Spartan Special Teams Lead the Path to a Third Straight Bowl Game

Despite running more than 80 plays from scrimmage, and 50 plays inside MSU territory, Purdue couldn’t hold off the Spartans 4th Quarter comeback. MSU needed

Despite running more than 80 plays from scrimmage, and 50 plays inside MSU territory, Purdue couldn’t hold off the Spartans 4th Quarter comeback. MSU needed every minute and every yard to knock off the effort filled Boilermakers, 40-37. Credit the Purdue for playing hard throughout the 60 minute contest, about 40 of which the Boilers had the ball. They out played the Spartans in many ways today. But credit MSU for making the big plays, especially on Special Teams, to first keep them in the game, and ultimately win it coming down the stretch.

 

MSU was on the ledge of falling behind for good after Purdue scored to make it 34-23 a couple minutes into the 4th. But on the first Spartan play of the next drive, Rs.-So. WR B.J. Cunningham and Rs.-So. QB Kirk Cousins connected for a 73 yard bomb that instantly pulled MSU back within 5, and immediately erased the overwhelming Boilermaker momentum. That play might have changed the trajectory for the rest of 2009.

But given the time Purdue had already chewed up the clock, and the likelihood that MSU possessions would be hard to come by the rest of the way, whythe Spartans didn’t go for the 2pt conversion remains a mystery. The conversion would’ve brought MSU within a FG. The difference between being down 4 and down 5 seemed negligible at that point, because either way, MSU would have needed a TD. Rest assured that Spartan Nation will look for an explanation from the coaching staff in the coming days.

The game’s key play was unquestionably the blocked FG with about 8:00 left in the 4th quarter. With Penn St. looming as anything but a guaranteed win, MSU had to have a big play to have any chance of beating Purdue and notching a 6th win. Purdue lined up for a 43 yard FG, which was probably playing 5-10 yards shorter because of the wind, and a chance to go ahead 37-30. Whether it was a bad snap or bad kicking effort, Sr. Jeremy Ware and Jr. Eric Gordon got in to block So. PK Carson Wiggs’ try, and snatched the shootout’s momentum from the Boilers for good.

The improbable and timely block set the Spartans up, and gave them the boost in energy and spirit they so sorely needed in the latter stages of a relatively rocky day at Ross-Ade Stadium. In the first play after the block, MSU revealed a little trickeration by running a reverse to So. WR Keshawn Martin, but with a distinct and fresh flavor of deception. After Martin got the Spartans inside the 10, MSU was again quickly facing a 3rd and Goal, when the Captain’s connection of Cousins and White connected to complete the Spartans’ remarkable revitalization, and put them up 3 with 6:59 to go.

A tired and poor performing MSU Defense had their chances again to stop Purdue on the next Boilermaker drive, but again MSU couldn’t get off the field on 3rd down. The Boilers eventually set up a manageable FG try, and made it 37-37 with 2:38 in the 4th. So as the 4th carried on, the Spartan Nation was again entrenched in wild finish at West Lafayette, what a shocker.

On the very next play, So. Keshawn Martin again displayed why he’s going to be such an integral player throughout the rest of his career by brining the last kick off all the way down to the Purdue11. Martin had another difference making day (3 carries for 70 yards, 5 returns for 166 yards), and is clearly the Spartans most improved player from the beginning of the year.  The guy is a serious Offensive weapon.

But with three shots from the 11, MSU could only get down to the 3 yard line. Another Red Zone stall out set up Sr. Groza Award Finalist Brett Swenson, from the sharpest angle for a right footer, to hit his 4th FG of the day (28,52,52,21) to put MSU ahead 40-37. Swenson managed the tight angle well, and put MSU ahead for good while also putting his best foot forward in the final two week chase for the Groza. We have talked before about how important Swenson has been the Spartans over the past four years. He has been an impact player at Michigan St., and today was possibly the best game of his career.

On the ensuing kickoff, Purdue painfully hurt their own cause with a block in the back, which put them all the way back to their 14 yard line, with no timeouts, and less than 2:00 left on the clock.  But given the poor performance of the Spartan Defense to that point, Purdue was not out of the game. Purdue got all the way to the Spartan 48, but a bad penalty before their last 3rd down which left them needing 15 for a fresh set. Facing a 4th and 6, and rushing to get the play off, the Boilers’ Sr. QB Joe Elliot literally ran out of gas. Elliot tripped out of the final snap and fell to the Ross-Ade turf, clinching the improbable comeback win for MSU, and a third straight invitation to a Bowl game. What a finish.

