On a 4^th and 1 play designed to sustain the drive, Kolton Browning ran to the endzone. The overtime touchdown sealed University of Louisana-Monroe’s win over the #8 Arkansas Razorbacks. ULM just knocked off the number 8 team in the land in their own house. The same ULM who hadn’t won their season opener since 2006, the same ULM who hasn’t had a winning season since ESPN started keeping W-L stats in 2002. There were mitigating factors, like the loss of Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson, but a team as talented and deep as Arkansas should be able to knock off ULM with their second string. This was a dang coaching mistake perpetrated by everyone’s favorite clown in head coach paint, John L. Smith.

So when I read Chris Vannini’s Free Press article today titled “Michigan State has no excuses for not winning the Big Ten this year" I get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Logically, I agree: The Big Ten looks terrible this year, and MSU has the best combination of talent and eligibility to represent the Big Ten in Pasadena, despite some questions in the passing game. But still, my stomach feels wobbly at the idea of Michigan State being assigned the role of “Favorite”.

For this, fans owe one John L Smith a giant collective therapy bill. If you’ve rooted MSU football since prior to the arrival of Mark Dantonio, the scene which played out in Little Rock Saturday night is not all that shocking, it’s something we’re used to. Knock off a Goliath, lose to a David. It’s not solely John L’s fault, even St. Saban knocked off two top ten teams in 1998 while losing to Colorado State, Purdue and Indiana. And look at him.

But after a quarter century of inconsistent play and just two short seasons of ass-kicking football, MSU fans aren’t used to being the Big Ten’s steady hand. Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening in spite of MSU’s inexperienced QB and receiver corps. As fans, this is a difficult role for us to embrace.

Two years is an eternity in the sports narrative and the last two years have been the best MSU football has had to offer since the 60’s. The Spartans have won 15 straight at home since the opener in 2010. Their five losses have all been to ranked teams. MSU was a missed punt block away from playing in the Rose Bowl last fall.

The national sports narrative doesn’t remember the torrential downpour in which Brady Quinn piloted Notre Dame to a come from behind win in 2006. They don’t remember Jaren Hayes valiantly trying to knock jump balls away from Braylon Edwards despite being 7 inches too short for the job. You do. You were there. You were cheering and screaming. You remember the clock rolling zeros in excruciating detail.

The body of evidence is present. MSU has been one of the most successful programs of the last two seasons . Nationally, no one thinks of MSU as the “sleeping giant” anymore, the little engine that could if they only could stop tripping on their own feet. They’ve forgotten all of our worst memories of MSU football.Maybe it’s time for us to try and do the same.

This weekend MSU travels to Central Michigan. Yes, you read that correctly. As a part of Mark Hollis’ State of the State Where MSU Football Plays Round Robin the Directional Michigan Schools State Series Continuum, MSU will travel to Central, Eastern and Western Michigan by the year 2020. First up, Central on Saturday.

After MSU’s fastidious but unspectacular win against Boise State last weekend they’re looking to get some glorified practice time against a school that’s struggled mightily since Dan LeFevour left Spartan fans after squeaking out a win in EL in 2009. Dan Enos took over as Head Coach in 2010 and has led the Chips to a 7-18 record since. This has not sat too well with Chip alums and fans who enjoyed the privilege of being the best team in the state of Michigan in 2009 as you might imagine.

The Chips are coming off a pretty unspectacular 38-27 win against Southeast Missouri State last Thursday night. The Chips conceded some points to the Redhawks and trailed or were tied until late in the third quarter. There should be a name for this phenomenon. When David plays Goliath in college football, David can hang tight until well into the second half, but, Goliath aint tired in the fourth quarter.

Last week Central was Goliath, this week, back to being David. This is undoubtedly the biggest game to come to Mount Pleasant since Soaring Eagle signed the paperwork and made it official. Local businesses are turncoating Spartan as well as some students. A win would secure another year for a Dan Enos head coaching gig that is trending, well, not well. A loss would be expected, a bad loss could give some fuel to the get rid of Dan Enos train.

On CMU Defense:

The Chips run a 4-2-5. The link in the previous sentence goes to Gary Patterson’s seminal work on why the 4-2-5 is cooler than Le’Veon Bell breakin’ fools all game long.The 4-2-5 is a defense similar to what Narduzzi runs here at MSU. The defense uses basic alignments but uses that simplicity to mask where the blitz is coming from on each play. As an added note of MACtion, the Redhawks are lined up in the pistol here.

Like MSU, CMU is very faithful to their base defense. Even on third and 20, CMU came out in this 4-2-5 they just gave up a bit more cushion from DB to receiver. On the Redhawks 55 yard TD run they ingeniously used all of their speed on offense to get the edge like so:

Redhawks are back in the pistol. Another speedy 1-AA dude goes into motion and starts running towards the QB.

