Mikey D

First, how awesome is this picture?

Okay, lots to love about this game. I really enjoyed the Wisconsin game last week, and this one was just as good. Here are the things I was happiest to see, in order:

1) Zero Turnovers. What usually plagues MSU teams? Turnovers and penalties. When you're +3 in the turnover department, you got a good chance to beat anybody. There were no costly fumbles, or critical INTs. I thought this was key going into the game. If we turned the ball over and gave Denard Robinson a short field to work with...well it could have been a long day. But we didn't. And aside from a few penalties from the offensive line, it was a pretty clean game. To be honest, I don't remember a single penalty we made on the defensive side of the ball or special teams. That's just being prepared and disciplined. When was the last time we said that about MSU football?

2) Controlled Denard Robinson. The dude is U of M's offense, so despite the fact he racked up 300+ yards offense, we still held him to well below his season average. We kept him to a 4.0 yard per carry average. We forced him into 3 INTs. We got a few sacks and some pressure. It was definitely a "bend but don't break" defensive performance, but it got the job done. There were no huge plays (aside from the one right before half) that really pushed momentum Michigan's way. Their quick strike and explosive offense was forced to drive the field against us every time.

3) Tackling. Yet another thing I don't think we associate with MSU football. Michigan got their yards, but there were few plays that resulted in extra yards after contact. Some of our DBs made some nice open field tackles that limited potential big gains. For the most part, when a Michigan player got hit, they didn't go too far afterwards. So while Denard Robinson may have busted a 10 yard run here and there, it didn't turn into a 20 or 30 yard run. Same with the receivers. They might have completed a 15 yard pass, but there wasn't much after the catch. Solid job by the defense.

4) The Running Game. I enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd quarter immensely. I think I screamed "RAM IT DOWN THEIR FUCKING THROATS!" more times than I can count. It was a thing of beauty. We controlled the clock and just smashed it forward carry after carry. We kept pushing piles after being initially hit, and not just for one or two more yards, but for five and six more yards. It was Big Ten football at its finest. And all it did was set up some beautiful play action passes for Cousins, one such pass that sealed the game for us in the 4th. You want to know who the elite team is in the state of Michigan? Watch that game again. We ran all over their fucking asses. It was men against boys. We were too physical for them.

5) Poise and Confidence. Anybody else see the video of Cousins calming his offense down after a touchdown on the sideline? This team never got too high or too low. It's like they knew beforehand they were going to win this game if they executed their game plan. They knew they were better than Michigan. And despite falling down 3-0, and 10-7, with Michigan's defense playing well in the 1st quarter and their offense moving, State kept their wits about them and just kept doing what they do. I just can't stress enough how different this team looks than other State teams. It's refreshing, and it's damn fun to watch.

~Mikey D