A quick look at stories and links relating to the Michigan State game this Saturday.
Michigan State was installed as an early 8.5 to 9 point favorite. Can’t say I’m surprised, and I expect the number to rise as people look closer at the injuries for Pitt and the questions about the O-line. Add in MSU’s domination of UAB followed by UAB giving FSU a hard time the following week, along with a respectable Bowling Green team being taken down by MSU; versus Pitt’s soft and chewy opening games.
Even the Pitt defense had to acknowledge that they haven’t exactly been challenged to this point.
Pitt middle linebacker Scott McKillop agrees that it is impossible to tell just how good the Panthers are on defense until they play Michigan State. He said the Spartans embarrassed the Panthers’ defense last year and could do it again Saturday if Pitt doesn’t make tackles.
“There is no question we are aware of the fact that we’re stepping way up in class [Saturday] from the level of competition we’ve faced so far,” McKillop said after the Panthers’ 34-10 win against Grambling Saturday. “But at the same time, it was important that we took care of business in these first two games and that’s what we did. We know Michigan State is our third game, but we didn’t want to get caught looking ahead and I think we’ve played very well.
“Now, we can focus on Michigan State and we can use that as a gauge to see how far we’ve come and how much we’ve actually improved in stopping the run because, ultimately, our ability to stop the run will dictate how successful we can be. And I’m sure the coaches are going to remind us a lot about last year [against Michigan State] because that was a game where I felt like we got a lead and then shut it down and they made a lot of plays.”
We’ll all get an idea. Michigan state returns 4 of the 5 starters from last year’s O-line. There’s a big difference in the style this year for Michigan State. If anything, it might be a reason for some hope. Mark Dantonio is now in charge and he’s got the Spartan followers believing.
Oh, sure, there was a flashy offense in Spartan Stadium. But it belonged to Bowling Green. The Falcons spread the field, passed twice as much as they ran … and Michigan State was fine with it. Dantonio figured that as long as the Spartans kept Bowling Green’s receivers in front of them that eventually Michigan State would make a big play to end a drive.
“You’ve seen it here for the past number of years,” Dantonio said of Bowling Green’s spread. “You can convert, convert and convert. But at some point if you take a sack, or if you have to run the ball and you can’t run it, then it becomes long-yardage situations. So it wears on you over the course of the game.”
I’m not ripping the spread or pass-first offenses. The point is that, no matter the style, a team has to play with intelligence and discipline.
The spread is dead. That’s some good news. The offense is straight ahead, run first, traditional style. It means, it is at a level DC Paul Rhoads might comprehend (I know, gratuitous cheap shot). Pitt will still have to show that it can stop a real running game, but the good news is that the runner won’t be the QB.
I’m also hoping the Spartans like this writer, might be peeking ahead on the schedule.
But had Dantonio been around 10 years ago when opponents were penciled in — or even within the past year when a second-week replacement for Western Michigan had to be found — he couldn’t have set things up much better for his first season.
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Next up is Pittsburgh (2-0) at noon Saturday in Spartan Stadium (ESPN). The Panthers, of the Big East, will be MSU’s first opponent from a BCS conference.
The following week the Spartans will make their first road trip to play traditional rival Notre Dame before opening conference play at Wisconsin, which has been picked to contend for the league championship.
I just wish the ND-Michigan game was on at the same time, rather than at 3:30. That would be a good distraction for Spartan fans and hopefully the players. Not surprisingly, Spartan fans have been really enjoying the Michigan woes.
With Dennis heading to the game to be an eye-witness, he would be advised to make sure he claims his seat early (read the article and the comments underneath).
Probably not, it easier to find the negatives I suppose……
Unless we play the game of the year the next two weeks this team will go from 2-0 to 2-2 real quick…and please don’t blame it on the injury bug every team gets hit by it, maybe not has hard, but it still occurs.
The bottom line is, I’m sick of running up the gut for 1 yard a carry and dink and dunk passess for 2 yards. The only way we have scored is due to the defense and Shady…this offense sucks it’s just as bad as Rhoad’s defensive schemes.
the best example i can give is the Insight Bowl vs Iowa State. Iowa State’s run defense was AWFUL that year (~100 in the country), and Barlow had just run for 200+ vs WVU the game before. Sure we had good WRs, but you have to exploit a weakness right? Wrong, walt comes out and throws the ball all over the field and we lose.
I’m just asking for patience. cavanaugh is being asked to run wanny’s smashmouth system with an Oline that cant do it. The Walt leftovers were passblockers, not runblockers, and Wanny’s guys are too inexperienced to make an impact yet. lets see how this year progresses, shady might make up for a bad Oline.
Trailing UConn with time running out before halftime, Walt had Palko run to the middle of the field and take a knee on 3rd and goal to set up a FG instead of taking a shot at the end zone. We later lost the game. Absolutely disgusting.
