Seniors in must-win situation for bowl game

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Six practices, two games.

At 5-5, that’s all the MSU football team and its seniors have left if they don’t win at least one of their final two games to become bowl eligible for the third straight season.

But making a bowl game goes beyond the prestige of a bowl and playing another game.

More important is the extra practices that come with it.

“We have a young football team, for the most part,” head coach Mark Dantonio said Sunday.

“We have 53 guys that are freshmen and sophomores, so getting to that bowl game would be very important for those 17 guys that we are redshirting and some of the guys that are redshirt freshmen right now that are trying to play themselves into situations.”

Dantonio specifically mentioned the offensive line as a unit that can benefit from extra practices.

And with three seniors needing to be replaced next season, players such as redshirt freshman tackle John Deyo, redshirt freshman guard Ethan Ruhland, sophomore Jared McGaha and freshmen Henry Conway and David Barrent can use all the experience possible.

“It would give them an opportunity to take a big step toward their development,” Dantonio said.

Staying the course

Although sophomore Kirk Cousins has taken command at quarterback, sophomore Keith Nichol will continue to see time, Dantonio said.

“I try to say this is about growth,” Dantonio said.

“For me, for our football team, when you’re ahead 35-0, you can provide opportunity for growth. As far as in the first half, I think things have to be on the table a little bit from a competitive standpoint and allow people to come in there and compete. So, it’s realistic how they’re playing in a real game that’s tight.”

Against Western Michigan, Cousins was 22-of-25 for 353 yards and two touchdowns while Nichol was 6-of-10 for 30 yards and a score.

“I just believe that every one of our players should grow,” Dantonio said. “I don’t care what position they’re in. That makes us a better football team. I think that’s the reason (Nichol) played well in the Illinois game is because he had opportunities earlier, so that’s the way we’ll do it.”

Back to full strength

MSU’s laundry list of injuries heading into the Western Michigan game appears to be a nonissue now. Dantonio said because his injured players — senior safety Danny Fortener, senior defensive end Trevor Anderson, junior nose tackle Oren Wilson, junior safety Marcus Hyde and freshman Larry Caper — saw limited or no time Saturday, everyone should be ready to go Saturday against Purdue.

“We really are pretty healthy, so that’s a positive we brought out of this football game,” Dantonio said. “We didn’t get many guys dinged up, so we were able to play a lot of players, so that was a positive. We’re in pretty good health, really.”

Officiating follies

Dantonio was asked if he heard back from the Big Ten about the review of a fourth quarter play that was called a fumble on the field but ruled an incompletion by the replay official.

“Yeah, I heard back,” he said, declining to say what he heard. “I think you guys need to take that up with the people there. I don’t want to get involved in that. It’s past.”

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