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Game Thread Game Six: Ohio State 35, Michigan State 24 (final)

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Detroit News

Thursday, August 18, 2005


Former fullback Herron tackles tough assignment

Linebacker has become a playmaker on MSU's defense after reluctantly changing positions.

By Dave Dye / The Detroit News


MSU Sports Information

David Herron Jr. was the blocking back for Maurice Clarett when they were at Warren G. Harding High in Warren, Ohio.


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EAST LANSING -- An endorsement from quarterback Drew Stanton is a high compliment these days at Michigan State.

Stanton, the heart-and-soul of the Spartans, didn't hesitant when asked which of his teammates was primed for a breakout season.

"Dave Herron," Stanton answered. "He's transformed himself into a tremendous linebacker. He's really taken control of that defense, something that needs to be done."

David Herron Jr., a fourth-year junior, actually arrived at Michigan State as one of the nation's top-rated high school fullbacks. He had gained notoriety as the blocking back for former Ohio State standout Maurice Clarett, who rushed for 2,194 yards and 38 touchdowns in 2001 when both were seniors at Warren G. Harding High in Warren, Ohio.

But the arrival of John L. Smith as the Spartans' coach completely changed the course of Herron's career.

During the coach's first team meeting after taking the job in December 2002, the players were asked to stand up, introduce themselves and state their position.

Linebackers coach Mike Cox still laughs about the exchange between Smith and Herron.

"He said, 'I'm David Herron, I play fullback.' ... (Smith responded), 'Nope, you play linebacker. Next.'"

Smith's spread offense -- with a one-back set -- doesn't have a regular fullback.

The confirmation that his position was being eliminated was a bit of a jolt for Herron. His first reaction was to question whether he was at the right place, whether he'd made a mistake in coming to Michigan State when he had other offers, including from Ohio State.

"I loved playing fullback," Herron said. "That's what I came here to play.

"I didn't know what to think. I called my dad (David Herron Sr., a minister) and told him to pray for me."

Those prayers were answered because the move turned out to be "a big blessing," according to the player.

"I'm glad I made the change," he said. "I got the fullback out of my system. I came out with the mindset I was going to do my best. It worked out real good."

That didn't happen overnight. In fact, Smith had serious doubts for quite a while after seeing Herron at linebacker.

"The first year (2003 season), I wondered if this guy will ever play for us," Smith admitted. "Linebackers' mentalities are a little bit different. They've got to have their eyes crossed and snot rolling out of their nose and all that.

"We had to get him in that mold. I didn't know if that was him. But, boy, he's picking it up. He's taken it to heart that he's going to be a great football player. He's smart and he can run sideline to sideline. He's just making plays now."

The problem for Herron (6-foot-1, 246 pounds) early on was that he was thinking too much about what he was supposed to do on every play. Herron said he was "playing like a robot" -- all part of the difficult transition he was making after rarely playing defense during his senior year in high school.

He finally started to feel more confident and comfortable by the middle of last season, especially after stopping Minnesota's Laurence Maroney on a fourth-down play deep in MSU territory.

Herron then made 11 tackles (10 unassisted) against Michigan in the next game, and his improvement continued.

Herron now is one of the leaders on a suspect defense that sorely needs some playmakers to emerge. Said Cox, "It's crazy as far as how he's coming along."
 
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greenandwhite.com

In with the new
After key losses, MSU will count on fresh faces at receiver

By Joe Rexrode
Lansing State Journal
<!--STORY TEXT-->EAST LANSING - Michigan State's deepest position group is thinning steadily as fall camp progresses.

MSU's receiving corps lost senior Aaron Alexander to a broken right foot Monday. He'll have surgery today and miss about eight weeks, coach John L. Smith said.

The Spartans had already lost freshman receiver Deon Curry, who tore cartilage in his knee last week, had surgery Tuesday and will miss eight to 10 weeks. Senior Agim Shabaj departed over the summer after being ruled academically ineligible.

That's three projected contributors gone. Enter freshmen Carl Grimes, Diego Oquendo and Ryan Allison, and junior college transfer Kerry Reed - all of whom will need to help at a position that still boasts considerable talent.

"It hurts, but it happens and we've got some great players who are gonna step in," said senior receiver Matt Trannon of the injuries. "I have total confidence in those guys."

MSU's projected starters remain unchanged - Trannon and senior Kyle Brown on the outside, and junior Jerramy Scott at slot receiver. Those three combined for 98 catches, 1,151 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Experienced sophomore Terry Love also returns, backing up Trannon. But after that MSU's plans have changed dramatically.

