Sports: MSU Makes Major Bowl
Mark Dantonio is making tangible improvements on the field and in recruiting, earning a New Year’s Day bowl for the first time in a decade.
In just his second season as head coach, Mark Dantonio has lived up to his promise to “measure up” when first hired (see cover story, Winter 2007). In the process of going 9-3, he has smashed the “Same Old Spartans” cliché to smithereens.
Consider just some of these firsts:
? The invitation by the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando, FL, marks the first time MSU has made a New Year’s Day Bowl in the new millennium.
? By going 9-3, Dantonio led MSU to its first back-to-back winning seasons since 1989-90.
? The victory over Michigan marked MSU’s first win in Ann Arbor since 1990. With the win, MSU claimed simultaneous possession of all its trophies—the Brass Spittoon (Indiana), Land-Grant (Penn State), Megaphone (Notre Dame), and Paul Bunyan (Michigan)—for the first time since 1999.
? In the three seasons before Dantonio, tended to fade, going a dismal 4-14 in the second half. In Dantonio’s debut season, the Spartans were 3-3 in the second half. This year MSU went 3-1 down the stretch this season. Naysayers can ditch their clever references to NOvember.
? MSU’s 25-24 win over Wisconsin was only the second time in six tries the Spartans followed up a win over archrival Michigan with another win.
? Until the loss to preseason No. 1 Ohio State, MSU amassed a six-game winning streak for the first time since 1999.
? MSU’s win over Notre Dame marked its first home win against the Fighting Irish since 2000—helping to erase the nightmare of 2004, when MSU squandered a 17-point lead and lost 40-37 while a sellout crowd sat in stunned disgust in the rain.
Some observers believe Mark Dantonio and his coaching staff have changed the culture of MSU’s football program from one that finds ways to lose to one that finds ways to win. Football being “a game of inches,” a small improvement here or there can have a massive impact on the outcome. Clearly, today’s Spartans are focusing on the small improvements that, aggregated, result in more wins.
A perfect example was the Wisconsin game. MSU trailed 281 to 25 in rushing yards yet found a way to edge the Badgers 25-24 with seven ticks left in the clock, when twice-iced Brett Swenson hit the winning trey from 44 yards. That contrasts with MSU’s tendency just a few years ago to blow 17-point leads against foes like Notre Dame and Michigan.
Also noticeable is that under Dantonio the team no longer sems to give up after a negative turn of events. In his debut season last year, MSU went 7-6 and never lost a game by more than a touchdown—an indication that players were competing hard till the bitter end. This season MSU established its feistiness in the opener at Cal; the Spartans kept coming back with big plays after major mistakes. Against Wisconsin, MSU mounted a fourth-quarter comeback from an 11-point deficit. In Ann Arbor, MSU survived a phantom touchdown the referees incorrectly awarded the Wolverines and won by two touchdowns, 35-21. In the fourth quarter against Iowa, when the Hawkeye running juggernaut looked unstoppable, MSU made a memorable fourth-down-and-inches stop to preserve the win.
Throughout the season, a great team chemistry seemed to develop. Senior running back Javon Ringer, who has surpassed Lorenzo White as the career leader in all-purpose yards (5,349 yards) and led the nation with 21 touchdowns and the Big Ten with 1,974 yards—a legitimate candidate for the Heisman Trophy—took his offensive linemen, tight ends and fullbacks to a press conference to share the credit. Senior quarterback Brian Hoyer never displayed any sign of frustration despite a number of drops; instead, he kept making accurate throws. Middle linebacker Eric Decker made the heroic tackle against Iowa, but he credited the stop to the overall defensive effort.
Many players stepped up during the season, including senior defensive tackle Justin Kershaw and senior safety Otis Wiley, both captains, and sophomore linebacker Greg Jones. A plethora of back-ups stepped up with solid performances when needed—including Ryan Allison, Brandon Denson, Dan Fortener, Marcus Hyde, and Maurice Ware. Some true freshmen impressed, including Johnny Adams and Keyshawn Martin.
Although some in the media continue to rely on past clichés to describe Spartan football, Lynn Henning, Detroit News sports columnist, compares MSU to the Minnesota Twins in baseball in that although neither is the most talented team, each play with enough smarts, discipline and key personnel to win.
“The more significant news is that this Michigan State team is about as beatable as the Spartans are likely to become in the foreseeable future,” writes Henning. “That's because Dantonio, who has single-handedly improved State's on-the-field effort, has been re-shaping MSU's recruiting. He has done pretty much what Tom Izzo did when Izzo took over the basketball program and decided there was no valid reason top talent in MSU's backyard (Michigan and border states) shouldn't be opting for East Lansing.”
Indeed, according to football experts, MSU has amassed a Top 20 recruiting class for 2009. In late October, for example, Rivals.com ranked MSU’s incoming recruiting class No. 13 in the nation. Some observers are less surprised by Dantonio’s success than the quickness with which he is bringing about tangible change.
For the second straight year, Dantonio has managed to keep his staff intact, with coordinators Don Treadwell on offense and Pat Narduzzi on defense, and assistants Harlon Barnett, Dan Enos, Ted Gill, Dan Roushar, Mark Staten, Mike Tressel, and Dave Warner. Credit also goes to veteran strength coach Ken Mannie, his assistant Tommy Hoke, and speed coach Randy Gillon.
Stay tuned.