Sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins and freshman running back Larry Caper talk about entering Big Ten play while freshman and junior linebackers Chris Norman and Greg Jones talk about Norman making his first start this weekend.
The MSU football team’s play during the nonconference season has been anything but a dream. Despite getting off to their worst start since 2004, the Spartans’ main goals entering the season — winning a Big Ten championship and going to the Rose Bowl — still are attainable, despite a 1-2 start.
Ten teams kick off Big Ten play this weekend, where everyone’s record is an even 0-0 and the dream of going to the Rose Bowl is still alive for each of the 11 conference teams.
As the slogan says, “Big Life, Big Stage, Big Ten.”
“All offseason, the rallying cry and the focus is to pursue that Big Ten title,” sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “Obviously, those nonconference games are important, they all count one, but the goal is to win the Big Ten and that’s when you really want to step up and play, and play at your highest level. So that’s what we’re going to try to do. We’re excited to get this first Big Ten game in and this Big Ten stretch is going to be difficult, but we’ve been prepared for this challenge and we need to come out on top.”
The Spartans, 9-7 in Big Ten play in two seasons under head coach Mark Dantonio, open league play at noon Saturday at Wisconsin.
“A lot of people might say it’s B.S., but it actually is a new season,” senior receiver Blair White said. “What matters for us is winning Big Ten championships. It’s the Big Ten season and our goal is to play in the Rose Bowl and we still strive for that. We view it as a new season and we’re excited to have another start.”
It’s been a tough going so far for MSU, which has struggled on defense en route to its 1-2 record.
Although the nonconference schedule proved to be more difficult than expected, the conference schedule certainly doesn’t pay the Spartans any favors, either. Following Wisconsin, MSU comes home to play Michigan before heading to Illinois. Both U-M and Wisconsin are 3-0, while the Illini are 1-1.
Then it’s back home for a two-game homestand against Northwestern (homecoming) and a night game against Iowa before heading to the new TCF Bank Stadium to play Minnesota. After a nonconference tilt with Western Michigan on Nov. 7, the Spartans finish league play at Purdue and will look to reclaim the Land Grant Trophy from Penn State in the season finale Nov. 21.
Dantonio said conference play is a new ballgame, but freshman linebacker Chris Norman, who is expected to start Saturday, hadn’t even been born the last time MSU won the Big Ten in 1990. MSU’s oldest players were mere toddlers when the Spartans went to the Rose Bowl in 1988.
“We expect to challenge for a Big Ten championship,” Dantonio said. “We’re 0-0 and I think to jump off the bridge right now is a mistake.”
Coming off two straight losses, the Spartans claim they still have confidence.
White, one of four team captains, said a play here or a play there would’ve resulted in different outcomes.
“Going through that helps the team mature a little bit,” he said. “When we get in those games down the road, I think we’re going to make those plays. We just have to be ready to play.”
And the team has rallied behind the fact they are just a few plays from going into Big Ten play with a perfect record.
“As a result, we aren’t really down,” said Cousins, also a captain. “We aren’t really down on ourselves because we feel like we do have a talented team. Obviously, we need to show up in crunch time and make those two plays go our way and not the other team’s way, but, obviously, now with the Big Ten season, we can kind of wipe a clean slate. We have something to play for now and our major goal of pursuing a Big Ten Championship is still intact. We’re going to keep going after that, so there’s a lot to play for, which I think is the main reason we’re going to stay up and positive and I think we feel we have a talented team.”
MSU’s offense has overachieved, averaging 422.7 yards and 33.7 points per game with a batch of young players, but the defense, expected to carry the team this season, has underachieved.
Senior defensive end Trevor Anderson said the defense, which has especially struggled the last two games, is looking to make a statement.
“Twenty-nine and 33 points, that’s unacceptable,” Anderson said. “To lose by two or three points, that all falls on the defense’s shoulders. Of course, there were a few plays here and there but ultimately, defense is going to win you the game. Making big stops and everything like that is what we have to step up to the plate and do.”
White said, ultimately, the parity around the league should make for an exciting Big Ten season.
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“I don’t think there’s a dominant team in the league,” he said. “Everyone’s right up there. It’s pretty much like that every year. You have your Ohio States, your Penn States that are always very consistent, so those are tough games. But this conference is a good conference. We come to play every week, so it’s going to be fun to see what happens.”
