Audio from Thursday’s press conference regarding the Champs Sports Bowl with MSU head coach Mark Dantonio.
—With the trip to Disney World and all of the bowl festivities drawing to a close, the Spartans now face the task of battling adversity one last time this season.
MSU announced Monday that five players, including senior defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic, are ineligible for the Champs Sports Bowl against No. 14 Boston College.
“I think the message to our team is we’ve been handling adverse situations throughout the year,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said Thursday. “This is another opportunity to fight through some adversity.”
Losing Saint-Dic means the Spartans won’t have their angriest bull for their pass rush against Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, who was a Heisman candidate for most of the season.
Saint-Dic had 10 sacks and set a Big Ten single-season record with eight forced fumbles.
“There’s no doubt we’ll miss Jonal and we feel really, really bad for him,” Dantonio said. “Because he’s a tremendous player and a tremendous person.”
Junior defensive lineman Brandon Long, who started the first two games this season, will reclaim his starting job in place of Saint-Dic.
Long, who has two sacks this season, said he won’t look to replicate Saint-Dic’s style of play, but he’ll bring the intensity of his own game.
“I wouldn’t mind having a couple of forced fumbles … but obviously you have to bring your own abilities to the table,” Long said. “I’m not going to be Saint-Dic in there, and I’m not going to try to be.”
Senior tight end/defensive lineman Kellen Davis also is expected to help pressure Ryan. Davis has subbed in to pass rush in special situations, and had two sacks at the beginning of the season.
“I’m spending more time in the film room and more time learning the rest of the defense,” Davis said. “I’m really excited about it.”
Dantonio said the team also will experiment with different defensive alignments to compensate for Saint-Dic’s absence.
Saint-Dic, senior wide receiver Terry Love, sophomore cornerback/wide receiver T.J. Williams and freshman offensive lineman Abre Leggins are academically ineligible to play.
Senior linebacker SirDarean Adams will sit out for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
Rucker returns to lineup
While the Spartan defense took a major blow up front, they will have some added help in the back with freshman cornerback Chris Rucker’s return.
“He will play extensively in this game and I think it gives us an added dimension,” Dantonio said.
Rucker played the first seven games, notching four starts, but sat out the final five with an eye injury.
Dantonio said he plans to keep his secondary fresh against the Eagle’s pass-heavy attack by subbing in a rotation of Rucker, junior Kendell Davis-Clark, freshman Ross Weaver and sophomore Ashton Henderson.
Running into a wall
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The Eagles’ boast the nation’s top-ranked run defense, allowing only 68 yards per game, but Boston College linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar said they’re facing their biggest challenge yet.
“Michigan State’s running game has to be the best we have seen so far this year,” Dunbar said. “They have a tremendous running game and a lot of big guys up front. We are looking forward to it. Something has to give.”
Dantonio said the Eagles’ are very disciplined in how they defend the run.
“They do a good job of mixing up zone pressures … they have an outstanding playmaker in (safety Jamie) Silva, a very solid linebacker group,” Dantonio said. “Their defensive line is very active.”
Other than the challenge of defending MSU’s running back tandem of senior Jehuu Caulcrick and junior Javon Ringer, Eagles’ head coach Jeff Jagodzinski said they’ll have their hands full with junior wide receiver Devin Thomas.
