So I decided to do a running blog last week. Great timing, as you might have noticed. I did just the first and fourth quarters mostly. I've edited out some harshness but left about 99% of it.
Cousins VERY solid on first pass. Tight throw in a tight slot. Caper is solid, but Caulton Ray reads blocks solidly. CMU too small. Tight Ends too big for the CMU line. MSU can RUN ALL DAY.
COUSINS can throw the ball. Blair White is one hell of a hard working QB. No kidding he is about to be in the NFL. Late round sleeper pick or a practice squad signee. Hard worker. No wasted motion. Speed. Best hands at MSU since Charles Rogers . Clean drug tests.
Bad challenge. Hands under the ball. TD MSU (in Blaha voice).
Bad call on the review. He had possession AS HE HIT THE ENDZONE. It was not a catch at the 1 and down, but a bobble and catch IN the endzone.
No matter. CMU line weak. TD C.Ray. Boaters everywhere rejoice.
7-0 MSU
Sidebar: MSU needs to not only win week to week, but needs to make statements. This is off year for the Rose Bowl. We still need to show our excitement and skill level to sell ourselves for bowl games.
Back to the game. Nice little flop throw to the TE for tHE fEVER. My gay uncle throws harder (does not exist). Nice comeback throw by LeFevour. Good cover by Rucker. Played perfectly on both sides.
Screen works. What did I say? Don’t over pursue. Watch the screen and draws…
Tipped ball might have been a lateral and a fumble. No one says a word. I wonder.
Good fight from the CMU TE to break 3 tackles and get the first down.
This is a matter of time. CMU is undersized and throw happy. Stuffed on the first run in 9 plays.
Nice throw on the run for LFVR. Big hit to knock it free. Advice to LFVRRRR: Do not let Jones hit you.
7-3 MSU
Winston breaks a little runback. He has a lot to prove. I won’t really get into the specifics.
1. Bad throw by Cousins. 2. Blair White catches it. 3. W/Blair White I would look like Marino.
I look for Nichol soon, although, Cousins is sharp. I just look to shake it up if I’m a coach and make things more difficult on the DE’s. Different cadence, voice, and count plus a little more hesitation on the QB scramble threat. This dual threat is a good thing so long is there is no controversy.
Perfect throw to White and THICK DOUBLE coverage finally makes a last second stop. White stripped on the way down. Still solid.
Wally Pipp reference in re CMU running back. Dedicated to DP.
tHEfEVER throw is sidearm. Re-evaluating NFL material status.
Good play and even better tackle by CMU on the immediate end around. End in motion and direct handoff snuffed out. Caulton Ray short run. I really see BIG runs later in the game from the early pounding. CMU too small.
Perfect throw. Not sure if a catch and fumble (tie to receiver) or incomplete. If they challenge it is probably a TD. TBD.
On review, from my angle, either a TD (or no possession/control) or incomplete (no one has possession in bounds). Percent chance of a TD: 0.00%
Swenson money. Hanson replacement? Hopefully.
10-3 MSULeFevour is fast and has pretty good feet. He turns the corner and gets just inside the market. 1st down CMU. End of 1st quarter.
END OF FIRST
I was going to skip the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Nichol just threw the ball from his hips and missed a wide open receiver for a TD. Wide open. Would have been 60+ yards. WHY throw from your hip, and, there was virtually no pressure. Why?
That said: Nichol is both quick and fast. That doesn’t happen often.
Hmm. And strong. 9 yard complete bs scramble.
Again, don’t want to spend too much time between the 1st and 4th, but that CMU field goal was close. In terms of atomic bomb range, close. Close for Helen keller. Close as in “I almost went to Harvard Law” close.
Also. Complete effing horsehockey on the personal foul call. He’s a football player not a cheerleader.
Wow. “late shot” my ass. That said nice drive and nice toss. TD CMU.
START OF FOURTH
Nice run by Ray to start the 4th. I agree with the commentators, for once, and think Cousins has more control Nichol is more of a “wild card” on offense.
You have to dominate CMU on the O line. There is no question. Too much time on the field for the CMU offense and not enough time grinding the CMU defense. I’ll go back to disagreeing with the commentators who said “don’t think he got it” to say “he got it, clearly, moron.”
Gantt gets hung up on a false start because he knew he had an advantage. But Cunningham (my favorite receiver last year) goes wide and caps a clock killing drive. Now the D needs a 3 and out to show why the MAC is the MAC.
Commentator: “people like to question LeFevour’s arm strength.” I don’t. I question whether he molests children. Seriously, look at him.
Woah woah woah. One ref is 6 inches past the first down marker and one is 2 feet behind it. Third ref determines no measurement. First down. Uh, ok.
Nice call for a screen, unless the other team has “I’m GREG JONES.”
Rucker gets runs again. The spot is sketchy. Short of a first down. Challenge?
Measurement says first down. Probably a good call either way.
How about a pick six…
Wow. How about if the guy keeps his feet in it’s a TD? Good toss to a wide open man, but no dice.
TD CMU. Not sure how you don’t get more pressure on such a small team, but nice toss. Under review.
TD CMU.
Wow. CMU kicks a perfect onside kickoff, and with this kickers leg, look out. 21 seconds to go.
Pick…six...??
16 seconds to go. Don’t expect an Iowa situation. Iowa’s defensive line is impressive. MSU…is ok. At best.
Still need a big play.
Wow. 47-49 yard field goal on tap. This guy is certainly good enough to hit this, and as we’ve seen , good enough to keep it within 30 yards of a goal post.
For the record you shouldn’t have to “ice” a MAC kicker. Ever. That is uMichesque. RichRodBaggery, if you will.
Penalty pushes the ball 5 yards closer and makes this, in my mind, game.
Double icing a MAC kicker, because you have a Dlineman that can’t stay onside against a MAC team.
42 yard attempt. A high school kicker could make this, which means CMU has a chance. He did. Just lost to a shit team.CMU is pretty much the worst team MSU has lost to since, well, CMU.
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The sad thing is that I like Dantonio's ability to adjust in game. When no real defensive adjustments or increased ball carrying occured, I started to wonder if that was the best we could expect. CMU is pretty ok but not that good. I wonder if all the hype of the specialty positions helped us ignore the fact that the lines are not so good, on either side of the ball.
We'll find out this week -- known as Hate Week to some, Hate Weak to others -- as ND rolls into town after losing the ummm.
I think both of these teams, MSU and ND, are unsure of what they want to be. Are we a passing team? Do we play defense and special teams and just not turn the ball over? God knows that we don't run the ball.
I look for a close game and a much improved MSU secondary. ND is different than CMU in that the QB won't be running around and the receivers are big, not shifty.
However, it might still come down to the fact that MSU hasn't been able to establish the running game against a good team. Or, for that matter, shut down the run and force the pass.
If MSU can:
1. Protect Cousins,
2. Run for 100+ yards before the 4th quarter, and
3. Come out even or +1 on turnovers I see an MSU squeaker.
If not: Ugly.
ND isn't that impressive on the ground or defensively, but I don't know that it takes much against our O-Line. The MSU secondary is better suited against this type of traditional passing attack, although the talent of the players lining up wide for ND is significantly better than CMU showed up. I really think it was a little bit matchup a little bit bad day, a little bit maybe this defense isn't so great [without Wiley at safety and a solid pass rush].
MSU - 28
ND --- 27
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