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September 25. 2006 6:59AM
Spartan hopes flagged in fourth quarter
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
AL LESAR
Tribune Staff Writer
Exhausted warriors trudged off the soggy Spartan Stadium turf after Notre Dame's amazing 40-37 win over Michigan State.
Band members scrambled to position for one last tune while the Spartans hung their heads as they slinked to the dressing room. Running back Javon Ringer and a couple teammates stayed behind near midfield.
The Irish coagulated near their pocket of fans for a final salute and celebration.
Still, Ringer and his mates lurked, looking more silly than menacing.
"After what happened last year (when the Spartans planted an MSU flag in the Notre Dame Stadium turf after Michigan State won), we wanted to make sure that didn't happen to us," Ringer said.
This was a classic case of, "c'mon guys, let it go."
Notre Dame players were oblivious to that sort of taunting or pettiness. Nobody wrestled the flag away from cheerleaders for a public display or screamed for a megaphone. There was no chest thumping or bravado.
The Irish were just happy to be the beneficiaries of a complete fourth-quarter meltdown, the details of which will likely be kept handy for coach John L. Smith's next -- and possibly final -- job review.
Blowing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead doesn't just happen by accident. Michigan State led 37-21 early in the fourth quarter and had a first down on the Notre Dame 30-yard line. A score there changes everything, delivers the knockout punch and sends the Irish limping back to South Bend.
"We got conservative and made too many mistakes," said Smith, stating the obvious. "We had to run and we couldn't sustain a drive. We had three holding penalties that sent us back to who-knows-where."
There were a series of little collapses along the way that led up to the major cave-in.
Just before the end of the first quarter, Michigan State linebacker David Herron went down with a strained abdominal muscle. Suddenly, a guy who caused plenty of problems for the Notre Dame offense in the first quarter was out the entire second quarter and limited in the second half.
It may have seemed insignificant at the time, but early in the second quarter, Michigan State showed its poise was deteriorating.
Leading 17-7 on the MSU 29, quarterback Drew Stanton tucked the ball under to run. He was hit out of bounds at the Irish bench and a flag flew for a late-hit penalty, which would give the Spartans a first down near midfield.
However, Michigan State receiver Matt Trannon dashed into the fray to protect his quarterback, a melee ensued and Trannon was flagged to negate the first penalty. Three plays later, MSU punted.
Maybe it was coincidence or maybe it was an explanation, but late in the third quarter Michigan State senior center Kyle Cook went down with a knee injury. After Cook's departure, the Spartan line was called for four holding penalties, it yielded a 15-yard sack of Stanton, Stanton coughed up a fumble that led to a Notre Dame touchdown and he was intercepted by Terrail Lambert, who returned it for the game-winning score.
"I'm proud of our players," Smith said. "They played with emotion, the way you want them to play a football game. I'm not proud of us (coaches)."
For good reason. An effective offense for three quarters dried up and withered on the vine.
Jehuu Caulcrick, Michigan State's bruising 260-pound running back who ran over Irish safety Tom Zbikowski on the game's first play, rushed eight times for 111 yards and a touchdown. However, in the fourth quarter, he only touched the ball twice for 12 yards. Instead, Ringer carried six times for 28 yards and Stanton had four carries for minus-12 yards and a fumble.
East Lansing likely is harboring plenty of regret today.
At least no flag was planted, right?
