The weather report from the MSU vs Oregon game was not so fun and games
Rumor has it there was a football game played by the Michigan State Spartans on Friday night. The reality, football was only played by one side. There was not a lot of good to take away from this game. Of course we can make plenty of excuses with injuries, youth, short week and just a significantly better opponent. The time for excuses is over. It’s time to suck it up and be better. This was an uninspired performance in which the Spartans were embarrassed. It’s looking like all clouds this week.
CLOUD 1: TURNOVERS
Anyone else feel like this is a broken record? Fumbling on the one yard line on the teams first possession clearly deflated any chance of inspiration. There has got to be an answer to fixing this problem. When is the fix going to happen? Is this coaching? Player execution? Youth? All the above? All I know is i don’t get paid coaching money and NIL money to solve this problem. Others do. It’s time to fix the problem.
CLOUD 2: DISCIPLINE
Inexcusable penalties are back everyone! Not only are the Spartans turning the ball over but they are giving away free fifteen yards. Delay of game penalties that should really never be happening, especially on third and shorts. Coach Smith has talked about this being on him in weeks past. I agree. This is on coaching. Obviously the coaches can’t get on the field and execute but there needs to be consistent improvement on discipline. I can’t help but think a tighter ship in discipline would also help the turnover problem.
CLOUD 3: RUNNING GAME
Jordan James had 151 yards rushing at the half. Meanwhile the entire Spartan offense had 102 yards and 21 of those being rushing. The offensive line is an obvious huge problem in this. There are no holes being created. Defensive linemen are practically in the backfield for a handoff. So, yes, the line is a dumpster fire. There is also a lack of vision in the backs. It’s a pretty daunting site watching the difference in runs between James and Carter. James looks strong, aggressive, decisive and inspired. None of that is coming from Carter. I am aware they are two different caliber of backs but we should still be seeing more of the positive.
CLOUD 4: TACKLING
The tackling in this game was the poorest I’ve seen the Spartans in a minute. This reminded me of my days living in a house on Michigan Ave. There was a day that our house happened to get a bat stuck inside. There were three of us determined to catch this bat and get it out of the house. We managed to trap it in the upstairs hallway where we proceeded to try to catch this bat with a pillow case, a lacrosse stick and who know what else. It’s quite possible that some of those people trying to catch this bat are reading this right now. It took us far too long to catch that bat. We did and finally got it out of the house. All I could think of while watching defenders trying to tackle Ducks, James in particular, was my fellow idiots and I trying to catch a bat. Our defenders looked untrained and ill equipped at catching a Duck.
CLOUD 5: FLAT
The Spartans looked and played very flat and unprepared. They tried, they finally scored, but the still seemed flat, in my opinion. Not so much unprepared and flat in the sense of x’s and o’s but more in the sense of mental preparedness. They seemed fatigued and lacking the same kind of heart they’ve shown in some of the other losses. They were not conditioned well enough for the short week, the travel, the time change and the environment. The team better get used to some of these because the new BIG will be asking this out of them a lot. The Spartans are never known to get a schedule ease. They are usually one of the BIG doormats when it comes to the schedule. Get prepared for the new norm.
CLOUD 6: RECRUITMENT
This type of showing in a prime time nationwide spot, just like the OSU game, is not good for recruits watching at home. It’s pretty hard to convince a kid to come play for a team who is losing the total yards battle to one player. MSU needs to show up in these games. They need a performance that makes a recruit say, “all they need is me, I’m the difference maker”. Unfortunately, THE spartans have not had that kind of showing. With the constant ebb and flow of player movement in today’s scene it is imperative the Spartans get better in these kinds of games for the future of the program.
CLOUD 7: CHILES AND THE BENCH HIM VOICES
Let me make this very clear. I am not pleased with Chiles’ play. I am not pleased with the speed of his development. I admit I am being impatient. I do not think he needs to be benched. Unfortunately this type of performance just opens him up to more criticism and the sideline fans calling for the back up. This year’s expectations are low. Let’s just hope for a bowl game. Any bowl game. I hate to say it, but he needs to play and we have to be patient. We have to live through the bumps and blowouts and hope that these will be learning moments that set him up for future success. Pull out the voodoo, the sacrifices, the wishing stones, the fairy dust and pray that this is all character building and next year we see the actual growth. Please, start with the footwork and go from there. I know it’s hard to stay the course sometimes but I believe this is the way, even though it punches me in the face weekly this season.
EXTRA CLOUDY:
The FOX studio crew and Brock Huard. Is anyone else just bored listening to these FOX games and the coverage given? Is this seriously all there is? It doesn’t help that most coverage never has anything great to say about MSU football and then the team shows up like this and solidifies many more games with he same sort of coverage. You know its rough when all Huard is talking about is the music. Now clearly we know this writer values the importance of music but I’m good with listening to the announcers dissect it.
3-3, a bye week could not come at a better time. Hopefully some of the minor injuries heal.