MSU's philosophy changes after 2nd consecutive loss
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Mark Dantonio
Following two straight losses, the MSU football team has been forced to re-evaluate its goals.
No longer in the hunt for the Big Ten title, head coach Mark Dantonio said his team is focused on making its third straight bowl appearance.
“We have to understand where we’re at,” Dantonio said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “I don’t think we’re going to win the Big Ten championship this year. I think that’s the reality right now. We’ve lost three games in the conference. I think our goals need to be to go to a bowl game, regardless of which bowl game that is.”
Dantonio said winning out in November — the Spartans play Western Michigan, Purdue and Penn State — now is a team goal.
MSU (4-5 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) needs to win all three games to finish 7-5 and solidify a bowl appearance. If the Spartans finish 6-6, all 7-5 teams nationwide must be selected for a bowl before the Spartans could be considered.
Dantonio said trying to rebuild respect is something else he’d like to accomplish.
“Anytime you have a football team that is all of a sudden 4-5 after nine games, I think you begin to lose a little bit of respect. I think that’s natural,” Dantonio said. “And what we want to try to do is make sure we’re regaining that respect. I believe that’s a weekly challenge for every football team in America.
“When you don’t win, you don’t get the prize. There’s no prize for second place. You either win or you lose. You can say why you won or why you lost, all these different things and you can lay it out there, but it’s one or the other. We have to always deal with that and I think that’s very important.”
Depth perception
Dantonio did not release a depth chart Tuesday because he doesn’t know who’s going to be available Saturday.
“We’ve got some guys that are banged up, injured a little bit, so really until we get to practice, we don’t know who’s in, who’s out because we had some guys with some head injuries,” Dantonio said, declining to name injuries.
“So we’ve got to see where we’re at and also have to see how certain players are coming back, guys who have been injured previous.”
Dantonio added that there will be no depth chart changes in relation to how someone played.
Commentary
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Tim
(11/04/09 7:29am)Report
MD needs to re-evaluate his goals. Instead of setting them for a bowl game, which is way too lofty at this point, why not re-focus as follows:
1. Get the O line to block.
2. Get one yard when you need it..like first and goal at the one!
3. Try something other than “up the gut” on every running play.
4. Get the DB’s on the same page, assuming of course that ANY of them can read!
Really…a bowl game?? This team of perpetual underacheivers in a bowl? Who cares, really? The air went out of this balloon when we lost to CMU. The slow leak that occured then has now expanded to an all-out tear in the basic fabric. It is obvious that the steam and momentum, if there ever really was any, is lost. It is obvious, from the team demeanor, that there is little interest in playing the game. This is a beaten team, led by a beaten and woefully incompetent coaching staff. Reminds me of Bobbie Williams. The kids need leadership and when they look into the eyes of their coaches and especially their Head Coach, what they see is a blank stare, glassy eyes, and total bewilderment. Doesn’t exactly instill loads of confidence!
Simply put, the clock is ticking on this staff. It started when they lost to CMU…it’s beating faster and faster. This Saturday’s loss to WMU, truly a lightweight if there ever was one, will set into motion the final act: Bye-Bye MD, Bye Bye Treadwell, Bye Bye Narduzzi. Recruiting has already suffered…there’s little hope for the foreseeable future in that regard. Who wants to attend a school where the chances of success are slim to none? At least there’s hope at another school. MSU football is the epitome of hopelessness!!! And for that we can thank MR. Football, Mark Dantonio.
MSU IS THE Basketball School. A premier program built by a premier coach. Where’s football? A less than mediocre program mired in confusion and fueled by a lack of interest. Simply put: We don’t care anymore! It’s over…done…KAPUT.
Thanks, MD. Enjoy the money now. You’ll need it later when you join the ranks of the other unemployable “coaches” play-acting on the Big Ten Network.
Tim
(11/04/09 8:00am)Report
One more thing………..
My only interest in watching this Saturday is to see just how really, really awfull MSU stinks up their own stadium. Statistically, these teams are about even. Not something to be proud of if you are a green koolaid drinking MSU fanatic! MSU EQUAL…that’s equal, folks..to a mid-level MAC team. WOW, how low can one head coach take ya?
Anyway, Timmy is calling this one:
WMU 35
MSU 21
Not so shocking , is it?
MD Must Go!!
Maz
(11/04/09 8:30am)Report
Dear Tim, You are an idiot.
Thanks,
-Maz
Lee
(11/04/09 8:51am)Report
The rest of his posts may be suspect, but I actually agree with Tim on his points #1, #2, and #3.
Seriously, Dantonio/Treadwell – STOP RUNNING UP THE GUT!!!
Also, why are our defensive secondary guys always behind the receiver in the end zone??? Are they trying to stop the guy from getting extra yardage? That’s just not being aware of your spot on the field!
Tim
(11/04/09 10:45am)Report
Dear Maz:
Thanks, I needed that. LOL!!
And thanks, Lee, for agreeing with me. I was, I admit, a bit harsh with point #4. But really, minus the sarcasm, are the DB’s on the same page? I agree, always behind the receiver in the end zone. And the slant vs Iowa…gimmie a break. In that situation it was going to be either a fade or the slant. In that situation why blitz, which is what we did. The blitzing should have been done further upfield to keep Iowa from working down the field and into scoring position. At the goal line, 1 second left, for Pete’s sake, drop back into zone, rush three, and position D playerss across the endzone to block the passing lanes. What do we do: blitz, leave the lanes open, don’t cover the slant, and the rest is history.
I don’t know if you were at the Minnesota game, Maz, I was. I was there and was certain of the MSU defeat as soon as the MSU players came on the field. Lackluster, bored, no spirit, no enthusiasm. From MD, too. Walking around half asleep!
The first play set the tone and it was really downhill from there. We couldn’t get 1 yard….1 stinking, lousy yard in the red zone. Up the gut, up the gut, up the gut. Broken record!!
WMU will pass us crazy. Don’t you think that Western has scouts and has game film, too? They’ll pass us silly.
Like I said look for the “upset:”
WMU 35
MSU 21
MD must go!
And thanks again Maz for the laugh!
Tim
(11/04/09 12:23pm)Report
For all you, “MD is my football hero” crowd:
Brian Kelly has Cincinnati unbeaten…with MD’s kids!! MD recruited ‘em, and Kelly has turned them into winners BIG TIME. Doesn’t that say something?? Sure, MD can recruit…he’s been around some quality programs long enough to know talent when he sees it. Same could be said of Bobby Williams. The true test is , Can they do anything with the talent once they have it? Apparently, MD can’t and Brian Kelly can.
Kelly’s doin’ it with MD’s Kids. Not so amazing when you dig into it and look at it. Kelly has it together; MD don’t…pure and simple.
Another one the got away from this inept administration at MSU. We’ll never learn with these losers…we’ll never win with them either.
spartygold
(11/04/09 10:12pm)Report
Coach…If it is not your thing to get players ready to play..then make it your thing..They are often not ready..Poor coaching..I also agree..we are all sick of up the gut..4 times in a row..really..get some imagination..You only go up the gut if you have the power to do it and obviously the Spartans do not. Defensive backs look great at times and terrible..sign of an unfocused team..it is your job to focus them..