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Michigan State is taking a unique approach to its bye week
After Michigan State football improved to 8-0 with a 52-26 win over Indiana, coach Mark Dantonio probably raised his approval rating a few points by making a surprising declaration.
The Spartans will not practice this week since they don't play a game Saturday.
"We've been going since August, so we've had no bye, no downtime, and I just think that after eight games, we've done what we needed to do," Dantonio told reporters in East Lansing on Monday. "It's not perfect, but we are 8-0 right now, so we've done what we need to do."
He acknowledged health is an issue for his team, which has been missing starters in the secondary and on the offensive line most of the season.
"We need to heal up," Dantonio said. "We need to sort of get fresh. We need to look forward. We don't need to look forward to a grind, we need to look forward to the next opportunities and the next challenge. It's not like our guys won't be working. They'll be working a couple hours a day, but I think that the pounding and the hitting is going to be nonexistent this week.
"We're going to make it into next week without a guy getting a shoulder or something of that nature, hopefully, unless they drop it on their foot or something, weight on their foot, which has happened."
Per the Lansing State Journal, defensive back Demetrious Cox said the team responded to the announcement with "a pretty loud roar."
"A lot of guys kind of need it, kind of want it," Cox said.
