Cotton Bowl 12.30 “Media Day…or something like that”

Dallas, Texas @ AT&T Stadium

Today was media day and Michigan State certainly stole the show. Baylor was up first  though and Art Briles, Shawn Oakman and Michigan native Gus Penning all shared their thoughts on the game and shed some light on the differences between Texas and everywhere else. However, between Shilique Calhoun’s responses and the impromptu impersonation session by Matt Macksood, the Spartans won the day. Before the antics began, Coach Dantonio was posed with a question regarding a hot topic from back in the Mitten State.

In case you haven’t heard, Michigan named Coach Harbaugh the new head coach of the football team. With this dominating the airwaves and social media, Coach D was asked about his thoughts on the matter. True to form, he quickly batted away the question and made it clear he only wanted to talk about Michigan State and the Cotton Bowl.

Baylor Head Coach Art Briles had a little more candid approach to the situation.

 

“Maybe your perception of what’s happening in Texas isn’t the same as what is happening in Texas… when one of us sneezes someone is going to say gesundheit… and we say thank you”.

There is one player on Baylor’s team that is from Michigan though, and he is actually a transfer from the recently dismantled Grand Rapids Community College. Gus Penning, a tight end who attended Jennison and played linebacker as well as tight end, found his home after stops at Grand Rapids and Riverside Community College in California.  The 6’6 Junior shared his story and talked about being one only 12 players on the Baylor roster who do not hail from the Lone Star State. “there’s no love for Michigan State anymore even though I was a fan growing up…I’ve got friends back home and I told them I’d get them tickets to the game but they have to wear Baylor stuff…there is a few things that go on that me and the other non-Texas guys look at and say that only happens down here.” Penning  has played in 11 games this year and does not have any receptions.

When asked about the difference between Texas and Michigan high school football he had this to say:

“It’s just different here, there is the stereotype that Texas is the best state for football and I’d have to say it is true”.

Shawn Oakman, who recently announced he would be returning to Baylor for his senior year, appeared dismissive to most media as he spent the early parts of his interview on the phone and facetiming with his alleged girlfriend back in Philly.

Once he put the phone down though, he did open up and broke down the family roles that his fellow defensive lineman would have if they were in fact a family unit. “Billings would be the Grandaddy, Jamaal would be the cool Uncle,  Bo would be the daddy…

“and me? I’d be the kid, I’d be the wild kid out of the group”.

Spartan defensive end Shilque Calhoun fielded the same question and it lead to him actually calling some backup to help him hammer out the details. “I’m Dad automatically, actually I’m Great-Granddad since I’m the oldest. I’ll give Dad to Heath” he responded emphatically. He then called up fellow lineman Demetrius Cooper who helped him clear up the matter:

“Marcus Rush is Mom… Grandson is Malik, Great-Grandson is Sweat, Great-Great-Grandson is Craig Evans and we gave him a little too much porridge so he is getting a little chunky”

Afterwards there was a crowd gathered around one of the Cotton Bowl media teams who ended up getting Matt Macksood to do his best impressions of members of his team and Coaching staff.

As hard as everyone tried, no one could get him to do his best Narduzzi impression with the cameras on. To this he simply stated:

“I just can’t capture his intensity without using some words that are not TV friendly”

Analysis was in short supply today but after 3 days of the same old questions, the players were all ready to cut loose a little bit and have some fun.

Cotton Bowl 12.29 “Legacy, Family, and Football”

Dallas, Texas 12.29

Now that the players and teams have settled in, it was time for the Spartan offense to take the floor. Several players were made available and today’s theme was the legacy that so many of the upperclassman and seniors on the team have created over the past four years. Players like Jeremy Langford, Tony Lippett, Connor Cook, and Travis Jackson all reflected on their favorite moments and talked about what their last game in the green and white would mean to them.

Cook was the first to the table and he spoke about the unique connection between himself and Baylor’s QB, Bryce Petty. The two quarterbacks were actually roommates at the elite 11 camp prior to their respective freshman seasons. Cook and the rest of the Spartans all believed that they would be playing in the Orange bowl but once word came down that they would be playing Baylor, Cook promptly texted his old friend…

“you ready?”

