• Photo Showcase: NU vs. MSU (action)
• Photo Showcase: NU vs. MSU (fans)
• Video Below: See postgame press conference and highlights video
* * *
LINCOLN — Many football coaches enforce a 24-hour rule in which they order their players to forget about a game — win or lose — and move on.
Michigan State must have a 24-minute rule.
By the time the Spartans took their 24-3 bashing from Nebraska on Saturday, cooled off a little and found their way to the interview room, it was like the previous three hours had never happened.
No anger, no flash, no hot words, no helmets slammed against a wall, not much talk about a big loss.
"This is about the long haul. This isn't about one football game," MSU coach Mark Dantonio proclaimed, in a weirdly almost cheery way. "All of our goals stay in front of us and remain intact. That's the important thing as we look at our team."
Now, don't take that as a sign of disrespect to Nebraska. Every Spartan in the room praised the Huskers, and rightfully so.
"Give coach Pelini and his staff great credit," Dantonio said. "They shut down the things we do well."
But the overall impression left was that Michigan State is so happy to have won the first three games of its "awful October" schedule — at Ohio State, vs. No. 11 Michigan and vs. No. 4 Wisconsin — that the Nebraska game was like playing with house money.
It was an odd stance to take after losing a game that meant so much, and not putting up much of a fight. The three points were the fewest for the Spartans since the last time they faced Bo Pelini — a 17-3 loss to Nebraska's then-interim coach in the 2003 Alamo Bowl.
So I asked Dantonio if in midsummer the football gods had come to him and said his team would go 3-1 in October, would he have taken it?
"It's tough to take right now," he said. "You want to be excellent. So I'm not going to answer that. That wouldn't be fair to our football team. We strive for excellence."
But the excellent thing for Michigan State to do would have been to ride its momentum, beat Nebraska and essentially end any chance of someone else winning the Big Ten Legends Division.
Now, regardless of Dantonio's chipper forecast, not all of the Spartans' goals are in their control. Nebraska, if it wins out, will claim the Legends title.
That's not as far-fetched as it seemed a week ago.
If the Huskers continue their newfound physical play in the secondary and maintain patience on offense (translation: ride the stud horse that is I-back Rex Burkhead), a perfect November is within reach.
Michigan State (6-2, 3-1) has prided itself this season on breaking down barriers and achieving firsts. But Saturday looked like an S.O.S. — Same Old Spartans — especially laying an egg on the road.
Earlier this season, MSU fell hard at Notre Dame 31-13. A year ago, on this same weekend, the Spartans saw their perfect season ruined with a 37-6 loss at Iowa.
And where does Michigan State play in two weeks? At Iowa.
Spartan tailback Le'Veon Bell isn't buying the idea that a road game means automatic trouble.
"We've just got to play better," he said. "We do have a lot of young guys, and we've gone to a couple of places we've never played before.
"But there are no excuses. We've got to execute, especially on the road."
Execution eluded Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins. The three-year starter and 63 percent passer completed 11 of 27 throws (40.7 percent) for 86 yards and an interception. He also was sacked four times.
Yet Cousins, too, made it sound like it didn't much matter.
"It's important to push on and understand that so much of what happens to us this season isn't what happens to us but how we respond," he said. "We'll look forward to responding the right way, and I know we will."
OK, if that's what you say. But if NU wins out, a bunch of folks in Spartyville are going to think back to a lost three hours in Lincoln.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
* * *
• Video: NU coach Bo Pelini at the postgame press conference:
• Video: NU's Rex Burkhead at the postgame press conference:
• Video: NU's Taylor Martinez at the postgame press conference:
• Video: NU's Lance Thorell at the postgame press conference:
• Video: NU's Will Compton at the postgame press conference:
• Video: Cameron Meredith at the postgame press conference:
• Video: Postgame analysis after Nebraska's 24-3 win over Michigan State:
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
RSS Feeds