Although not being co-champions with Michigan certainly was a factor, it appeared the biggest motivation came from a pre-season goal that had been somewhat forgotten about.

“To have two back-to-back double-digit seasons means a lot,” senior wide receiver B.J. Cunningham said. “We’ve been talking all week about how we want to win this game, get that 10th win.”

It seldom has been mentioned, so for Dantonio to play that card for his team to “finish the job” is just another thing helping him rise as one of the best coaches in Spartan history in just his fifth year.

So with that motivation, here’s my take on what the Spartans were able to do this past holiday weekend.

Cousins’ hightlight throws
Yeah, he throws off his back foot too much. Sometimes he makes poor decisions. But versus the Wildcats, senior quarterback Kirk Cousins made some of the best throws in his career.

With both teams knotted up at three, Cousins threw a 46-yard pass to senior wide receiver Keshawn Martin, leading the speedy receiver with a throw just over the defender’s shoulder that surely impressed NFL scouts.

The next quarter, feeling pressure, Cousins scrambled and had the wherewithal to find Cunningham and delivered a 33-yard strike for a score.

He threw two touchdowns on a record-breaking day, passing former Spartan Jeff Smoker for most career TD passes (62). With his numbers and coachability, he might not be a top pick, but he certainly should be selected in next year’s NFL Draft.

Cunningham dominates
He’s become a star. Always considered a solid target, Cunningham’s taken it to a different level this season.

With 120 receiving yards Saturday, Cunningham now has nine 100-yard games in his career, and seven of them have come this season.

The Spartans put an emphasis on maturity, and there’s perhaps no one who’s matured more than Cunningham by taking the step from good to great.

With two games left, the senior receiver needs only 37 yards to pass Andre Rison for most receiving yards all-time.

Now I’ll take a look at some of the negatives.

Spread offense trouble?
The Spartans defense seemed confused facing Pat Fitzgerald’s spread offense, especially early. It started with the option, where the defensive ends and linebackers mixed up assignments, leading to big gains.

When Wildcats quarterback Dan Persa dropped back to pass, the defense had some trouble, allowing 245 yards and two scores, as Persa completed passes to seven different receivers.

Fortunately for MSU, the Wildcats ran a lot of plays that went nowhere.

Worthy’s penalties
Junior defensive tackle Jerel Worthy jumped offsides on back-to-back plays, handing the Wildcats a first down. Not a big deal when he makes up for it with consecutive sacks but it still is something that needs to be cleaned up.