing the ability to adapt to the talent at his disposal nor to adapt to the defenses MSU faces. I'm not a big fan of Lane Kiffin's personality, but he is a good model of what an OC should be. He has taken a true freshman quarterback and put him in a position to make plays. He even takes more risks with long bombs down the field with this freshman. Every offense needs to do that at least 3 times a game. He also found and exploited the weaknesses in the armor of the MSU defense last year. I thought MSU would be able to shut them down, but Kiffin first exploited MSU's weaknesses and then returned to the strengths of the Alabama offense to finish the game. It was brilliant. MSU's OC doesn't come close to doing these things. If things don't improve quickly, MSU must look for an OC that can adapt to circumstances.
Another self-inflicted wound comes in the form of receiver recruiting. MSU should have learned in 2012 that it needs veteran receivers to run its offense. Yet here we are again with young receivers that run the wrong routes and drop too many passes. I saw this coming 2 years ago and I couldn't believe that the coaches were making the same mistake. Admittedly, I allowed myself to overlook this weakness because of the talent of the freshman class. But let this be a lesson for the remainder of the Dantonio era: MSU does not win with young receivers. MSU better hope that this dictum does not extend to tight ends or next year could be another disaster.
The final self-inflicted wound I'll mention here is that future starting QBs have to get more reps in the middle of real games. TOC is a fifth year senior and somehow has less real game experience than many redshirt sophomore QBs in college football. That is simply inexcusable, especially since this coaching staff already went through this once, with Maxwell.
The fact that this coaching staff made the same mistakes twice (failing to recruit wide receivers and give young QBs more real game experience) shows that this coaching staff doesn't learn from its mistakes very well. And, going forward, that may be the most worrisome thing about this program.
First, I hate to call out specific coaches because you hate to see people's jobs in jeopardy, but people get paid big bucks for this and if MSU wants to build a winning program, these are things that need to be considered. The bottom line is that the offensive coordinator is simply blowing it in a lot of ways. He is not showing the ability to adapt to the talent at his disposal nor to adapt to the defenses MSU faces. I'm not a big fan of Lane Kiffin's personality, but he is a good model of what an OC should be. He has taken a true freshman quarterback and put him in a position to make plays. He even takes more risks with long bombs down the field with this freshman. Every offense needs to do that at least 3 times a game. He also found and exploited the weaknesses in the armor of the MSU defense last year. I thought MSU would be able to shut them down, but Kiffin first exploited MSU's weaknesses and then returned to the strengths of the Alabama offense to finish the game. It was brilliant. MSU's OC doesn't come close to doing these things. If things don't improve quickly, MSU must look for an OC that can adapt to circumstances.
Another self-inflicted wound comes in the form of receiver recruiting. MSU should have learned in 2012 that it needs veteran receivers to run its offense. Yet here we are again with young receivers that run the wrong routes and drop too many passes. I saw this coming 2 years ago and I couldn't believe that the coaches were making the same mistake. Admittedly, I allowed myself to overlook this weakness because of the talent of the freshman class. But let this be a lesson for the remainder of the Dantonio era: MSU does not win with young receivers. MSU better hope that this dictum does not extend to tight ends or next year could be another disaster.
The final self-inflicted wound I'll mention here is that future starting QBs have to get more reps in the middle of real games. TOC is a fifth year senior and somehow has less real game experience than many redshirt sophomore QBs in college football. That is simply inexcusable, especially since this coaching staff already went through this once, with Maxwell.
The fact that this coaching staff made the same mistakes twice (failing to recruit wide receivers and give young QBs more real game experience) shows that this coaching staff doesn't learn from its mistakes very well. And, going forward, that may be the most worrisome thing about this program.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Thoughts on BYU Game
OK, this season is over. BYU is not a great team but they dominated
on both sides of the ball. MSU is now getting regularly dominated on
both sides. I don't know how it came to this and I don't know how MSU
recovers, even next year. What may disappoint me most about it is that I
did not see this coming at all. I cannot believe how blind I was to all
the holes on this team.
