WMU Was A Good Win, but the Spartans are Playing For More...

If you believe in coincidences then the WMU game was for you. The Spartans came into the high cathedral of the Spartan Nation, Spartan Stadium, off of two big

If you believe in coincidences then the WMU game was for you. The Spartans came into the high cathedral of the Spartan Nation, Spartan Stadium, off of two big losses in a row. While at Minnesota last week the Spartans fell behind 14-0 to start the game.  

 

The Spartans Are Pushing for the Future Practices Even More than the Game! Photo Courtesy of Bill Marklevits

They jumped ahead 14-0 and never looked back. Ashton Leggett stepped up with a monster game running the ball 14 times for 110 yards, the longest being a 71-yard scamper for the early 7-0 lead. The RB who came out of the spring as the number one guy has struggled with what he called after the game, “Fumbilitis and pass protection.” He didn’t struggle Saturday with FOUR TDs.

 

Leggett wasn’t the only one with a big day. QB Kirk Cousins had the best day of his career commanding the offense like a veteran going 22 of 25. His offensive coordinator Don Treadwell praised his pupil by saying, “Pretty darn sharp and I think he had a couple of drops.”

 

This was more than just a win. After a heartache last second loss to Iowa and a collapse in Minnesota the Spartans needed this. Under Mark Dantonio, not one of his teams has quit. Not one of them has collapsed. If ever they would collapse, this was the time and they didn’t.

 

It would certainly not be realistic to consider this win as if it was a BCS championship game, let alone PSU who will be here in two weeks, but it was a good team and the Spartans responded with fire and grit.

 

The Spartans had an astonishing 602 yards of offense and here is an even better stat. All of the Spartans four TEs not only caught passes, but also had good games including TDs from Dion Sims and Garrett Celek.

 

This game was bigger than just a win against WMU and a team getting to 5-5. It gave this team back some momentum and, more important, some fire. I am in no way implying that they had lost their heart. I am saying that losing two in a row the way they did, mixed with the high expectations of the season, a group of young people can start to question themselves.

 

Mark Dantonio knew that his team was struggling and he closed the ranks this week in order to isolate and insulate his guys. Football is an incredibly mental game and he knew how to play his team like a maestro. If anyone deserves a game ball for this performance, it was Dantonio.

 

So the biggest question is what does this mean for the Spartans? What does this game mean for the rest of the Spartans’ season? Pat Narduzzi summed it up best, “We have to play better than today to win next week.” The Spartans now are back to .500 football and they are in desperate need of the magical sixth win that brings bowl eligibility.

 

They have next week at Purdue and the following week with Penn State to get that win. With Purdue having beat OSU and UM this season and, even more importantly, playing a tight game at Oregon, that will be no easy task.

 

Who said Big Ten football was easy? It isn’t. Facing Purdue and Penn State will not be the easiest way to end the season. With one more win, they get something a lot more important than just playing in a bowl game. They get the golden ticket that comes from the NCAA for extra practices and the critical work that comes with it.

 

In some programs the joy of the actual bowl is the prize. In a rebuilding program with goals much bigger than just getting to a bottom or even mid level bowl, those practices are golden. They are the reward. Fans who want BCS games should see that.

 

I know Dantonio does.