Round Up

So I have been lacking lately.  Let me catch up and follow up.  Firstly, huge win for the program. As MSU beat an SEC team in the South.  Georgia is a very good team - a team that is built similarly to MSU.  With the victory, MSU could end up with a post season top 10.  That would be pretty amazing.  We have come a long way in 5 years.  The first half of the game saw MSU sputter on offense.  Georgia came prepared for our speed on the edge, and the first play from scrimmage resulted in a safety.  It is a good thing we have Pat Narduzzi (more on that later) because our defense came to play.  The first half resulted in a 16-0 deficit and things looked bad for MSU.  The second half, offensively, all the bubble screens MSU attempted in the first half worked in our favor as MSU used the more fakes off the screen.  The MSU offense got rolling a little bit, the defense stood up and from there. MSU got the 3OT victory.  

The basketball team beat Wisconsin for the first time at Wisconsin in a decade.  That was pretty impressive.  The game was a grinder.  Both teams bricked shots.  Both teams played good defense.  Dawson had some impressive cuts to the basket, showing his athleticism.  Payne and Nix played well and Green collected the quietest double double in history.  As The final buzzer sounded and the game ended in "controversy" MSU won and earned a hard fought victory. This team continues to impress me.  After 14? straight wins, I wonder when well slip up.  Gotta lose again sometime.

Back in the football world.  Jerel Worthy went pro.  This wasn't a huge surprise.  I thought he played really well against Georgia.  Showed a lot of jump off the ball and finished out his All American season with a bowl victory.  What is pretty surprising is that Edwin Baker has stated he is going pro.  Though he hasn't hired an agent as I write this.  He has stated going pro is his next move.  Edwin had a great sophomore season and appeared to take a step back, or, not get the same opportunities as a season ago.  The start of the season featured an offensive line that wasn't fully clicking and as the season wore on. If Baker was in the game, teams pretty much knew we were gonna run so they were able to stack the box.  I think that Baker can make a solid pro.  He has a lot of speed and is strong.  I don't know if this is right move, that all depends on where he is drafted.  There have been rumors of Johnny Adams wanting to turn pro.  Though he has the talent.  A good senior season would almost assure him of a first round draft.  Adams turning pro would be a big mistake in my mind. 

After the bowl win and after the win in Wisconsin.  It was said that Narduzzi was looking at taking the DC position at Texas A&M.  A&M is a new SEC team and a sqaud that seems to always under perform.  The real next step for Narduzzi is a head coaching spot (not another DC position) and I am not sure if a rebuilding team in a league like the SEC would have been a good move.  Though the money that was reportedly offered was certainly worth Narduzzi taking a tour of the facilities.  Thankfully, Coach Dantonio was able to ear mark extra money for all of his assistants effective this February.  This future pay increase coupled with a feeling of unfinished business (think Rose Bowl)  lead to Narduzzi staying on at MSU.  Losing Pat would have been a huge loss.  He has been with Dantonio for 9 years.  His scheme is solid given the right talent (remember when we couldn't stop a 5 yard pass?) but more than that he has a great personality for recruiting and firing up the team.  The loss of Narduzzi would have been a lot greater than when Treadwell left last year.  Hopefully we can keep Narduzzi for a long long time.  Or at least until we get the perfect replacement.

Ed Note: Pat can you link up that video of Narduzzi breaking down his run stop?  

Here you are sir:
http://search.espn.go.com/pat-narduzzi/video/6
Sorry, no embed. 

Now that there is less stuff going on all at once, I should have some more bball coverage especially as a looming MSU UM showdown gets closer.   In the meantime. Go Lions, Go Red Wings!