The biggest hole has to be the offensive play calling. It's predictable and lacking in any creativity. Why does this team have so much talent at receiver and tight end if you're not going to pass the ball? Why not let the quarterbacks run at least as often as BYU's QB runs? Why not get the ball to Shelton more often? He's the best playmaker on offense. This program needs to start cutting it loose. It just doesn't have the horses to do "pound green pound" this year. Let's make this easy. Why not just steal half of BYU's plays? Ironically, BYU is better at pound green pound than MSU. But they were also (like every other team MSU has played) able to run to the outside on MSU, while MSU did not (could not?) run to the outside on BYU. MSU has the players to do it, but the fact they don't suggests they can't think outside the "pound green pound" box. Let Shelton play running back some.
MSU's conservatism is hurting it's quarterbacks. I don't think I've seen this many timid QBs on one team at one time. These quaterbacks are so timid, they are waiting far too long for guys to get open. And that's giving defenders plenty of time to recover and make interceptions. That's what happened on Terry' interception. These guys need to start playing with more confidence and anticipate better when guys will be open. They also need to get better at throwing guys open. It's one thing to "manage" the game and protect the ball, it's another thing to scare your QBs into complete ineffectiveness.
I don't think O'Connor had a bad game, but he certainly didn't have the type of game that could help a struggling offense get going. The play calling hurt him, but I think Terry showed that his legs can help this offense a little more. I did not realize he was as fast as he is. With a few starts and some confidence, Terry's wheels could turn into something by the end of the season, and could turn into something big by next season.
On defense, teams are adjusting to McDowell's "leap to the outside." BYU ran several times up the spot he vacated. That move is effective sometimes, but it may be costing MSU some gap integrity.
Brandon Clemons needs to stay on defense. He was immediately more effective than all the other d-tackles, except McDowell.
Overall, the players are having issues with execution, but when MSU gets dominated this badly, week after week, you have to lay it on the coaching. MSU simply looks outclassed on both sides of the ball. I have never seen players look this confused or overmatched. Even Toledo put up a much better fight against BYU last week. So this is not a talent issue. Most of the blame has to lie with the coaches.
The biggest hole has to be the offensive play calling. It's predictable and lacking in any creativity. Why does this team have so much talent at receiver and tight end if you're not going to pass the ball? Why not let the quarterbacks run at least as often as BYU's QB runs? Why not get the ball to Shelton more often? He's the best playmaker on offense. This program needs to start cutting it loose. It just doesn't have the horses to do "pound green pound" this year. Let's make this easy. Why not just steal half of BYU's plays? Ironically, BYU is better at pound green pound than MSU. But they were also (like every other team MSU has played) able to run to the outside on MSU, while MSU did not (could not?) run to the outside on BYU. MSU has the players to do it, but the fact they don't suggests they can't think outside the "pound green pound" box. Let Shelton play running back some.
MSU's conservatism is hurting it's quarterbacks. I don't think I've seen this many timid QBs on one team at one time. These quaterbacks are so timid, they are waiting far too long for guys to get open. And that's giving defenders plenty of time to recover and make interceptions. That's what happened on Terry' interception. These guys need to start playing with more confidence and anticipate better when guys will be open. They also need to get better at throwing guys open. It's one thing to "manage" the game and protect the ball, it's another thing to scare your QBs into complete ineffectiveness.
I don't think O'Connor had a bad game, but he certainly didn't have the type of game that could help a struggling offense get going. The play calling hurt him, but I think Terry showed that his legs can help this offense a little more. I did not realize he was as fast as he is. With a few starts and some confidence, Terry's wheels could turn into something by the end of the season, and could turn into something big by next season.
On defense, teams are adjusting to McDowell's "leap to the outside." BYU ran several times up the spot he vacated. That move is effective sometimes, but it may be costing MSU some gap integrity.
Brandon Clemons needs to stay on defense. He was immediately more effective than all the other d-tackles, except McDowell.
Overall, the players are having issues with execution, but when MSU gets dominated this badly, week after week, you have to lay it on the coaching. MSU simply looks outclassed on both sides of the ball. I have never seen players look this confused or overmatched. Even Toledo put up a much better fight against BYU last week. So this is not a talent issue. Most of the blame has to lie with the coaches.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Thoughts on Indiana Game
MSU seems to need to evolve, at this point. It's as if the program
has become satisfied. The coaching was atrocious. Guys looked confused
at critical points in the game, especially the overtime period. That's
unacceptable.
