For the first time all season, MSU's special teams units were just that — special.
After being called out Friday night by special teams coach Jim McElwain, the Spartans special teams responded with their best performance of the season. The unit took the opening kick back for a touchdown and blocked an extra point that led to two more points in MSU's 46-15 win over Indiana on Saturday.
The kickoff return of 98 yards by junior cornerback Demond Williams marked the first time since 1947 that the Spartans have taken the opening kick the distance.
The players have been saying for weeks that it's just a block here, or a block there that was needed to break a big one. This time, they made the blocks.
"It was great blocking, that's all I can say," Williams said.
Obviously, McElwain's talk worked.
"In the past, his special teams have been a threat," Williams said. "We're just trying to get it back on track."
To this point, the loss of DeAndra Cobb was said to be one of the main causes of MSU's kick-return problems. Coach John L. Smith, though, doesn't feel that way.
"(We) try to emphasize that, yeah, Cobb's great and we miss him and we love him but it's not one guy, it's all of us, so dog-gone-it, all of us do our job and be accountable," Smith said.
The return gave the team the jolt it needed after losing three straight games in disappointing fashion.
"Getting that opening kickoff was really a lift for us," junior quarterback Drew Stanton said. "Special teams played great today. You can see how special teams can really help you and really hurt you."
After a touchdown by Indiana late in the first half, Williams came up with another big play, blocking Joe Kleinsmith's extra-point attempt, which was picked up and taken 75 yards by senior cornerback Ashton Watson for two points, swinging the momentum back in MSU's favor.
"We practiced it all last week," Williams said. "It was get to the point and sell out. I just got to the point and spread (out) as far as I could.
"It hit me in the stomach. I had a great jump on the ball, I don't know how that happened."
Although there were highs, the one low point for the Spartans was punt protection, which was steady in protecting junior Brandon Fields throughout the season. But Fields was rushed on all of his punts, and the third, late in the fourth quarter, was blocked.
Because of the pressure, Fields averaged just 32.5 yards on the two punts that made it out.
"I was very displeased with our protection on punt," Smith said. "We've got to do a better job there. So as one area picked it up, the other dropped the ball."
All things considered, it was a positive day and a possible stepping-stone for the Spartans as the season winds down.
"We can still improve on some things," Smith said. "I think this game will be good for them to look at and build on."
Career days
Stanton's 244 passing yards set an MSU record — it was the ninth consecutive game he passed for more than 200 yards. The previous record was set by Jeff Smoker in 2003. Stanton has 2,284 total passing yards this season, which is fifth on the MSU season record chart.
Junior receiver Kerry Reed, starting in place of senior Matt Trannon, caught a career high six receptions for 80 yards.
It was a day of firsts for sophomore linebacker Kaleb Thornhill and freshman linebacker Brandon Long. Thornhill recorded his first career sack in the first quarter and Long recovered his first career fumble in the third.
