News and Notes from Spartan Football As Camp Starts Friday: Part Two

News and Notes from Spartan Football As Camp Starts Friday: Part Two In today’s column, I am going to use a bullet point format updating you on several

News and Notes from Spartan Football As Camp Starts Friday:Â Part Two

In today’s column, I am going to use a bullet point format updating you on several issues that I didn’t touch on in part one.

• ·        Craig Evans stands squarely behind the eight ball. He has had a good summer but according to Dantonio, “He has to transition from just having ability.”
• ·        Enoch Smith was on the road to playing last year as a true freshman. An injury in camp hurt him and he redshirted. That is why there is so much expectation for this season. There are some questions if he will be ready for game one, but he should be ready early, whether or not it is game one or not.
• ·        Dantonio says about Enoch, “Should be ready to go early in camp. Great player & person and very athletic. You know you come in going against guys benching 400 or 450 pounds. “
• ·        Malik McDowell played last year and despite some accolades, struggled with being consistent. On the field he struggled and frankly off the field also. He, simply stated, needed to grow up. By all accounts PRIVATELY people in this program raved about his off season. I think he was given a dose of reality this off season (starting in the bowl game) that it is one thing to have talent, but it is another to have talent, be consistent, and be a good teammate.Â
• ·        I asked Dantonio about how rewarding it was to see McDowell make that move of growth as a young man and he said, “Very rewarding. Maturity issue. Consistency is the next issue. I think everybody has to be consistent in what they are doing. Consistency of performance both on and off the field is key.”
• ·        Dantonio couldn’t stop praising Malik with simple comments like, “huge upside,”  “dominate offensive lineman,” and “still learning.”
• ·        One of Dantonio’s biggest frustrations with the spread offense is the team getting their offensive lineman down the field more than three yards. The rules allow offensive lineman on pass plays prior to the ball crossing the line TO NOT EXCEEED more than three yards advancement from the line of scrimmage. Spread teams are notorious for cheating on that. He said, “They are climbing all over the linebackers and throwing off of it.” Dantonio is pleased that his reminding of officials is working as it was called, “Three times in the Cotton Bowl…They did a tremendous job in that game, but it is difficult to see,” per Dantonio. “I think they need to back that up,” meaning simply shorten from three yards the distance an offensive lineman can travel past the line of scrimmage on a pass.
• ·        Another rule the MSU head man is happy to see being called more is officials allowing the defensive back to make a play on the ball. It used to be that an offensive player was treated like a porcelain doll. Although Dantonio doesn’t want interference, you have to let the defender play the ball. He says, “Allowing the defender to get in position to make a play,” is being allowed to happen more he likes it. “Sometimes the offensive player is afforded more opportunity to catch the ball than the defender.”
• ·        Dantonio sounded this week like Al Davis the late Raiders owner. He talked about his system and expectations and if he prefers a tough or easy schedule and he simply said, “I just want to win…There is great strength in this conference.”
• ·        I asked Dantonio if he talks to refs prior to the game to look at certain things they notice opponents doing that aren’t legal, and he replied, “Yeah we do.”
• ·        The only time Dantonio got perturbed last week was when asked about easy wins. “There are no easy games. Our game against Purdue was not an easy game last year. We have to be ready every game week in and week out.” He went on to add, “In 2012 we were 6-6. We lost five games by 13 points and we could have easily been another ten win season. We ended up 6-6 and whatever we were in the conference and still had a very good football team. Very good.”