Michigan State blew its chance to lead the table this year by allowing bad coaching and bad play to open the door for Central Michigan to beat the Spartans 29-27 on home soil.
The Spartans, a 14.5-point favorite over the Mid-tier Mid American Conference Chippewas, won’t go undefeated this year despite having both Michigan and Penn State at home, and not having to face Ohio State at all. .
Michigan State’s schedule was a football godsend, but the Spartan coaches and players embarrassed themselves, the university, and their supporters by proving the old adage that “All that belongs to me will come to me.” when you create the capacity to receive it.”
Heck, it wasn’t that Michigan State wasn’t ready for prime time, the Spartans weren’t even ready for regular time.
After playing like no one knew what the outcome would be for 52 of 60 minutes, Kirk Cousins connected with BJ Cunningham on a 7-yard TD pass to put Michigan State up 27-20 with 7:33 remaining. You can win games by scoring just 27 points. The offense didn’t lose this game, the MSU defense did.
With 32 seconds remaining, Chippewa QB Dan LaFevour threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Paris Cotton to tie the game, 27-26. But Central Michigan was playing to win and successfully completed a 2-point pass conversion, however it was caught outside the end zone. By all accounts, MSU earned a hard-fought, undeserved victory at this point.
There was only one small problem. Central Michigan, still playing to win, took a perfect onside kick from Andrew Aguila, rallied, and ultimately attempted a game-winning 47-yard field goal. Águila’s attempt missed, but an overeager offsides penalty brought the ball within 5 yards and his second attempt from 42 yards did not miss with 3 seconds remaining. Game over.
So what really happened in this game?
First, the Spartans were not mentally prepared to play and win the game. Second, Central Michigan coach Butch Jones successfully used his spread offense to exploit the Spartans’ weak defensive secondary, the same secondary that played poorly last season and has yet to be repaired, and neutralize the future linebacker. pro Greg Jones.
Butch Jones had his quarterback completing underhand passes throughout the game as the Spartan defenders played too loose and missed tackles like clockwork. Central Michigan had 418 offensive yards in 76 plays, MSU had 316 offensive yards in 56 plays; talk about ball control.
Third, the Spartan coaches, who could have exploited Central Michigan’s weak secondary, decided to rush for a measly 101 yards on 30 attempts (a paltry 3.3 yards per carry) instead of letting Kirk Cousins play pass-and-run. catch with his corps of capable receivers. . End of story.
As Central Michigan pulled ahead 13-10, Michigan State regained the lead with their passing game, not their running game. This approach was not good enough for State, the coaches wanted to run the ball; all he showed was how they could lose the game.
Early in the game, senior wide receiver Blair White ran past the Chippewa guards as if they were standing still, and hauled in a 39-yard pass to set up a 1-yard TD run by Caulton Ray, and State was up 7-Code. Postcard. White continued to outplay Chippewa defensemen and finished the day with 7 catches for 105 yards. White could have caught twice as many passes because the defenders couldn’t keep up with him.
Cousins would finish the day going 13 of 18 for 164 yards and the 7-yard TD pass to Cunningham. Keith Nichol also played QB, finishing the day going 3-of-8 for 51 yards and a 16-yard TD pass to Charlie Gantt. Name me a Top 25 team that is rotating two quarterbacks in and out like musical chairs.
Unless Cousins is running the plays (and he doesn’t), he should have been allowed to continue the passing game when it was clear Michigan State wasn’t ready to defend and in a dogfight. State could have gotten past Central Michigan, even if the Spartan defense was giving up too many points.
Why didn’t coach Mark Dantonio and offensive coordinator Don Treadwell use more of the power of their passing game? Maybe because they’re stubborn and worried about having to field too many big running backs. Dantonio is a defensive coach, not an offensive one.
Dantonio needs to remember that setting up a running game and controlling the clock only works if you can stop the other team’s offense. Playing conservative never really wins football games, it just preserves them, and even then, you’re better off dominating and building up a big edge to protect.
This week, the Spartans travel to South Bend, Indiana, to take on Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish, not exactly a national championship-caliber team (they were upset last week by a rebuilding team from Michigan) whose players don’t they are thriving on both past glory and faded past glory.
One thing’s for sure: The would-be Spartans better beat the Irish on their home turf or Michigan State’s stock will take a huge hit for the worse.
Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley