Tuesday Morning Quarterback
Submitted by Paul Mercier on Tue, 10/06/2009 - 11:14
Saturday’s big game has come and gone, and MSU has taken itself one step closer to becoming a better football team. Saturday’s game showed that this team does indeed have promise, but it still has some holes to fill.
Let’s begin by talking about this team’s toughness against adversity. Yes, they blew a large fourth quarter lead which could have been a death sentence for the 2009 season; but, they overcame their collapse to win a big game in overtime. Keith Nichol came back on to a playing field in overtime, after leaving the game to audible grumbles from the MSU faithful, only to lead his offense into the end zone. Similarly, Larry Caper, who had multiple fumbles in the game, held strong in OT and broke what should have been a very modest gain into a game winning touchdown for the Spartans.
Kirk Cousins look solid again for most of the game, and he would have closed it out had he not been injured. He deserves some well-deserved credit as well for allowing his better judgment to take over, and not trying to play the final series. All too often we see athletes TRY to be tough, only to end up hurting their team. Hats off to Cousins for knowing he was too injured to play, and for having faith in Nichol to get the job done.
On the down side, we still saw a typical MSU meltdown in the fourth. Offensive play calling that may have aired on the too conservative side, and a couple of defensive series which were far too conservative. Michigan could not handle the push by MSU’s front line on defense on Saturday, yet in the last crucial drives, MSU stopped blitzing. I understand the theory behind a prevent defense, but Forcier struggled mightily when the defense pressured him.
This upcoming Saturday brings an interesting game. The Spartans will travel to face a down Illinois team who may be playing without their once-lethal quarterback. This game can be scary for MSU fans because Illinois needs a big win to get its confidence back in order. If the Spartans come out and play like they did against the Wolverines on Saturday, they should have no problem winning this game. But if penalties pile up, and the defense slumps, it could be a long afternoon for Spartan fans.