The two quarterbacks also worked with QB guru George Whitfield in the offseason and Cook raved about the unique teaching style and pedigree of players that he has helped groom into professional quarterbacks.

Cook’s journey parallels Michigan State’s rise to prominence as he spent the early years of his career battling for playing time and making an appearance in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl where he orchestrated the game winning scoring drive against the then 7-6 TCU Horned Frogs. The following year, Cook continued to “go out and grab it” as he lead the Cinderella Spartans to a signature win over OSU in the B1G Conference Championship and followed that with a win in the Rose Bowl. This season, the Spartans only two losses came at the hands of two playoff teams in Ohio State and Oregon.

That win over OSU is something special to a number of players when they were asked about some of their fondest memories playing for the green and white. Tony Lippett quickly identified that game as one that he will never forget and Jeremy Langford felt the same even with a Rose Bowl win and multiple victories over the University of Michigan.

Lippett is certainly a player who loves to overcome the odds and prove people wrong. When asked about the Ohio State game he had this to say “the whole world was against us… we were ten point underdogs… we didn’t have a chance… they had won 24 or 25 straight games… nobody even thought about us”. Tony as well as other players loved beating a program and coaches who had overlooked them in their high school days as well. When asked about what he wanted to showcase in the game, he simply replied…

“I’m a competitor”

Every player on MSU roster talks about the chip they play with and all of them credit the coaches for instilling that into their mindset every day. This makes the players work harder every day because they never feel like they get the respect that the recent success has garnered. Langford talked about that drive and what he tries to pass on to the younger running backs to keep this hard-nosed tradition going “momentum is rolling right now for the seniors and sustaining that is important….it’s important for them to stay humble… running back is a very tough position… I used to not play much at all and I want them to understand my journey”.

Travis Jackson fielded some lighter questions and at the end of the session when he was asked to put family roles on the other offensive lineman…

“we  call Connor “Dad”, Jack Conklin is  our young son, Jack Allen is kind of our angry uncle, Cody and Donovan are the kids of the group, I’d probably be the grandfather… maybe grandpa tuna”.

Once the players wrapped up the press conference they headed off for some non-football related activities and headed off to Texas Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital to visit.

Once there, the players were greeted with open arms as a whole slew of patients and their families were waiting inside. Kids and parents alike were enamored to see the athletes and carry on this Cotton Bowl Tradition. Events like these were skipped over by some affiliates but at the end of the day, this was just a group of big kids and young men hanging out with younger children who look at them with the brightest of eyes. The children’s smiles were all returned as every player jumped at the opportunity to just meet and talk with them. With football being the main focus of the week, it provided a humanizing aspect to these myth-like Spartan players. While as important as this game may be, today reinforced the fact that there are in fact bigger things than football.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl 12.28

Dallas, Texas

We are still several days out from the big game but the players and coaches from both sides are already getting their shots in. The Bears offensive players and coaches were open for breakout interviews and there were a few running themes that became present.

Baylor has not forgotten about last season. Bryce Petty was adamant that this team cannot rest upon what it has already accomplished and every other Bear seemed to be on the same page.

“It does not matter if you went 12-0 if you don’t finish, we didn’t do that last year and that has been a focus going into this game”.

The Bears have risen to prominence over the past few seasons and the players are proud of the product they are building. Those players that are now leaders and playmakers for the Bears knew little to nothing about the upstart school from Waco, Texas. When asked what they knew about the university before they got there, responses were all along the lines of: “ I knew they were green” or “I didn’t know much but I could tell that the Coach was committed to making the program better and he had the plan in place to do so”. Antwan Goodley wasn’t even aware that RGIII was the quarterback until he arrived on campus. This team is quickly becoming a perennial contender and the players at the core of that climb are proud of where they are at.

With the Big 12 self destructing and eliminating ITSELF from the playoff picture, players are excited to be at the Cotton Bowl but they are keenly aware of how close they were to competing in the 4-team playoff. Had TCU and Baylor met again in a conference championship, it would be hard to not put the winner of that game into one of the 4 slots.

