Texas Tech heartache
MSU falls 41-31 to Red Raiders in Alamo Bowl
Head coach Mark Dantonio watches as Texas Tech marches down the field to score their final touchdown Saturday night in the Valero Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Dantonio is now 0-3 in bowl games during his tenure at MSU. Josh Radtke/The State News
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San Antonio — Coming into the Valero Alamo Bowl, few expected the MSU football team to give Texas Tech much of a fight.
Down 14 players due to suspensions, MSU shocked the partisan crowd, holding a 31-27 lead in the fourth quarter. But like the story has been all season, the Spartans ran to the wall but couldn’t break through.
A costly interception, combined with two critical fourth-down conversions late by the Red Raiders, were too much for MSU to overcome, as Texas Tech came back to hand the Spartans a 41-31 loss Saturday night at the Alamodome.
“What I told the team in the locker room after the game is basically to not hang your head,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. “We had opportunities. Nobody likes to lose. 2010 has started, we start now and we move forward. That’s basically what I said.”
The Spartans got off to quite possibly one of the worst starts imaginable. In the week leading up to the game, the team expressed how important ball control would be because of Texas Tech’s quick-strike, high-octane offense.
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MSU won the coin toss, chose to receive and looked to have something going on its first drive, but sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Texas Tech’s Jamar Wall.
The Red Raiders moved the ball at will after that, going 61 yards in 3:43, capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Baron Batch. The nine-play drive did not feature a single negative play. Quarterback Taylor Potts was 5-for-5 for 46 yards on the drive.
The two teams traded three-and-outs, but MSU made the most of its third drive. Cousins hit senior receiver Blair White for a 19-yard gain on first down and freshman running back Edwin Baker did the rest on the next play, getting a great block from sophomore guard Joel Foreman and going 46 yards up the middle for his first career touchdown.
“The line did a tremendous job,” Baker said. “They opened up a hole so big, I saw it and said, ‘Go.’ I just told myself to go, don’t stop and don’t look back.”
But the revelry was short-lived.
Texas Tech marched back down the field, going 70 yards on 11 plays, but the Spartans were able to hold the Red Raiders, who settled for a 21-yard field goal by Matt Williams.
The Spartans were unable to answer on the following drive, going three-and-out. On the first play of its drive, Texas Tech ran a flea flicker. Potts got the pitch back and found receiver Austin Zouzalik for 50 yards to the 2-yard line.
Two plays later, a Texas Tech coach ran down from the bench area to the 10-yard line looking for a timeout, but didn’t get it. Instead, Potts found receiver Lyle Leong on a quick-hit touchdown, giving the Red Raiders a 17-7 edge.
Things looked bleak for MSU, but on their next drive, Cousins cashed in for the Spartans, avoiding a sack and finding sophomore receiver Keshawn Martin, who broke off his route, for a 48-yard touchdown.
MSU looked to tie the game later in the second quarter, but senior kicker Brett Swenson’s 52-yard field goal was blocked. Texas Tech responded with a 38-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the half to go into halftime up 20-14.
The beginning of the third quarter saw the Spartans gain hope — and the lead — for the first time.
Texas Tech fumbled the opening kick and MSU took over at the Red Raiders 26-yard line. Out of the Wildcat formation, sophomore quarterback Keith Nichol, who played most of the game at receiver, went up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown. Swenson’s extra point gave MSU its first lead, 21-20, early in the third quarter.
Potts fumbled the snap on fourth-and-one on Texas Tech’s next drive, giving the ball to MSU, but the Spartans weren’t able to capitalize, punting to the Red Raiders 8-yard line.
Texas Tech showed what its offense is could do on the drive, going all 92 yards in nine plays totaling 3:05, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Potts to receiver Jacoby Franks, giving the Red Raiders a 27-21 lead. The big play on the drive was a 49-yard swing pass from Potts to Batch.
Again, MSU’s offense couldn’t respond, going three-and-out. Texas Tech got the ball back and looked to be moving for another touchdown, but a holding penalty, combined with a quarterback hurry and a batted pass, forced Texas Tech to punt.
