Michigan-Michigan State: Dantonio embraces the rivalry

EAST LANSING, Mich. — There's only so much you're going to get out of either Michigan State or Michigan's coaches and players the week they play each other.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio has never been afraid to embrace the rivalry or acknowledge that the game means a little more than some others.

"I think in this state, I've said it many, many times, I think you grow up either green or you grow up blue," Dantonio said Tuesday at Spartan Stadium. "Not too many people are indifferent in that in Michigan. It's an exciting opportunity for our players, great challenge for our players, always has been. It's a game that we point to every year.

"They've got a great football team. The game means more than just winning and losing in-state, it's an opportunity to really sort of take control of the Legends (Division) a little bit, at least push forward.

"The stakes get higher as we go. I think it's a national game, too, because it'll have meaning in terms of bowl implications and those type of things. Just a great football game and look forward to it being a battle as it always is, hard-hitting game and lot of emotion."

Just don't ask Dantonio about the whole skywriting thing, in which the words "Go Blue" appeared above Spartan Stadium several weeks ago.

"I told you my high school coach was here so I wasn't really sure about that," Dantonio said. "But I did see that it came out that they paid for it. What can you say? Why you want to get me started? You know the drill, guys."

Dantonio, whose Spartans have the No. 1 ranked defense in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, was asked if it was accurate that he seemed to like and respect Michigan coach Brady Hoke.

"That's accurate. But I will say this, just because you like somebody in the family doesn't mean you like the whole family," Dantonio said. "I've got a great deal of respect for Brady and his coaching abilities. Very close with his brother back in the day. Good man."

Senior offensive lineman Blake Treadwell, who turned 23 Tuesday, said last year's 12-10 loss at Michigan Stadium still haunts him.

"Probably one of the worst feelings I've felt," Treadwell said. "Playing at Michigan State, that was one of the first times we've lost, me being here. I tell you, the locker room and stuff, I'll never forget.

"I can't explain the feeling, especially seeing our seniors' faces last year, how much it hurt them. I can't even explain how it felt last year."

Senior linebacker Max Bullough said his favorite rivalry memory happened long before he was playing in the game when T.J. Duckett caught a pass as time expired to beat the Wolverines in 2001.

Like Treadwell, one of his least favorite memories came last season.

"You're always sick coming off a loss," Bullough. "We had a lot of those last year. It's especially emphasized when it's Michigan, obviously because of the importance we put into that game and the work we put into that game, how much we look forward to it. It's a motivating factor.

"We felt both sides of it. We know how great it feels to win and we know how awful it feels to lose. So I think that just gives us that much more motivation because we want to have that good feeling and we sure as heck don't want to have that bad feeling. It doubles our motivation."

Georgia native Darqueze Dennard said all it took for him to realize how much the game meant was to play in it.

"My true freshman year, practicing to the game, everybody just had detail focus and was just locked in throughout practice," Dennard said. "Just going down there, down the road to play those guys in their stadium freshman year, just playing in the game, I just realized how big the rivalry was."

As you can tell, Dennard is now fully engaged in the rivalry. So much so that he refused to say the word "Michigan."

"That's a bad word. I'm gonna stay away from that," Dennard said. "I don't want to give them acknowledgement, I don't want to give them more advantage. It is what it is."

NOTES: Former All-American offensive tackle Flozell Adams will be the honorary captain for Saturday's game. He'll speak to the team during the pre-game meal and will accompany the 2013 captains at midfield for the coin toss.

Dantonio was somewhat coy when asked if the Spartans would have any changes to their uniforms Saturday.

"Would I anticipate it? I guess I would anticipate it," Dantonio said. "Would you expect it? I don't know that I would expect it."

Based on that, one should expect something different.