Not so Good Part 2

This is the second installment of the “Not so Good” series chronicling the MSU Spartan’s football season.

Today the Spartans lost 41-18 to fall to 5-5 on the year. A season that began with such promise and a 4-0 start has seen the Spartans lose 5 of their last six and now are just one week from officially becoming eliminated from the post season.

Last week I talked about how bad the coaching was. Today, the blame cannot be completely placed on the coaches. MSU penalties and dropped passes as well as a lack of energy cost MSU the game.

However, the coaches aren’t off the hook. Defensive Coordinator, Chris Smeland, still called an awful game. But the offense did not abandon the pass too early and had some big plays out of the running game, which is a positive in an otherwise pathetic game.

In the end Minnesota played with more energy and effort on Senior Day and the Spartans made too many mistakes.

I don’t even know how to dissect the game further than this. It was all about effort and energy today and the Spartans did not have it.

John L. Smith is now 18-17 (11-12 in the Big Ten) as the Spartan’s head coach. (Bobby Williams was 16-17 when he was fired after three years.) He lost to Minnesota for the first time in his three years at State and is now in ninth place in the Big Ten along with Purdue and Indiana.

So for a little fun, leave your comments and give a suggestion on who should be the next MSU football coach (all four of you who read this). In a later blog I will give some of my suggestions.
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As a side-note, Glen Mason is a classless coach and individual. Today with 12 seconds remaining in the game and the ball on the one yard line, instead of taking a knee and letting the time run out with his team up 34-18, he ran the ball and scored a touchdown. Mason did a similar thing to Bobby Williams in Williams’ last year at State. With Minnesota up 28-7 he faked a punt on fourth and eight to keep the ball in Minnesota’s hands.

It’s plays like those that make Mason a classless individual and coach. He plays weak non-conference opponents to boost his record and then falters in the Big Ten. Next year when he loses half of his offensive line and Maroney as well as several key defensive seniors, it will be interesting to see what Minnesota’s record is. He has to come to East Lansing next year and I am sure these MSU players will remember this classless move.

Well congratulations Glen Mason, you have punched your ticket to the Music City Bowl in a classless fashion.