**** What did we learn - Sparty edition ****

[BigRedPowerWagon]

 

 

Basically Polo is right, this game was not surprising if you aren't blinded by the red goggles, it was not nearly as close as the score indicated, we were embarrassed for 3.5 quarters in a big game yet again. If you aren't nervous about traveling to Wisconsin you're deluded. "All our goals are still ahead of us yadayadayada" ...look, we're shaping up to have the same season we've had the past 6 years. Wake me up when it ends.

Who else is a loss for us? Wisconsin is the best team left and Wisconsin cannot execute a forward pass. I feel like you haven't seem them play this year and think Russel Wilson still plays there. I'm not saying it's a 100% win but don't act like we've lost that game, plus two others, before they're even played.

Seriously, Rutgers, Iowa, NW, and Wisconsin are toss ups. To say otherwise is delusional.

 

Seriously, every game for every team in every confrence in the NCAA is a toss up. If you havent learned that after today, then theres no help for you my friend.

[NUpolo8]

 

 

 

Basically Polo is right, this game was not surprising if you aren't blinded by the red goggles, it was not nearly as close as the score indicated, we were embarrassed for 3.5 quarters in a big game yet again. If you aren't nervous about traveling to Wisconsin you're deluded. "All our goals are still ahead of us yadayadayada" ...look, we're shaping up to have the same season we've had the past 6 years. Wake me up when it ends.

Who else is a loss for us? Wisconsin is the best team left and Wisconsin cannot execute a forward pass. I feel like you haven't seem them play this year and think Russel Wilson still plays there. I'm not saying it's a 100% win but don't act like we've lost that game, plus two others, before they're even played.

Seriously, Rutgers, Iowa, NW, and Wisconsin are toss ups. To say otherwise is delusional.

Dare I ask what your basis for this statement is?

I have about zero faith in our linebackers stopping any team committed to the run. And and we just saw what happens when any team commits to stopping our run attack when the talent bears equal.

[Danny Bateman]

Polo we held Langford who averages 5.5 per rush this season to 3.8 YPC.

 

That was against a team that has a MUCH better QB than Wiscy or Iowa. So we can respect their passing game less. Did you see Stave today?? Yikes.

 

I will say Gordon is a good enough RB that that has me worried anyway. But he'll, they just lost to Northwestern. What a crazy day.

[dutch91701]

 

 

 

 

Basically Polo is right, this game was not surprising if you aren't blinded by the red goggles, it was not nearly as close as the score indicated, we were embarrassed for 3.5 quarters in a big game yet again. If you aren't nervous about traveling to Wisconsin you're deluded. "All our goals are still ahead of us yadayadayada" ...look, we're shaping up to have the same season we've had the past 6 years. Wake me up when it ends.

Who else is a loss for us? Wisconsin is the best team left and Wisconsin cannot execute a forward pass. I feel like you haven't seem them play this year and think Russel Wilson still plays there. I'm not saying it's a 100% win but don't act like we've lost that game, plus two others, before they're even played.

Seriously, Rutgers, Iowa, NW, and Wisconsin are toss ups. To say otherwise is delusional.

Dare I ask what your basis for this statement is?

I have about zero faith in our linebackers stopping any team committed to the run. And and we just saw what happens when any team commits to stopping our run attack when the talent bears equal.

Our D played ok. They got beat on a few big plays by a better-than-anyone-thought MSU O. Luckily MSU is the best team we play all season. Wisconsin can't pass so I like our chances loading up against the run. Also, outside of Wisconsin there's nobody else even close to MSU in talent left on our schedule. So maybe they'd know how to stop us but being able to do it is another thing completely.

[Blackshirts007]

We would have jumped into the top 10 with a win

[Danny Bateman]

Obviously the OL has some work to do. Lol.

 

But they have responded well to adversity and bad games in the past. I feel good about them answering the call.

[Hayseed]

 

 

Going for two is NEVER the right decision and WILL come back to bite you.

Could someone explain that, the numbers didn't add up to go for 2 the first time. Had we kicked the extra point both times, we could have kicked a field goal to put it into overtime.

 

The first time we went for 2, we had just scored from a 27-3 deficit (24 points). We want to go for 2 to cut that into 16 points (2 scores).

 

The second time we went for 2, it was 27-22 and a successful conversion would have cut it to 3 points (FG).

 

So it was the correct call in both cases.

 

I see what you mean. I don't agree it was the right call because I have more confidence in getting the easy extra-points and a FG than I do in converting twice against this defense when we couldn't run for two yards on 1st down from the 20.

[Thanks_Tom RR]

 

 

Basically Polo is right, this game was not surprising if you aren't blinded by the red goggles, it was not nearly as close as the score indicated, we were embarrassed for 3.5 quarters in a big game yet again. If you aren't nervous about traveling to Wisconsin you're deluded. "All our goals are still ahead of us yadayadayada" ...look, we're shaping up to have the same season we've had the past 6 years. Wake me up when it ends.

Who else is a loss for us? Wisconsin is the best team left and Wisconsin cannot execute a forward pass. I feel like you haven't seem them play this year and think Russel Wilson still plays there. I'm not saying it's a 100% win but don't act like we've lost that game, plus two others, before they're even played.

Seriously, Rutgers, Iowa, NW, and Wisconsin are toss ups. To say otherwise is delusional.

Saying this is delusional. Look at the loses and close wins those teams have and tell me their opponents can play on the same field as MSU (LSU is really the only one).

