Spartans get back on track, rout Broncos 49-14
Cousins, Leggett have field day against Western Michigan
By Chris Vannini (Last updated: 11/08/09 11:53pm)Coming into Saturday, the MSU football team’s running back position was in shambles.
Players were either injured or no longer an active part of the team. Running backs coach Dan Enos said Thursday he didn’t know who his starter would be.
On Saturday, Ashton Leggett stepped up.
Two weeks ago, the sophomore was on the scout team. Saturday, he became the hero and the first 100-yard runner of the season in MSU’s 49-14 rout of Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium.
“I’m very happy for Ashton Leggett,” head coach Mark Dantonio said. “We knew he would have the opportunity to play with (freshman running back Larry) Caper being down with a head (injury) pretty much the entire week, so we decided to go in that direction. It speaks to the quality of running backs we have on this football team. I’ve said all along that tailback has been a position of depth and we have good players … and I think you saw that today.”
Leggett’s successful day began on just the third play of the game. On his first carry — just his second of the season — Leggett took a handoff, shifted to the left and saw nothing but green grass on his way to a 71-yard touchdown run to give the Spartans an early 7-0 lead.
“That was a great feeling, to be able to do that on the first carry in the game,” Leggett said. “But I know, as well as everybody else knows, that you ain’t gonna get them too many times.”
Leggett finished the game with 110 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 14 carries, becoming the first Spartan running back to run for 100 yards this season.
“It’s good to see more rushes than pass attempts (43 runs to 35 passes); that’s a positive,” offensive coordinator Don Treadwell said. “We talk about being balanced and we were able to do that today, certainly because we were able to run the football and then also, (sophomore quarterback) Kirk Cousins, he was pretty darn sharp.”
Cousins, who shared time with sophomore quarterback Keith Nichol, was extremely efficient, going 22-for-25 for 353 yards and two touchdowns.
“A quarterback is simply a reflection of the team and the offensive line was protecting very well, the tailbacks were picking up the blitzes, they were running well, creating plays when they weren’t there,” Cousins said. “The receivers were catching the ball and making plays, so it makes my job easy.”
Western Michigan hoped to answer Leggett’s early burst, but on the fifth play of their first offensive drive, quarterback Tim Hiller was sacked by MSU junior linebacker Greg Jones and senior defensive end Trevor Anderson and fumbled the ball to the Spartans.
With good field position, the Spartans moved down the field behind Cousins’ arm, but were stopped in the red zone on third down.
However, a roughing the passer penalty against the Broncos kept the drive alive. The Spartans took advantage, scoring two plays later on a 2-yard touchdown run from Leggett to go up 14-0.
With the extra point, senior kicker Brett Swenson became MSU’s all-time leader in extra points.
Later in the quarter, the Spartans were stopped in the red zone again, but another roughing-the-passer penalty against the Broncos on third down gave the Spartans another opportunity that they also took advantage of with a 13-yard touchdown pass on the next play from Cousins to sophomore tight end Garrett Celek to go up 21-0.
In the second quarter, the Spartans decided not to take as much time on a touchdown drive. With just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter, Cousins threw a 48-yard touchdown bomb to sophomore wide receiver Keshawn Martin to cap a one-play, 48-yard drive.
Cousins credited the play to the success of the MSU running backs.
“Having a run game, any time, opens up the passing game,” Cousins said. “The deep touchdown pass was simply a play-action pass where they had to honor the run and get behind the safety and complete the pass, so my job was easy today.”
With a 1-yard touchdown run by Leggett late in the half to put MSU up 35-0, the running back finished the most impressive half by a running back all season. Leggett ran for 100 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries in the half.
Cousins finished an efficient half 15-for-17 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns and the Spartans outgained the Broncos 358-36 in total yards in the first two quarters.
Coming out of the second half, the Broncos also showed they could strike quickly. On the first play from scrimmage, Western Michigan running back Brandon West ran straight up the middle for 80 yards to put the Broncos on the board.
“I thought coming out for the third quarter, we were a little bit flat,” Dantonio said. “As a football coach, that bothers you a little bit. But in the fourth quarter and the end of the third quarter, we got it back and finished the game strong.”
Shifting quarterbacks in and out, the Spartans offense was dead in the second half. Western Michigan finally put a successful full drive together, going 80 yards in 11 plays, converting on a fourth down, and scoring on a 12-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 35-14.
With the Spartans offense struggling, the coaches decided to leave Cousins in for an entire drive. It paid off as Leggett, who had fallen below 100 yards, got back over the 100-yard plateau on a 13-yard run to give the Spartans a 42-14 lead.
The Spartans finished the game with 602 yards of offense — the most in Dantonio’s tenure as head coach.
For Leggett, his patience paid off.
“It felt real good. I came to Michigan State, knowing the tradition … and just to contribute to a win was a great feeling to me,” he said.
“That made my day.
Originally Published: 11/07/09 3:23pm
Tim
11/07/09 4:00pmTimmy happy when Timmy Wrong!
MSU wins an easy one, just like they should.
No contest…but there really shouldn’t be. The mere thought that an upset was possible speaks volumes about the state of the program.
Nice tune up, but it won’t help the rest of the way. Two more losses are coming…and MD is on the way out.
Good news. Maybe, just maybe, the administration can get it right the next time. Surely there is a coach with the savy to put togethjer a winning staff and recruit a winning team.
Running game still lousy!!!!
MD must go
You're an idiot
11/07/09 4:51pm“The mere thought that an upset was possible speaks volumes about the state of the program.”
No, it speaks volumes about the state of its “fans.” You, sir, can go root for the Wolverines. We don’t need your kind here.
