Michigan State Football: Report card for Notre Dame win
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Who performed the best for Michigan State football in a huge 36-28 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday?
Michigan State football’s win over Notre Dame on Saturday was one of the more impressive feats in Mark Dantonio’s tenure as head coach. Not only did he lead his young team into South Bend and get the win, but he did so with no one in the national media, and a majority of his own fan base, giving the Spartans a shot.
Well, Michigan State came out on top after taking a commanding 36-7 lead in the third quarter before nearly squandering it due to conservative play. Michigan State got too comfortable with the 29-point lead and the Spartans played soft in the fourth.
The Spartans are now entering Week 4 with a 2-0 record and a nice road triumph. However, Wisconsin is sitting there, waiting for Michigan State. The Spartans will host the No. 11 Badgers on Saturday at noon — too early, I know — and you better believe Coach D will have his guys ready.
Before we talk about Wisconsin in too much detail, let’s take a look at the grades for each Spartan position group from the Notre Dame victory. Who performed the best?
Offensive Line
OL, Last Week: N/A
The offensive line was one of the pleasant surprises of the game for Michigan State. Coming into the season, no one really knew what to make of this position group with Jack Conklin, Jack Allen and Donavon Clark departing, but the returning group has been effective.
Led by Brian Allen, the grunts up front were a major reason as to why the Spartans engineered a 36-0 run in the second and third quarters. They opened huge running lanes for LJ Scott and Gerald Holmes and even protected Tyler O’Connor long enough to make some deep throws and a couple touchdown passes.
O’Connor didn’t get sacked once and the offensive line looked 100 percent more confident and effective against the Fighting Irish than it did versus Furman.
Whenever the run game accounts for 250-plus yards, you know the offensive line is doing its job. That’s exactly why it has received one of the highest grades of the week.
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws in the fourth quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Notre Dame Stadium. MSU won 36-28. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Line
DL, Last Week: N/A
The defensive line was looking like the strong point of the team. Malik McDowell was getting constant pressure on DeShone Kizer, laying big hits on him and making him feel uncomfortable in the pocket throughout the second and third quarters, but once the fourth began, the big guys up front disappeared.
While this lack of pressure late in the game can be attributed to the play-calling and the coaching staff backing off an playing prevent instead of bringing a heavy rush, the defensive line still has to figure out a way to get into the backfield with a four-man rush.
Some bright spots were the play of McDowell, who finished with four tackles, as well as Raequan Williams who had two tackles and his first collegiate sack. If these two can continue to wreak havoc in the backfield, the Spartans will have every opposing quarterback on their toes, anticipating big hits.
Unfortunately, McDowell was double-teamed from the second quarter on and never really had a chance to get a sack on Kizer. The Spartans finished with two in this one, which both came when extra pressure was added to the rush.
Dantonio might have to figure out a different combination of D-linemen or even play a few true freshmen if the Spartans want to record a healthy amount of sacks each week. This group was, however, dominant against Notre Dame’s run.
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans linebacker Jon Reschke (33) and linebacker Riley Bullough (30) celebrate interception of Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14)(not pictured) during the second half a game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Linebackers
LB, Last Week: N/A
Much like the defensive line, the linebackers would have gotten a much higher grade had the play-calling favored blitz packages in the fourth quarter after mounting a 36-7 lead. However, guys like Chris Frey, Riley Bullough and Jon Reschke backed off and allowed Kizer to sling the ball wherever he wanted to late in the game.
Still, this unit helped the defensive line out tremendously and put extra pressure on Kizer in the second and third, leading to a gigantic run on the scoreboard. While we didn’t see any Ed Davis, Frey played that role to perfection, blitzing from the outside and using his athleticism to force bad throws and stop the run.
The Spartans held Notre Dame to just 57 rushing yards on 25 carries and most of the production came from Kizer who had two rushing scores. The leading rusher, Josh Adams, finished with just 29 yards on 12 carries. It was the run defense against Furman that had Spartan Nation worried, but it clearly figured some things out.
Bullough was quiet in this one, recording just four tackles, while Frey was limited to two tackles as well. Reschke, coming back from an injury after missing the first game, was the player of the game on defense, recording eight tackles and a huge interception in the third quarter.
Andrew Dowell had four tackles and a sack, continuing to prove that he’s the future at the linebacker position for Michigan State.
Once Ed Davis sees the field, this unit will be a force to reckoned with.
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (6) has pass broken up by Michigan State Spartans cornerback Vayante Copeland (13) during the second half a game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Backs
DB, Last Week: N/A
This was one of the more frustrating position groups to grade. Again, the coaching staff could have made the difference between the defensive backs getting a ‘B’ or a ‘C’ but the soft play in the fourth quarter made it the latter.
Harlon Barnett, questionably, went to a prevent look with very soft coverage early in the fourth quarter and even late in the third, making Kizer feel much more at ease with short and intermediate routes. He had just over 150 passing yards in the first half, thanks to some big plays near the end of the second quarter which didn’t even result in a score.
Darian Hicks was switching in and out with Tyson Smith on a regular basis and neither truly got burned deep, but did allow a few short throws to turn into some big gainers. Hicks and Smith limited deep shots, though, for the most part.
Vayante Copland had his worst game yet. Although the coverage calls were the issue by Barnett, Copeland found himself out of position a couple of times and even got flagged for a big pass interference late in the game that led to a scoring drive. If he can keep his head on a swivel and stop being so aggressive when the ball is in the air, the Spartans will be just fine at corner.
