MSU football players talk about what they expect from Florida Atlantic after Tuesday’s practice. The Spartans (1-1) and Owls (1-1) kick off at noon Saturday at Spartan Stadium.
Smith is no pushover — he’s a legitimate Division I quarterback who has garnered the attention of NFL scouts. Last year he threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns and this year he’s thrown for 578 yards and four touchdowns.
Although it wasn’t so much the case against Eastern Michigan because the Spartans were bigger, faster and stronger, MSU’s secondary struggled at times against California. Too many times late in the game and in key third down situations there were holes in the secondary that Cal quarterback Kevin Riley was able to exploit.
EDGE: Florida Atlantic — Some MSU players have said Florida Atlantic is faster than California. Throw that in with a talented quarterback and the Spartans could potentially be in for some trouble.
The Spartans ran the ball 52 times last week and MSU head coach Mark Dantonio jokingly said they might run more, depending on his temperament.
Senior running back Javon Ringer gives the Spartans the ability to pound the ball with their most dynamic offensive weapon and the fact that Florida Atlantic has given up almost 200 rushing yards per game in the early season gives MSU that much more of a reason to keep handing the ball to Ringer.
EDGE: MSU — Per player, MSU’s offensive line weighs an average of 45 pounds more than Florida Atlantic’s defensive line. Once Ringer gets away from the front seven, the yards will be because of his talent but the massive holes he runs through will be courtesy of the O-line.
As much as it pains Dantonio to admit, the Spartans can’t run the ball all the time. It turns out that’s OK because MSU also has some pretty talented wide receivers.
Near the top of that list is Dell, who has caught 12 balls for 273 yards and a touchdown in the first two games.
Going up against the 6-foot-2 Dell will be the 5-foot-10 Small, Florida Atlantic’s top returning cornerback from a year ago. Small, who is a graduate student at Florida Atlantic, is third on the team with 12 tackles.
EDGE: MSU — The matchup between these two should be interesting. If the Owls jump to a lead and MSU has to play catch-up, Dell’s ability to separate from Small will be key.
In just his second year, Dantonio has made MSU football relevant again. Add a 2009 recruiting class that’s rated in the top 10 nationally and it’s just a matter of time before the Spartans become a Big Ten force.
Throughout the last three decades, Schellenberger has led three different schools to seasons with double-digit wins. He also was on the coaching staff of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only undefeated team in NFL history.
EDGE: Florida Atlantic — No knock on Dantonio, but Schellenberger has been coaching since 1979. In 1979, Dantonio was a 23-year-old who just received his bachelor’s degree in education.
Experience wins out.
-Compiled by Cash Kruth, The State News
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