Alexander, who had problems with his other foot the past two seasons, was having "a fantastic, fantastic camp," said MSU receivers coach Jim McElwain. If all goes well, he could return in time for MSU's Oct. 15 game at Ohio State.

Curry, who redshirted last season, had a strong spring, although he entered camp third behind Brown and Oquendo on the depth chart.

In Oquendo and Reed, the Spartans think they have two players who can make an immediate impact.

"Reed can catch. Reed's looking real good," Smith said. "He's smooth and he's got natural hands. He's a natural receiver.

"Oquendo is gonna help us a bunch. We'll keep the package cut down a little bit and we'll just give him certain things to do. But he can help us because he can really run after he catches the ball."

MSU originally signed junior college receiver Emory Jones, but he could not satisfy his academic requirements for a transfer. So MSU found Reed - who had signed with Texas A&M, only to find out the Aggies had oversigned at the last minute - in early August.

"That was a great Tuesday before camp when I got that phone call - it kinda made the whole summer worthwhile," McElwain said of the day MSU picked up Reed.

"He's got it all," Trannon said of Reed. "Great hands, great feet, great everything."

Reed will mostly play outside, but he can move inside on certain packages, McElwain said. Reed also might help as a scout - his quarterback last season at Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College was Michael Machen, who is expected to start for Kent State against MSU in the opener Sept. 3.

MSU still has high hopes for Grimes, a celebrated recruit who redshirted last season. Grimes is Scott's backup at slot receiver, and he has exhibited excellent speed and improved hands in fall camp.

Smith was hoping to redshirt Allison, a 6-foot-3 freshman from Lake Orion. But Alexander's injury essentially rules that out, Smith said, and Allison will work behind Trannon and Love.

In all, MSU still has eight pass-catchers in the mix, and that doesn't include speedy sophomore tight end Kellen Davis. Potential for explosiveness is there, but MSU's veterans need to eradicate the drops that plagued parts of last season.

"Brown's catching the ball better, I see more catches out of him, without a doubt," Smith said. "He's worked so hard on his hands. Trannon's catching the ball better. ... See, as soon as I start talking about this I'll jinx them, and then they'll come out and drop the ball."

The hands they're dealt
MSU will be missing three expected contributors at receiver when the season opens, but the Spartans have high expectations for some newcomers.

Lost

• Aaron Alexander (6-foot-5, senior): Backup broke his foot Monday and will miss eight weeks.

• Deon Curry (6-1, R-fr.): Third-stringer injured his knee last week and may miss up to 10 weeks.

• Agim Shabaj (5-9, sr.): Backup was ruled academically ineligible over the summer, and is trying to make it in the CFL.

Found

• Kerry Reed (6-2, jr.): Last-minute addition is polished and catches everything in drills. If the raves he's drawing are genuine, he'll play a lot this season.

• Carl Grimes (5-9, R-fr.): After sitting last season, Grimes has worked on his hands and has the speed and moves to be a valuable weapon.

• Diego Oquendo (5-9, fr.): Another tiny, shifty player who can make plays on designed screens.

• Ryan Allison (6-3, fr.): Big and fast, he quickly eliminated the idea of a move to defense. <!--RELATED ARTICLES--><!--RELATED PHOTO GALLERIES--><!--RELATED MULTIMEDIA DOWNLOADS--><!--RELATED EXTERNAL LINKS-->
 
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theozone.bigtenpreview


Michigan_St.gif
5. Michigan State 7-4 (5-3)


Two Cent Overview
The Spartans return three offensive linemen, but not all positions are set. The running backs are a bit in flux as well. Still, as long as Drew Stanton is healthy, the offense will be very dangerous. The defense will be replacing two coaches and six starters. There are too many questions on defense to not expect some shootouts in Spartan games this year. They will be breaking in a new kicker as well. Brandon Fields is back punting--hopefully John L. Smith will just let him kick and stop screwing around with the rugby kicks.

Schedule
Sept. 3 Kent State (W)
Sept. 10 Hawaii (W)
Sept. 17 at Notre Dame (L)
Sept. 24 at Illinois (W)
Oct. 1 Michigan (W)
Oct. 15 at Ohio State (L)
Oct. 22 Northwestern (W)
Oct. 29 Indiana (W)
Nov. 5 at Purdue (L)
Nov. 12 at Minnesota (L)
Nov. 19 Penn State (W) Five Questions Begging For Answers
1. How's quarterback Drew Stanton's hook slide doing?