There's too much reliance on the power backs for offense, and that's making them too predictable, especially because the passing game is just not there to balance this offense. Teams can run to the outside on MSU, but MSU cannot run to the outside, unless they run Shelton on the jet sweeps. At the very least, they should run Holmes more often. He has the best vision and is the most decisive back. I just think he's more effective than Scott and London. I can't be the only one that sees that.
Tyler O'Connor is just not consistent enough. He made some great throws, and he was victimized by some key drops. But he misses some easy throws that stall the offense too often.
The receivers are unfortunately young. But we all should have seen that coming. Too many recruiting classes where the coaches brought in too few receivers. They had a nice class last year, but they were too thin the years prior.
Too many penalties and mistakes, especially by the seniors. Maybe they need to have a players meeting or something.
The season is just about lost.
There's too much reliance on the power backs for offense, and that's making them too predictable, especially because the passing game is just not there to balance this offense. Teams can run to the outside on MSU, but MSU cannot run to the outside, unless they run Shelton on the jet sweeps. At the very least, they should run Holmes more often. He has the best vision and is the most decisive back. I just think he's more effective than Scott and London. I can't be the only one that sees that.
Tyler O'Connor is just not consistent enough. He made some great throws, and he was victimized by some key drops. But he misses some easy throws that stall the offense too often.
The receivers are unfortunately young. But we all should have seen that coming. Too many recruiting classes where the coaches brought in too few receivers. They had a nice class last year, but they were too thin the years prior.
Too many penalties and mistakes, especially by the seniors. Maybe they need to have a players meeting or something.
The season is just about lost.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Thoughts on Wisconsin Game
I didn't think it was possible after the game against Notre Dame, but a big difference in this game was coaching. MSU looked well-coached, prepared, and creative for Notre Dame, but in this game it looks like the Wisconsin coaches came in better prepared. Paul Chryst was apparently calling the plays and he was simply excellent. Granted, their QB also showed some incredible accuracy. He was putting throws on the money. MSU was just not creative like they were against ND. On defense, Wisconsin was complex and aggressive. MSU was too soft.
Of course, the job of the MSU coaches was made much more difficult by the struggles of O'Connor. He was just too late and inaccurate on many throws. He does not look beyond the first read. And he doesn't have the arm strength and accuracy for the long passes. On the second interception he should have been able to spot a wide open Corely for a touchdown. That play in particular made me really question O'Connor's ability to lead this team to much success. I think the coaches will need to think hard about replacing him. He's a good kid, and it's always painful to see good kids struggle, but I just don't think he has what it takes to beat good defenses.
If O'Connor is the best QB on the team, then the coaches may have to let him loose. I think his struggles are partially connected to his excessive caution. He doesn't want to make mistakes, but that's causing him to throw late and lock onto receivers. So the coaches may need to let him become a gunslinger and they'll just have to live with the interceptions.
They also need to let the backup QBs play. This game was over by the fourth quarter, and the coaches should have immediately let Terry or Lewerke play. I don't know why O'Connor was still in there with less than 5 minutes to go. I do think that MSU has hurt the development of their younger QBs by not giving them more snaps in real games. I thought the coaches learned that lesson with Maxwell, but I guess they're getting another chance to learn that lesson again this year, and likely next year.
O'Connor was also not helped by the fact that the O-line also looked like a shell of itself in the ND game. Hopefully, Wisconsin didn't just show the world how to beat this O-line. Hopefully the performance against ND was not a fluke.
There is still time to turn things around, but MSU may need to do what Wisconsin just did: replace a senior QB with a redshirt freshmen QB.
Of course, the job of the MSU coaches was made much more difficult by the struggles of O'Connor. He was just too late and inaccurate on many throws. He does not look beyond the first read. And he doesn't have the arm strength and accuracy for the long passes. On the second interception he should have been able to spot a wide open Corely for a touchdown. That play in particular made me really question O'Connor's ability to lead this team to much success. I think the coaches will need to think hard about replacing him. He's a good kid, and it's always painful to see good kids struggle, but I just don't think he has what it takes to beat good defenses.