Monte Nicholson and Demetrious Cox also played decent, but nothing extremely impressive from either one. Both stepped up in the run a few times and made some nice, hard tackles.
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) leaps over Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Nyles Morgan (5) during the first half a game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Running Backs
RB, Last Week: N/A
These Michigan State running backs are good. Although Madre London and Gerald Holmes switched roles from Week 1 as LJ Scott’s backup, the Spartans didn’t seem to skip a beat, rushing for 260 yards and three touchdowns on 52 carries. Averaging 5.0 yards per carry is no joke against a team like Notre Dame with a tough front-seven.
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The offensive line, as mentioned earlier, created a ton of running room for Scott and Holmes and even though the play-calling was unimaginative, they found a way to pick up big chunks. Holmes’ longest run of the day happened to be the Spartans’ longest of the year, picking up a touchdown on a 73-yard burst through the middle of the line, untouched.
Holmes finished the game with 100 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries while Scott had 98 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. You can’t fault Scott for the 4.5 yards per carry average, though. He was forced to try to make things happen running between the tackles on about 90 percent of his touches.
When a player is forced to run into a pile of defenders, there’s not much else he can do but gain a yard or two before a cloud of dust.
R.J. Shelton’s wide receiver sweep worked well, gaining 16 yards on three carries while the Damion Terry Wildcat package never seems to work but always seems to be called for in the worst situations. He finished with two carries for two yards.
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver R.J. Shelton (12) runs the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Avery Sebastian (4) during the second half a game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Wide Receivers
WR, Last Week: N/A
We saw the emergence of a superstar on Saturday night in South Bend. Donnie Corley has risen from the ranks of the ‘might get a few targets’ zone to ‘could be No. 1 receiver material’ zone. The true freshman wide receiver has burst onto the scene as a stud and his second game ever in the green and white happened to be his best.
It all started with his first career touchdown catch where Tyler O’Connor trusted him enough, or just threw a very low ball, to lob it up into the corner of the end zone, hoping Corley would come down with it after a jump ball. The first-year receiver showed his immense athleticism, rising up, stealing the ball from the defender’s hands and finishing with a touchdown.
The catch was extremely similar to his game-winning grab from the Michigan high school state championship game but this one came on a national stage. Corley finished with a team-high 88 yards and a touchdown on four catches.
R.J. Shelton led all receivers with eight receptions and he had 80 yards and a touchdown to go along with it. The numbers might be a little deceiving because a couple of those catches, and a handful of yards, came off shovel passes from O’Connor. To be fair, Shelton did do a majority of the work, but his 80 yards receiving could have been divided into rushing as well.
Monty Madaris looked explosive yet again before getting hurt, catching two passes for 40 yards, and Josiah Price added two receptions for 24 yards.
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Tyler O
Tyler O'Connor
QB, Last Week: N/A
Is Tyler O’Connor great? Not yet. Is he a serviceable starter who can be relied on? Absolutely. However, his performance against Notre Dame didn’t exactly blow anyone away. He had a tremendous stat line with 241 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-26 completions, but he made a couple of questionable decisions.
A few times, O’Connor was trying to force throws into double coverage and one of them even led to a Daelin Hayes’ tipped pass and interception by Devin Studstill at the Spartans’ goal line. That was a momentum killer and halted a drive that looked to end in a score.
On multiple other occasions, he either under threw his receivers or he missed wide open players streaking toward the end zone. His long ball definitely needs some work as he tossed a couple of ducks into the air. He missed Corley on a deep post and decided to run instead, picking up a couple of yards, and under-shot Shelton which should have been a touchdown but he luckily got a pass interference call.
Unlike Cook, O’Connor can run effectively and pick up positive yards. He did look to run far more than he should have, though. He finished with 43 yards on 10 carries, but he needs to learn to be more confident in the pocket and not tuck and run before he lets receivers run their routes.
Still, road wins against Ohio State and Notre Dame in his first three starts prove he’s a viable option under center.
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Jake Hartbarger (25) punts during the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Special Teams
ST, Last Week: N/R
The special teams were relatively quiet in this one. Michael Geiger didn’t attempt single field goal to redeem himself from a Week 1 miss, but he did make four extra points in as many tries. He didn’t have five because Michigan State decided to go for two after the first touchdown of the game, taking an 8-7 lead.
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Geiger needs to get as much practice in the field goal kicking game as he can before the big games in October and November just in case the games come down to that last-second three-point try again. Right now, he’s 0-fer on the season.
Jake Hartbarger had seven punts but only averaged about 38 yards per kick. This number is a bit deceiving since the Spartans did punt from around midfield quite often, leading to Hartbarger’s short kicks. He did have a long of 42 yards and pinned Notre Dame deep on a couple of occasions. He still remains a very reliable component of special teams play.
Darrell Stewart had a nice 26-yard kick return, but other than that, Delton Williams fielded a couple of pooches and basically went down right away. The coverage was nice, too, as Kevin Cronin had multiple touchbacks and the Spartans only allowed 20 yards per kickoff return.
The ever-dangerous C.J. Sanders was held in check in the punt return game as Hartbarger avoided him as much as possible. He finished with just nine yards on two returns.
The grade for this group would have been much lower if the opening kickoff returned for a touchdown stood instead of being nullified with an illegal block in the back.