2. Who will be in the backfield with Stanton?

3. Will another playmaker on offense emerge?

4. Will the defense stop anybody?

5. Not even Penn State?

Something To Look For
The wide receivers. Yes, they lose Agim Shabaj, however, they do return plenty of depth. Given the nature of the offense, they don't need one or two guys to step up with sixty or seventy catches. They can have three or four guys with thirty or forty catches and be just fine. And watch out for Kyle Brown, he impressed all spring long.

Returning Starters
Eight on offense, five on defense and the punter.

Best Chance For a Bad Loss
at Notre Dame. This will be Michigan State's third game of the season, but I don't know that their defense will be set yet. It will also be Notre Dame's third game, but their first at home. Given Michigan State's trouble in the secondary and Charlie Weis' love for the passing game, this one has a chance to get out of hand if the Spartans aren't careful.

Most Important Game
Michigan. Drew Stanton was naming his score against Michigan last year before he had to leave the game. As long as he stays healthy, I just don't see how Michigan can win this one. Especially when you consider who's running the clock.

Best Reason They Will Be Undefeated
Quarterback Drew Stanton. When he's in the lineup, the are a top twenty team. When he's not, they are Indiana. Even John L. knows the deal, "If we keep Drew Stanton healthy, then we're gonna have a chance to win some football games because we will be able to put some points up on the board."

Something They Do Well
Run the ball. They were second only to Minnesota in rushing last year. And they finished 800 yards ahead of Northwestern, who finished third in the conference.

What's improved?
Quarterback Drew Stanton's outlook on health. Now that Drew knows that it's necessary for him to play for them to win, expect him to be a little more careful.

Player Most Likely To Own A Restaurant
Jehuu Caulcrick. Ditch-based wildlife cuisine. The slogan? "If it crawls from a crick, it's at Caulcrick's!" There would also be a catchy jingle sung by a guy in a crawdad suit. Maybe Lee Majors, if he's available.
 
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Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Cool as ice

Spartans' success rides with Stanton's 'special' game -- and his health

By Dave Dye / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- It's almost as if there are two Michigan State teams.

One, with Drew Stanton healthy, capable of causing some damage.

The other, without a healthy Stanton, could be a complete disaster.

The season is Drew's ... or lose.

Stanton, an often-injured junior quarterback from Farmington Hills Harrison, doesn't agree with the theory that the Spartans will fall apart without him. But, at the same time, he's the type to thrive in the spotlight.

"I want those expectations on me," he said. "That's why I came here. I wanted to be here when this program started to get back on the top of the Big Ten where it should be."

Stanton considers it his job -- if not his calling -- to take them there after seemingly endless years of mediocrity for the Spartans, including a 5-7 record last season.

Most analysts are projecting much of the same this season -- anywhere from a fifth- to eighth-place finish in the Big Ten -- because the defense appears to be vulnerable.

But with Stanton leading a potentially prolific offense, there's always hope.

Even coach John L. Smith has bought into the Stanton-or-bust theory to a degree.

"Everybody knows Drew has to stay healthy for us to have a good year," Smith said.

A year ago at this time, Stanton was still recovering from reconstructive surgery on his right knee after being injured on a special-teams play in the 2003 Alamo Bowl. He then separated his right (throwing) shoulder against Michigan last season and missed part of the Penn State game because of an eye injury.

Nevertheless, Stanton made quite a first impression by reinventing the Spartans' spread offense with his awkward-but-athletic style. Stanton finished with 687 rushing yards and five touchdowns and 1,601 passing yards and eight touchdowns.

Opponents were slow to adjust to the new-look system under Stanton. They rarely used a spy -- a defender whose responsibility is to track the quarterback.

Penn State finally gave Michigan State trouble in the second-to-last game by bringing frequent blitzes to disrupt Stanton's rhythm and stop him before he could get started.

Stanton (6-foot-3, 222 pounds) isn't certain what to expect this season now that defensive coordinators have had months to adjust.

But his objective will remain the same -- find a way to win.

"He does nothing pretty," Smith said. "He doesn't throw it pretty, he doesn't run it pretty. But he competes. That's what makes him special. He competes."

Offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin spent 10 years as an assistant under the late Jack Elway, whose son, John, is a Hall of Famer and former Broncos quarterback. Baldwin said he sees some of the same personality traits in Stanton that he saw in Elway.

"The great ones have it," Baldwin said. "I'm not saying (Stanton) is going to play at that level in pro football, but he's that type of person. It might be rare, but he's got it.

"The team loves him. They know he's their leader. When he's on the field, the leadership and the confidence that they (Stanton's teammates) have, that something good will happen, is just special."

