Sophomore defensive lineman Malik McDowell said although Burton’s help has been nothing new, he has been taking charge in sessions this week.

“He is giving us all the ins and outs and pretty much he told us what we got to do as a nose guard and me being as tall as I am I got to stay extra low," McDowell said. "They may not be the biggest dudes but they got technique and technique is going to win over talent and size and skill every time."

While at Air Force, Burton helped the team to a 67-57 record and a school record of six consecutive postseason bowl appearances (2007-12). Burton also was the Falcons’ NFL liaison, according to Spartan Athletics.

“Coach Burton is a great guy," Air Force senior linebacker Connor Healy said. "He was in charge of kick-off team when I was a freshman and that was his last year here. I was able to work with him through that, he threw me on there and he is definitely a very passionate guy, a guy that is very excitable. I definitely enjoyed the time that I had here with him."

Dantonio said Burton is a “high-energy guy. He understands the culture, how they practice, the drills they work on, what has to happen for us to be successful on the defensive side.”

“I think he understands the mindset, the tempo that goes with playing there and goes with actually attending there,” Dantonio said. “We've built depth through recruiting. He's a very good recruiter. He's also a hands-on guy with our defensive line. If you really look at it, the three years that he's been here are three of the most successful years we've had. We've lost three football games in three years.”

McDowell said when Burton was recruiting him, he told him how he was going to develop him as a player and what he could do for him as a coach.

“So far I’ve been getting better and he’s been doing a good job,” McDowell said.

Dantonio said, “he's been tremendous for us, for this football program.”

Kick-off for the MSU vs. Air Force game will be at 12:05 p.m. Saturday and the game will air on ABC.