If O'Connor is the best QB on the team, then the coaches may have to let him loose. I think his struggles are partially connected to his excessive caution. He doesn't want to make mistakes, but that's causing him to throw late and lock onto receivers. So the coaches may need to let him become a gunslinger and they'll just have to live with the interceptions.
They also need to let the backup QBs play. This game was over by the fourth quarter, and the coaches should have immediately let Terry or Lewerke play. I don't know why O'Connor was still in there with less than 5 minutes to go. I do think that MSU has hurt the development of their younger QBs by not giving them more snaps in real games. I thought the coaches learned that lesson with Maxwell, but I guess they're getting another chance to learn that lesson again this year, and likely next year.
O'Connor was also not helped by the fact that the O-line also looked like a shell of itself in the ND game. Hopefully, Wisconsin didn't just show the world how to beat this O-line. Hopefully the performance against ND was not a fluke.
There is still time to turn things around, but MSU may need to do what Wisconsin just did: replace a senior QB with a redshirt freshmen QB.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Thoughts on Notre Dame Game
OK, so apart from the coaches taking the foot of the gas too early, again, I thought this was a program win. I really expected MSU to struggle in this one, because MSU usually struggles against Notre Dame's elite talent (especially on the D line) and because Brian Kelly seems to pull out all the clever stops against MSU. But MSU showed some new things this year that are really encouraging.
First, the coaches showed that they were mostly prepared for this game. They had a great offensive and defensive plan for three quarters of the game. I was impressed with the creativity and relative soundness of the play calling most of the game. I am always so impressed by their ability to succeed by sticking to MSU's identity of "pound, green, pound!"
Second, the O line finally matched up well against Notre Dame's elite front 7. Actually, you could say that the MSU O line looked dominant. That really is something new to me. I have never seen MSU's O line bully Notre Dame's front seven. But that what happened much of this game. Kind of like when MSU bullied OSU in the trenches last year. I said before that this O line could end up being better than last year's O line, and that would make it the best O line in the Dantonio era.
Third, the D line is definitely not as good as last year's, but at least it showed me this game that it can be pretty good. McDowell and Cooper are stars, and the other guys showed some improvement. They played pretty well against Notre Dame's very good O line. That's encouraging. Hopefully they'll continue to improve to the point where they're better than last year's D line. With McDowell and Cooper leading this group, I think that's still possible.
Fourth, Gerald Holmes is a very good running back. He may not be as physically gifted as the other backs, but he shows more awareness and toughness. And he actually showed better speed than I expected and he always shows good lateral quickness.
Fifth, I thought the wide receivers would be a liability this year, but this group could turn out to be the best in the B1G this year. Corely, Shelton, and Madaris are good. Real good. Shelton is clearly the answer to MSU's problems running outside the tackles. He is fast and tough. I think the coaches should let him run the ball a few times a game from the running back position. Particularly the runs to the outside.
Overall, the results of this game strongly suggest MSU is a contender for the B1G title and perhaps for a playoff spot. The "back to back" theme is in play.
First, the coaches showed that they were mostly prepared for this game. They had a great offensive and defensive plan for three quarters of the game. I was impressed with the creativity and relative soundness of the play calling most of the game. I am always so impressed by their ability to succeed by sticking to MSU's identity of "pound, green, pound!"
Second, the O line finally matched up well against Notre Dame's elite front 7. Actually, you could say that the MSU O line looked dominant. That really is something new to me. I have never seen MSU's O line bully Notre Dame's front seven. But that what happened much of this game. Kind of like when MSU bullied OSU in the trenches last year. I said before that this O line could end up being better than last year's O line, and that would make it the best O line in the Dantonio era.
Third, the D line is definitely not as good as last year's, but at least it showed me this game that it can be pretty good. McDowell and Cooper are stars, and the other guys showed some improvement. They played pretty well against Notre Dame's very good O line. That's encouraging. Hopefully they'll continue to improve to the point where they're better than last year's D line. With McDowell and Cooper leading this group, I think that's still possible.