The next drive was one of the biggest under Dantonio, which started with a 49-yard pass from Cousins to White. The drive appeared to stall, but Dantonio called a fake field goal and it converted on an 18-yard pass from junior punter Aaron Bates to junior tight end Charlie Gantt. On the next play, Martin, out of the Wildcat formation, hit White for a 7-yard score, giving MSU a 28-27 lead.
Texas Tech again looked to be mounting offense, but senior cornerback Ross Weaver intercepted Potts, ending the drive.
MSU made the Red Raiders pay for the turnover, converting it into three points on a 44-yard field goal by Swenson with 8:05 to play in the fourth quarter.
But the Red Raiders came right back with Potts on the bench. Back-up quarterback Steven Sheffield led Texas Tech on an eight play, 77-yard touchdown drive to give his team a 34-31 lead with about five minutes to play.
MSU got the ball back, but Cousins was intercepted at the MSU 35-yard line with 4:19 remaining when he threw off his back foot while eluding a sack.
“It was a play we got exactly what we wanted on, in terms of the coverage,” Cousins said. “It was open, but I had to step up in the pocket a little bit and it threw the timing off on the route and by the time I needed to throw it it was too late. … I didn’t throw a good pass. It wasn’t a good decision.”
On the ensuing drive, receiver Alex Torres dropped a pass on third-and-five, but the Red Raiders decided to go for it on fourth down at the MSU 30. Sheffield went back to Torres and got a 6-yard gain for the first down with about four minutes to play.
MSU again held Texas Tech to a fourth-down situation with 2:42 to play from the 18-yard line, but Sheffield found Lewis for five yards and the first. On the next play, Batch went in from 11 yards out, giving the Red Raiders a 41-31 lead with 2:08 to play.
“You gotta take a swing,” Texas Tech interim head coach Ruffin McNeill said of the two fourth down conversions. “You can’t hit unless you swing.”
Texas Tech finished with 579 yards of total offense, while the Spartans notched 396 yards.
“You can’t miss opportunities against a good football team,” Dantonio said. “We came away with some turnovers, we got back in the game in the second (half). We’re hanging in just like some of our other games, but at the end of the day they make a play and we’ve got to come up with one.”
Potts finished with an Alamo Bowl-record 372 yards on 29-of-43 passing, helping the Red Raiders to a whopping 31 first downs.
Cousins finished 13-of-27 for 220 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
“I thought we played with a tremendous amount of pride and effort,” Cousins said. “We just came up short once again.”
Commentary
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danielle
(01/03/10 1:56am)Report
The commentary from ESPN was horrible. I wish I had a penny for every time they discussed the debacle over the weirdos Leach and James. I was so tired of hearing about the fact that the Texas Tech team dropped out of the holy heaven of football players. I thought we played a good game and the freshman played their hearts out and should have been more acknowledged!
JDMSU12
(01/03/10 2:13am)Report
I agree Danielle – Bob Davie was awful…
We played alot better then I thought, but hopefully we can finally get a better defense next year…
We have alot of young talent, let’s just hope Greg Jones stays to teach some of the new guys how to hussle….
Go Green!
ESPN BLOWS
(01/03/10 2:27am)Report
I am in the same boat as you both are in. I felt the ESPN broadcast was the Texas Tech Channel. Had I known I was watching the Tech channel, I would have looked for the MSU channel somewhere.
I am half tempted to write a complaint to ESPN and let them know how disappointed I am in the commentators.
They were unprofessional the whole night, and wouldn’t let the poor kids off the hook, and kept asking them how the student-athletes felt about the firing, and if they agreed with the university. Props to the backup quarterback who said he didn’t hear the question.
This was a well fought football game, and it would have never seemed to be the case with the way the game was covered…
ESPN FAIL!!!!
RedRaider
(01/03/10 6:20am)Report
You are right that up until now Tech has been the ESPN homer channel, especially in 2008. Now with the James deal, not so much, although I did wonder why Mich ST didn’t get much attention during the game. I would be hacked off too, as I am over the ESPN coddling of the James Family. You guys played a heck of a game. Next year should be great for you.Good luck.