That term -- special -- is starting to be used more and more to describe Stanton.

"I told him at our banquet last year, 'Before you leave here, you're going to probably be a Heisman finalist,'" senior receiver Kyle Brown said. "Just because of how he can throw the ball, run with it and give the defense fits.

"Did you see what (Texas quarterback) Vince Young did against Michigan (in the Rose Bowl)? Drew did that in the first half (against Michigan). Now Vince Young's a Heisman candidate, just off that game."

Stanton's offensive linemen treat him as if he's one of them because they respect his toughness.

They're not alone.

"He seems really tough," Iowa linebacker Chad Greenway said earlier this month at the Big Ten meetings in Chicago. "A couple of times, I teed off on him, but he got right back up and made a big play."

Stanton admits he is a little unorthodox, but he said he thinks that can work in his favor.

"I don't even know what I'm going to be doing," he said of his running moves.

Smith said he thinks it's also more difficult at times to get a solid hit on Stanton than it is with some runners who have a smooth style.

"Ugly and successful is just fine," Smith said.

Stanton's mobility gave Michigan State a completely different look compared to 2003, when it relied mostly on immobile quarterback Jeff Smoker's passing.

Defenses have started to catch up to the spread offense, making athletic quarterbacks such as Stanton a priority, if not a necessity.

"If you have an athletic quarterback, the defense has to account for him," Smith said. "They can't cheat. It really puts some stress on what you are doing defensively. ... We changed a little bit in scheme to make him more of a threat and make them have to account for him."

Stanton had a tendency to take off running whenever his primary receiver wasn't open last season, according to Baldwin. That often put Stanton at risk of an injury.

The plan this year is to stay in the pocket longer and develop more of a vertical passing game. That certainly doesn't mean they'll stop using his natural abilities as a runner, but the coaches do want Stanton to pick his spots and show a little more caution.

"He has much more of an understanding of when to get the ball off," Baldwin said. "If something's covered, he knows where to go to on the second read now.

"Last year, it was, 'Here's my read, I'm gone (running).' That wasn't bad. But we want to take that out of him and let the running backs and those guys do that now."

More importantly, they want to make sure he stays healthy because without Stanton, the Spartans just wouldn't be the same.

You can reach Dave Dye at [email protected].
Click to expand...

Michigan State
 
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Thursday, September 1, 2005

Spartans assistant relies on knowledge, not name

Lucious Selmon enjoys coaching, recruiting, but his accomplishments are foreign to today's players.

By Dave Dye / The Detroit News
Image
MSU Sports Information

Oklahoma went 32-2-1 during the three years Lucious Selmon played there, and he finished second in the Outland Trophy voting in 1973.

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EAST LANSING -- For many years as a college coach, Lucious Selmon thrived on his family's name when it came to recruiting.

But those days are over, according to Selmon, who is in his first season coaching Michigan State's defensive linemen.

"When I first got started, it was a big part," said Selmon, who was a standout at Oklahoma in the 1970s, along with brothers Lee Roy and Dewey. "Now when I go in a young man's home, I'm older than the parent, they don't know who I am. That edge I used to have is gone."

Selmon, 53, spent 19 years as an assistant for his alma mater (1976-94) before moving to the NFL (Jacksonville, 1995-02). A two-year absence from coaching stirred some interest to return to the college game.

Selmon's opportunity arose when Steve Stripling stunned Michigan State coach John L. Smith last February by announcing he was leaving to join Michigan.

"I don't have any hard feelings toward Coach Stripling," said defensive lineman Clifton Ryan, one of the team's captains. "He's a hell of a guy. He made me the player I am today. I still respect him."

Defensive tackle Domata Peko also appreciates what Stripling did for him, but Peko admits there will be a little extra incentive when the Wolverines come to Spartan Stadium on Oct. 1.

"Yeah, we're going to kill 'em," Peko said, smiling. "I love Coach Strip, but he left, so I've fallen in love with our new coach."

Selmon might not have the automatic pull he did years ago -- he was a consensus All-American in 1973 while finishing second for the Outland Trophy and seventh for the Heisman -- but he certainly knows how to win.

The Sooners were 32-2-1 during his three years as a defensive lineman, and they won a national championship when he was on their coaching staff in 1985.

"The Selmon name at Oklahoma, you hear a lot about it on ESPN Classic," Ryan said. "He has an excellent resume. He's a hard-nosed, no-nonsense guy. He wants to help us get to that next level."

Most coaches despise recruiting. But Selmon said he's actually excited about it. His primary recruiting areas include Chicago, northern Florida and Texas.

