Collapse at the sacred cathedral!
September 23, 2006
East Lansing, MI
Spartan Stadium
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Wet cold and rowdy was the best way to describe the atmosphere here at the sacred cathedral of the Spartan Nation: Spartan Stadium. Heroes had come home and the place was rocking. In a monsoon type atmosphere, ten minutes before kickoff the place was packed and ready to rumble.Â
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As the 66’ National Championship Spartans came onto the field it was the kind of reception I will never forget as these great heroes came back to get the love from the Spartan Nation that they had some incredibly earned. I was not alive in 66’ but my parents have told me hundreds of times about the “kill Bubba kill†chant. It put goose bumps on my arm and it was incredible, it was made even more special when Sparty planted the flag as the team took the field!
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The Irish got the ball and were quickly sent to the sidelines with a 3 and out. The Spartans used the run to quickly march down the field with 3 plays, the final being a 34-yard TD strike from Stanton to Reed and the PAT was good. So with 12:15 left in the first quarter, the Spartans had a 7-0 lead.
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Once again the Spartan D did it’s job and with 10:45 left in the first quarter, the Spartans gave the ball back to their leader Drew Stanton and they began drive #2 at their own 24. MSU was able to move the ball, but the drive was killed when Kellen Davis dropped an easy catch and Kerry Reed dropped a tough catch. The good news was that when MSU punted Fields recovered a fumble and the Spartans got the ball back at the 50.  MSU wasted no time in playing bad host to the Irish when Trannon hit Ringer with a 26-yard pass and when the PAT was good, MSU had a 14-0 lead with 6:49 left in the first quarter.
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The Spartan D again was up to the challenge and they gave the ball back to Stanton and it went 43-yards in 7 plays for a 32-yard Swenson field goal and with 1:39 left in the first quarter the Spartans still had a shut out and a 17-0 lead!
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The first quarter ended with MSU beginning a drive at their own 20 and MSU having completely dominated the Irish. Stanton and the offense could do almost nothing wrong and somewhere; the ghosts of Duffy and Biggie were smiling on the sacred cathedral. The Spartans were unable to move the ball on that drive and they gave the ball back to the Irish.
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The Irish finally got on the board when the MSU defense did what I had warned you of and played off of the receiver and let the Irish back into the game. The drive went for 60-yards over 5 plays and lasted 1:45 and it ended with a Quinn TD pass of 32-yards to McKnight. The PAT was good and with 11:07 left in the second quarter, the score was MSU 17 and the Irish 7. What bothered me more was that defensive coordinator Chris Smeland had Demond Williams playing well off the receiver and he can’t recover on a fade route like that.
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The Spartans drive was marred when The Irish placed a late hit on Stanton and the Irish assistant pulled Matt Trannon out of the bench area clearly something he should not have done, Trannon didn’t appreciate it and he was assessed a personal foul also thus negating the foul that was committed on Stanton. Clearly a blown call and John L. went crazy like I have never seen. It was a terrible call by the officials and it killed the MSU drive. That said the Spartans Ervin Baldwin intercepted Quinn and ran it in for the 19-yard TD. The PAT by Swenson was good and the Spartans had the 24-7 lead not even halfway through the second quarter.
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The Irish marched down the field helped by a big gain on fourth and one and marched in for the touchdown making the score 24-14. Again the MSU defense was lax and again Notre Dame scored. Something I warned about all week and something they had done last year.
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The Spartans with 6:09 left in the second quarter had the ball at their own 40 and Stanton came on to send a message to the Irish. Stanton did just that with an impressive drive that ended with a 15-yard TD pass to Kerry Reed (second of the game) and the PAT was good. With 2:11 left in the second quarter, MSU had the commanding 31-17 lead and more importantly all the momentum. As the half came to an end
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The crowd of 80,193 (third largest in MSU history) was up on their feet when the second half began as the Spartans began at their own 34. It was a quick three and out however and the Irish began their first second half drive at their own 20, but that isn’t the story. The punt by fields was an amazing 73-yards!
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The Irish reminded the Spartan Nation why they got all the pre-season hype when they marched down the field and Quinn hit his receiver for a 62-yard TD pass and the PAT was good making the game 31-21 with 11:13 left in the third quarter. The Spartan defense yet again laid off and let the Irish get that play again allowing Notre Dame to get back in the game. The score was now 31-21 MSU!
