College Football – Michigan State Is Out-Coached, Out-Played and Upset 29-27 by Central Michigan
Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley
Michigan State blew its chance to run the table this year by letting poor coaching and poor playing open the door for Central Michigan to upset the Spartans 29-27 on their home turf.
The Spartans, a 14.5 point favorite over the Chippewas of the mid-level, Mid American Conference, will not go unbeaten this year despite getting both Michigan and Penn State and home, and not having to face Ohio State at all.
Michigan State’s schedule was a gift from football heaven, but the Spartan coaches and players embarrassed themselves, the university and their followers by proving the old adage that “Everything that belongs to me will come to me when I create the capacity to receive it.”
Heck, it wasn’t a matter of Michigan State not being ready for prime time, the Spartans were not even ready for regular time.
After playing like no one knew what the outcome would be for 52 of 60 minutes, Kirk Cousins connected with B. J. Cunningham on a 7-yard scoring pass to put Michigan State up 27-20 with 7:33 remaining. You can win games scoring only 27 points. The offense did not lose this game, MSU’s defense did.
With 32 seconds left, Chippewa QB Dan LaFevour threw an 11-yard TD strike to Paris Cotton to draw within a point of tying the game, 27-26. But Central Michigan was playing to win and successfully completed a 2-point pass conversion; however, it was caught outside the end zone. By all accounts, MSU had a hard fought, undeserved victory at this point.
There was just one little problem. Central Michigan, still playing to win, got a perfect onside kick from Andrew Aguila, recovered, and would ultimately try a 47-yard field goal to win the game. Aguila’s attempt failed, but an over-anxious offsides penalty brought the ball 5 yards closer and his second, 42-yard attempt did not miss with 3 seconds left. Game over.
So what really happened in this game?
First, the Spartans were not mentally prepared to play and win the game. Second, Central Michigan coach Butch Jones successfully used his spread offense to exploit the Spartans’ weak defensive secondary, the same secondary that played poorly last season and is still not repaired, and neutralize future pro linebacker Greg Jones.
Butch Jones had his quarterback completing passes underneath all game as the Spartan defenders played way too loose, and missed tackles like clockwork. Central Michigan picked up 418 offensive yards on 76 plays, MSU had 316 offensive yards on 56 plays; talk about ball control.
Third, the Spartan coaches, who could have exploited Central Michigan’s weak secondary, decided to run for a miserable 101 yards on 30 attempts (a paltry 3.3 yards per carry) rather than letting Kirk Cousins play pass and catch with his capable receiver corps. End of story.
When Central Michigan went ahead 13-10, Michigan State regained the lead with its passing game, not its running game. This approach was not good enough for State, the coaches wanted to run the ball; all that proved was how they could lose the game.
At the outset of the game, senior wide receiver Blair White ran past the Chippewa cover backs like they were standing still, and hauled in a 39-yard pass to set up a 1-yard TD run by Caulton Ray, and State was up 7-zip. White continued to run past Chippewa defenders, and ended the day with 7 catches for 105 yards. White could have caught twice as many passes because the defenders could not keep up with him.
Cousins would end the day completing 13 of 18 for 164 yards and the 7-yard TD pass to Cunningham. Keith Nichol also played QB, ending the day at 3 for 8 for 51 yards and a 16-yard TD pass to Charlie Gantt. Name me one Top 25 team that is rotating two quarterbacks in and out like musical chairs?
Unless Cousins is calling the plays (and he is not), he should have been allowed to carry on with the passing game when it was clear that Michigan State was not ready to defend and in for a dog fight. State could have outscored Central Michigan, even if the Spartan defense was giving up too many points.
Why didn’t coach Mark Dantonio and offensive coordinator Don Treadwell use the strength of their passing game more? Maybe because they are stubborn, and concerned about having to placate too many hot shot running backs. Dantonio is a defensive, not offensive-minded, coach.
Dantonio needs to remember than establishing a running game and controlling the clock only works if you can stop the other team’s offense. Playing conservatively never really wins football games, it only preserves them, and even then, you had better dominate and build up a big lead to protect.
This week the Spartans travel to South Bend, Indiana to face the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, not exactly a national championship caliber team (they were upset by a rebuilding Michigan team last week)) whose players are not thriving so much on past glory as faded past glory.
One thing is for sure—the would-be Spartans had better beat the Irish on their home turf or Michigan State’s stock will take a major hit for the worse.
Read more of my football coverage, including:
Check out “Ed Bagley’s Top 25 Poll” for Week 4—you get rankings plus humor.
“College Football Wrap-Up – Week 3 – Dream Season Ends for Southern Cal, Brigham Young, Utah and Georgia Tech”
“Dawgs Show Their Fangs, Washington Upsets 3rd-Ranked USC Trojans, 16-13″
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