"I missed certain aspects of the college game," he said. "I missed going out recruiting, which is the nucleus (of a program). I've been successful at it (in the past) without having to do anything illegal to get great players."

Selmon didn't expect his life to go in this direction after playing two years (1974-75) with Memphis in the World Football League.

He said he was working for a law company in Oklahoma City when his former coach, Barry Switzer, called and talked him into pursuing a coaching career.

"I didn't think it was something I wanted to do," Selmon said. "(Switzer) had lost a coach after I graduated. I realized I still wanted to have something to do with football. It's been pretty satisfying."

His return to college this year has energized Selmon. He had been on the East Lansing campus only once before taking the job.

"It's a great feeling when you can see the guys trying to do what you're asking them to do," Selmon said. "It's an even greater feeling when they're trying to do that and they have success.

"You didn't get that type of feeling in the NFL. Those guys are supposed to be able to do it."

Michigan State's defensive line didn't do it very well for the most part last season, but Peko said he's learned some different techniques from Selmon, including how to use his hands more effectively to shed blockers.


Perhaps he can use those to send a little message when his former coach returns in a few weeks.
Click to expand...

Lucious Selmon
 
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This has now become the turning point of the season. Don't forget how close last year's game was. The Bucks need to bring their "A" game. MSU has great offensive talent and I hate the thought of us getting into a shootout. This game will determine what direction we will head in the Big 10 for the rest of the year.
 
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Michigan State...why we will beat them

I think we have a great chance of winning the rest of our games, and one of our toughest opponents comes up this week. I think our defense will play just as well this week as we did Saturday, and in addition, given the type of offense Michigan State runs, and the fact they can't rely on their defense like we can, I see our defense getting 3-5 turnovers Saturday, which is the ONLY thing they didn't produce yesterday. Stanton is good, but JL Smith can't basically shut him down like Galen Hall did yesterday with Robinson...they will have to be trying to throw downfield and score often, and that will open them up in the second half when their line starts to wear down. They also won't be able to run the ball. Our offense certainly doesn't remind anyone of the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, but we can move the ball against the Spartans if Michigan could. I see Pittman having a monster game, racking up Iowa-numbers and finding the end zone, because Michigan destroyed them on the ground. Special teams isn't even close...Huston can make anything inside 50, their kicker is a head case, which puts even more pressure on the offense. I think we match up very, very well with the Spartans, because their strengths and weaknesses are in direct opposition to ours (as oppoed to Penn State who was very similar in terms of strengths and weaknesses), and our D is better than their O, and they can't rely on their kicker. I think we will get a nice win to build momentum for a big run towards the end of the season.
 
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I see another game similar to the Iowa game. While MSU has a better running attack to compliment their passing game, they rely on Stanton's mobility just like Iowa relies on Tate's. I don't think we'll totally dominate their offense like we did Iowa's, we'll put the clamps on them far more than any other team has this year. Their defense isn't any better (41 points to ND and 34 to Michigan) than Iowa's. In fact, MSU is 82nd in total defense while Iowa is 59th. We were two deep-inside-Iowa's-10 fumbles from scoring a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 45 points on Iowa, so I see no reason why we can't put up 27+ on MSU, which should be quite enough.
 
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As nervous as I felt about the PSU game...I feel confident about this game. We will play well at home, and I expect the offense to move the ball at will, much like the Iowa game. I do think though, that this will be the highest scoring game of the year...no prediction from me yet, except that I think there will be over 50 points scored in this game total.
 
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MililaniBuckeye said:
I see another game similar to the Iowa game. While MSU has a better running attack to compliment their passing game, they rely on Stanton's mobility just like Iowa relies on Tate's. I don't think we'll totally dominate their offense like we did Iowa's, we'll put the clamps on them far more than any other team has this year. Their defense isn't any better (41 points to ND and 34 to Michigan) than Iowa's. In fact, MSU is 82nd in total defense while Iowa is 59th. We were two deep-inside-Iowa's-10 fumbles from scoring a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 45 points on Iowa, so I see no reason why we can't put up 27+ on MSU, which should be quite enough.
Click to expand...

I agree. I don't see MSU scoring ANY against the Bucks' defense. (Though, I know they will score.) I believe that the Texas game was a wake-up for the Bucks, and Iowa was the "go-back-to-sleep" game. The offense got ahead of itself. The Penn State game was another wake-up game. Ohio State had better stay awake throughout MSU, and throughout the rest of the season.

My prediction (I know it's early in the week): OSU 30 - MSU 14
 
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