Wisconsin Recap

So, Saturday afternoon, I caught The Death. It had started creeping in on Friday morning but Saturday afternoon it was on like Donkey Kong. I couldn't make it through a conversation without a cough drop, something hot to drink (which ruled out most of what you do drink at a tailgate) or just coughing for about 25 seconds. I mentally entertained skipping the game and it would have been my first scratch unrelated to a wedding in eight years. In the end though, wisdom prevailed, pain is temporary, pride is forever and all that other nonsense. Armed with two rolls of cough drops and drinking four hot chocolates throughout I watched one of the best games I have ever seen at Spartan Stadium.

See for as damned uncomfortable as I was physically on Saturday night this isn't about me or really the other 75,000 fans in Spartan Stadium. This night was about the Michigan State Football team. A team picked to win this game by no one except a handful of local media. A team who was minus one of their best players in Will Gholston and whose Defensive Coordinator was given one of the most wristslappy rebukes I have ever seen on Friday afternoon. An offense whose problems have been maligned even on this very blog laying out the mighty Badgers for 37 points. A fifth year walk-on (Elsworth is apparently a sophomore) making not one but two critical plays to win the game for the Spartans. Kirk Cousins going out and putting up 22/31 for 3 TD's and no picks against the nation's fourth ranked pass defense. And....



Keith Nichol's day in the sun. Holy crap if this kid hasn't earned it. He could have chosen not to come back after spurning MSU for the Sooners. But he did. He could have left after losing out the starting job to Kirk Cousins in 2009, but he didn't. He could have tried to beat out Cousins for the gig in 2010, but he didn't, he chose instead to be a Wide Receiver because he thought it's where he could best help the team. With that touchdown grab, Keith Nichol has 202 yards and 1 Touchdown on the season, hardly stultifying numbers, but way to make your one count. Congratulations sir.

As a result, I think our team would have kicked Badger ass with or without us on Saturday night, but I'm happy I was invited to spectate.

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Other Observations:

- Keshawn Martin the Wide Receiver appears to be back to form. I thought his receiving struggles were related to the lack of a legitimate 2 receiver and him being asked to play outside of his typical slot role, but some switch flipped for him in the past couple games. Keshawn Martin the Punt Returner still looks a skosh iffy to me.

- Congratulations to Kyler Elsworth. A HUGE 3rd down stop in the second quarter to force the Badgers to kick a field goal that was subsequently blocked. Speaking of blocking, did you know he blocked that punt that was then returned for a touchdown. Congrats Mr. Elsworth.

- The Wisconsin playaction is breathtaking and their run game is always enough of a threat that you cannot write off the run on playaction. There were several times in this game that the run was sold so well I had no idea that it was a pass until the ball was in the air. Our defense was outstanding on Saturday despite giving up 31 points.

- 1. The number of interceptions Russell Wilson had this season coming into the MSU game. 2. The number of interceptions he had during the game. Our defense managed to do twice what one other team had done once all season. Pick off another September Heisman candidate.

- Missing Will Gholston in my opinion almost cost us this game. Not really in quarters 1,2 or 3. Specifically in Quarter four when Wisconsin was completing passes because they had ALL DAY to throw. That's where Will would have made the difference helping get to Wilson just a half second sooner would have made that game less interesting in my opinion. Glad we'll have him back for the remainder of the season.

- Did Bielema Choke this game away? Mostly no. The timeout he called on 2nd and 20 was a good decision. The one he called on 3rd and 8 was not. State would have had to call a timeout in that situation anyway which means we have one less for the Rocket play. Hindsight's 20-20 of course, but there was just too much field to defend for him to think he was really going to pull that off on 3rd and 8.

Anyway, great win, program win maybe even? Great game to watch and might be the set up for a huge rivalry going forward.

The Defense of East Lansing

Maybe this is a false assumption on my part, but I've always thought the questions being asked by the media have some correlation to what's on the mind of a sports team. If this supposition holds any merit, MSU is going to have it's work cut out for it tomorrow.

