Talk about making a statement. After its slow start in the season opener, the No. 15 MSU football team came out Saturday and absolutely manhandled Florida Atlantic. Any bad memory the Spartans had from the Youngstown State game was completely wiped away after the dominant 44-0 win over the Owls.
But with every team, there always are some spots that still can use improvement.
Let’s start with the three best things I took from week two:
1. Excellent defense:
The following stats are unbelievable to look at: Florida Atlantic gained one first down and racked up just 48 yards of total offense. The Spartans’ defense, disappointed in the slow start the week before, blasted through the gates this time. The most encouraging part was — rather than tailing off at the end of the game — the defense still held its ground and did not allow the Owls to go anywhere.
2. Offense was efficient:
Another amazing stat from the game: The Spartans only punted once, and it was at the end of the game, when all of the backups were in. Senior quarterback Kirk Cousins is now 34-for-42 on the season. Most of the incompletions were dropped by receivers. The running backs also tallied 202 yards rushing.
3. No big mistakes:
MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said prior to Saturday’s game that he wanted less mistakes this week, and his team delivered. No dropped punt returns this time and only three penalties that totaled 20 yards. It was a nearly flawless game on both sides of the ball.
Now I caution you that I’m being picky, but in a 44-0 game there just aren’t many negatives. Here are three areas the Spartans still need to improve:
1. Defensive backs have not yet been tested:
With Notre Dame and receiver Michael Floyd looming, it would have been nice to see how the Spartans’ secondary responds when a big play is made. However, it didn’t happen in the first two games. The secondary has looked excellent so far. But brace yourself, Spartan Nation. This Floyd guy is an absolute beast and a first round NFL-caliber player.
2. Offensive line still needs work:
The good news: Junior defensive tackle Jerel Worthy probably could catch passes on the Notre Dame secondary. The somewhat bad news: The Fighting Irish front eight is pretty decent. The offensive line looked OK against Florida Atlantic, but it will be most interesting to see how they handle the guys from South Bend, Ind.
3. Field goal unit rusty:
Like I said, I’m being picky. When your kicker hits a 50 and 41-yard field goal, one 28-yard miss shouldn’t be something to worry about. Junior kicker Dan Conroy said he just shanked it after the game. Not a huge deal now, but in a game against a team such as Notre Dame, those three points could make a difference.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