When asked about MSU the Bears constantly talked about how their tempo and speed would win them the game. Bryce Petty talked about the perception of his team and how spread teams are often seen as weak, or finesse based. “I don’t even know how to spell finesse… people think that because we are a spread team that means we don’t know how to run the ball of play physical… our offense keys of off the run and if we can we love to hand the ball off and let our big guys dominate up front” .

Prior to that, Baylor wideout Antwan Goodley was asked about what he sees from the heralded Spartan defense:

“They are tough physical team…they like to play a lot of man to man though and that is an ideal situation for our receivers to be in”.

Once the Bears offensive units had wrapped up it was time for the heralded Spartan defense to take the floor.

First up, was the new head coach of Pitt, Pat Narduzzi. When asked why he chose to coach this game and forgo an early start with his new team he was very clear on why he stayed.

“it’s important to me because these guys are my guys, pretty soon I’ll have new guys but these guys will be my guys forever”

. Not only was the personal relationships with his player important, he knows that he has built something with coach Dantonio over his tenure “I’ve been with coach D for 11 years and 8 years here at Michigan State, if I just walked before I finished the job…you know what kind of guy am I”. Once the obvious Pitt questions had been answered he moved on to the upcoming game with his current team.

Baylor’s offense is nothing to be trifled with and the Spartans have not taken preparation lightly, as they have been running three different offenses at their #1 defense to get them ready for the breakneck pace and tempo of Art Briles attack. Coach Narduzzi went on to talk about the conditioning of his squad “They were ready before Christmas break, then they got all fat and sloppy at home eating turkey and pasta or whatever and that’s why we got to get them back down here and make sure they are in shape”.

Trae Waynes is looking forward to the matchup with Baylor’s wideouts “they’ve got a high tempo offense… it should be fun”.  Despite the one on one matchups, he is excited to have his longtime friend playing alongside him in the defensive backfield, Tony Lippett. “It’s fun, him and I always go back and forth and he just finds a way to do well wherever he is at”.

MSU’s Shilique Calhoun was fielding questions as well. One thing that has meant a lot to the NFL prospect is the role he has played in turning MSU into a contender. This growth has been personal, as well as team based.

” It’s been a miracle and a blessing… I didn’t think I would be able to go D1 and be able to run out on that field”

Vikings at Lions 12.14.2014

Detroit, Michigan

12/14/2014

Pregame

Detroit comes into their last home game on the cusp of a playoff berth. Minnesota has struggled all year and the absence of Adrian Peterson has left the already bad Vikings reeling. With a win in today’s matchup the Lions will keep their wild card hopes alive as they head on the road for two games. The finale at Lambeau Field will decide who gets homefield and wins the NFC north. Detroit needs to send off the home fans with a decisive victory today and use that gained momentum to propel the team through December.

The other cloud lingering over Metro Detroit is the possible departure of the city’s adopted son, Ndamukong Suh. Suh is having one of his better years as of late in a contract year that could see the young defensive tackle sign a record breaking contract with a team other than the Lions. This team is already strapped for cap cash and the general consensus is that Suh will have to come down from the lofty numbers that he is expecting for the two sides to stay together.  With that said I am a firm believer that if Suh is convinced this is a championship, he will find a way to stay. If the Lions finish strong and win a playoff game, he may just want to stick around  If Detroit limps into the offseason as they did last  year, you can expect Suh and his agent to find greener pastures.

Game Recap

Detroit received the opening kickoff but quickly went 3 and out as they were unable to muster a first down.  Minnesota returned the ball 35 yards on a fake reverse and set them up just outside the 50 for their first possession. Minnesota was able to move the ball briefly but Blair Walsh would send a 53 yarder wide right. Leaving the score locked up at 0’s with just under 12 left in the first.

Detroit’s next possession yielded nothing after the second 3 and out on 2 possessions.

