Ad Disclosure
Mark Dantonio pleased with ‘explosive plays’ and quarterback position at MSU’s first spring scrimmage
Published:
The focus for Michigan State throughout the spring is going to be on the offensive side of the football. After fielding one of the worst units in college football last season, the Spartans are needing to see changes.
On Tuesday, Michigan State held its first scrimmage of the spring season, running more than 150 plays, according to Mark Dantonio. With a close eye on the offense, the head coach liked what he saw from in terms of explosiveness and quarterback play.
“I thought guys took a step forward with explosive plays out there on the offensive side of the ball. Had some good quarterback play, as well,” Dantonio said.
During the offseason, Dantonio made some changes to his offensive coaching staff, shuffling around guys to coach new positions in hopes it would bring new life to the offense. This spring marks the first time players are learning from their new position coaches.
Early on, Dantonio believes those changes have helped the offense.
“I think spring, first of all, [rejuvenates] everybody, it sorta brings you forward into the next phase,” Dantonio said. “I think the coaches have done a nice job and I thought the results of it today were positive.
“The offense won the scrimmage…so that was a positive thing. As I said, we had some guys make some explosive plays. It was good to see a couple guys make plays.”
Michigan State’s offense did have much explosiveness last season. With injuries at key positions, the Spartans struggled to move the football throughout the year. By the end of the season, MSU averaged just 18.7 points and 342.1 yards per game. Both those averages ranked 13th in the B1G, ahead of only Rutgers.
A major factor in Michigan State’s offensive woes was the offensive line. Again, injuries and inexperience up front played a significant role in the inability to establish a running game or protect quarterbacks Brian Lewerke and Rocky Lombardi.
So far, Dantonio has liked what he’s seen in the trenches.
“Right now, I think they’ve performed pretty well,” Dantonio said of the offensive line. “It goes back and forth. It’s one of those type of things where, if the defense doesn’t win something. you’re complaining about that. If the offense doesn’t win something, you’re complaining about that. It goes back and forth. But they’ve been solid. Some of those guys up there are playing very, very well, some other guys need to play better.”
Michigan State’s spring game is approaching quickly, scheduled for April 13. That’s when everyone will get a chance to see how much improvement the Spartans have made on the offensive side of the ball.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB