Is it still up in the air?

Spartans look to continue rebuilding process Saturday

Head coach Mark Dantonio has been saying all along that football is a game of inches, and after several upsets last Saturday, his claim was validated.

“If you don’t believe that, just look around the country,” Dantonio said Monday.

Actually, just look down the road.

Michigan made about 10 feet of mistakes in possibly the biggest upset in college football history when Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) Appalachian State dismantled the No. 5-ranked Wolverines, 34-32.

The Wolverines had a potential game-winning 37-yard field goal blocked on the final play of the game. It was U-M’s second blocked field goal of the fourth quarter.

“It really is a game of inches,” Dantonio said. “There’s so much parity in college football right now. A team like Boise State can beat Oklahoma, a team like Wake Forest can go into the Orange Bowl … there are Cinderella teams every year.”

The U-M defeat, coupled with MSU’s next opponent, Bowling Green, upsetting Minnesota in overtime last week, has grabbed the Spartans’ attention.

“You’d like to think it was a joke but these teams, any team at any level can play nowadays,” senior linebacker Kaleb Thornhill said. “You can’t take any enemy lightly.”

That will be the key for the Spartans going into Saturday’s matchup against Bowling Green, a Mid-American Conference team that has a history of showing up to play. As an Ohio native, junior quarterback Brian Hoyer has seen a fair share of what Bowling Green is capable of accomplishing.

“You always just saw them as the MAC school that was at the top tier of the MAC,” he said. “You know that they get the business done.

“They’re 1-0 in the Big Ten, so for them to go up to a Big Ten school and beat them is impressive, and you definitely notice that.”

Bowling Green is a “very formidable opponent,” and the Spartans must not make too much of their overwhelming 55-18 victory against UAB Dantonio said.

That may prove to be a challenge after the gaudy numbers MSU ran up against the Blazers last Saturday.

Jehuu Caulcrick rushed for a career-high four touchdowns. Hoyer was nearly flawless completing 14 out of 17 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown. Junior wide receiver Devin Thomas caught five passes for 106 yards and one touchdown. The defense allowed only 12 yards rushing and 226 total yards of offense.

Despite all the success last week, Dantonio still sees room for improvement. For example, freshman linebacker Greg Jones had seven tackles, including one sack – but Dantonio is not impressed.

“He can get better,” Dantonio said. “He misaligned on numerous occasions. Same thing with John Misch, a redshirt freshman.”

Hoyer admitted MSU “has had problems handling success” in the past.

“That game is over with, it’s just setting the foundation,” Hoyer said. “But we have to go in week in and week out and prove that it’s not just a fluke.”

MSU won their first four games in 2005, only to lose all but one of their last seven. Last season, MSU won their first three before their downward spiral to the bottom of the Big Ten.

Dantonio has the first victory toward regaining the respect of MSU fans, but a loss Saturday could have them complaining about the same old Spartans.

It remains to be seen how the new team will hold together once they face adversity, and the Bowling Green receivers could have the MSU secondary breaking a sweat.

Against Minnesota, nine different Falcons receivers totaled 35 receptions for 412 yards and three touchdowns.

“I would hope that just the win over Minnesota would open everybody’s eyes as well, and when they see the film they’ll know why,” Dantonio said. “There was precision passing and good protection, and they ran a hitch on defense. So it will be a challenge, and things will get progressively more challenging as we go (through the schedule).”

In a game of inches, Dantonio will be hoping he can leave his ruler at home this Saturday.