Fourth, Gerald Holmes is a very good running back. He may not be as physically gifted as the other backs, but he shows more awareness and toughness. And he actually showed better speed than I expected and he always shows good lateral quickness.
Fifth, I thought the wide receivers would be a liability this year, but this group could turn out to be the best in the B1G this year. Corely, Shelton, and Madaris are good. Real good. Shelton is clearly the answer to MSU's problems running outside the tackles. He is fast and tough. I think the coaches should let him run the ball a few times a game from the running back position. Particularly the runs to the outside.
Overall, the results of this game strongly suggest MSU is a contender for the B1G title and perhaps for a playoff spot. The "back to back" theme is in play.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Thoughts on Furman Game: Optimism Down a Notch
Well, the game started out as I hoped. On the first offensive and defensive drives MSU looked set to do whatever it wanted on both sides of the ball. But then mediocrity set in.
Observations
The coaches need to take some blame. The defense looked sloppy. The players seemed confused too often, as if play calls were coming in late or as if they had no clue what they were supposed to do. The defense also lined up poorly on several plays, including the touchdown they gave up. On offense they ran the ball too much. Furman is the kind of team against which they should be practicing a balanced attack. This is the kind game in which you let your quarterback find his legs. If they can't establish a balanced attack against Furman, they won't do so against Notre Dame. And if they don't have a balanced attack, they won't win any of the big games this season.
The receivers looked good. Madaris and Davis looked like they should have good years. Shelton looked good too, the few times he touched the ball. Hope there are no injuries (let's pray Shelton and Davis are not out long) because the freshmen looked like freshmen. Stewart and Corley look super talented, but they are a year away from being stars.
The running backs looked pretty good, but not outstanding (compared to Bell and Langford). They look to run to the outside too often and they just don't have the speed to do that consistently. That approach will fail against more athletic defenses like Notre Dame's (and like Alabama's last year). I think the coaches think the running backs are dominant, because they used them too often. They're good, but they're not Bell or Langford, yet.
The linebackers were not as dominant as I was expecting. Chris Frey is the best linebacker out there. He's everywhere and should be considered a starter, not an OR player. He's a star. Riley Bullough went the wrong way a few times and didn't show the consistent aggression I was hoping to see.
O'Connor had a decent game. He made some great throws and some decent runs. But he definitely struggles when when plays go off script. And he has to stop staring receivers down. Furman took advantage of that, and more athletic secondaries will take even greater advantage of that. This is one skill that Connor Cook seemed to have been taught well, by his quarterback guru. Either future MSU quarterbacks need to go to that same guru or the MSU quarterbacks coaches needs to focus on that skill more intensively.
The O-line has a ways to go. They didn't look terrible, but this was Furman. I was hoping to see them dominate. They had trouble opening holes, but they did protect O'Connor pretty well. Notre Dame will be the true test of where this line stands.
The D-line was disappointing. McDowell looked great and he looks like he's committed to having a big year, but the rest of the line didn't seem to do much. Furman ran the ball way too well. If they don't improve a lot in the next 2 weeks, they could get dominated by Notre Dame's O-line. Maybe they'll have to let Lyle's have a few snaps on the D-line.
The secondary held it's own. Hicks was the most tested defensive back and he played pretty well. Needs to learn to look back for the ball, but otherwise, he can keep up with speedy receivers and sticks to them pretty well.
The game was sloppy. There is a lot to clean up. The penalties and turnovers have to be addressed. The kickers need to be better than they were last year. Guess we'll see how much progress they can make in 2 weeks.
I still have high hopes for this team, but the scales have fallen from my eyes on a couple of things. I am particularly more disappointed in the D-line and the linebackers than I had hoped to be after the first game. On the other hand, I am actually more hopeful about the receivers (if the injuries are not serious). Lots can change over the course of a season, so let's see what unfolds.
Observations
The coaches need to take some blame. The defense looked sloppy. The players seemed confused too often, as if play calls were coming in late or as if they had no clue what they were supposed to do. The defense also lined up poorly on several plays, including the touchdown they gave up. On offense they ran the ball too much. Furman is the kind of team against which they should be practicing a balanced attack. This is the kind game in which you let your quarterback find his legs. If they can't establish a balanced attack against Furman, they won't do so against Notre Dame. And if they don't have a balanced attack, they won't win any of the big games this season.
