Sports: Exciting Moments in Rebuilding Year
In a rebuilding year, the MSU football team showed future promise with some awesome stretches of offensive production.
In the end, MSU finished at 5-7, just as most experts had predicted before the season, and John L. Smith’s rebuilding job seemed on course.
“As a team, we didn’t underachieve and we didn’t overachieve,” sums up Smith of his second MSU season. “But we’ve got to sneak up and . . . overachieve more than we did. So we’re definitely not satisfied.”
Spartan fans harbored little satisfaction after their hopes had soared in the wake of MSU’s mid-season explosiveness on offense. With sophomore Drew Stanton finally entrenched at quarterback, MSU looked like a juggernaut as it destroyed nationally-ranked Minnesota 51-17, forced archrival Michigan into triple overtime (eventually losing 45-37 in Ann Arbor), almost overcame Ohio State after spotting the Buckeyes three scores, and then blasted undefeated, fourth-ranked and Sports Illustrated-touted Wisconsin 49-14.
So dominant did MSU look in stretches that few doubted Penn State’s legendary coach Joe Paterno when he called MSU the Big Ten’s best football team. Suspicions of sandbagging might have emerged, however, after the Nittany Lions proceeded to spank MSU 37-13 in Happy Valley.
Nonetheless, MSU’s glimpses of excellence fuel optimism for the future. Next season eight starters will return from an offense that averaged 460 yards in total yards, 11th in the nation, and 238.5 yards rushing, 14th in the nation. They include quarterback Stanton, running backs Jason Teague and Jehuu Caulcrick, who made the All-Big Ten freshman team, all the wide receivers, and offensive linemen Chris Morris, Kyle Cook, and Stefon Wheeler, along with versatile sub Gordon Niebylski and touted recruit Roland Martin waiting in the wings.
The Spartans lose two key linemen, All-Big Ten tackle Sean Poole, only the second offensive lineman in history to be named Big Ten Player Of The Week, guard William Whittiker, and speedster DeAndra Cobb, who almost set an NCAA record for number of kickoff returns for a TD.
“We’re coming off a losing season, and that changes everybody’s attitude,” says Big Ten honorable mention center Morris. “We are going to have to work harder to reach our goals.”
MSU’s defense was up and down. It staged an incredible goal-line stand against Wisconsin, and yet allowed many pivotal big plays—several undue TD completions at Michigan, a ball-snatching by Iowa returned for a touchdown, and a late big pass play by Ohio State.
MSU will lose linebacker linebackers Ron Stanley and Tyrell Dortch, safety Jason Harmon, cornerback Roderick Maples, defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson and rush end Clifford Dukes. But returning will be safety Erik Smith, nose tackle Brandon McKinney, linebacker David Herron, and cornerback Jeremy Hayes, as well as defensive lineman Domaka Peko.
Also, defensive coordinator Chris Smeland hopes that injured linebacker Seth Mitchell can stave off persistent knee problems next season.
Special teams loses Cobb and place kicker Dave Rayner, MSU's all-time leader in scoring (326 career points), field goals (61 made) and extra points (143 made), but returns All-American punter Brandon Fields, whose 48.3-yard average led the NCAA.
One important indicator in Smith’s rebuilding effort was the number of Spartans selected on the Academic All-Big Ten team—13, a record number for MSU. “Our philosophy is that our student-athletes can excel in the classroom while pursuing excellence on the playing field,” explains Smith. “Every player comes here with the hopes of playing in the National Football League. It’s my hope that they all earn a degree along the way.”