Ricky
(01/03/10 9:06am)Report
Why do they have sports commentators, anyway? Why not just let the game speak for itself?
mark
(01/03/10 9:09am)Report
Agree the announcing was WAY too much on the Leach affair. Spartans played well, were creative in the 2H, and made it entertaining game. Still sucks to lose yet another game though.
Home Game for Tech
(01/03/10 11:00am)Report
All of you wondering why so much was put on tech, look where the game was played, San Antonio, TEXAS. It was basically a home game for Texas Tech.
Besides i didnt want to hear them talk about the 14 suspended.
Blake Miller
(01/03/10 11:05am)Report
Didn’t you hear that I am going to dental school at Michigan and my teammate last year Javon Ringer was a star wide receiver like me?
DJ
(01/03/10 12:10pm)Report
I thought the Spartans played their hearts out and I think next year will pay off for them. The MSU coaches and players should all be proud of last night. And, I agree with everyone that the announcers were getting out of hand. The players on the field for both teams deserved a little bit of attention and respect.
KJ Green
(01/03/10 12:27pm)Report
Disappointing loss, even though we were missing key players. I agree with the prior commentary about tv coverage. The teams (both MSU and TTU) seemed able to deflect the “controversies” leading up to the game — why the heck couldn’t the announcers just call the game?
I’m also wondering when we will be getting a post from little Timmy (see post from attached article: http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2010/01/coaches_put_distractions_aside_before_bowl_game)
Tim sucks
(01/03/10 1:08pm)Report
Timmy is probably crying his eyes out because his basketball team (UM) lost to Indiana. Indiana!
(With all due respect to Tom Crean, they are still rebuilding after Sampson.)
OK,IWasn'tWrong
(01/03/10 5:18pm)Report
I’m an Indiana U football fan (yeah, weird – I know) who settled in to watch what I hoped would be another Big 10 bowl win. I had to turn the game off at halftime because I couldn’t stand to hear the announcers drool about Texas Tech one more minute. I stopped in here to see if the feelings were shared with the MSU faithful.
Good game. Too bad the 4-letter didn’t notice there were two teams on the field.
And just an opinion based on no facts whatsoever — I have a feeling the James kid did or said something that was deserving of getting locked in a shed.
Jack - Class of 84
(01/04/10 7:25am)Report
There’s a bigger problem here than commentators. It’s the decades long second lass, or worse, status of State’s football program. I graduated in 84 and in the, almost, 30 years since, I’ve watched inconsistent play, recruiting, and some HORRIBLE coaching. In a school that’s twice the size of UM and that can afford a program to rival the best in the Big Ten and the country, we’re always the red haired step child. I’d never heard of Texas Tech until Saturday…yet another loss that shouldn’t have happened.
defense
(01/04/10 8:31am)Report
how many starters did we lose on defense? one?
but we give up 600 yards???
the defense has sucked all year. FIRE NARDUZZI
Tim
(01/04/10 9:42am)Report
OK, Tim was wrong about the score.
Takeaways from the game:
MSU kids played better than expected.
TT had 350 yds. after the catch and over 600 yds total O. Can’t win many when you give up that’s much ground and are minus in the turn-over margin.
MSU played into TT hands by once again not using clock management, short passes, time-eating drives. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom in a game like this. In 2008 we won more than we lost due to ball control: running the ball, etc. The 2009 O line was horrible.
MSU is 6-7 in 2009. Not a winning percentage in my book. Maybe yours KJ, et. AL, but not mine. The numbers don’t lie, and this years’ team was simply not good. As long as folks like KJ pay their money and buy tickets this type of mediocrity will continue. Case in point: at last count MSU didn’t sell nearly 5000 tickets for the bowl game. Why? Perhaps folks just don’t care that much anymore. Mediocrity doesn’t sell.
BTW: MSU basketball seems once again on a roll. We can be proud of that squad. Good kids, no jail time.
Jason
(01/04/10 11:12am)Report
Good game, Spartans. Definitely some holes in defense that need to be plugged, and the D coordinator has to go. No real creativity on offense either, none of the aerial magic that other teams consistently use on us in the fourth quarter.
Players, you should be proud of yourselves. Coaches, you should be blaming yourselves. Get it together before next season, please! It’s embarassing when Spartan nation knows what’s wrong and you apparently do not.
