Cook, Passing Game Impresses

It’s safe to say junior quarterback Connor Cook picked up right where he left off at the Rose Bowl. Coo for 285 yards and three touchdowns in only two quarters of play, proving he has potentially taken that next step forward.

The wide receivers unit was also impressive on Friday to create a complete passing attack. Senior wide receiver Tony Lippett set a career high with his 167 yards and matched his total touchdown count from a year ago in just the first quarter. Junior wide receiver A.J. Troup also made plays on the outside with a touchdown grab, creating another big body target for Cook.

Head Coach Mark Dantonio compared this wide receiver corps to his unit of 2011 when B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin and Keith Nichol sported the green-and-white, and they lived up to it on Friday.

If this passing attack can build off Friday’s success and continue to improve, it’ll be one of the best in the conference and potentially the country.

Defense Not Shabby

The offense got a lot of the attention because of its long scoring plays, but the defense was just as impressive on Friday.

The starting unit was stifling in the first half, posting a shutout and containing the uptempo, no-huddle Gamecock offense with ease. The Gamecocks’ offense returned nine starters from a year ago that set 49 school records, but could only rack up 89 total yards in the first half.

That bodes well for the Spartans who will face a similarly styled offense next week at No. 3 Oregon.

Dantonio said after watching the game tape he noticed players getting tired from the up-tempo style which can lead to missed tackles and assignments. However, if the “Spartan Dawgs” can produce a similar performance next week out in Eugene, Ore., expect MSU to come back with a win.

Banged Up

It wasn’t all good on Friday for MSU, with a couple of potential big time injuries on the offensive side of the ball.

On the first possession of the game, Cook took a vicious late hit on his left knee, and senior running back Jeremy Langford hobbled off the field a couple times as well. Both players said they were fine following the game so expect both to be at full go against Oregon.

However, it appears the same can’t be said for junior wide receiver Macgarrett Kings Jr. and senior offensive lineman Travis Jackson. Kings Jr. went down, with what looked like an ankle injury, and was carried off by trainers. Jackson was also helped off the field on Friday and never returned.

Dantonio wouldn’t comment on the status of either Kings Jr. or Jackson, which is never a good sign. The loss of either for a long period of time will have an impact on the offense’s success, especially if an already young O-line losses a veteran leader like Jackson.

Tuesday’s weekly depth chart will serve as a true indicator if either are expected to miss any action.

Good, but Not Great

It’s hard to pick apart and find areas of concern when looking at the boxscore, but Dantonio said there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The run game was a spot that Dantonio said needs to improve, despite racking up 211 total yards.

“I wish we ... controlled the line of scrimmage a little bit better, but ran the ball okay,” Dantonio said during a teleconference on Sunday. “But not as effective as I would have thought we would.”

Langford finished with only 57 yards on 13 carries and never really was able to bust a long run. Senior running back Nick Hill looked good as the No. 2 back, recording two touchdowns and 49 yards on 11 carries, but as a unit there still is room for improvement and will need to get more of a push out of the offensive line as the season goes on.