1-AA Dude actually turns around and starts running behind the QB getting ready to set up the option.

The two backs originally lined up in the backfield go upfield to block out(read: slowdown) the offensive line from reacting to the option.  Now this is just a “simple” option play.

QB holds on til the very last second and pitches.

But by now Number 4 is off like a bat out of hell and gets in for the touchdown.

MSU Rushing: If Le’Veon Bell played for Southeast Missouri State he’d be like the third fastest dude on the field. SE Missouri State made it’s hay off of having a bunch of little dudes who can run like the wind. (See: State, Appalachian). When SE Missouri State tried to run power  they didn’t try to run power really. If MSU wanted to challenge itself, they could use this game to try running speed to the outside so they could get a sniff on how much Baker might be missed for the Michigan game or something. Power running looks like it should be there all game,we all know it was against Boise who also ran a 4-2-5.

MSU Passing: I couldn’t find an up-to-date depth chart, but, the problem with the 4-2-5 is frequently your Star/Robber/Bandit is tiny.Sims will be open even when he isn’t because he’ll 80 lbs heavier than the fifth DB lined up across from him. Additionally, the way Central plays with it’s four DB flat with a ten yard cushion Maxwell should get oodles of practice throwing safe intermediate passes.  Don’t expect lots of deep throws,CMU’s defense is designed to give up small to moderate gains and work to string together three stops.

On CMU Offense:

CMU runs the Multiple Offenses similar to MSU. Some of which are screencapped below.

This I-Formation should look familiar. They come out in the I “a lot”. Like “4 out of 5 plays I’ve watched so far” a lot.

Here CMU runs a Pro Set. You don’t see this at MSU, MSU almost exclusively lines up in some variant of either the Single-Back, the I Formation or the Shotgun 5WR. You don’t see a Pro Set very often in college football and in fact this may be the first time it’s use has been recorded in MAC history. Enjoy folks, you’re seeing Bigfoot here. The pro set offense helps take advantage of CMU’s running backs Zurlon Tipton and Garland/RB2?.

On 3rd and Long, CMU runs Shotgun 4WR. So I’m pretty sure you know how this all goes.

CMU’s offense is constructed similarly to MSU’s, if you didn’t know better you might think Dan Enos coached at MSU. The only thing “new” to the defense that they might see this weekend is the introduction to some pro-set formations.

MSU Run Defense: Keep CMU’s running backs in the middle of the field, Garland/RB2? looks quick enough that if you let him get the edge he has the speed to burn you. Both have good vision and respectable speed.

MSU Pass Defense: This game is going to have sacks and sacks and sacks and sacks. Shotgun appears to be a formation reserved primarily for third and long. The problem for CMU is that MSU’s front four can get respectable pressure without Narduzzi crazy blitzes. So, they should just motor right through CMU’s Offensive Line. If MSU struggles for any reason to generate pass pressure, that’s not a very encouraging sign.

Overall:

CMU is Diet MSU. There’s almost nothing here that MSU hasn’t seen before or doesn’t practice against everyday with Big Ten Legends Division Championship players. Worry if the Defensive Line isn’t forcing Radcliff into all kind of bad decisions, but the offense should be able to sustain itself based schematically on CMU’s defense. Le’Veon Bell is just a huge plus. Maxwell will get lots of medium range target practice in this one and MSU officially doubles up the series 6-3.

Score Prediction: MSU 38 CMU 10.

It’s here! It’s here! It’s finally here! Fall Camp kicked off officially on Saturday morning. Arthur Ray was not listed on the 105 man roster, which is crap. Dantonio is excited about his young players. Specifically, Aaron Burbridge, MSU’s highest ranked recruit is reportedly qualified and showed up to camp yesterday. Most of the rest of the articles are just rehashes of the same.

On a less fortunate note, Devin Thomas has retired from the NFL. Thank you for catching passes in 2007 even when you were triple covered and Brian Hoyer didn’t give a damn he was throwing to you in triple coverage no matter what.

SCOREBOARDS!

 

Graduation Chart ( as of 8/5/2012)

* – indicates a player where pursuing a sixth year of eligibility has been discussed.

As you can see, I didn’t try to figure out who’s going to redshirt this year. Some of the positions like QB and Kicker are gimmes, everything else is up to the cosmos of college football gods. I also stayed away from 2012 NFL defections. Gholston, Bullough, Lewis and Allen are all suspect, but, it’s a fool’s errand trying to find logic in the chambers of the human heart.

