As the competition heats up for the MSU hockey and basketball teams over the next couple of weeks, there might be another competition to observe when the football team opens spring practice today.
After it appeared sophomore Jeff Smoker won the starting quarterback job toward the end of last season, head coach Bobby Williams said the spot will be up for grabs between him and senior Ryan Van Dyke during spring practice.
While saying Smoker would be the starter heading into the spring sessions, Williams said Van Dyke will get his chance to reclaim the job he held for the first half of last year.
“Those two are going to go at it,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll come out of the spring with a true starter between those two.”
Williams said he’s decided to start Smoker heading into the spring because he was the starter at the end of the season.
Despite that, he said the job is “open” and not just Smoker’s to lose.
“Whoever the quarterback is who can take us to the next level, that’s who’s going to get the job,” he said.
Williams also didn’t deny that both Smoker and Van Dyke could see action in the 2001 season.
“If we have to go to a two-quarterback system, we will,” he said. “We’ll do whatever is necessary to make our team successful.”
The Spartans will conduct 15 spring practices over the next few weeks, with the final practice being held April 14. MSU is coming off a 5-6 season in 2000.
In addition to settling the quarterback situation, Williams said he will focus on developing cohesion among the team.
“The main focus will be basically the chemistry of the team - bringing these guys together as a unit,” he said.
Defensively, Williams said the team will work on stopping the run and improving the pass rush, while he hopes special team performers such as punter Craig Jarrett and kicker David Schaefer will “take the next step” this spring.
Williams also said he wants to improve the depth of the team by plugging younger players into certain spots on the squad, and work on cutting down on penalties, an eyesore for the team last year.
“We had a lot of penalties last year,” he said. “We’d like to get away from having a penalized team. That’s something we’ve talked about a lot in the off-season.”
ESPN analyst Beano Cook expects MSU to struggle this year, saying a 6-5 season is “the best they’re going to do.”
“Their fans won’t have to spend their money on a bowl game because there won’t be a bowl game,” he said.
While saying he likes the potential of Smoker, Cook said Williams is doing the right thing by putting the starting quarterback position up for grabs.
“After a 5-6 season, I would sure hope it would be open,” he said. “Unless (former Spartans) Bubba Smith and George Webster are in spring practice, it should be open.”
Young’s career done
Drew Young, a senior linebacker who had 58 tackles and three sacks last season, has been medically disqualified from playing this year, ending his football career.
Young sustained a neck injury last season and despite finishing out last year, doctors have recommended he not play anymore due to a threat of paralysis, among other things.
Young is still on scholarship and attending school.
“We wish him well and it’s very tough on him to have that happen to him,” Williams said.
Myers to sit out spring
Williams said senior defensive end Nick Myers will not participate in spring drills after being suspended for violating team rules and policies.
Green-White game out
Williams said there will be no Green-White spring practice game this year due to a problem in numbers. He said since there are only nine offensive lineman currently on scholarship, there aren’t enough to divide into two teams for the game.
Instead of the spring game, MSU’s final practice April 14 will be open to the public at Spartan Stadium.