Tim
(01/04/10 11:35am)Report
Right on, Jason!!!
We are perpetually waiting for “next year.” In 2008 we said, we’ll get ‘em next year.” In 2007 we said, we’ll get ‘em next year.” Wake up…next year will never come as long as we all accept mediocrity. MD is a mediocre coach. A good assistant as long as he’s in a good program. Narduzzi: pleeeeze…what a joke. Just look at the stats, man…look at the D stats.
Treadwell: well, some level of creativity but he seems too interested in schemes regardless of the outcome. Instead of ball control in this past bowl game and controlling the clock he’s having Cousins put it up for the INT’s. Did we throw at all to the TE’s? Maybe once…for a drop. Did we throw a screen pass? No. Did we attempt anything to the back in the flat? No. Simply up the gut with the run, the occasional WR sweep…and the silly, silly 20 yard pass attempt.
This is a team SCREAMING for better coaching.
As fans and alums we, too, should be SCREAMING for better coaching.
MD should be spending more time with the X’s and O’s and less at the County jail speaking to his players via the telephone between laxan.
Give me a break. Are you kidding…6-7.
Never never never should we accept that as the status quo or the best possible.
If MD doesn’t have the nerve to fire Narduzzi and put Treadwell on notice, then someone else needs to step up and do it. This team is destined for 6-6 every year.
Why…in B-Ball we EXPECT to be the Big Ten Champ and EXPECT to finish deep in the Tournament year after bloody year. Why is it different in football.
Don’t buy the tickets and the administration will be forced to find better coaching.
md
(01/04/10 1:13pm)Report
Narduzzi def needs to go.
treadwell is doing ok. a solid pass game and a so so running game with a couple of freshmen.
dantonio is a solid coach. look at the foundation he set up at cin. dantonio is a coach that make msu a contender.
meh
(01/04/10 6:39pm)Report
we played okay. Our offense is good, I liked Treadwell’s offense this year. Last year it never lived up to potential because Treadwell tried to run it up the middle every play. Someone needed to inform him that eventually the opposing defense will catch on and block the middle. This year Treadwell was forced out of his comfort zone because of the lack of running backs and actually had to pass the ball. As just about every other college has figured out (including Ohio State, go job in the Rose Bowl Bucks!)a good pass offense is necessary to compete. Hopefully next year Treadwell will be able to combine a balanced run game with a balanced pass game. Most games should be somewhere around 50-50, depending on the opposing offense. A good passing game opens up the run and a good run game opens up the pass. Got to keep them on their toes.
Narduzzi should get one more year and if things don’t improve it is time to give him the boot. If it comes down to another poor season of defense then hopefully Coach D will choose loyalty to MiSt over loyalty to Narduzzi.
Bill
(01/05/10 7:52am)Report
MSU needs to stop playing down too opponents and begin winning as they should. Michigan is a dead horse that will never revive itself in the near future and MSU has to start building there season on other moral victories other than that college of dog ugly women.
Anon
(01/05/10 8:58am)Report
TT still covered the spread, therefore we played worse than expected.
Until we beat OSU and somehow pull a Rose Bowl invite, the team is not where it needs to be.
Ray
(01/07/10 12:24am)Report
I am a Tech grad and attended the game last Saturday night. The MSU fans, coaches and players were the most showed as much class and sportsmanship I have witnessed at well over a hundred college games. The MSU band, one of the best in the country, deserves extra credit for playing the Raider fight song. Also, enough cannot be said about the great job of coaching and the desire of the players; especially considering the majority of Tech fans present and the player distraction for MSU. My sister told me of the horrible ESPN broadcast. Unfair to everyone. I also want to appologize for some of Tech’s fans that were bad sports when the Spartans took the field. I would love to see Tech play MSU again next year…but in a BCS bowl. MSU is a great school.
George
(01/14/10 10:55am)Report
Hey, MSU fans, and this is from a Red Raider alum and supporter: I agree 100%. I got sick and tired of hearing about Leach and James, etc., etc., etc. I think it was a super bowl game, and I’m glad TT won, but MSU was fantastic, and frankly, I think it came down to the team that was ahead at the end of regulation.