[JTrain]

Beck does not trust his quarterback making reads in the passing game in big games. This is partially justified because we don't have very good passing quarterbacks. But on the the other hand, you have to take chances to beat very good teams.

 

This has happened before with Beck. He comes out nervous and only calls short passes, usually to the sidelines and usually with few if any reads. In some ways this seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, since the quarterback surely realizes his OC has no faith in him, causing him to play tight and lose confidence.

 

Then, when we fall behind by 3 or 4 scores and become desperate, Beck figures there is nothing to lose, loosens up and starts opening up the passing game. Voila! It actually works to some degree and we make some nice plays downfield. But unfortunately it's too little too late. And then we have to ponder, what if he just came out with that attitude to begin with? What if he fires down the middle of the field to Westy or Moore right after the turnover and goes up 7-0 with a confident QB? Sure, he risks Tommy not seeing a safety and throwing an interception. But looking at the alternative... it's a risk worth taking.

[HuskerinSunDiego]

In 1979, Mike Weaver and Big John Tate fought for the heavyweight title. Tate kicked Weaver's rear-end for 14 rounds. With about 30 seconds to go in the 15th, Weaver caught Tate with a lucky left and floored him. Weaver was champ even though he had gotten beaten in every facet of the game. We would have been like Weaver if Tommy would have made that final TD pass. We had no business winning this game. They kicked our rear end in every facet of the game tonight. The score didn't come close to showing how far outclassed we were tonight.

[epocSoN]

I think we learned that we have been simply stretched too thin to compete with big time programs with this many injuries.

 

Mike Rose

Davis Santos

Charles Jackson

Avery Moss

Leroy Alexande

Cethan Carter

Kenny Bell

Jamal Turner

Sam Burtch

Brandon Reily

Marcus Newby

Adam Taylor

These guys not on the field was what broke us tonight. With this defense, I think we will be in Indy at the end of the year... I just hope we get another shot at Sparty.

[presidentjlh]

 

I think we learned that we have been simply stretched too thin to compete with big time programs with this many injuries.

 

Mike Rose

Davis Santos

Charles Jackson

Avery Moss

Leroy Alexande

Cethan Carter

Kenny Bell

Jamal Turner

Sam Burtch

Brandon Reily

Marcus Newby

Adam Taylor

These guys not on the field was what broke us tonight. With this defense, I think we will be in Indy at the end of the year... I just hope we get another shot at Sparty.

 

We will get another shot at Sparty, I believe that for certain.

[dutch91701]

I think we learned that we have been simply stretched too thin to compete with big time programs with this many injuries.

 

Mike Rose

Davis Santos

Charles Jackson

Avery Moss

Leroy Alexande

Cethan Carter

Kenny Bell

Jamal Turner

Sam Burtch

Brandon Reily

Marcus Newby

Adam Taylor

 

These guys not on the field was what broke us tonight. With this defense, I think we will be in Indy at the end of the year... I just hope we get another shot at Sparty.

This is important to remember. You can criticize the coaching of the players that are healthy, but don't forget that there are guys that were supposed to start that aren't, forcing inexperienced guys into pressure spots. I have a lot of hope for next year. Ameer and Bell will be big losses, of course, but we get much of the core back and maybe Ameer can tell Gregory how awesome being a senior is. Maybe? Please?

 

Don't want to sound like I'm giving up on this season. This team has a lot of opportunities ahead to have a great year. I feel next year we may surprise some people.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

 

 

Basically Polo is right, this game was not surprising if you aren't blinded by the red goggles, it was not nearly as close as the score indicated, we were embarrassed for 3.5 quarters in a big game yet again. If you aren't nervous about traveling to Wisconsin you're deluded. "All our goals are still ahead of us yadayadayada" ...look, we're shaping up to have the same season we've had the past 6 years. Wake me up when it ends.

Who else is a loss for us? Wisconsin is the best team left and Wisconsin cannot execute a forward pass. I feel like you haven't seem them play this year and think Russel Wilson still plays there. I'm not saying it's a 100% win but don't act like we've lost that game, plus two others, before they're even played.

Seriously, Rutgers, Iowa, NW, and Wisconsin are toss ups. To say otherwise is delusional.

 

 

We'll see. Michigan State was the best offense we're going to face all year and they really out-Nebraska'd us on offense tonight, winning with 3 big plays rather than sustained drives.

 

TD1: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:00

TD2: 1 play, 38 yards, 0:08

TD3: 7 plays, 84 yards, 4:10

 

That was their most complete drive of the night. That's a fairly good job by our defense to limit Cook's passing to 11/29 with 1 TD and 1 INT. He's the best passer we'll face all year, hands down. So I like our defense to improve going forward, and the bye week is going to help. We're weak on the offensive line, TA doesn't throw accurate passes every time and stares down his target too much. Our playcalling is also suspect. All of those factors make those games potential toss ups. It'll be about the matchups as the games draw nearer. Right now we just win em one at a time. No doubt MSU will be waiting for us in Indy.

 

Lotta bad and lotta good about tonight. It's not fun just focusing on the bad; not fun having a raincloud follow you everywhere.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Ill say one thing, I'm surprised by the Spartan fans, that stadium was a quarter empty for most of the game and half empty towards the end.

 

It's a primetime game on ABC, ranked opponent, built up as the Big 10 game of the year going in, and they couldn't manage to get the students and other fans to fill up a stadium that isnt terribly big to begin with?

 

Your team is the defending Big 10 and Rose bowl champions, how pathetic is that?