MSU Relatively Defenseless for too Much of the Day

Give the MSU Defense for coming up with plays when they absolutely needed them, on the very last set of downs as Purdue neared mid-field with less than a minute to go. But overall, the Defensive performance was not pretty. Keeping in mind that the most important stat in football is the Win-Loss record, MSU gave up 524 yards to the Boilermakers today, making Purdue look as potent today as they did ten years ago when Drew Brees was under center, and Purdue was running for Roses.

The MSU Defense looked convincingly out coached by the Purdue Offense today, from the start of the game. MSU DBs looked confused and over matched early and often, taking away of course the first play of the game in which Purdue gifted the Spartans 7 points. There were even plays where MSU appeared to have some DBs playing man coverage, and some playing zone. Early on, the Spartans’ soft Defensive effort left ESPN announcers and the Spartan Nation thinking that it looked too easy for Purdue to move the ball through the air.

As much as the pass defense struggled throughout the day, the troubles really started up front. The Boilermakers won the battle at the line of scrimmage today, on both sides of the ball. And while MSU did a decent job stopping the run for much of the day, they did a bad job getting to the QB. Boiler QB Joe Elliot had all the time he wanted for way too much of the day, and was able to pick apart the confused MSU Defense for an impressive 373 yards and 2 TDs.

The combination of no effective pass rush and poor coverage on the back end pretty much explains why MSU gave up 37, and why Purdue had the ball for nearly two-thirds of the ball game. What’s puzzling and disappointing to the Spartan Nation is that players seemed confused far too often on the Defense today, and too many players again failed to make the basic tackle.

Whether it was defending the pass or defending a punt or kick return, MSU Defenders seemed to be going for “the push” rather than the tackle. There’s still too much “pushing,” or going for the big bopping hit, rather than the solid, fundamental, and reliable form tackle. Worse, experienced Spartan defenders took too many bad angles on Purdue today, giving the Boilers too many extra yards and extra points in the process.

If MSU has any hopes of beating Penn St. next week, or competing for a Big Ten Title anytime soon, players will have to start tackling better. We’re 11 games into many guys’ third year in this system. Is it time to start wondering if some guys will develop any further?

Personal Foul Petey?…Technical Foul NCAA!

I understand the need to eliminate excessive celebrating and taunting from College sports. I even understand putting a governor on exuberance and excitement to keep the players’ emotions and demeanor in check. Heck, I’m the guy who is consistently disgusted by the Spartans tendency, far pre-dating this Coaching Staff, to over celebrate routine and basic plays. I understand that will take some time to correct, but I’m glad to say it looks like it’s finally getting a bit better.

But I do not understand taking the fun out of College Football. When Boilermaker RB Ralph Bolden scored to put Purdue up 19-14, he went through the end zone and saw a familiar face coming his way. Bolden jumped up and made contact with Purdue’s mascot Petey in harmless celebration. It was an innocent act. It wasn’t done to show anyone up, and it appeared anything but premeditated. In essence, it just wasn’t the right time for an Unsportsmanlike Conduct flag.

If the NCAA wants to rein in celebration and increase decorum and deference on the field, I’m all for it. But when a kid happens to run into his mascot on his home field after a TD, right near the end line, the Officials should have the awareness and judgment to recognize the reality and intent.

Perhaps Jim Miller of the Spartan Radio Network put it best today when discussing the performance of the Big Ten Officials here in 2009 by saying, “they’ve had an absolutely atrocious year.” I understand that the call may have been made by-the-book in Petey’s case today, but the league needs to check itself on this regard, before Big Ten officials start looking more cartoonish than league’s various mascots.

Land Grant Game Awaits

MSU should be proud of its result today, and proud of its uncanny knack to make the play when they absolutely needed it on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. They should be proud their efforts to qualify for a Bowl this season after a nearly disastrous start. MSU could’ve gone completely in the tank earlier in 2009, and might have had they lost in OT to Michigan. The Spartan Nation wouldn’t have been surprised. During the past 20 years or so, fans have seen probably a half dozen teams essentially digress or tank after their big goals for the year became out of reach.

But those days are over. Mark Dantonio’s teams don’t lay down, and they don’t stay down. They keep fighting, even when they don’t have their “A” game, as the Defense didn’t today. The effort was there today for MSU, and when it finally met up with the Spartans will, an improbable comeback became a reality.

MSU is every bit of a 6-5 football team. They’re home finale and Senior day purpose will be to send that class out as winners, clinch MSU’s third straight winning season, and put the Spartans in the best possible position for a Bowl Game selection.

After their incredible comeback today win in West Lafayette, anything now seems possible for Spartan Football.