MSU will look like a very different team on offense this season.
Gone are offensive stars, including All-American receiver Charles Rogers and the top two running backs Dawan Moss and David Richard. Gone is the early-season Smoker-to-Rogers connection that fans and defenses anticipated. Gone is the run-first, Big Ten mentality of collegiate football offense.
But junior tight end Eric Knott says that doesn't matter - the team is still going to score and expects to score big.
"A lot of people are going to say, 'What if those guys were still around with this new offense?'" Knott said. "Well, we plan to erase those what ifs. There's going to be more touchdowns, it's going to be exciting."
Head coach John L. Smith has described the Spartans' revamped offense as "fast break" and wants to force defenses into stretching themselves thin across the entire field.
Smith, who's come to MSU by way of Louisville, Utah State and Idaho, brought with him his proven spread offense of passing first and running second. On the field this season, Smith says people can expect to see at least three receivers lined up at all times and as many as five in some situations.
Sophomore wide receiver Matt Trannon said he's anxious to try out Smith's new offense. MSU is joining Northwestern and Purdue as other Big Ten teams opting out of the traditional ground-based, smashmouth nature of the Big Ten.
"The offense isn't hard," he said. "But it's different from last year's and there's a lot to learn."
Sophomore wide receiver Kyle Brown said the new spread offense is fun and the athletes on the team will catch a few opponents by surprise.
Offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin, who came with Smith from Louisville, said everyone will be involved and produce big plays in the spread offense.
"With all our athletes at receiver and tight end, we have a chance to lead the Big Ten in offense this season," he said. "There won't be a single weapon.
"Just because we're going to play spread doesn't mean you won't see two or three tight ends in a set," Baldwin said.
But the running game isn't completely out of the window.
"Our offense can accommodate a 1,000-yard rusher," Baldwin said.
In an offense in which the only consistency is unpredictability so far, the offensive frontline looks to be the only sure thing MSU has going. Five letter-winning offensive linemen return this season between junior tight ends, Jason Randall and Knott. Senior guards Paul Harker and Joe Tate, both captains, will lead the team along with their experienced linemates according to Baldwin.
"The lineman will be pulling us through with their talent and experience," he said.
Just who the front line will be protecting, though, remains an issue. Redshirt freshman Drew Stanton seems to be the front runner for starting quarterback after a strong spring.
"Everyone was getting equal repetitions, but it's not fair to the team, their should be one primary quarterback," Stanton said.
Junior quarterback Damon Dowdell, who started five games at the end of last season following Jeff Smoker's suspension, said he can prosper in the offense.
"The spread offense favors me because I can throw on the run," he said.
Though the pass will be the first option this fall and the Spartans have had less than six months to adapt to Smith's packages, Randall said he likes MSU's odds on the offensive side of the ball.
"I think we are going to surprise people," he said. "We're ready to get into some shoot-outs."