The receivers looked good. Madaris and Davis looked like they should have good years. Shelton looked good too, the few times he touched the ball. Hope there are no injuries (let's pray Shelton and Davis are not out long) because the freshmen looked like freshmen. Stewart and Corley look super talented, but they are a year away from being stars.
The running backs looked pretty good, but not outstanding (compared to Bell and Langford). They look to run to the outside too often and they just don't have the speed to do that consistently. That approach will fail against more athletic defenses like Notre Dame's (and like Alabama's last year). I think the coaches think the running backs are dominant, because they used them too often. They're good, but they're not Bell or Langford, yet.
The linebackers were not as dominant as I was expecting. Chris Frey is the best linebacker out there. He's everywhere and should be considered a starter, not an OR player. He's a star. Riley Bullough went the wrong way a few times and didn't show the consistent aggression I was hoping to see.
O'Connor had a decent game. He made some great throws and some decent runs. But he definitely struggles when when plays go off script. And he has to stop staring receivers down. Furman took advantage of that, and more athletic secondaries will take even greater advantage of that. This is one skill that Connor Cook seemed to have been taught well, by his quarterback guru. Either future MSU quarterbacks need to go to that same guru or the MSU quarterbacks coaches needs to focus on that skill more intensively.
The O-line has a ways to go. They didn't look terrible, but this was Furman. I was hoping to see them dominate. They had trouble opening holes, but they did protect O'Connor pretty well. Notre Dame will be the true test of where this line stands.
The D-line was disappointing. McDowell looked great and he looks like he's committed to having a big year, but the rest of the line didn't seem to do much. Furman ran the ball way too well. If they don't improve a lot in the next 2 weeks, they could get dominated by Notre Dame's O-line. Maybe they'll have to let Lyle's have a few snaps on the D-line.
The secondary held it's own. Hicks was the most tested defensive back and he played pretty well. Needs to learn to look back for the ball, but otherwise, he can keep up with speedy receivers and sticks to them pretty well.
The game was sloppy. There is a lot to clean up. The penalties and turnovers have to be addressed. The kickers need to be better than they were last year. Guess we'll see how much progress they can make in 2 weeks.
I still have high hopes for this team, but the scales have fallen from my eyes on a couple of things. I am particularly more disappointed in the D-line and the linebackers than I had hoped to be after the first game. On the other hand, I am actually more hopeful about the receivers (if the injuries are not serious). Lots can change over the course of a season, so let's see what unfolds.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Thoughts on Spring Game: this could be a good year...
Alleviated Concerns
Coming into this game, there were 4 big concerns for MSU: replacing Connor Cook, reloading on the O-line, reloading at wide receiver, and reloading at defensive end.
I would say that the first concern is no longer a concern. Tyler O'Connor looks legit, to me. I think he can play at least as good as sophomore-year Kirk Cousins. And that would be good enough to make MSU a strong challenger for the B1G title. But I actually expect more than that from O'Connor. I think he can be as good as junior-year Kirk Cousins (2,825 yards, 20 TDs, 10 INTs). He's plenty smart, has excellent mobility, has pretty good arm strength, has a very good touch and nice accuracy. He should be a B1G star. Damion Terry needs to keep improving, but he should be a solid backup -- especially if he can play more loose (he seemed a little tight at times).
I think the O-line has a chance to be the best in the Dantonio era. You heard that right. Last year's O-line was very talented, but it also under-performed. They lost key players, yes, but this year's group is mature and very deep. The only question that remains with this group is, how long will it take for them to gel? If they take a couple of months, MSU will lose to Notre Dame. Otherwise, this group will be dominant by the end of the season.
I think the receivers group is in a similar situation as the O-line. This unit lacks experience, but it's very talented and deep. So it may get off to a slow start, but I could see this group finishing strong. I think several of the older guys are poised to make valuable contributions (guys like Shelton, Madaris, Macksood, and Barksdale). The young guys also look talented enough to make some contributions. Corley and Chambers should make some contributions, but Felton Davis looks to me like the guy with the highest ceiling. He does need to be more consistent in catching the ball, and hopefully, his hands will improve when the cast comes off. The only concern I have with this group is that it may get exposed by a good secondary, like Michigan's (yes, Michigan will have a good secondary this year...).
