Tweet
Michigan State vs. Nebraska
Why to watch
The Big Ten media panel named Michigan State head coach John L. Smith Big Ten Coach of the Year. Smith helped lead the Spartans to the fourth-biggest turnaround in the nation in 2003 and he is just the second first-year coach to take Michigan State to a bowl game.
University of Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson let former head coach Frank Solich go at the end of the regular season despite Solich's 58-19 record over six seasons. Pederson named defensive coordinator Bo Pelini interim head coach. Pelini is highly-responsible for the defense's impressive 2003 season after a disappointing 2002 campaign but he has no head coaching experienced and his ability to handle the role of head coach as well as coordinator remains to be seen.
Daniel and Josh Bullocks are the first twins to ever sign with the Cornhuskers. They are also the starting safeties in just their sophomore seasons. Josh, who plays free safety, earned All-American Honors and he is a playmaker in coverage but Daniel, who lines up at strong safety, finished the season with more tackles.
Spartans Michigan State QB Jeff Smoker didn't have the storybook career that many expected he'd have at Michigan State. He was suspended for the team's final five games of the 2002 season because of a substance-abuse problem. Many fans blamed Smoker for the team's struggles that year but instead of giving up, Smoker worked hard to get back on track. In his final home game, Smoker threw for 3578 yards and four touchdowns. He also became the first quarterback in school history to finish with 3,000 yards passing in one season.
Three key matchups
1. Michigan State RB Jarren Hayes vs. Nebraska WLB Demorrio Williams
Hayes ranks second on the team in receptions and he has the ability to turn the short gain into the big play but Williams is capable of limiting his production. Williams has the change of direction skills to stay with Hayes coming out of his cuts and he takes good angles to the ball while it's in the air. He is fast enough to stay with Hayes downfield and his four-inch height advantage will allow him to knock away any jump balls. Hayes must make sure to protect the football when running to Williams' side and after the catch. Although Williams is undersized and he has some problems anchoring at the point of attack, he is a ball hawk that will look to knock the ball loose when Williams doesn't maintain good ball security. In addition, Williams shows good closing speed to the quarterback. Hayes, who lacks great bulk, will need to cut Williams at the legs when Nebraska brings him off the edge and he stays in to help out in pass protection.
2. Nebraska ROT Dan Vili Waldrop vs. Michigan State Rush DE Greg Taplin
Vili Waldrop is a three-year starter who can use his 91-pound size advantage to dominate Taplin when Nebraska runs behind him. However, Taplin is capable of holding his own in this matchup. Vili Waldrop lacks the quick pass set to counter Taplin's explosive first step and he'll struggle to prevent Taplin from turning the corner consistently. Taplin has the change of direction skills to redirect inside when Vili Waldrop tries to compensate by setting up to the outside and he shows good burst to the quarterback. He will also get his hands up in the passing windows when Vili Waldrop prevents him from getting into the backfield, and he is capable of batting some passes down at the line of scrimmage. Vili Waldrop must also make sure to sustain his blocks on Taplin when the Cornhuskers run to the opposite side, as Taplin can chase plays down from behind.
3. Michigan State No. 3 Aqim Shabaj vs. Nebraska Nickel back Lornell McPherson
McPherson has the speed to prevent Shabaj from getting behind the defense and his outstanding leaping ability will allow him to knock away any jump balls downfield. While he also possesses great athletic ability and quickness, Shabaj is capable of getting open underneath. Shabaj has the explosive burst to force McPherson into his backpedal, creating space, and he wastes little motion getting into his cuts. He is capable of catching the ball in-stride once he generates separation from McPherson and he does a nice job of getting upfield after the catch. McPherson must make sure to wrap Shabaj up quickly, as Shabaj has the elusiveness to make multiple defenders miss in the open field.
Michigan State's keys
1. Spread the ball around in the passing game. One of Smoker's biggest weaknesses is his tendency to lock onto his receivers, and he can't afford to make that mistake in this game. Josh Bullocks excels at reading opposing quarterbacks' eyes and he shows above-average range in coverage. He'll notice if Smoker starts to look for one receiver too much and he has the ball skills to take advantage. Smoker can keep Bullocks and the rest of the Nebraska secondary off balance by spreading the ball around to his receivers, backs and tight ends. Taking what the defense gives him allows Smoker to sustain long drives while reducing the chances of a turnover.
2. Attack the perimeter run defense. Nebraska has the bulk at defensive tackle to clog up the middle of the field and Michigan State lacks a back with the power to consistently pick up the tough yards between the tackles. The Spartans should have their must success running outside as a result. OTs Steve Stewart and Gordon Niebylski both have the bulk to drive undersized DEs Benard Thomas and Trevor Johnson off the line, creating running lanes off-tackle. Michigan State can then pull mobile OG Joe Tate around the corner giving the back a lead blocker out of the Spartans' base one-back sets.
