Dantonios' key to success lies in team smarts

Evanston, Ill. — There’s a strange, almost subliminal, difference in labels tagged to new head coaches hired in college football: You’re either a program architect or a program builder.

A program architect is a finessed, white-collar coach who talks loudly, works from his high-rise building and favors lower taxes. Think U-M’s Rich Rodriguez or Florida’s Urban Meyer.

A program builder is a hard-nosed, blue-collar coach who speaks softly, labors at the construction site and belongs to the local union. Think Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops or Ohio State’s Jim Tressel.

Twenty-three months into his tenure, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio has found a middle ground between the two labels. He has created a solid foundation of toughness, while crafting a winning blueprint executed to perfection during Saturday’s 37-20 win against Northwestern.

Dantonio’s blueprint is a five-point plan epitomized in Evanston during the season’s most well-rounded win:

1. Play smart

Dantonio took over a team that was once a mental case and made it mentally strong.

With five penalties Saturday, including only two in the first three quarters — you wondered if the referees left their yellow flags in the hotel room.

Senior quarterback Brian Hoyer, the much-scrutinized second-year starter, has been the picture of brainy consistency with three interceptions on the season and solid throws — especially this weekend with his mistake-free 14-of-20 passing performance.

2. Be mentally tough

In MSU’s first game as a ranked team since 2005, the groundwork was there for a building collapse against an upstart pack of Wildcats.

It’s been rare that MSU has had to play the role of “bully” when headed into a Big Ten game, but the Spartans pushed Northwestern up against the playground wall Saturday and made sure not to leave Evanston without a win (and the Wildcats’ milk money).

“Whether we won or we lost — it was important that we respond because it shows football character, it shows preparation and it shows work ethic,” Dantonio said.

3. Win the turnover battle

With three more takeaways Saturday — a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery — and zero giveaways, MSU now ranks sixth in the nation with a plus-10 turnover margin.

This week’s turnovers became great field position for Hoyer and a balanced offensive attack that scored 17 more points while running 30 fewer plays than Northwestern.

“We came out, got hot quick, and we were able to move the ball,” Hoyer said. “I think what really helped us out were the turnovers. We had great field position all day.”

4. Win the running game on both sides of the ball

If there is an oldest adage in football, it’s that football games are won and lost in the trenches.

With a speedy front seven and unheralded depth (see: Former wide receiver Ryan Allison’s 11 tackles last season), MSU contained Northwestern’s spread attack one year after surrendering 48 points against it.

On offense, a straight-ahead attack on the ground opened up passing lanes and space to run for flashier players — such as freshman wide receiver Keshawn Martin, who has more moves than a chess game.

5. Utilize superb special teams

Superb special teams has eased the burden on both the offense and defense — from junior kicker Brett Swenson’s 15 consecutive field goal makes to sophomore punter Aaron Bates’ coffin corner kicks (I’ve yet to confirm it, but I think there might be magnetic forces pulling Bates’ boots inside the 5-yard line).

On Saturday, an astute fair-catch call on an onside kick by sophomore special teams specialist Jesse Johnson forced a penalty that set up MSU’s next touchdown score, which effectively put the game out of reach.

It was the kind of brilliant play that Dantonio must love when preaching to be smart — a trait supposedly reserved for Northwestern’s brainiacs.

With this five-point plan in hand and a performance legitimizing its feasibility, the MSU program architect has a perfect blueprint to build his program around.

Now, it’s just a matter of execution.

Published on Sunday, October 12, 2008