JDMSU
11/07/09 6:43pm“MD should go ?”
I think not – Yeah go root for UofM, as true MSU Fans we support till the end, with the exception of a few bad apples, Mark Dantonia atleast shows some pride and effort and gets pissed when things go wrong, unlike Smith who smiled, threw his hands in the air and Bobby ran scared..
MD is a great step in the right direction for this football program, he has a young team who are not as experienced going down to the wire. Cousins will take us back to the top of the Big Ten next year….
Tim
11/07/09 7:58pmYup folks…
there’s always “next year.”
How many years have we been sayin’ that.
The MSU Football mantra:
“We’ll be better next year.”
Funny how “next year” never seems to come.
…and we just keep blogging along, happily ever after………….‘til next year.
Ho, hum.
SoCal Spartan
11/07/09 8:19pmThank GOD that I am a true Spartan football fan and others out there exist.
No need to even respond to the PATHETIC Wal-Mart Wolverine Tim, pointless to step to his level of stupidity.
Go Green!
Go White!
Go SPARTANS!
ps the red shirt QB is the SHIT nationwide, to be exact. He may oust Cousins, you never know.
Tim
11/08/09 6:32amHow low have expectations sunk??
You are so very desparate for a win, you crow about this victory as if MSU just won the National Championship.
Beat Florida 49-14 and you can crow!
Beat Alabama 49-14 and you can pound your chest.
So desparate for respect….it’s Western Michigan folks…
In basketball Tom Izzo has us accepting nothing but final four repeats each year, and frankly that’s what he’s built.
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Tim
11/08/09 6:43am…and now that we’ve had our fill of name-calling, how about some legitamate discussion:
Where has Ashton Leggett been hiding? Why hasn’t this kid been used?
Are we making too many promises to HS recruits that they’ll start…Baker and Caper the proof?
The first big run by Leggett was nice…finally a back that busted it to the outside when the holes just were’nt there.
Where’s this kid been?
spartygold
11/08/09 12:02pmYes it was just Western Michigan, just like it was just Appalachian State that beat Michigan..you still have to execute and play well..the Mac is much improved..I liked what I saw..focus..3rd quarter focus dissapeared for a while without the leader of the offense..Kirk Cousins..Stop subbing Nichols for Cousins..it is a definate negative..wait until a few minutes left in the game..Keep the main man in..Kirk Cousins..Nichols needs to wait..he is not yet ready..Who is this Tim..Wow Man Deep..Go back to Walmart and U.Of M..Oh yeah, they lost big to Purdue..Oh did Forcier let you guys down..He is so over-rated..He could not wear Cousin’s jock..
Tim
11/08/09 3:57pmTimmy is a graduate of MSU. Timmy has no love for the UofM. Timmy finds it very hard even to support UofM in a bowl game. They are arrogant. We all know and agree on that.
Timmy has watched and played football longer than any of you. When you were just a gleam, Timmy was playing. Timmy has worked his MSU degree into a nice nestegg and retirement, so now all Timmy has to do is blog with the rest of you.
Most of all Timmy is a realist.
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SoCal Spartan
11/08/09 4:20pmWhat’s the point of being such a damper on the team. Unfortunately some of the players read postings like yours and it kills their spirits. It’s good that you are a Spartan but we’re supposed to support our team, no matter what.
They play to represent us, regardless of the victory, they still play for us. No matter how good the team is, there’s always room for improvement.
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Du
11/08/09 4:46pmWho the f@ck refers to themselves in the 3rd person? Timmy, you didn’t go here so quit acting like it. you’re a moron with a laptop. Go AWAY TOOL.
Tony
11/08/09 5:42pmWith the prices they’re charging, they’ve got to produce if they want my love. I “donated” $500 a seat for my tickets, and I’m sorry, at that level of money, you’ve got to produce. I’ll be a fan for free. If you’re going to gouge me, I want results.
College football is big business. I understand that. I pay into it, however, with my money comes a price: my blind loyalty is left at the door. You’ve got to give me a good product for my money, or of course, I’m going to complain.
Spartygold
11/08/09 7:02pmTimmy is an idiot..you are right..3rd person..hey , just like Timmy on South Park..Timmy never graduated from High School let alone Michigan State and I know he never played any sport..well, maybe soccer in grade school..Nest Egg..Really ?? I say you work at Walmart..Probably a greeter..
Always a Spartan
11/08/09 9:03pmI don’t care about all the haters out there. I just want any Spartan football player out there who reads this comments section to know that there are still many MSU supporters out there. We feel your pain when you lose and share the glory when you win.
We may not have been the best team this year but I know for one thing that sports is not all about winning every single time.
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Tim
11/09/09 6:56amWow…lots of hostility toward fellow bloggers. Lots of “agree with me or else” stuff. It’s still a free country, or do we all just have to fall in line, drink the koolaid, or suffer the wrath of the hecklers out there. We all have our opinions…there’s room for diversity of thought, isn’t there, SoCAL. Or is it, as it would seem, your way or the highway!
Talk about narrow minded…geeeeeeez
I also asked the question about Leggett, but I see that there is really no room on this blog for intelligent debate or exchange of ideas.
Still waiting for thoughts on Leggett. Got any, SoCAL,Du, SpartyGold??
Maz
11/09/09 8:18amTim, you’ve proved you are not intelligent. Why would you now expect anyone to have an ‘intelligent’ conversation with you??
Tim
11/09/09 3:15pmAQhhh, the “MAZ” awakens from another drunken stuppor no doubt.
So, as I read your commentary, folks that don’t agree with you are not intelligent.
Great attitude.