3. Keep QB Jammal Lord contained. DEs Taplin and Clifford Dukes are aggressive and they should get to Lord in this game, but they have a tendency to take themselves out of the play by flying too far upfield. In addition, Michigan State will often bring additional pressure from the outside with its linebackers. Although the Spartans want to pressure Lord into making some mistakes, he is a threat to make the big play with his feet and they cannot allow him to get outside of the pocket too often. It will be critical that either the defensive line keep outside contain or the Spartans use a linebacker to shadow him when Lord drops back to pass.
Nebraska's Keys to Success
1. Strong special teams' play. All-American P Kyle Larson has great accuracy and he needs to take advantage of any opportunities he gets to pin Michigan State deep within its own zone. He also has the leg strength to get excellent hang time on his kicks and kick the Cornhuskers out of trouble when they are forced to punt from inside their own 20-yard line. A strong game from RS Josh Davis will further help Nebraska win the battle of field position. Davis reads his blocks extremely well and he wastes little time getting upfield. In addition, the Cornhuskers faked a field goal attempt for a first down in their final regular-season game and they are capable of taking advantage when Michigan State's field goal block unit gets caught out of position.
2. Misdirection. One of the best ways to help keep an attacking defense such as the Spartans off balance is misdirection. Reverses, end-arounds, draws, counters and screens are all designed to go for big gains when the defense doesn't maintain gap-responsibility. WR Cory Ross, Davis and Lord are capable of going the distance every time they touch the ball. Misdirection also forces the linebackers and safeties to hesitate while reading the play before swarming to the ball effectively forcing them to make the tackle three-to-four yards downfield rather than at the line of scrimmage.
3. Stay conservative and frequently drop eight men into coverage. Smoker has shown the ability to beat the blitz, but lacks ideal mobility and will force the ball into coverage rather than throwing it away when nothing is available downfield. Nebraska can take advantage by rushing the front four and frequently dropping eight men into coverage. This will force Smoker to hold onto the ball longer so he can go through his progressions giving the Cornhuskers defensive ends more time to get to him and he'll have to throw into tighter coverage.
War Room Edge
Smith has done a good job of turning Michigan State's program around quickly and the departure of Solich will have an impact on Nebraska, but expect the Cornhuskers to get the win. Nebraska will wear down the Spartans' undersized defensive front with a consistent running game allowing it to control the clock and taking some pressure off Lord. Lord will make some mistakes that cost his team but he'll more than make up for it with some big plays in the running game. Smoker won't have the luxury of a consistent running attack and it will cost them. The Cornhuskers will force Michigan State into some obvious passing situations early and often and it has the strong secondary to limit Smoker's production while turning any mistakes he makes into interceptions.
Prediction: Cornhuskers 26, Spartans 21
Why to watch
The Big Ten media panel named Michigan State head coach John L. Smith Big Ten Coach of the Year. Smith helped lead the Spartans to the fourth-biggest turnaround in the nation in 2003 and he is just the second first-year coach to take Michigan State to a bowl game.
University of Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson let former head coach Frank Solich go at the end of the regular season despite Solich's 58-19 record over six seasons. Pederson named defensive coordinator Bo Pelini interim head coach. Pelini is highly-responsible for the defense's impressive 2003 season after a disappointing 2002 campaign but he has no head coaching experienced and his ability to handle the role of head coach as well as coordinator remains to be seen.
Daniel and Josh Bullocks are the first twins to ever sign with the Cornhuskers. They are also the starting safeties in just their sophomore seasons. Josh, who plays free safety, earned All-American Honors and he is a playmaker in coverage but Daniel, who lines up at strong safety, finished the season with more tackles.
Spartans Michigan State QB Jeff Smoker didn't have the storybook career that many expected he'd have at Michigan State. He was suspended for the team's final five games of the 2002 season because of a substance-abuse problem. Many fans blamed Smoker for the team's struggles that year but instead of giving up, Smoker worked hard to get back on track. In his final home game, Smoker threw for 3578 yards and four touchdowns. He also became the first quarterback in school history to finish with 3,000 yards passing in one season.
Three key matchups
1. Michigan State RB Jarren Hayes vs. Nebraska WLB Demorrio Williams
Hayes ranks second on the team in receptions and he has the ability to turn the short gain into the big play but Williams is capable of limiting his production. Williams has the change of direction skills to stay with Hayes coming out of his cuts and he takes good angles to the ball while it's in the air. He is fast enough to stay with Hayes downfield and his four-inch height advantage will allow him to knock away any jump balls. Hayes must make sure to protect the football when running to Williams' side and after the catch. Although Williams is undersized and he has some problems anchoring at the point of attack, he is a ball hawk that will look to knock the ball loose when Williams doesn't maintain good ball security. In addition, Williams shows good closing speed to the quarterback. Hayes, who lacks great bulk, will need to cut Williams at the legs when Nebraska brings him off the edge and he stays in to help out in pass protection.
