"Captain Kirk Just Needs to Steer a Steady MSU Ship"
Direct from SpartanMag.com - the inside strategy on QB play for Saturday...
"So while the 6 foot, 193-pound Robinson will be required to continue his spectacular ways, Cousins will just need to be steady. Chances are, he will not be called on to win. Just not lose with poor decisions."
In another revealing quote, Cousins says, "I got a pretty up-close a personal account of what the rivalry is all about when I was in seventh grade in 2001,'' he said. "That was when Jeff Smoker completed the pass here at Spartan Stadium to T.J. Duckett to win the game."
Do any of us remember that play?
Link: http://michiganstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1135306
EDIT: "Bonus link - if you can call it that... http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-t25-michiganst-cousi…
October 6th, 2010 at 8:58 PM ^
That play was bull @#$%
October 6th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^
Welcome to MGoBlog!
October 6th, 2010 at 11:43 PM ^
Are you the REAL Rich Wolverton of RCMB fame? You sir are the single finest example of Sparty's Michigan obsession I have ever witnessed. Truly inspiring.
October 6th, 2010 at 11:48 PM ^
Jeff Smoker went to my high school's huge rival at Manheim Central so I already disliked him. But when he did that play to win the game that was the final straw. It was great seeing him slowly disapear into the NFL to now where you don't hear anything on him ever again.
October 6th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^
I think their gameplan will be exactly that. I bet 1 MgoPoint that they believe they can run the ball at will on us, and will try to do that. I also expect a ton of quick passes to WR's that have a corner playing 10 yards off.
October 6th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
Our QB is The Happening.
Their QB is Captain Kirk?
October 6th, 2010 at 10:44 PM ^
Our QB is Dilithium. Their QB is Captain Kirk. How's Kirk supposed to do anything without a warp drive?
EDIT: Just saw BlueinSB's post... How very Borg of me.
October 6th, 2010 at 9:02 PM ^
Because I typically turn off my tv once the clock reads zeroes.
Edit: Figuratively. Once the game is over I turn off the tv. And to anybody smart enough to count seconds (apparently not MSU grads/students/fans/employees) that game was over.
October 7th, 2010 at 10:07 AM ^
You mean like the Big Ten? Who said the call was correct?
October 6th, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
he has people for that
October 6th, 2010 at 10:41 PM ^
I don't know where this came from.
October 6th, 2010 at 9:08 PM ^
Do you really think we will stop their running backs? I don't expect much from Cousin's, but their RBs seem pretty solid.
October 6th, 2010 at 9:19 PM ^
The rivalry is about poor timekeepers?
October 6th, 2010 at 9:20 PM ^
We've got all of your Dilithium. No more warp speed for you.
October 6th, 2010 at 9:20 PM ^
Yes, I was in the endzone with my Spartan-slappy family when that pass was made. All of us 0Michigan fans were counting outloud and knew that the play was over - but it wasn't. Anyway, this weekend, I disagree with the assessment that Cousins won't be called on to win. IMO, this game will either be solidly in hand (doubt it) by the 3Q for UM or more realistically, it will be a shoot out where the better QB with pass protection and receivers with hands will win.
October 6th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
What they don't understand is that this is Denard being steady. Kind of scary, huh?
October 6th, 2010 at 9:24 PM ^
Stardate 10-09-10...we've arrived at the hostile blue planet, Big House 114K. My goal...to avoid the interception that will send the Sparty Federation into a decade long black hole of depression...must...maintain...focus...Ooh! There's a hot green alien girl (I think)! Quickly...Spocktonio, use your powers of logic to predict snap counts and control clock time with your Spartan Bob mind meld...remember- you must show no emotions. Jones- learn everything there is to know about this "Nard Dog" and his abilities. "Dammit Jim, I'm a linebacker not a doctor!" Mission: failed
October 6th, 2010 at 10:05 PM ^
Very well done.
October 7th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^
Thanks for the props- I am dropping for 50 bare-knuckle pushups in your honor.
October 6th, 2010 at 9:27 PM ^
Anyone else already cackling with glee seeing a Cousins INT in the 2nd half? Next play is Denard to Hemingway or Stonum for a nice 2 TD lead.
October 6th, 2010 at 10:00 PM ^
I can't wait to see Jones try to spy Denard. Don't see that working out well for them...
October 6th, 2010 at 10:03 PM ^
I do love how on the BTN Revsine, Dinardo, and co. are all actually calling Sparty "little brother."
October 6th, 2010 at 10:08 PM ^
So where exactly does a hobo watch BTN anyway?
October 6th, 2010 at 10:10 PM ^
I have my sources, man.
October 7th, 2010 at 9:36 AM ^
October 7th, 2010 at 2:10 AM ^
At my crib, as long as he supplies the 5 o'clock, Mad Dog 20/20, or 211(Steel Reserve)
October 6th, 2010 at 10:07 PM ^
Hasn't it been proven that the time was accurate? I think the real issue should have been the blatant holding that wasn't called.
October 6th, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
In every Spartan wet dream.
The Big Ten said it would not investigate.
Then the NCAA decided that they would no loner allow money contributing boosters to keep time at their school.
You decide...
October 6th, 2010 at 11:31 PM ^
No way, I watched espn for the rest of the say (I was in a masochistic mood) and they showed it over and over and that was for surrrre more than one second. Blasphemy to suggest otherwise.
October 7th, 2010 at 1:34 AM ^
Three things...
