Mark Dantonio talks offense, keys to beating Tulsa in Game 1
Ever since the 2018 season ended, the talk in East Lansing has been surrounding the offense. What will Michigan State do to remedy one of the least productive seasons in college football last year?
Mark Dantonio made some changes to his staff, reshuffling assistant coaching roles heading into the 2019 campaign. On Friday night, we’ll see if those adjustments result in a more effective and more productive group.
Dantonio met with the media on Tuesday for his weekly press conference, talking about the offense, as well as keys to beating Tulsa.
The details are what matter against Tulsa, according to Dantonio. He wants to see his team play fast, take care of the football and eliminate mistakes on special teams in its first game of the season. Do all those, and the Spartans have a great chance to win.
Dantonio: playing fast, no errors on special teams and ball security a major emphasis for Game 1.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) August 27, 2019
Dantonio also talked about the running back position, saying its fluid and there will be several players who will get the opportunity to tote the rock this season. Connor Heyward will be the top guy at the position, but it’s far from a set rotation.
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Michigan State struggled to run the football last season, and is hoping to see major improvement in that category.
On the defensive side of the ball, Dantonio is expecting Tulsa to run a quick-tempo offense, snapping the football every 10 to 15 seconds. He’s also expecting the Golden Hurricanes to run the ball frequently, something the Spartans were capable of shutting down a year ago.
Dantonio says Tulsa will snap a play every 10-15 seconds. "I anticipate a lot of RPOs. They want to run the football."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) August 27, 2019
The defense isn’t the concern in East Lansing, though. Everyone will be keeping an eye on the offense, particularly the big bodies up front. That could tell us a lot about the direction the 2019 team is headed.
Michigan State and Tulsa will kickoff on Friday night.