Should Michigan State Spartans Have National Title on Mind?

Offense

Running one of the most balanced, pro-style offenses last year in the country, the Michigan State Spartans were only 58th in rushing offense and 82 in passing offense, but they were 64th in scoring offense with 29.4 points per game. They destroyed teams with ball control, though, ranking No. 7 in the country in time of possession, and that ball control was handled by a very efficient offense that got better as the season progressed. With so many skill players back, the offense should be great again this year. But there will have to be some questions up front that are answered.

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At quarterback, junior Connor Cook continually got better last year as the season progressed his first year as a starter, despite the competition getting tougher. Although it’s true that through the first four games he had 5 touchdowns and no interceptions, 4 of those touchdowns came against Youngstown State. In the other three games, he only had 1 touchdown and completed only 28 of 59 passes for a grand total of 209 yards. Then, after the Notre Dame loss, Cook took off, finishing the next 10 games with 17 touchdowns, completing 180 of 299 passes for a 60 percent completion rate, and averaging 234 yards per game. He saved his best performances against the best competition on the biggest stage, when he threw for more than 300 yards against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship and then Stanford in the Rose Bowl to go along with 5 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. The best thing about Cook is he does take care of the football, throwing only 6 interceptions on the season with 22 touchdowns. He is a very efficient player who is perfect for Dantonio’s offense, and if he stays healthy he should be even better this year. If not, Dantonio can turn to sophomor Tyler O’Connor or redshirt freshman Damion Terry.

The running back position is just as set as the quarterback position. Jeremy Langsford has the potential to be a Heisman candidate after rushing for 1,422 yards last year and an incredible 18 touchdowns. He will be the focal point of this offense again this year as he enters his senior season. Behind him, senior Nick Hill is also valuable. He had 344 yards on 67 carries last year and could see a larger role this year. Sophomore running backs Delton Williams and R.J. Shelton each provide experience and depth as well after playing as freshmen and combining for 391 yards and 3 touchdowns. Sophomore Nick Tompson also saw limited action as a freshman last year, and freshmen Gerald Holmes and Madre London both have lots of potential. The position will be unchanged from last year, and Langsford will carry the load again with the offense revolving around him. However, as Cook should be much improved this year, he probably won’t rack up as many yards because the offense will become more balanced. But he’ll still be incredible with the ball, and overall, the running game combined with Cook’s experience should make this years Spartans offense much more efficient than last year’s. Junior Trevon Pendleton is also back at fullback, and although he doesn’t get a lot of carries, he’s an incredible blocker who can hurt you in the passing game once in a blue moon. He’ll be very valuable for Langsford.

The receiving corp. loses one major contributor in Bennie Fowler, who caught 36 balls for 622 yards and 6 touchdowns last year. But with the way the Spartans spread the ball around, there are plenty of guys who can step in and fill that role. Senior wide receiver Tony Lippett was second on the team in receiving with 613 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he provides significant size for Cook to be able to go up and make a play at 6’3″ 191 pounds. MacGarrett Kings, Jr., who had 513 yards and 3 touchdowns last year, is the perfect complement to Lippett as a smaller speedster, standing at 5’10” and running a 4.44-40. If he can stay out of trouble, which he couldn’t do during the Spring, he’ll help turn the Spartans into a very good passing team. Playing right alongside those two will be senior Keith Mumphery, who will probably line up more on the outside while Kings, Jr. lines up in the slot. Mumphery had 18 receptions for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns last year, and he’ll have a much larger role this year. Junior Aaron Burbridge will also see some action this year and provide depth. The tight ends will also be valuable returnees for the receiving corp. Sophomore Josiah Price stands at 6’4″ 244 pounds and had 17 catches for 210 yards and 4 touchdowns as a freshman last year, so he could have a huge role in the offense this year. Senior Andrew Gleichart stands at 6’5″ 264 pounds and is much more of a blocking tight end, but he still had 6 catches for 49 yards and a touchdown last year. The duo complement each other perfectly as well, making a mix of great pass-catching and blocking among the tight ends. With five other guys in the unit having seen in-game action last year, this is a unit that returns too much talent to not be better than last year, and with more experience under Cook’s belt, the skill players and blocking at tight end should help the passing game explode.

The offensive line is the only major question for Dantonio’s team on this side of the ball. There are three starter gone, including All-Big

Jan 1, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) drops back to pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Ten guard Blake Treadwell. The other guard, Dan France, is also gone, and they were the two most experienced players on the line. Tackle Fou Fonoti completes the departure of offensive linemen. The best news of this group is that center Jack Allen is back to lead the unit for his junior season, and as a 2013 All-Big Ten honorable mention, he has plenty of talent and size at 6’1″ 300 pounds. Travis Jackson has 17 career starts under his belt and will start his senior season at guard, and Jack Conklin will resume his role as the starting left tackle as a sophomore standing at 6’6″ 330 pounds after he started 13 games last year as a freshman. The Spartans may lose a lot, but they are set at the two most important positions, center and left tackle, and Conklin could be a superstar. Jackson’s experience makes for the majority of the line to be fine, and Donavon Clark will be able to fill the other tackle position with 6 career starts and standing at 6’3″ 310 pounds. Connor Kruse seems like the most logical choice to start as the other guard as he enters his senior season standing at 6’4″ 317 pounds. Sophomores Kodi Kieler, Zach Higgins, Benny McGowan, and redshirt freshman Dennis Finley all weigh more than 300 pounds and will provide depth in the rotation. 6’6″ 280 pound junior Miguel Machado could also make an immediate impact, as could freshman center Brian Allen, who was a 4-star on Rivals and stands at 6’2″ 285 pounds. The line may have lost some talent, but it was very deep last year, and there’s a lot of depth and experience returning. As a result, especially with veterans now at center and left tackle, the unit could potentially be better than last year. But it definitely shouldn’t see a drop-off.

With everybody back in the passing game and the running game, more experience at the quarterback position, and an offensive line that has enough horses to withstand the losses it took, this offense could become even more balanced than it was last year. It should definitely be more efficient, and the unit ought to be able to score up to 35 points a game this year. There is lots of talent, depth, and experience to go around here, and the coaching is pretty darn good. As a result, look for the offense to still be very efficient and more explosive this year.