Lingering Concerns
As for the defensive ends, Jamal Lyles looks like he could make some serious contributions. He looked like Lawrence Thomas the few times he lined up as a DE (dare I say, he looked more explosive than LT?). But apart from Lyles, I didn't see many explosive plays from the DEs. It seemed like the linebackers were contributing the most to the pass rush. We'll have to keep an eye on this group.
The power running backs are doing their thing, but the Spartans need some speed backs. That became clear to me during the Alabama game, when the MSU running game struggled to get to the outside. In the Spring game, you could see Nick Tompkins running effectively to the outside -- that's what I was talking about! That's what the Spartans missed last year! Can Tompkins become that speed back MSU needs? Can he do it for a whole season? Will the coaches give him a chance?
Upshot
This team has the talent to be favored in most of its games this season, and it has the talent to be in a tossup situation against other top teams (Notre Dame, Michigan, and Ohio State). I don't know that this team will gel fast enough to beat Notre Dame, but it could gel fast enough to beat Michigan, Ohio State, and a B1G championship opponent. I guess only time will tell...
Coming into this game, there were 4 big concerns for MSU: replacing Connor Cook, reloading on the O-line, reloading at wide receiver, and reloading at defensive end.
I would say that the first concern is no longer a concern. Tyler O'Connor looks legit, to me. I think he can play at least as good as sophomore-year Kirk Cousins. And that would be good enough to make MSU a strong challenger for the B1G title. But I actually expect more than that from O'Connor. I think he can be as good as junior-year Kirk Cousins (2,825 yards, 20 TDs, 10 INTs). He's plenty smart, has excellent mobility, has pretty good arm strength, has a very good touch and nice accuracy. He should be a B1G star. Damion Terry needs to keep improving, but he should be a solid backup -- especially if he can play more loose (he seemed a little tight at times).
I think the O-line has a chance to be the best in the Dantonio era. You heard that right. Last year's O-line was very talented, but it also under-performed. They lost key players, yes, but this year's group is mature and very deep. The only question that remains with this group is, how long will it take for them to gel? If they take a couple of months, MSU will lose to Notre Dame. Otherwise, this group will be dominant by the end of the season.
I think the receivers group is in a similar situation as the O-line. This unit lacks experience, but it's very talented and deep. So it may get off to a slow start, but I could see this group finishing strong. I think several of the older guys are poised to make valuable contributions (guys like Shelton, Madaris, Macksood, and Barksdale). The young guys also look talented enough to make some contributions. Corley and Chambers should make some contributions, but Felton Davis looks to me like the guy with the highest ceiling. He does need to be more consistent in catching the ball, and hopefully, his hands will improve when the cast comes off. The only concern I have with this group is that it may get exposed by a good secondary, like Michigan's (yes, Michigan will have a good secondary this year...).
Lingering Concerns
As for the defensive ends, Jamal Lyles looks like he could make some serious contributions. He looked like Lawrence Thomas the few times he lined up as a DE (dare I say, he looked more explosive than LT?). But apart from Lyles, I didn't see many explosive plays from the DEs. It seemed like the linebackers were contributing the most to the pass rush. We'll have to keep an eye on this group.
The power running backs are doing their thing, but the Spartans need some speed backs. That became clear to me during the Alabama game, when the MSU running game struggled to get to the outside. In the Spring game, you could see Nick Tompkins running effectively to the outside -- that's what I was talking about! That's what the Spartans missed last year! Can Tompkins become that speed back MSU needs? Can he do it for a whole season? Will the coaches give him a chance?
Upshot
This team has the talent to be favored in most of its games this season, and it has the talent to be in a tossup situation against other top teams (Notre Dame, Michigan, and Ohio State). I don't know that this team will gel fast enough to beat Notre Dame, but it could gel fast enough to beat Michigan, Ohio State, and a B1G championship opponent. I guess only time will tell...