Minnesota took the ball on their own ten to start their second drive of the afternoon.  Kyle Rudolph broke open the seam of the Lions pass coverage and they were able to get another first down.  The Lion’s front line sacked Bridgewater and left the Vikings to a 3^rd and 21 which they did not try to convert as they ran a draw and opted to punt the ball away.

This back and forth would continue until Minnesota broke the coverage once more and managed to get into the redzone via a Greg Jennings sideline grab. Matt Asiata would punch it in from two yards out to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead to start the second quarter. The Lions managed a big splash play out of Bell but after a holding call followed by a false start, the Lions offense was forced to head to sidelines once more.

The Vikings would soon strike again after Jennings sprung himself loose inside the Lions redzone and the lead would be extended to 14-0 with 10 minutes left in the first half.

Glover Quinn would finally break open the game as he intercepted Bridgewater leading to a Golden Tate screen pass that would yield a touchdown. Prater knocked in the extra point and finally put the Lions on the board 14-7 with 3 left in the first half.

The defense would strike again before the half as Darius Slay managed to wrangle an interception within Lions scoring territory. Detroit was unable to lock the game up at 14’s and was only able to kick a field goal to bring the game to 14-10.

Halftime

Coming out of the half the Vikings failed to muster any points and punted back to Detroit.  After a big grab from Johnson the offense moved another 18 yards forward down the field.  Bell would also get into the action on this drive as he moved the Lions past their own 50 into scoring territory.  Johnson caught another pass and moved the Lions forward once more after a screen pass turned into a ten yard gain. This drive left the lions on the Vikings 20 yard line and Prater would again finish the drive. 14-13 Vikings lead.

The Vikings put together quite a drive to start the 4^th quarter,  converting third downs and managing to get past the 50 but a holding call would throw a wrench into the works forcing a 2^nd and 28. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater would connect on a pass and then scramble to bail out the Vikings offense and put them on the Detroit 18 yard line.  Jason Jones of Detroit would make the play of 4^th quarter as he blocked the field goal holding Minnesota to only a 1 point lead.  After the game Jones said it was no fluke that he was able to get the block.

Detroit would get ball on the 20 yard line with 7 minutes left in the 4^th. Calvin Johnson would again break the field open after a 23 yard catch and run. This put the Lions just outside the 30 with 6 minutes left.  Prater would finish the drive though, putting the Lions up 16-14 with 3:38 left in the game.

Cordarrell Patterson flipped the field on the ensuing return and put the Vikings in scoring position with 3 minutes left.  With Ford Field roaring, Patterson caught two more passes back to back to set up a huge 3^rd and 4 on the 45 yard line. The ensuing pass fell incomplete and the Vikings were faced with a 4^th and 4 to convert.  The pass sailed high and the Lions would get the ball with 1:56 left in the game with a 16-14 lead. The offense did not convert a first down though,  and were forced to punt the ball away with 1:33 left on the clock.

The Vikings started their last drive down 2 points with 70 yards and 45 seconds to make a play. Patterson nearly missed a first down and more catch on the 1^st play.  A dumpoff pass moved the Vikings to another 4^th down. Bridgewater completed the pass to Rudolph but only left 5 seconds on the gameclock at the Minnesota 44. The Vikings went for the win on a 68 yard field goal that fell short and lifted the Lions to first place in the division.

Post-game Stats

62490 attendance

Stafford: 17-28 153 yds 1TD

Johnson: 4 rec 53 yds

Tate: 7 rec 38 yds

Bell: 15 att 62 yds 4 rec 41 yds

Quinn: 3 tkls 1 INT

Slay: 4 tkls 1 INT

Jones: 2 tkls 1 sack 1 blocked field goal

Post-game Quotes

After the game Jones talked about how competitive the D-line is, and how the team has to stay focused moving forward.

When asked about the playoffs Jones said they know it is within their reach.

In Caldwell’s opening statement he talked about records meaning nothing when it comes to division games.

Coach is certainly not worried about the playoffs..

He was excited with the safety play this game and all season.

Coach makes no apologies for 16 point win.

Coach talks about Bell’s running style and effort.

Quinn’s quote “Opportunities multiply when they are seized.” Easily sums up the day.