Mark Dantonio’s Spring Practices Are a Time to Judge, a Time to Tinker and a Time to Experiment for Fall

Mark Dantonio’s Spring Practices Are a Time to Judge, a Time to Tinker and a Time to Experiment for Fall Every one of us has a persona. Some are very

Mark Dantonio’s Spring Practices Are a Time to Judge, a Time to Tinker and a Time to Experiment for Fall

Every one of us has a persona. Some are very accurate and some are so off base that they are laughable. I have known Mark Dantonio since 1995 and while his public persona is stoic and dry, I can assure you he is anything but that.

Dantonio is warm, funny, and despite his image as a three yards and a cloud of dust coach, he is a riverboat gambler who likes to run fake plays and take risks. It’s who he is. Every spring the mad scientist in him comes out as he experiments with position switches and new plays and schemes. Many of them will never see the field in a real game, but the point is that he is looking for something fresh.

This spring is no different. Just listen to his comments about third string QB Damion Terry who is an athletic freak. “I would say that that's in the spring, to experiment on things. And Damion is an excellent football player as is O'Connor, and I think you'll see opportunities where we have two quarterbacks playing at the same time. Now, we'll see. And then also think brass package is something that both those guys can do. And really all three of them can do.”

Another case and point is sophomore SAM LB Chris Frey, Jr. Frey is a physical freak and the staff doesn’t like him, they love him. He has a lot of the same fire that made Max Bullough great. Now it is WAY too soon to equate him on the same level as Bullough, but he could get there.

Coming into the spring Frey was second on the depth chart behind Ed Davis at the Spartan SAM position in the line backing corp. Many inside the program think he can push Davis. That is not a slam on the very talented Davis; it is a compliment of Frey. Just read on as his head coach talks about experimenting with ways to get his young star on the field.

“Chris Frey is a guy that's a good football player. He's demonstrated that. He was a SAM backer, money backer; I think that's probably better suited for him to play in the box a little bit more. But he has the ability to go outside and play. You see so many different formations now you have to be able to adjust out.”

This is what makes spring football so exhilarating for those that watch close. The drama and intrigue gushes from the Duffy Daugherty Building much faster in April than during the season. In fact, spring football is a harbinger of the story lines on the season like a robin is of the coming spring.

Here is another area of intrigue. Star Florida recruit freshman T.J. Harrell redshirted last season. The superb high school running back and voracious attacker on defense was pegged to play on the defensive side of the ball as a Spartan.

The mad scientist known as Dantonio has him pulling a Tony Lippett this spring catching action on both sides of the ball. This spring he is listed on the team’s depth chart as the third string STAR LB and the third string RB.

Dantonio said of that experiment, “TJ will play some star backer, which is the backer, outside backer, stays more times than not. He'll also play a little bit of tailback. And I think it fits into the depth chart. He was an excellent tailback in high school, so we're going to work him in there and see what happens with that a little bit. So he'll have to play a little bit of both. And at some point in time we're going to have to determine, is he here or is he here, give him opportunities there.”

What separates the champion elite programs in college football from the middle of the pack is on the lines. The Spartans are absolutely loaded on both sides. Before Dantonio arrived in East Lansing as the head man and probably into his fifth season the Spartans NEVER had the numbers and frankly the talent that they do now.

That fact allows Dantonio to look at new schemes in this mad scientist time of testing and ogling this spring. Just listen to how he admitted his defense is a 4-3, but taking more looks at the 3-4 Viper package is still going on. You don’t think opponents now have to think about this?

“We'll look at a little bit of 3 4, if you've got to get good at something; you have to major at something. We've been good with our 4 3, we're not going to change something that's not broken, and that certainly it is not broken. We were No.1 in run defense against the run, and we've got good players up there. But we can formulate 3 4 look, but that just depends on how it goes. We can formulate it, it's in the package, but we sort of adhere to the format.”

Here is one last example. Upon entering the spring, the depth chart showed Lawrence “LT” Thomas moving from DT to DE and safety Demetrious Cox going from S to CB. Again this is a classic example of Dantonio using the spring manufacturing ways to make sure his team has the best 11 guys on the field. Call it Kool Aid, call it hyperbole, but it is the truth. Dantonio was like a little kid who not only was celebrating Christmas Day when he talked about all the weapons, he sounded like a young man who woke up at the North Pole and the Elf’s private workshop.

He swooned like a young toddler and his first toy when he tried to talk about all the toys he has in his arsenal on the Spartans defense to play and experiment with.

“Lawrence has played defense for us in the past, very good football player. And just felt like at this point in time rather than bring a red shirt freshman in there and put him as the starter that we wanted to work LT there, defensive end, he's about 285 right now, but athletic and active. Whether it be Damon Knox or Malik McDowell, whoever is in there, you know, they're both starters. And so along with Joel Heath and then Arjen Colquhoun gives us five guys, I think that have played a lot of football for us up there.”

He continued, “We also have very good young players that need to get looks this spring, Craig Evans, David Beedle, and Smith. So it's going to be exciting. And Montez, is a guy at defensive end and Cooper, Evan Jones, as well. We've got guys that we can play in there. But I think it's a good situation. And LT straight out there, and he's done a great job out there in the past. The other positions was Cox, he's played corner for us this past year, started a number of games, actually, I think at corner. So we're just going to put our best football players on the field, RJ Williamson, Montae, are very good players, as well. So basically going to right now along with Montae, or certainly Darren Hicks is the guy that will go in there as a starter, as well.”

The good coaches understand the value of spring. Not to pick on anyone, but John L. Smith when he was the coach at MSU hated it. I can’t tell you the number of times he bemoaned the practice. He hated contact and spring games. Dantonio? His blue collar roots from Zanesville, OH, not only enjoy it; he loves it.

Dantonio goes live and makes his guys hit each other because he recognizes this glorious game isn’t played in shorts. It’s played with pads and he loves to let the boys have at one another. Football at its truest, most beautiful and genuine form is one of grown men doing things to each other that if it weren’t on a glorious gridiron would send them to prison. It is primal and it is why people passionately follow the pursuit and play of a game with an oblong ellipsoid made of pigskin. Don’t believe me? Just pay attention to what he said.

“Padded practice is very spirited. Got to learn how to carry our pads again, that is part of it, but we will go live, we always do a portion of the practice and that’s when you sort of see things for that they are. I think that’s important that we recognize that fact and continue to build our program in that respect. I have always done it. A lot of great fast-paced practices, a lot of retention, a lot of things that are in.”

This is the same coach that while others run from pads, especially on QB’s, just two years ago had the usually protected QB’s go LIVE like a real game all spring. The staff told other media agencies last year that the reason the Spartans “Go live throughout the year” is because “You can’t simulate anything about football with pads and the realization of the fact that I can get hit.”

No games are won in April. Many are lost however and that speaks to the importance of this time of year. If you are one of the millions riveted on Spartan football in the fall, I suggest you watch spring closely. Wake up kids, the hits are just as hard, the scheming just as fun, and the experimenting much more bountiful. It’s a cornucopia of football served on a buffet of grass.

Mark Dantonio may not be wearing a lab coat and carrying beakers, but he is a riverboat gambler and he still remains a mad scientist.