Mark Dantonio calls Rutgers game 'crucial', talks emotion after loss to Michigan

Michigan State started the 2019 season at 4-1 in its first five games. The team scored 28 points or more in all four of the wins.

In the team’s last five contests, however, it is 0-5. Outside of a 37-34 loss to Illinois — in which Michigan State had a 25-point lead at one point — the Spartans haven’t scored more than 10 points in a game. The team is now 4-6 overall.

RELATED: Dantonio responds to questions about his future, expounds on message to current MSU recruits

Heading into this week, Michigan State travels to Rutgers in what is a must-win game if the Spartans want to reach six wins and become bowl eligible. Here’s Dantonio on the upcoming Scarlet Knights game:

Dantonio: "It's a crucial game for us as we go over there," to Rutgers.

— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 19, 2019

Crucial indeed. Dantonio also talked about this past week’s game, which was a 44-10 loss to Michigan. Losing to your in-state rival is never good. Losing by 34 points is a disaster:

Mark Dantonio says "post U-M, obviously disappointed." Says you "gotta live with it for a year" and that MSU needed to handle adversity better.

— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 19, 2019

He talked more about emotions and his obligations to Michigan State:

Dantonio: "My obligation is to my players, the university, Spartan nation as a whole."

— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 19, 2019

Dantonio: "If you feel sorry for yourself, things invariably can go downhill."

— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 19, 2019

Michigan State-Rutgers is slated for a noon ET kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Rutgers’ SHI Stadium. The game will be televised on FS1.