Michigan State Football: 3 takeaways from win over Indiana in Week 8
By Shawn Ekwall
1. Never doubt Mark Dantonio
Throughout the week, pundits were predicting an Indiana upset. They said the Spartans were overachieving and were “ripe” for an upset. For over three quarters they appeared correct. However, the resolve of this Michigan State team is impressive. Dantonio has demonstrated he knows how to rally the troops. He knows what winning football in the Big Ten looks like, and he’s righted the Spartan’s ship in less than a year. Impressive to say the least.
Most would agree that Dantonio is a Hall of Fame coach. He’s rarely mentioned with the likes of Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. But who else gets more out of his players, year-in-and-year-out? His teams continuously overachieve and Dantonio knows how to coach. To have his team bowl-eligible by Oct. 21 is a testament to the job he and his staff have done.
A trademark of Dantonio-coached teams is their knack for making winning plays in the fourth quarter. We’ve seen it against Michigan and last week against Minnesota. It happened again on Saturday. Trailing 9-3, the Spartans rallied for two fourth-quarter scores, along with a late defensive stop to secure the win. That is a culture which is instilled by the coaching staff.
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Credit Dantonio for a remarkable turnaround with a team littered with young players.