Michigan State Spartans Head Coach Mark Dantonio leads the team on to the field. Photo by Lori Shepler/UPI |
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As Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio prepares to enter his 10th season leading the Spartans, it's a pretty good time to look at what he's accomplished in resurrecting a program that saw almost no consistency in the preceding decades.
He's never had a losing season and has been to a bowl game every year, and in the last three seasons, Dantonio has led the Spartans to wins in the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl, a spot in the College Football Playoffs and three straight finishes at No. 6 or higher in the national rankings.
Add in three Big Ten championships and 11 or more victories in five of the last six seasons, and it's clear Dantonio has established the Spartans as a national program.
"We can sell results, we really can," Dantonio said. "We can sit there and say, 'This is what we've done, these are the things you can look forward to if you come to school at Michigan State. There's opportunities for you.'
"That's really the difference there. Early on in the process, that was not the case. But now it seems like that's what we sell."
Some believe the Spartans will see a drop-off, something critics have been predicting every year since Michigan State won a share of the Big Ten title in 2010. However, it hasn't come.
That doesn't mean there won't be challenges moving forward. Ohio State continues to be among the best programs in the nation and Harbaugh mania has taken over at Michigan with the presence of coach Jim Harbaugh convincing most the Wolverines have returned from their funk.
And that's just the hurdles Michigan State has in the Big Ten East. Winning another division title will be tougher as the Spartans must replace quarterback Connor Cook - the winningest quarterback in school history - along with defensive end Shilique Calhoun Big Ten Receiver of the Year Aaron Burbridge.
The conference schedule is favorable as both Michigan and Ohio State travel to Spartan Stadium late in the season. If Michigan State can continue its mastery of Michigan (winners in seven of the last eight) and keep challenging the Buckeyes (MSU is the only team to beat Urban Meyer in Big Ten play), the results will be there once again.
And the rest of the conference will continue to wonder when the drop-off will come.
NOTES, QUOTES
SPOTLIGHT ON SEPTEMBER: It's not a typical start to the season for Michigan State as it opens with Furman of the FCS and then gets a bye before hitting the road to take on Notre Dame. For a team breaking in its share of new faces - particularly at quarterback - a road game against the Irish might be a tall task. The Spartans then kick off Big Ten play with a home game against Wisconsin and a trip to Indiana. The non-conference portion of the schedule is capped off at home in early October with a visit from BYU. The Spartans will find out quickly if they've been able to fill the significant holes on each side of the ball.
KEYS TO SUCCESS: While Michigan State has produced its share of quarterbacks over the past decade, the staple of its offense is still running the ball. That will be no different this season as the Spartans boast a stable of running backs led by sophomore LJ Scott, the hero of the Big Ten Championship game. He's joined by sophomore Madre London and junior Gerald Holmes, and all three will be expected to contribute. On the other side of the ball, the back end of the defense anchors a unit Dantonio expects to be better than last season's. Multiple injuries in the secondary in 2015 have created plenty of depth and experience this season, and the "No-Fly Zone" should look a lot more like the secondary the Spartans have grown accustomed to.
AREAS OF CONCERN: While the Spartans expect to run the ball, getting what they need from the offensive line might be the biggest question heading into the season. A pair of All-Americans - tackle Jack Conklin and center Jack Allen - along with guard Donavon Clark are all off to the NFL and replacing that much experience won't be easy. Plenty of players saw action last season, and that should help, while the move of fifth-year senior right tackle Kodi Kieler to center is worth watching early in the season. While there are questions up front on offense, there is on the other side, as well. Ends Shilique Calhoun and Lawrence Thomas are off to the NFL, as is tackle Joel Heath. Junior Malik McDowell is a star in the making at tackle, but after that, there are plenty of unproven players ready to step in, including junior end Demetrius Cooper.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Yeah, it's hard to imagine. Growing up watching Michigan State, we were kind of happy being a .500 team or something like that. We didn't expect to win back then. That's kind of how it is now. The expectations are high. We go into each game expecting to win. I think that's the main difference." - Fifth-year senior linebacker Riley Bullough
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
HEAD COACH: Mark Dantonio, 10th year at Michigan State, 87-33 record at Michigan State, 105-50 as a head coach.
MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: QB Tyler O'Connor - Michigan State doesn't need O'Connor to be Connor Cook, but it needs him to manage the offense and limit the mistakes. He was Cook's backup the last two seasons and helped orchestrate the Spartans' win at Ohio State last season when Cook was out with an injured shoulder. He's also got as much knowledge of the offense and has the respect of the players in the locker room. O'Connor had plenty of chances to transfer but had his sights set on the season. He's technically in a quarterback battle in preseason camp, but it's his job to lose.
BREAKOUT STAR: DT Malik McDowell - He was one of the few players not overmatched in the Cotton Bowl loss to Alabama and is expected to have a huge junior season. At 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds, McDowell disrupts opposing offenses and finished last season with 13 tackles for loss. He's on numerous preseason All-American teams and is on watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy. Opposing teams will be focusing their game plan on neutralizing McDowell, but few teams have figured out how to do it yet.
NEWCOMER TO WATCH: WR Donnie Corley - The true freshman wowed the coaching staff in the spring after enrolling early and nothing has changed in preseason camp. The 6-2 speedster has all the physical tools and is also working at returning punts and kicks and has dabbled in playing some cornerback. But the Spartans lost standout receiver Aaron Burbridge and they need another playmaker. Corley looks like he can be it, for next year and beyond.
ROSTER REPORT
--Senior linebacker Ed Davis is expected to be granted a sixth season of eligibility after missing all of last season with a knee injury.
--Sophomore defensive tackle Craig Evans and sophomore defensive end Montez Sweat both left the program for personal reasons after spring practice.
--Defensive tackle Damon Knox went through spring drills but opted not to pursue a sixth season after being hampered by injuries.
--Tight end Dylan Chmura went through spring practice but decided to step away from the game because of concussion issues. He will remain with the team as a student assistant.
--Safety Mark Meyers and cornerback Jermaine Edmondson, both fifth-year seniors, decided to transfer for their final season.
