Nebraska

[Spartanmack]

I have no desire to watch Michigan State football this year. The fact that Dave Warner and Jim Bollman still have jobs tells you all you need to know about this program.
Also, between Izzos dribble handoff offense and Dantonio first down runs down the middle I honestly don?t know which is worse to watch. I know both are all time greats at MSU but holy shit their style of play is getting really stale. It?s boring.

the problem with the play calling against Nebraska is they went away from the run. That's where they were having success.

 

[Spartanmack]

I agree, this team sucks. But last years team that was all coming back doesn?t suck.

maybe not, but as Spartynash pointed out at 96th out of 130 programs, they weren't exactly an offensive juggernaut. You would expect some improvement from there but with our inability to develop offensive line talent coupled with having the worst coordinators in all of college football, there's certainly no guarantee of it.

 

[Spartanmack]

Kansas just hired Les Miles...I never want to hear the excuse that we can’t afford decent coaches. How the hell does Dave Warner still have a job? Someone please explain that to me. Has anyone asked Dantonio in a press conference what the hell is up with the offense? What a joke

I agree with you but not your example - I don't think Les Miles is much of an upgrade from Dantonio. The fact that the Kansas job is the best he could do should be telling.

 

[MSUMatt28]

I agree with you but not your example - I don't think Les Miles is much of an upgrade from Dantonio. The fact that the Kansas job is the best he could do should be telling.

Yep. And if I recall the biggest complaint about Miles at LSU that developed over time was how ordinary, conservative the LSU offenses had become.

 

[SpartyNash]

maybe not, but as Spartynash pointed out at 96th out of 130 programs, they weren't exactly an offensive juggernaut. You would expect some improvement from there but with our inability to develop offensive line talent coupled with having the worst coordinators in all of college football, there's certainly no guarantee of it.

I think I saw this on here a couple weeks ago, or I may have seen it somewhere else: is it fair to say the last 3 seasons (19-17, could be 20-17 if we can score double digits against Rutgers) is pretty representative of what we are? Not 3-9 bad like 2016, but not 10-3 good like last year. This is the definition of an average team because our defense is great and the offense is historically bad and brings us down to mediocre as a whole.

 

[Spartanmack]

I believe I saw a postgame quote from Dantonio saying ?playcalling isn?t the issue.? If he doesn?t make a single change in the offseason we are going to become Illinois.

He may be right, play calling may not have been THE issue, but it certainly was AN issue. Right now, Heyward is our best available player on offense - he's probably top 5 if not top 3 on a healthy offense. but they went away from the run, with the lead and a solid defense and threw the ball in the wind and snow with a QB who has no touch. I'm glad Lombardi is getting snaps and game experience and gotime is probably right - he played well enough to win the game but he was asked to do too much in those conditions. White and Dotson both sucked with all the drops but they were throwing the ball WAY too much - that's play calling.

 

[Spartanmack]

I saw a headline y'day, I think on Google, that Dantonio is going to call the plays on offense or take a bigger role in it. If he thinks play calling isn't the issue, why is he doing that? Is he reading the papers (or DSF) and getting his ideas from there?

 

[SpartyNash]

He may be right, play calling may not have been THE issue, but it certainly was AN issue. Right now, Heyward is our best available player on offense - he's probably top 5 if not top 3 on a healthy offense. but they went away from the run, with the lead and a solid defense and threw the ball in the wind and snow with a QB who has no touch. I'm glad Lombardi is getting snaps and game experience and gotime is probably right - he played well enough to win the game but he was asked to do too much in those conditions. White and Dotson both sucked with all the drops but they were throwing the ball WAY too much - that's play calling.

Don?t get me wrong I hate Dave Warner as much or more than any fan, but you?re right, to put 100% of the loss (or all losses this year) on him is unfair. We had drops left and right against Nebraska, weather be damned they killed us, I know Doctson had one for a TD and then we had back to back on our last two plays offensively to extend the game and get into FG range. Our run game is a joke, I don?t know how much of that blame can go to coaching, poor line play, poor RB play, etc.

 

[Spartanmack]

Don’t get me wrong I hate Dave Warner as much or more than any fan, but you’re right, to put 100% of the loss (or all losses this year) on him is unfair. We had drops left and right against Nebraska, weather be damned they killed us, I know Doctson had one for a TD and then we had back to back on our last two plays offensively to extend the game and get into FG range. Our run game is a joke, I don’t know how much of that blame can go to coaching, poor line play, poor RB play, etc.

my point was not that he doesn't deserve all the blame. I was agreeing with you and disagreeing w/ Dantonio who seemed to be indicating that play calling wasn't even part of the problem. It's probably rare that any loss can be pinpointed to 1 thing and only 1 thing but if MD doesn't think offensive play calling was at least part of (a big part of) the problem in this game (and the season), he's nuts.