Friday, January 1, 2016
Thoughts on Playoff Blowout
OK, so that did not go at all how I expected it to go. I thought MSU could win this game, or at least keep it close. I did not anticipate this kind of domination by Alabama.
There were several reasons Alabama dominated, but probably the most important one was the planning by the coaching staff. I hate to say it, but Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin and the rest of the Alabama coaching staff came in with a better plan. Kiffin was prepared to under-use a Heisman Trophy winning running back. He designed passing plays that got his receivers wide open, including on the long bombs, and including their less-talented possession receiver.
Alabama also showed more diversity on offense. They have their power game, of course, but they also have their speed guys that could beat MSU to the outside. This has been one of my criticisms of MSU's recruiting. Somehow, the team ended up with a lot of power backs, but no backs that could beat Alabama to the outside. MSU did try to run to the outside with Burbridge, and that actually did work a couple of times. But I think in the long run, MSU is going to need to recruit a speed back or two with a goal to diversify the offense.
Apart from the game plan, MSU's execution was poor. Connor Cook and the receivers had to have a great game, but they just didn't. Cook had some accuracy issues and the receivers dropped too many passes. I anticipated that the passing offenses would be the difference in this game, and I thought MSU would have the passing advantage. Instead, Alabama's passing game turned out to be much better than I expected (won't it be the irony of all ironies if Coker stinks next week?).
I felt that MSU's defensive talent was a better match for Alabama's offense than the score reflected. MSU's run defense can hang with them, no question in my mind. But I was surprised to see the secondary struggle as much as it did. I guess it can be exposed by speed receivers like Finley -- I suppose Finley has exposed a lot of secondaries.
Alabama's talent advantage was most visible on the defensive line. It's disheartening that MSU's best offensive line in the Dantonio era was little match for Alabama's front four. Bama's front four was simply too fast, too powerful, and too smart. The telling moment came when their blitzing linebacker easily outran and overpowered Kodi Kieler (I believe). No human being should be able to do that!
The good thing for MSU is that they could be bringing back their bestest o-line in the Dantonio era, next year. But Jack Conklin would have to come back for his senior year. But I'll save my thoughts on next year's team for my next post.
There were several reasons Alabama dominated, but probably the most important one was the planning by the coaching staff. I hate to say it, but Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin and the rest of the Alabama coaching staff came in with a better plan. Kiffin was prepared to under-use a Heisman Trophy winning running back. He designed passing plays that got his receivers wide open, including on the long bombs, and including their less-talented possession receiver.
Alabama also showed more diversity on offense. They have their power game, of course, but they also have their speed guys that could beat MSU to the outside. This has been one of my criticisms of MSU's recruiting. Somehow, the team ended up with a lot of power backs, but no backs that could beat Alabama to the outside. MSU did try to run to the outside with Burbridge, and that actually did work a couple of times. But I think in the long run, MSU is going to need to recruit a speed back or two with a goal to diversify the offense.
Apart from the game plan, MSU's execution was poor. Connor Cook and the receivers had to have a great game, but they just didn't. Cook had some accuracy issues and the receivers dropped too many passes. I anticipated that the passing offenses would be the difference in this game, and I thought MSU would have the passing advantage. Instead, Alabama's passing game turned out to be much better than I expected (won't it be the irony of all ironies if Coker stinks next week?).
I felt that MSU's defensive talent was a better match for Alabama's offense than the score reflected. MSU's run defense can hang with them, no question in my mind. But I was surprised to see the secondary struggle as much as it did. I guess it can be exposed by speed receivers like Finley -- I suppose Finley has exposed a lot of secondaries.
Alabama's talent advantage was most visible on the defensive line. It's disheartening that MSU's best offensive line in the Dantonio era was little match for Alabama's front four. Bama's front four was simply too fast, too powerful, and too smart. The telling moment came when their blitzing linebacker easily outran and overpowered Kodi Kieler (I believe). No human being should be able to do that!
The good thing for MSU is that they could be bringing back their bestest o-line in the Dantonio era, next year. But Jack Conklin would have to come back for his senior year. But I'll save my thoughts on next year's team for my next post.
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