Yes, for all intents and purposes, it was proven that the time was kept according to the rules. Several days afterward, the Big Ten quite publically announced the fact that the MSU timekeepers performed their duties appropriately and made no errors on the play. ESPN also eventually ran a clock that showed there were something like .2 seconds left in real time. The new regulations of in-booth score and time officials was aimed at the perception of the event, not the reality.
Second, yes, there was a rather awful hold on Stevens that should have been called (and would have, doubtlessly, had it happened several minutes earlier in the game). Not really much different than Charles Rogers getting dragged to the turf twice on the drive with no flags, other than its timing and influence on the ending (which made it especially egregious).
Third, MSU was actually cheated out of downs, yardage, and time on the clock in the plays preceding Smoker's spike. Two plays before, UM sacked Smoker with twelve men on the field, and the officials marked off the penalty from where he was taken down, not the original LOS. They also played the next down as 2nd, rather than 1st, and never reset the clock. So, all things considered, the game never should've even come down to the fractions of a second it did.
G
October 7th, 2010 at 8:54 AM ^
False....nice try Sparty
October 7th, 2010 at 10:10 AM ^
Actually, he was right about everything in that post.
October 7th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^
So the Big Ten believed that Spartan Bob did such a good job, they decided to no longer use home timekeepers?!?!
I love the revisionist history of many Spartan fans. They desperately hope enough time has elapsed where many Michigan fans no longer remember the specifics.
October 7th, 2010 at 7:05 PM ^
I saw it. I called it before the play was run. "There's no more time to run another play," I had said. But Spartan Bob found some. Frank Beckmann saw it, and called it "criminal" on the air.
The downs didn't matter. Only the clock did; and Spartan Bob took care of that. The referees hurried the spot for the last play; they didn't maintain a pace of play consistent with the rest of the game.
I don't give a fuck about what you say ESPN found. I was there, I saw it, and we were jobbed on the last two plays. You've stolen two from us since 1990. Spartan Bob Clockgate was one of them.
Now get the fuck out of here.
October 6th, 2010 at 10:13 PM ^
Cousins will be called to make plays because Denard and the Rodriguez/Magee offense will gash them all game. Their defense is not better than last year when Tate nearly pulled out the win. Our defense has holes...that's for sure...but this will be more than equalled by offensive output. What this means is that Cousins will have to perform and at least try to match Denard's output.
This will not happen and he will choke.
October 6th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
the sparty fans I communicate with are very worried about Cousins choking. They don't think he can win a game by himself. If UM can slow their run game, it will put a lot of pressure on Cousins.
October 7th, 2010 at 6:45 PM ^
Cousins is good for about two picks a game in front of a friendly crowd. Think about how many mistakes he will make in his first road game in front of a very hostile crowd.
October 6th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
Fake field goal pass FTW, and in the post game, live on the field interview, RR will say, "We've been working on that play all year. We call it, Remember the Titans."
I'm calling it. Not because it will happen, but because it would be the most epically awesome, soul crushing way in which we could defeat Sparty.
October 6th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
Really? I'm thinking a 99 yd TD run by Denard in which he saws Jones's ankles off with a nasty juke while the clock runs out would be more soul crushing.
And yes I had a huge smile on my face as I typed that.
October 6th, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
I'm loving your idea as well. Either way, I'm not picky.
October 7th, 2010 at 7:40 AM ^
but i thought RichRod should say something like "We call it 'Giants'"
October 6th, 2010 at 11:09 PM ^
Cousins is gonna hand-off as long as it works. If we can stop the run early we will force Cousins to go toe-to-toe with Denard and he loses everytime. If however we get gashed by the run we may be in trouble because we are talking about 7+ minute drives and we don't get the ball nearly as much as against Ind. So this SpartanMag dude is assuming they can run the ball when he says Cousins won't have to win the game. I thiink Martin and the boys on DLine can limit running game which would bode well.
October 6th, 2010 at 11:50 PM ^
Unfortunately, I believe they are right. With our bad-to-horrible linebacking, frequently shoddy tackling in the back seven, lousy pursuit angles, not to mention our very green secondary, Bell, Baker, and Caper are very likely to rip off yardage in big chunks.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:55 AM ^
I'm not so sure about that. The Umass game was a nightmare mainly because the team seemed fairly lax in all respects and that is going to get you gouged in the run game. While we are no means stout, we've done a decent enough job stopping the run in 4 of our games to make me think we can limit their run game.
October 7th, 2010 at 1:55 PM ^
re: it's tougher for UM to win because Denard must produce.
Simply put - no he doesn't. We have a very capable team without Denard that put this game into overtime on the road last year. We have a very good team + a playmaker that has shown the ability to put the entire team on its back and win games + a guy that could step in for an injured Denard that showed similar tendencies last year. Turning to scenarios in which Denard is actually able to play....MSU has to account for him. Even if he has a bad day, it opens up our RBs to running lanes and makes WRs more open. His existence, without doing anything, makes it easier to win. He could play average and the rest of the team is talented enough to contribute to a win. Conversely, our RBs or WRs could play poorly and we still have a chance to win because of Denard.
Contrast with Cousins who wins if he "manages the game." Er...no. In addition to not screwing it up, the rest of his team has to play well in order to produce. If MSUs WRs or RBs decide to suck on Saturday, Kirk can't step in and take over the game. Everyone has to be on or they become 1 dimensional.
Which scenario would you prefer?