See when you get to speak with the GameDay staff and 60 percent of the questions revolve around the game and aftermath of last week's game, you're missing a great moment to talk about the present and very immediate future. Although, in fairness Howard might have brought it on himself a bit.



People did not really care for his Lions hat.

What conversation did focus on today's matchup with the Badgers centered on this one key element. The defense is the marquee unit of the Michigan State Football team. Yet, they're the ones with the most to overcome in terms of moving on from the past to the present. Will Gholston was suspended on Thursday and then Friday Pat Narduzzi was admonished for his 60 minutes of necessary roughness comments. Both Herbie and Howard supported the suspension of William Gholston and were willing to spend a few minutes talking the fallout of MSU's dirty play.

Yet it's clear that the Spartans have earned the respect of both Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. Herbstreit said: "Their mentality and the way they play, if you're a defensive guy, you've gotta love that." Howard said: "The Michigan State defense is one of the statistically best defenses in the nation." Gritted teeth were involved for Howard, but definitely some respect.

Still, what remains clear after our meet and greet with Howard, Herbstreit and Erin Andrews (more on that later), is that this game is about one thing. The Defense in East Lansing defending East Lansing. Defending East Lansing from media jib-jabbing, defending their suspended players from more criticism and defending the goal from a ferocious Badger offense. (Obligatory Badger Reference) With so much attention placed on the style of the Defense this week, how could the game come down to anything but their play? Tonight, tune in and view the Defense of East Lansing.

MSU Defense: The Fountain of Youth

There's a second part coming to this post. When, you ask, well I guess you'll just have to wonder about that. Probably next week.

As I was driving home from Saturday's game, I got Chris Vannini's tweet saying that the D-Line two games into the conference season has sacked the opponent's QB a total of 16 times. That's more than most of the NCAA has for the whole season in case you're keeping track at home. They held another strong offense 200 yards below their season average and had a pick six. Simply put, they are good. Like the first time you saw Jurassic Park good.

What was absolutely kicks me in the junk about this defense is how young they are. As Jamie Mac of the Just Cover Blog pointed out, seven of our defensive starters this year are from the class of 2010. (I would argue that Pickelman is more of a starter than Rashad White, but that doesn't really detract from the point.) The point is our defense is stupid young.

After a seasonal defensive performance the likes of which I haven't ever seen, at the end of 2011 we will definitely lose Trenton Robinson, Kevin Pickelman and more than likely lose Jerel Worthy. At the end of 2012 we'll get dinged some more when we lose Johnny Adams, Rashad White and Chris Norman. Here's the amazing thing folks, in 2013, the following players will still be at the positions they're playing today: Marcus Rush, Will Gholston, Denicos Allen, Max Bullough, Darqueze Dennard and Isaiah Lewis. Gholston may go pro, but eh, he's has to settle down some first.

In the class of 2010 we have a few other players who are seeing significant minutes. Kurtis Drummond has been seeing lots of time as our nickel back in our third down package. Tony Lippett has been tabbed as the next two-way player at MSU. Jeremy Langford seems to have found a home at corner grabbing a pick-six against FAU and looks to try and move up the depth chart from there.

We have managed to redshirt the entire class of 2011 save one, Taiwan Jones. Taiwan Jones is a manchild at 6'3" and 234 and has spent his freshman year so far destroying people on kick returns. So in 2011, we're redshirting three LB's, two CB's, 3-4 DT's depending on what position Brandon Clemons ends up at and 2 DE's. It's difficult to expound on how GOOD they'll all be because we haven't seen any of them play. However, ratings, we got 'em. All three and four star kids. I really thought coming into this season that redshirting all but one member of the 2011 class meant that our class needed seasoning, but what's obvious only now is that why bother burning eligibility when you can sit everyone and have them gain more experience?

It's beyond difficult to look at this current defense and not start thinking about if Dantonio has finally got his pieces into place to build the Championship Defense Dantonio has wanted since he came to town in 2006. We are young, we are kicking ass and with redshirting almost our entire defensive class we are going to be as good or better next year. If in 2012 we find ourselves in a position to ask ourselves if our defense is any good or not, it should be a pretty simple question to answer. We can just ask any of the nine returning starters from 2011.