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On the Spartans next drive, facing a third and fifteen at their own 15, the Spartans called a dangerous middle screen and luckily got away with it just dropping and not getting it intercepted and Field who ha boomed the ball all night (including a 73-yarder earlier) shanked the punt of 26 yards. The Irish had gotten momentum and had the ball at the Spartan 41 and the monsoon returned.
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The Irish were stomped by the MSU D and when they gambled on fourth and seven, Herron swamped Quinn and he threw it away. MSU got the ball back at their own 38 with the rain now pouring in Noah proportions. To the Spartan Nations credit, no one was leaving.
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The Spartans took care of business however marching down the field 60 yards on 4 plays highlighted by a 30 yard Jehuu Caulcrick TD. The PAT was no good, as the holder couldn’t handle the snap with the torrential rain. The Spartans had the commanding 37-21 lead and were on the march.Â
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The fourth quarter began with the Irish facing a third and ten at their 8 and more importantly down in the student section. With the student better then ever and the wind swirling down on the field, the Irish could do nothing and had to punt out of their end zone. It was a poor punt and MSU got possession at the Notre Dame 42.
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Here came the Spartans however led by Caulcrick as the marched right down the field and punished the Irish. The harder the rain poured the more resilient the Spartans became just marching at will against the much-heralded Irish. What the rain and Irish couldn’t do (stop MSU) the Spartans did do to themselves with false start and holding penalties. Facing a second and 17 at their own 37, they again had a nice play (Stanton run) thrown out with yet another holding penalty. Now they had second and 27 at their won 47 after shooting themselves in the proverbial foot. I am sure that at this point, my father who was at home enjoying the game in his warm lazy boy was throwing pillows at the screen commanding his Spartans to get their head in the game. Again the Spartans kill themselves but thankfully the Irish decline to take the penalty and the Irish got the ball after the punt touch back at the 20 with 10:14 left in the game!
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Call it the luck of the Irish but they got some help and they had gotten to the MSU 48. Cliff Ryan however came up with a huge sack and the Irish had a huge second and 17. With perhaps the biggest play of the game, a fourth and five at the MSU 43 the Irish got the TD pass, the two-point conversion however was not good and the Spartans maintained the 37-27 lead with 8:18 left in the game. The pesky Leprechauns certainly had some help on that drive and this was setting up to be a real barnburner finish.
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Desperately needing to get a clock chewing drive going the Spartans began their next drive at their own 20. With the rain having slowed to a drizzle the Spartans began the George Perles/Morris Watts type drive, a calculated gamble in my opinion. I thought MSU should have played the way they had all game and they didn’t, and a fumble by Stanton gave the Irish back the ball at the MSU 24 and looking to make things very interesting.Â
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The details will sicken you but the Spartans simply collapsed and let the Irish have a win 40-37. The Spartans couldn’t exercise a demon that has plagued them throughout the last three seasons: getting too conservative. I asked John L. if he agree and he said: “yah, I think we did,†referring to the play calling.
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This was a huge disappointment and it was: a collapse. MSU will rebound next week when they host the Illini but it 13 days (it is after midnight) they head to Ann Arbor and they can’t let them for the third year get back in the game.
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NOTES:
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- Jehuu Caulcrick had 8 rushes for 111 yards and 1 TD
- Drew was only 10 of 22 with 2 int. and 2 TD
- Javon Ringer admitted that the MSU players were standing around midfield to protect it from an ND flag being planted.
- Kaleb Thornhill played like a warrior and led the team with 5 tackles
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Grades:
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Offense: scored 37 but made some huge mistakes. The mistakes are part of the game and the questionable conservative play calling didn’t help. They scored enough to win, but cost themselves the game: D
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Defense: Battled like warriors. Had some questionable formations, but the offense killed them with turnovers. They played good enough to win but not good enough. C-
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Special teams:Â D
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Coaching:
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Great offensive game plan but again the terrible play calling in the fourth let Notre Dame back in the game yet again. D
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Defensive coaching was good. Had some rough spots but played good enough to win, the conservative play calling in the fourth and turnovers from the offense killed it. They can’t help three offensive turnovers and Notre Dame scoring with primo field position. C-
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FINAL THOUGHTS
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It’s not the end of the world, this is only one loss and I still think this team gets to 8 wins. That said, we move on and really can’t afford to dwell. We are 3-1 and the real test will be to see if they collapse in 13 days against UM or in 20 against the Buckeyes.
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