MSU Offensive Line Leads MSU Redemption!!!
Today’s beginning in South Bend wasn’t at all how the Spartans were hoping to start. We all breathed a sigh of relief as Mike Gytevai trotted to the field for the first time since mid 2006. The excitement of Gytevai’s return was quickly replaced with the anxiety caused by a botched snap between Nitchman and Hoyer. From the bottom of the pile, which resulted in a Notre Dame fumble recovery, Kenny Shane came up limping with an ankle injury.
Three plays later, Notre Dame capitalizes on the MSU mistake for their first touchdown of the 2007 season. Michigan State responds on the offensive line with Mike Bacon at left guard. Mike Bacon did a masterful job in helping MSU answer the Notre Dame score with a touchdown drive of their own. You have to take your hat off to Mike; he has been a career walk-on from Lansing that has always wanted to help his MSU team. Here he was playing left guard in tradition rich Notre Dame Stadium.
The next drive by the offensive line was a methodical beating at the point of attack. Gytevai and Miller sealed the right side allowing Javon Ringer to bust a long run down to the Notre Dame 15 yard line. After a completion in the flat to Hawken, MSU’s line did a solid job of protecting Hoyer to give MSU the 14-7 lead. The game wore on and the Spartans took control as Ringer and Caulcrick chipped away at the clock in the south end zone opposite “Touchdown Jesus.â€
It was a beautiful….uhhh….ugly win. There wasn’t a lot of pretty plays or pageantry. It was the kind of performance that ‘ol George must have loved. It was an all around Perles type of afternoon except for the four TD throws nestled under Hoyer’s name. What made this ugly win so beautiful was the play of our “big uglies†when we needed it most. They took a lot of grief for last week’s performance against Pitt and some of it was certainly justified.
Let’s face it; this was not the best Notre Dame team to take the field in quite awhile. It was however, a win that was an all around team effort and it started with an offensive line that was missing its two starting guards. You wanted adversity Mark, well it was on display shortly after Kenny Shane limped off the field. The Spartan response… was exactly what Spartans are supposed to do. They banded together. They believed in one another. They played like men on a mission toward redemption. A sweet redemption that was salted away by an offensive line that would have traded their big toes for ten more fourth quarter carries by Jehuu Caulcrick a year ago. MSU rushed the ball for more than 200 yards today. It was ugly and oh so beautiful.
Well Charlie… unless your math is different than mine, I’d say you are having a large serving of humble pie topped with a little crow suphlet. Eat up…mmmmm… you won’t get another serving until next year in East Lansing unless you’re unemployed.
SIDE NOTE... Hondo wore his pink shirt today. I told him to leave it home or change allegences. He said MSU is 2-0 when he wears pink. I'm changing my mind, I'll have a fresh "pink canvas" starched and ready to go November 3rd.
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