Prior to Saturday’s game, MSU was the least penalized team in the Big Ten, but its 125 penalty yards against Pittsburgh accomplished a feat the Spartans had not reached in three seasons. The last time MSU had more than 125 penalty yards was in its 2004 season opener at Rutgers, when the Spartans were penalized 10 times for 147 yards. They lost that contest 19-14. “Quite often we had some drives established, doing some things that we wanted to do, but then we would take a step back with the penalties and those things,” offensive coordinator Don Treadwell said.
A majority of the penalties came in the second half, including a false start on a made field goal attempt. MSU was forced to re-kick the field goal, and kicker Brett Swenson’s second attempt was blocked.
Pittsburgh recovered the ball, and on the very next play, MSU was penalized 15 yards for a facemask at the end of a 31-yard run by Panthers wide receiver T.J. Porter.
“Some of the calls you have to take as motivation to go out there and play,” junior quarterback Brian Hoyer said. “You can’t let it affect you in a negative way … you have to bounce back.”
The Spartans were penalized for holding four times, had three personal fouls, two pass interference calls, one false start and one substitution infraction.
Last season, MSU chalked up its most penalty yards against Indiana, with 110 yards on 12 penalties.
Running “defense”
Aside from team discipline, another supposed team strength has been called into question following Saturday’s game, with much to do about Panthers running back LeSean McCoy.
At the beginning of the second quarter, McCoy outsprinted the entire Spartan defense, blazing a 64-yard trail to the end zone.
“We just didn’t play it right,” MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said. “Maybe it was a coaching error.
“We kind of said to watch the reverse, because (Pittsburgh wide receiver Maurice Williams) came into the game, and he’s a reverse guy and hadn’t been in all game.
“I think one of our ends played the reverse, and didn’t come down to play the run like he should.”
McCoy surpassed 100 yards rushing with 10 minutes left in the second quarter on his way to torching the MSU defense for 172 total yards.
“He had a good game, he runs the ball pretty hard but he’s obviously a little shifty which we had a little trouble with,” linebacker Kaleb Thornhill said. “I had a few missed tackles which can’t happen, and other guys as well.”
MSU held its first two opponents to an average of 29.5 total rushing yards per game.
The “Sackmaster”
MSU senior defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic had his second standout performance in as many games, and Narduzzi is dubbing him the “Sackmaster.”
“You can’t block him, he gets two (sacks) in the end, knocking the crap out of the quarterback,” Narduzzi said. “The guy’s unbelievable, he does a great job and he pays attention, and (defensive line coach Ted) Gill’s done a great job with him as well.”
Saint-Dic forced a fumble following a failed fourth-down conversion by MSU in the fourth quarter, setting up a field goal that gave the Spartans a 17-13 lead with 2:54 left in the game.
He forced another fumble on Pittsburgh’s next possession, and nearly stripped the ball from their quarterback a third time. Saint-Dic now has five sacks and four forced fumbles on the season.
Support student media!
Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
“The sack is great and everything but once you get in that quarterback’s head, it’s really hard for the quarterback to throw the ball,” Saint-Dic said.
Personnel update
Sophomore wide receiver T.J. Williams, who was not listed on the preseason depth chart and was suspended from most of preseason camp, played for the first team this season, catching one pass for 16 yards.
Junior offensive lineman Roland Martin left the game injured with 12:30 remaining in the second quarter.
Discussion
Share and discuss “Toughing it out” on social media.
