Three recommendations to correct the Spartan passing game... before it's too late

Bennie Fowler just can't catch

So, the ES was saying in jest earlier this week, "shoot we only scored 3 against Notre Dame.  How can we be favored by 32 against Eastern?" 

Umm, truer words were never said.  Michigan State limped out of Spartan Stadium with yet another pathetic receiving display in a 23-7 victory over lowly Eastern Michigan.  If you want to call THAT CRAP we saw on Saturday "receiving."  This MSU team doesn't deserve to be considered top 25 at this point.

Spartans dropped another dozen passes, seven of which we counted in the first half.  Folks, this ain't the Fighting Irish we were playing.  It was the Fighting Eagles.  It got to the point where we fans were pleading not to even throw the ball anymore, because we knew it would be futile.  The boo-birds were deafening at half time.  The receivers have no confidence.  None.

Spartan receivers Tony Lippett and Bennie Fowler should be benched.  Period.  Even Nick Hill dropped a punt and was replaced by LeVeon Bell (now, that was a stupid idea, putting our best offensive weapon at risk in the return game).  So, here are three recommendations for Dantonio if the Spartans are to have a chance the rest of the year.

1. Run a goal line offense the entire game.  Get rid of the receivers, bring in a few extra lineman and tight ends for blocking, and just have Andrew Maxwell hand the ball off to LeVeon Bell.  It will be a messy, ugly rugby scrum of a game, but we'll move the ball.
2. Switch the offense to a wishbone.  Connor Cook has more mobility, and use him as an option quarterback with the Spartans pitching and running the ball on every down, with a very, very,  infrequent, occasional pass to Dion Sims (the only guy on offense who CAN catch, with 6-112 and a TD vs Eastern).   
3. OK, BACK TO REALITY.  Let's have our DBs play double-duty.  Pull Lippett and Fowler, and replace them with Isaiah Lewis, Johnny Adams, or Darquize Dennard.  Seriously, this is a viable option and at least we know our DBs can catch. 

Something has got to be done. The stark reality, and the enormity of the problem with the receivers has hit the coaches.  Dantonio said, ""You have to catch the ball. Throwing and catching. If there's nothing wrong with the route and the ball is there you have to catch it."  Offensive Coordinator Dan Roushar said, "I don't know if it was seven or eight drops in the first half, but that's not going to help us win any games around here...  There is a lack of execution and maybe a lack of confidence."  And, from the man himself, who dropped passes and fumbled, WR Bennie Fowler: "Maxwell is getting the ball out there we just have to continue finishing the play. If we finish those plays then we will get the results we want."

I don't care if you are playing pee-wee football, badminton, kayaking, or playing college football - teams are supposed to get better as the season progresses.  Said Roushar: "“I don’t think we made any progress at all."  

Yeah, umm, time to bench Fowler and Lippett.  Maybe they can watch and learn.  The Spartan offense just can't afford it otherwise.

On the positive side, the Spartan defense played fantastic once again, holding EMU to just 183 yards of total offense, and 46 on the ground.  Indeed, Eastern's best play, a beautiful 23 yard touchdown pass on an acrobatic catch, was something Spartan receivers should play on their DVR over and over again to watch how to catch a football.  Although EMU was leading 7-6 at half, that was their last gasp.

LeVeon Bell ran for 253 yards on 36 carries, and ran around, through, and over EMU all day.  At least we know what we need to do on offense the rest of the year if we are to even have a chance in the Big Ten. 

ES Game Day: Spartans vs Eagles

#20/21 Michigan State Spartans (2-1) vs Eastern Michigan Eagles (0-3)
Sagarin Ratings:  MSU #27, EMU #159
Saturday, September 22. 3:30 pm ET.
Weather @ kickoff: Showers, 58 degrees.
TV:  BTN
Line: MSU by 32.

Predictions: CFN/Scout: MSU 45, EMU 7.  BTN: MSU 48, EMU 3.  Freep: MSU 34-3/MSU 52-10/MSU 38-7.  DetNews:  MSU 45-10.

ES sez:  MSU 45, EMU 0.  See ya next week for the Buckeyes!

ES pre-Game Day preview vs EMU

Well, sorry, but the ES is a bit bored by the match-up against Eastern Michigan, in the cold and rain tomorrow.  The ES will publish a more indepth write up... but MSU only scored 3 points against Notre Dame, and yet the Spartans are favored by 32 against EMU?  Ouch, guess the Eagles/Hurons are pretty bad.

ES sez: MSU 45, EMU 0.

Spartan offense blows chunks, favored by 32 over EMU

Wow, that sucked. Only 3 points out of the Spartan offense vs the Irish? 237 total yards???? Terrible.

Dantonio didn't have the team ready... That wasn't Alabama we played, but we did our best to make the Irish look like the Tide. But, in addition, the receivers just flat didn't execute. We lost count of the dropped passes after 10; it was too bad, because Maxwell actually played well. That's not preparation, it is just poor play. Wide receivers play the game to catch footballs -- that's what they do. It killed all of our drives, and it was consistent all game long. The receivers are a real problem. I don't see #14 Tony Lippett starting the rest of the year. He was the biggest problem, he dropped 7 -- SEVEN -- passes. It was brutal - He SUCKED. It was fitting, the final play by the MSU offense was about a 30 yard sideline pattern to him, and like all game long it went right through his hands.

There's only so much you can ask of a defense and a QB. Laying an egg on national television stinks. Oh well.

MSU is now down to #20/#21 in the polls. Despite the loss, the Spartans are favored by 32 1/2 over Eastern Michigan this week.

And, Rittenberg/Bennett at ESPN still pick MSU to the Rose Bowl, but notes the void of good teams in the Big Ten. The bloggers say: "All Saturday did was make the picture much cloudier, as the team we've been pegging for the Rose Bowl -- Michigan State -- had a dreadful performance against Notre Dame." Further, "Well, since no other team has taken the bull by the horns, we might as well stick with our preseason pick of the Spartans winning the Big Ten..."

Truer words never were said. Hopefully, that crap was an aberration.