Spartan DE William Gholston Talks NFL & Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl!

Spartan standout Will Gholston straddles the line between MSU star and NFL draft pick. The junior defensive end has had good back-to-back seasons, racking up 70

Spartan standout Will Gholston straddles the line between MSU star and NFL draft pick. The junior defensive end has had good back-to-back seasons, racking up 70 tackles in 2011 and 50 so far in 2012. Projected as a first round draft pick by media outlets such as Sports Illustrated.com prior to the 2012 campaign, Gholston will have to decide soon after the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl to either return for another year in East Lansing or head for the NFL. But right now, the Spartan playmaker is focused on Michigan State’s upcoming showdown with TCU on Dec. 29. Gholston recently talked to the media about topics ranging from practice leading up to the big game to the matchup with TCU’s solid offensive line and elusive quarterback.

• The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl was not the postseason appearance the Spartans had in mind. The team struggled at some points during the season, eventually finishing with a 6-6 record. But Gholston noted the progress that the MSU defensive line, and the team itself, made over the course of the season. “We steadily improved because of our coaches. I can’t give you a set number, I just know that we improved on the little things.” The junior also pointed out that, though neither TCU (7-5) nor MSU has a stellar record, both boast significant talent on their rosters. “They’re a really good team. They lost some close ones, just like we lost some close ones.”
• Rarely in practice does the Michigan State coaching staff designate quarterbacks as “live.” Usually the QBs are not allowed to be tackled in practice. But in preparation for TCU, the Spartan coaching staff decided to allow hits on quarterbacks. The decision was an early Christmas present for the MSU defense. “The whole D-line was drooling when they said that quarterbacks would be live,” Gholston said. “I don’t know how many times we really got to them; we got them on the ground a couple times. But the first day they said that quarterbacks were live, we just got excited.”
• The move has helped both the offense and defense, as the units are getting much needed game-like experience. At one point, Gholston was asked if the quarterbacks have benefited. “Yeah, because we [the defense] blitzed a lot, so I know there was a lot of pressure,” said the defensive end. “They [the quarterbacks] made plays, but at first they had to get used to it because they’re not used to being live in practice, so it was a game time situation for them every time.”
• The Spartan defensive line also profited from the choice, as it will face a versatile quarterback in TCU’s Trevone Boykin, whom Gholston called “elusive.” As the stud defensive end said, “We’ve played a lot of quarterbacks like him, some who will run more and some who will throw more. He’s in the pocket, but he gets jittery. I guess [he ’s] just like every other quarterback we’ve ever faced who likes to scramble this season.” Gholston went on to explain his thoughts about playing against Boykin. “I hate playing against the quarterbacks who run compared to ones who stay in the pocket. I’m just confident in our game plan. Whatever the coaches scheme up, we just have to execute,” said Gholston.
• Discipline will be a crucial part of that game plan for Gholston and the MSU defensive line as they take on a solid TCU offensive line. “They slide a lot in a lot of flash protection. But with those slide schemes you have to really control your gap: you have to stay in your place,” said Gholston. “If you get out of place against a quarterback who runs, it could be really hurtful to the scoreboard. So we just have to really control our gaps. And basically it’s what we’ve been doing the whole season.”