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Michigan State Football: 5 reasons not to worry about Furman performance
Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Felton Davis III (18) makes a catch in front of Furman Paladins cornerback Nick Miller (1) to score a touchdown during the first half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Despite a tough performance in Week 1 against Furman, here’s why Michigan State Football shouldn’t be worried.
Panic mode has struck Spartan Nation after Michigan State football’s Week 1 performance against the Furman Paladins. Sure, no one is satisfied with the 28-13 victory over the little-known FCS foe, but there’s no reason to fret about the slim margin. Michigan State will be just fine moving forward no matter what your friends tell you.
Hearing how the Spartans barely beat Furman is something that has probably irked Michigan State fans far and wide. Leading just 21-13 in the final stages of the game, worried that Furman was going to score the game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion after a Tyler O’Connor pick, fans breathed a sigh of relief after Jamal Lyles’ touchdown catch.
A 28-13 victory looked much better than the potential 21-13 score the Spartans were eying in the fourth quarter. The team took an early 7-0 lead after a strong first drive, but coasted from that point on, becoming too content with a slim lead, victory.
Step off the ledge, though, folks. It’s not the end of the world. Michigan State will be back after a bye in Week 2 and stronger than before. The Spartans know what they did wrong and they had time to fix those mistakes.
Here’s why we shouldn’t be hung up on a two-score win over mediocre Furman.
5. Penalties ruined momentum
Nov 14, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; A view of a yellow penalty flag during the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Kansas Jayhawks at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Horned Frogs defeats the Jayhawks 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The penalties were out of control. Michigan State was flagged 10 times for 120 yards against Furman, stifling any potential scoring drives throughout the game. These penalties often led to second and third-and-long situations, swiping the rug right from underneath the offense.
Some of the penalties were on the defensive side of the ball as well — those were highlighted by a couple of ‘questionable’ pass interference calls.
Cleaning up the penalties would have made the score closer to 42-13 or even 42-6, but the Spartans just couldn’t stay out of trouble throughout the contest. Too many drives were halted by silly mistakes and you know that had to drive Dantonio crazy. He preaches clean play, but the Spartans were sloppy.
If Michigan State can stay away from the double-digit penalties moving forward, close games against inferior opponents won’t be an issue and ranked foes will have a tough time beating the Spartans.
Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Lj Scott (3) carries the ball past Furman Paladins linebacker Carl Rider (55) during the second half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
4. LJ Scott showed major promise
LJ Scott is the future. The sophomore running back showed some speed, strength and elusiveness against the Furman Paladins, but that was merely a taste of what he can bring to the table each week. He rushed the ball 20 times for 105 yards and a touchdown, and now that he’s officially the starting running back, he should get about 30 carries a week.
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Depending on how much the Spartans rely on the run game in Week 3 against Notre Dame, Scott has the potential to put up over 100 yards yet again with a touchdown or two. He looked like a machine against the Paladins, breaking numerous tackles on his way to his second career 100-yard game.
Now that we know who the starter is and that he’s basically Le’Veon Bell 2.0, the Spartans’ run game is in good hands. Sure, Madre London and Gerald Holmes might be the most capable backups in the conference, but Scott’s performance against Furman was a bright spot.
If LJ can continue to run like he did — strong and with a purpose — he can average over 100 yards per game and the Spartans can keep defenses on their feet with strong rushing and aerial attacks.
Scott’s performance got overlooked because of the amount of the offense coasting and not allowing him to run outside much. The Spartans were playing too conservative and Furman liked to load the box.
Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Malik McDowell (4) is helped off the field after being injured during the second half against the Furman Paladins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
3. Injuries struck hard, yet again
Remember last year how the injury bug bit the Spartans so hard that it nearly cost them their season and Big Ten title? I’m pretty sure most Michigan State faithful have recounted the 2015 campaign and asked the ever-frustrating ‘what if?’ question.
What if Connor Cook never got hurt and his arm was 100 percent for the Big Ten title game and against Alabama? What if Vayante Copeland never got injured? What if Ed Davis played in 2015? Those questions burn in the minds of many, but it’s a new year and another chance to get after a conference championship and the College Football Playoff.
However, multiple injuries against Furman resulted in some inconsistent play on both sides of the ball. Davis wasn’t technically hurt, but still out because the NCAA still hadn’t granted him a sixth year of eligibility. Jon Reschke was absent from the starting lineup and didn’t get a single snap. R.J. Shelton was hurt early on and didn’t catch a pass. Felton Davis III was in a walking boot after the game.
The injuries piled up against Furman and when that happens, it’s hard to gain footing. With a week to get healthy and stay healthy, the Spartans should be just fine moving forward. The injury big did bite hard in Week 1, though.
Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive end Gabe Sherrod (89) celebrates with cornerback Vayante Copeland (13) after a defense stop during the second half against the Furman Paladins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
2. Secondary showed signs of improvement
People can knock Darian Hicks all they want. The senior cornerback has had a rough couple of years in East Lansing. He got his start as a sophomore in 2014, opening the season with an interception against Jacksonville State to begin his career as a starter. It looked like he was going to be the next big star in the secondary.
However, he struggled against top passing teams such as Oregon and Ohio State and was eventually replaced. He was in the rotation at corner, but wasn’t the primary player opposite Trae Waynes anymore.
Prior to the 2015 season, it looked like he’d be back and better than he was in 2014. He began the year on the bench, though, as he was out with mono for a few weeks. He came back, played well and then suffered a concussion and missed even more time. It was tough for him to gain any momentum of hold on to confidence in his short stints, but he still played well to close the year.
Despite playing well against Furman to open the year, he has been criticized for not turning around fast enough to look at the ball. He was flagged twice for pass interference on tight coverage but didn’t keep his head on a swivel to knock the ball down. If he had just turned, he would have had a couple of easy picks and another deflection.
If the only knock is that Hicks’ tight coverage was nullified by questionable pass interference calls, I think you can deem the secondary an improved unit.
Demetrius Cox and Montae Nicholson played well while Furman’s QB avoided throwing to Copeland’s side of the field. A successful opening game for the Spartan secondary and maybe even a resurgence of the ‘No Fly Zone.’
Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio stands on the field before a game against the Furman Paladins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
1. Mark Dantonio has a history of quiet opening games
Look at Mark Dantonio’s history of opening games at Michigan State. He hasn’t ‘blown out’ inferior opponents on a regular basis in recent years, yet this is considered the ‘golden age’ of Michigan State football. Openers are for learning more about the team while not giving away too much to ensuing opponents on the schedule.
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The Spartans did just that against Furman. They learned which areas need fixing and they also didn’t give away a thing to the Fighting Irish. The offense was conservative behind O’Connor and Scott while the defense didn’t show many blitz packages — that will all change.
Here are Dantonio’s opening games since being in East Lansing:
Michigan State hasn’t really done what the Ohio States or the Michigans of the world do in season openers against FCS and inferior foes, but the Spartans have still won all but one of them under Dantonio.
This is just a typical Dantonio season opener and there’s no reason to be alarmed by the close score. Heck, just look at the 26-13 win over Western in 2013 as a good example. Michigan State barely won and went on to go 13-1 with a Rose Bowl victory.
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