President Simon kicking athletic ass and taking names

Lou Anna Simon recently agreed to become the next chairwoman of the NCAA executive committee. When I was at MSU one of my professors talked about how McPherson was a “great get” for the University and how Simon was a bit of a reach. After a few years of Simon, I couldn’t disagree more. Simon has performed not just in the scope of athletics, but managing to grow the university during one of the hardest economic times in Michigan’s history. Congrats to her on this position.

The Arthur Ray story has been one of the feel good stories of MSU football since Mark Dantonio came to Michigan State in 2006. Ray agreed to take a chance on Dantonio in January 2007, two short months after Dantonio was hired at MSU. At the time Dantonio had two strong selling points to his name, he had been the defensive coordinator of a national title Ohio State team and point two is that he wasn’t John L Smith.

Famously, Ray was diagnosed with bone cancer after he signed with Michigan State, but before his arrival on campus. Dantonio could have given Ray a medical scholarship which would have paid for his college in full, but he’d never be allowed to play football in college, anywhere, ever. Dantonio elected to leave him on football scholarship and give him a chance to heal and work his way to play football. In the meantime Dantonio and the Michigan State Athletic Department initiated the first Women’s Football clinic to raise funds for Ray’s treatment. The event has since gone on to raise thousands of dollars for various charities around town. He’s been honored, awarded, hell he might be Michigan State football’s most decorated player since Dantonio came to town. They just don’t happen to be Michigan State football awards.

 

It became apparent in recent weeks that Ray really wanted to play football, while Dantonio would love to see Ray play football, but to earn a scholarship he needed to be in the two-deeps. The writing was on the wall when Dantonio replied to a question earlier this week about Ray by saying he and I need to have a private conversation. Finally, it was announced today he’s not on the 105 man roster. He’s been given every opportunity to come back from cancer to play football so why does it feel so wrong?

First and foremost, playing football was one of the things to pull him through his fight with cancer and that’s being taken away from him now that he’s healed. More Ray:

"I've noticed how my story has evolved," Ray said. "And I'm just blessed to have the testimony to help other people out. But at the same time, I want to play football. Football is my love, football's my passion and I don't feel like my story is done. I feel like I still have a lot more to do up here."

As a fan, I find it a bit hollow to read all of these stories about how courageous and heroic Ray’s recovery has been and how much he’s looking forward to his chance to compete once he’s cancer-free. Now he’s cancer-free, but not in Big Ten football shape, and it feels unfair to yank the rug out from him now. While I suspect this decision has something to with getting more snaps for younger players, it’s hard to see how giving Ray every avenue to compete right up through a seventh year of NCAA eligibility could hurt the team at all. Just from a leadership perspective you have a player in 2013 who’s been with Dantonio since the beginning. In the meantime you use the extra scholarship to sign another Offensive Lineman who won’t contribute for 2-3 years? I’m just not seeing the immediate or long term impact of keeping him on as long as you can.

While the circumstances of Ray’s likely departure are unclear, don’t worry, Ray will come up aces out of this whole thing. After all at the age of 23, he’s kicked BONE CANCER right in the nuts, will graduate with a degree from Michigan State University in December and won the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl/Football Writers Association of America Courage Award. Did I mention he kicked a cancer with a 5 year survival rate of 60 to 70 percent right in the nuts? The man still has a hell of a future in front of him.

Maybe the only mistake was waiting this long to make the decision. After 25 months on crutches he should just be grateful to be walking, let alone playing one of the most physically demanding positions in football. But something doesn’t seem right about not giving him all of the chances the guy wants to see significant playing time at MSU. Still this just serves as another reminder that becoming a great football program has costs associated with it.

The beginning of Spring Ball is a bit like buying a lottery ticket. You leave with the feeling that your team could be the next national title winner and that one dude at that really key position gained/lost the weight that will make your football team a national title contender. Really though, what you’ve invested yourself in is the right to daydream about how the talent will improve from last year to this. Maybe, just maybe this is the year your team clinches a rose between their teeth or more? Right now everyone’s a winner still and there’s promise and hope budding all over the damn place. It’s a good thing that spring football isn’t in a season of death like winter, or that would be some iconoclastic shit, man.

Dantonio kicked off Spring Ball officially with a presser early this afternoon at the Clara Bell Smith Center. As with all Spring Ball pressers, there’s a cautionary warning to an obvious starter, this year’s victim was Le’Veon Bell. There’s hyperbole:

Q. You have a couple linebackers sitting out of contact for the spring. But as a position group, it seems this is probably as deep a group of linebackers that you have. Any thought of three four?

COACH DANTONIO: Yeah, in terms of the three four, we can mess around with that and look at it, but the reality is we have just as many defensive linemen as we do linebackers. When you start throwing in guys we red shirted last year, Joel Heath is 6-6, 275 pounds right now, he looks just like Will Gholston.