(2)
Walt had a worse record in his first 2 seasons than Wannstedt and Cavanaugh. (8-17 vs. 11-12) Have some damn patience.
(3)
Did it occur to anyone that maybe the coaches just decided not to unnecessarily open up the entire playbook against Eastern Michigan & Grambling?
(4)
LET’S GO PITT
1 no one is saying make Walt the head coach again. But as an OC he would be great. It’s not going to happen but I would like to see it. I watched Cavanaugh run the O in Baltimore and that offense was weak at best.
2 The first two years Walt was here Pitt’s football team was a complete wreck
3 I have been waiting for the coaches to open the playbook for two years. I would say our playbook is more of a pamphlet then an actual book. I think I have it, run, run, short pass, that about wraps up our playbook.
4 I would like to see a quality win. Just one. In order to do that the coaches might have to gamble a little and I have yet to see that.
5 we are in total agreement on Lets Go Pitt!
Nice to see Rutgers making themselves look like shit worldwide.
The Ravens haven’t been great on offense post MC. Even last year with self proclaimed genius BB in charge of the offense they won due to the defense and the running game. See last night’s game to show that they haven’t improved. MC had Kyle Boller to work with in Baltimore.
If we stop Thunder and Lightning from running over 100 yards combined then we can win this game. This could be the game of the year for us because a good performance from our offense and we give birth to faith in whoever lines up behind the center. If we lose then it better be a close game to build on. Tackling will be another key factor in this game.
Look we all pay a fair amount of money to watch these games, all I’m asking for is a bit of excitement, with the possibility of stretching the field. I want a reason to get up and cheer during the game and 3 and out on offense 75% of the time doesn’t cut it.
Michigan State has abandoned the option and very much embraced the power-I running game that Pitt seems to have embraced. Wannstedt was on this evening with Mark Madden on ESPN Radio 1250 and he talked at length about what to expect from Michigan State. Lots on interior running…lots of off-tackle running and some passes mixed in.
In other words, this could actually be a fairly favorable matchup for Pitt in terms of playing into their wheelhouse a bit. Pitt’s defense so far this year has been fairly strong through the middle and the d-linemen and LBs have been making the majority of the tackles. Ringer and Caulcrick will obviously be the best two backs Pitt’s faced to this point, but again, Pitt may be much better suited to stop them this year and they won’t have a QB like Stanton to worry about.
Someone mentioned this either above or in a different thread as well…this is setting up to be a perfect home trap game for Michigan State. They follow up this Pitt home game with roadies at Notre Dame and Wisky, and this could be the makings of a classic “overlook” game for the Spartans.
Wannstedt did hint that the offense should open things up a bit this week. Madden asked him if they’ve been keeping things under wraps a bit over the first two weeks and the not-so-short answer was yes, partially by design and partially out of necessity with the QB transition.
As a side note, I think we never have beaten them-which is good for us stats-wise that is.
And to minimize the job Cav did getting Smith prepared for his first start is typical of a negative PITT fan. Give credit where it’s due – even if it’s like pulling your own tooth out. Smith looked like a pretty good QB on Saturday – and it really didn’t matter who he was playing, he garnered the confidence of the offensive players by his actions, execution of the game plan and his demeanor and that says a lot about how he was prepared.
Thanks for the MM radio quotes Stoosh.
1. MSU no longer runs the spread/option type offense that gives Pitt great difficulty;
2. Pitt’s defense has more speed and better overall athletes than anytime in the last 20 years
3. Drew Stanton graduated
4. Pitt is better conditioned than in prior years
5. Pitt has greater depth on defensive front 7 so they don’t get worn down like last year
6. Pitt’s an underdog playing on the road. Not a lot is expected. Sometimes, there is less pressure and a team bonds and plays looser on the road under adverse conditions
7. To some extent, MSU will have to key their defense around stopping Shady. This should open things up for Collins, Brooks,Stephens-Howling (if he’s healthy), the tight ends and receivers.
8.MSU is not that good. If Pitt can play to its strengths…Shady running effectively, the defensive front 7 making plays, minimizing turnovers, high completion percentage & low risk pass game, making some third and fourth down stops, successfully throwing downfield, successful special teams play….then this is a win.
Reasons Pitt could lose
1. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
2. Not throwing downfield at all
3. Bad tackling
4. Physicaaly getting our asses kicked again
5. Losing the special teams play
6. Not stopping MSU run game
Fickle Predictions:
Final Score: Pitt 27,MSU 20
Shady 25-118,1 TD running,1 TD receiving, 1 fumble
Smith 16-28, 225 yds, 2 TD, 1 pick, 3 sacks
Pitt Total Yardage 373
MSU Total Tardage 325
Pitt’s defense
3 turnovers, 3 sacks
Rushing yards allowed 165
See all you other travelling fools in East Lansing. Let’s go Pittsburgh!!!!