2. Nebraska ROT Dan Vili Waldrop vs. Michigan State Rush DE Greg Taplin
Vili Waldrop is a three-year starter who can use his 91-pound size advantage to dominate Taplin when Nebraska runs behind him. However, Taplin is capable of holding his own in this matchup. Vili Waldrop lacks the quick pass set to counter Taplin's explosive first step and he'll struggle to prevent Taplin from turning the corner consistently. Taplin has the change of direction skills to redirect inside when Vili Waldrop tries to compensate by setting up to the outside and he shows good burst to the quarterback. He will also get his hands up in the passing windows when Vili Waldrop prevents him from getting into the backfield, and he is capable of batting some passes down at the line of scrimmage. Vili Waldrop must also make sure to sustain his blocks on Taplin when the Cornhuskers run to the opposite side, as Taplin can chase plays down from behind.
3. Michigan State No. 3 Aqim Shabaj vs. Nebraska Nickel back Lornell McPherson
McPherson has the speed to prevent Shabaj from getting behind the defense and his outstanding leaping ability will allow him to knock away any jump balls downfield. While he also possesses great athletic ability and quickness, Shabaj is capable of getting open underneath. Shabaj has the explosive burst to force McPherson into his backpedal, creating space, and he wastes little motion getting into his cuts. He is capable of catching the ball in-stride once he generates separation from McPherson and he does a nice job of getting upfield after the catch. McPherson must make sure to wrap Shabaj up quickly, as Shabaj has the elusiveness to make multiple defenders miss in the open field.
Michigan State's keys
1. Spread the ball around in the passing game. One of Smoker's biggest weaknesses is his tendency to lock onto his receivers, and he can't afford to make that mistake in this game. Josh Bullocks excels at reading opposing quarterbacks' eyes and he shows above-average range in coverage. He'll notice if Smoker starts to look for one receiver too much and he has the ball skills to take advantage. Smoker can keep Bullocks and the rest of the Nebraska secondary off balance by spreading the ball around to his receivers, backs and tight ends. Taking what the defense gives him allows Smoker to sustain long drives while reducing the chances of a turnover.
2. Attack the perimeter run defense. Nebraska has the bulk at defensive tackle to clog up the middle of the field and Michigan State lacks a back with the power to consistently pick up the tough yards between the tackles. The Spartans should have their must success running outside as a result. OTs Steve Stewart and Gordon Niebylski both have the bulk to drive undersized DEs Benard Thomas and Trevor Johnson off the line, creating running lanes off-tackle. Michigan State can then pull mobile OG Joe Tate around the corner giving the back a lead blocker out of the Spartans' base one-back sets.
3. Keep QB Jammal Lord contained. DEs Taplin and Clifford Dukes are aggressive and they should get to Lord in this game, but they have a tendency to take themselves out of the play by flying too far upfield. In addition, Michigan State will often bring additional pressure from the outside with its linebackers. Although the Spartans want to pressure Lord into making some mistakes, he is a threat to make the big play with his feet and they cannot allow him to get outside of the pocket too often. It will be critical that either the defensive line keep outside contain or the Spartans use a linebacker to shadow him when Lord drops back to pass.
Nebraska's Keys to Success
1. Strong special teams' play. All-American P Kyle Larson has great accuracy and he needs to take advantage of any opportunities he gets to pin Michigan State deep within its own zone. He also has the leg strength to get excellent hang time on his kicks and kick the Cornhuskers out of trouble when they are forced to punt from inside their own 20-yard line. A strong game from RS Josh Davis will further help Nebraska win the battle of field position. Davis reads his blocks extremely well and he wastes little time getting upfield. In addition, the Cornhuskers faked a field goal attempt for a first down in their final regular-season game and they are capable of taking advantage when Michigan State's field goal block unit gets caught out of position.
2. Misdirection. One of the best ways to help keep an attacking defense such as the Spartans off balance is misdirection. Reverses, end-arounds, draws, counters and screens are all designed to go for big gains when the defense doesn't maintain gap-responsibility. WR Cory Ross, Davis and Lord are capable of going the distance every time they touch the ball. Misdirection also forces the linebackers and safeties to hesitate while reading the play before swarming to the ball effectively forcing them to make the tackle three-to-four yards downfield rather than at the line of scrimmage.
3. Stay conservative and frequently drop eight men into coverage. Smoker has shown the ability to beat the blitz, but lacks ideal mobility and will force the ball into coverage rather than throwing it away when nothing is available downfield. Nebraska can take advantage by rushing the front four and frequently dropping eight men into coverage. This will force Smoker to hold onto the ball longer so he can go through his progressions giving the Cornhuskers defensive ends more time to get to him and he'll have to throw into tighter coverage.
War Room Edge
Smith has done a good job of turning Michigan State's program around quickly and the departure of Solich will have an impact on Nebraska, but expect the Cornhuskers to get the win. Nebraska will wear down the Spartans' undersized defensive front with a consistent running game allowing it to control the clock and taking some pressure off Lord. Lord will make some mistakes that cost his team but he'll more than make up for it with some big plays in the running game. Smoker won't have the luxury of a consistent running attack and it will cost them. The Cornhuskers will force Michigan State into some obvious passing situations early and often and it has the strong secondary to limit Smoker's production while turning any mistakes he makes into interceptions.
Prediction: Cornhuskers 26, Spartans 21
Comment