MSU's 536 yards give Michigan a reality check

MSU's 536 yards give Michigan a reality check


BY MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER


Michigan State fans slapped the edge of the Michigan Stadium bowl, drawing attention to their location.

Then, as fans filed through the concourse after the Spartans’ 34-17 win over U-M on Saturday, the MSU faithful unfurled a green-and-white banner: “Little brother beat your a—again”

With the win marking three straight for the Spartans for the first time since 1965-67, there was more than the usual first-loss pain among the Wolverines.

“It does count a little bit more than one because it is Michigan State,” Michigan junior receiver Darryl Stonum said. “To us, it counts more than one, but on the record board it still counts as one. We’re still in the hunt for the Big Ten championship, and our goals are still alive.”

After Saturday, though, those goals may have to be re-evaluated.

Reality struck hard for the vaunted U-M offense and QB Denard Robinson.

The sophomore Heisman candidate exceeded his season’s total of mistakes, with three interceptions, little of his patented running burst and more than a few poor throws that cost potential touchdowns.

Adding to his receivers’ drops and lack of sustained tailback production, the season’s safety valve — a steamroller offense — wasn’t there.

“We made too many mistakes against a good team to win today,” coach Rich Rodriguez said. “We were just a little bit off, not only in the pass game, but the run game as well. Sometimes that happens and you’ve got to be able to overcome it with another big play offensively or a big play on special teams or a turnover on defense.

Something like that. (But) none of those things occurred today.”

The defense was as destructive as ever, allowing 536 yards of offense, the fifth-worst single-game performance in program history.

But this wasn’t even the methodical pounding put on by previous opponents. The big play scorched these Wolverines (5-1, 1-1 Big Ten).

They allowed five plays of more than 40 yards, including two rushing touchdowns (one for 61 yards, one for 41) and three passes (a 41-yarder that burned freshman Cullen Christian, then a 43-yard flea-flicker that set up their fourth touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and a 45-yarder to Mark Dell, getting to the Michigan 2).



The question now: How will the Wolverines react?

A close loss in East Lansing started last year’s downward spiral in the Big Ten season. This year’s decisive loss, with Iowa coming to Ann Arbor next week, puts U-M in a tenuous position.

“It’s very hard, it’s my last year, I don’t get another chance,” U-M tight end Martell Webb said. “You can’t dwell on the past. You’ve got to focus on Iowa.”