You have William back. You have (Shilique) Calhoun on the other side who is going to be a phenomenal player here. He backs upMarcus Rush who is a red-shirt freshman. You have Tyler Hoover moved inside, he's 297, 300 pounds. Rashad looks to come back. Rashad White is in shape. You have Damon Knox in there at 280. Scarpinato at 280. So we're built for the four three. But our linebackers, three guys are red-shirt freshmen. LT (Lawrence Thomas) will not go through spring, and he's 280 pounds, so who knows where he's going to end up. He'll find his way on to the field somewhere.

So yeah, you better watch out, we have players comparable to two NFL first-rounders(if Gholston isn’t a first rounder it’s because his cousin screwed it up for him) backing up Rush and Gholston. I’d love to be wrong in my cynicism, but this is the kind of hyperbole that gets ratcheted into July 2011 wondering if Anthony Rashad White will leave as a junior for mid-first-round money. DeAnthony Arnett’s waiver is officially filed with a red rubber stamp. MSU will hear back in around three weeks. Speaking of Gholston, he heaps some pretty hearty praise on Ken Mannie in an interview with Howard Griffith.

The Inaugural Twitterbag!

Earlier today I put out the word on Twitter I was looking for questions for our very first Twitterbag. There was a bit of confusion about who was asking since the guy who’s helping run the twitter account answered some of the questions with 140 characters or less.  We’re still ironing this out a bit, give us sometime. This is going to be a feature of the blog from here on out, however, if you want to send your e-mail questions or comments the old-fashioned way, flip me an e-mail at shawlanespartans@gmail.com. On to the twitterbag!

How do you see Lawrence Thomas being used this year?

At 6’4 and 265 it was still possible to envision a Courtney Upshaw-like LB existence for him, but at 280 that’s simply not going to happen. As Dantonio stated in today’s press conference MSU is stacked like pancakes at Defensive End I almost wonder if there’s time to retool him as a 3 technique Defensive Tackle? This of course is provided he’s not injured in the fall, since he has yet to be healthy at a time where football or some facsimile thereof is being played, this is becoming a legitimate question. Dantonio doesn’t seem to force position changes on a kid, he tends to show them the shortest path to the field is in another area, the same will be true of Thomas.

I am of the mindset that after redshirting in 2011 and missing all of Spring Ball that Thomas will not see significant time in 2012. Mop-up duty at linebacker or maybe rotational duty on an injured Defensive Line.

Who is your early prediction for starting WRs for first B1G game? I'm guessing Lippett and Arnett, with Fowler in the slot?

Well a quick point of teaching on this. If Fowler is healthy, he’ll most likely play the X spot, which is the B.J. Cunningham position of 2011.  At 6’2 and 210 he, Caesar and Mumphery who is up to 6’0” and 208  are going to have the easiest time beating their jam while they are right up on the line of scrimmage. Lippett and Arnett will probably trade off between the Z spot which is typically WR2 in a pro-style offense and the Slot Receiver/ Y Spot which sits even farther off the LOS than the Z receiver. Arnett has classic slot receiver written all over him, not very big(5’11” and 170) and can shake the paint in a can just by looking at it. Which leaves Lippett in the Z spot unless Burbridge can 1.) Qualify and 2.) Outperform Lippett.

Keith Mumphery got lots of praise from Dantonio today: “I think Keith Mumphery is a guy that's ready to explode on to the scene.” To me, this just means he has lots of raw talent. It also means that he’s probably been one of Maxwell’s most consistent targets since his arrival on campus. We don’t know a lot about him though.

So my bet is Caesar/Fowler/Mumphery at the X, Lippett at the Z and Arnett in the Slot.

Is Chris Norman the next Wally Pipp?

Chris Norman is sitting out this portion of Spring Ball with an undisclosed injury, Wally Pipp is the poor bastard who got hurt and passed by Lou Gehrig. The inference being of course that Taiwan Jones, Norman’s replacement will pass by Norman in Spring Ball and not look back. While Jones has looked five horns on his head beastly on Special Teams, Norman’s experience both individually and as a corps of three Linebackers playing together on last year’s defense is too much for Jones to take the job away from him.

How much will Trenton Robinson be missed?

Will touch on this in the defensive spring ball discussion, but the short answer is lots in the passing game and not much in the run game.

Bonus Bits

Heck breaks down a what a Stunt play is and how it works using MSU footage magnificently. The Munn Minute is looking for site feedback, stop by and tell Matt what you do and don’t like about the site. Banks of the Red Cedar recaps the Basketball Season, so does Pete over at the Only Colors.