Saban Leads Experienced, Talented Squad into 1999
8/4/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 4, 1999
? Offense
? Defense
? Schedule
? Team Strengths
? Team Questions
Michigan State fifth-year head coach Nick Saban likes the experience he sees when looking over the Spartans' roster and preseason depth chart for 1999. The 42 returning lettermen mark the most in Saban's tenure but most importantly, this year's lineup could feature as many as 11 senior starters. By comparison, only five seniors started in the Spartans' '98 season finale at Penn State.
"I really do like the experience and maturity of this football team," Saban said. "I'm encouraged by the attitude and effort the players have carried throughout the off-season.
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| Coach Saban |
Last year, the Spartans fell short in their quest for a fourth-straight postseason bowl invitation, finishing 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten. Yet Michigan State produced two major upsets in 1998, with wins over top-ranked Ohio State (28-24) and No. 10 Notre Dame (45-23).
Michigan State's personnel losses are heaviest on the defensive side of the football. Saban must replace five starters, including free safety Sorie Kanu (1998 team MVP), boundary corner Lemar Marshall (tied MSU's single-season record with 16 pass break-ups in '98), outside linebacker Courtney Ledyard (34 career starts) plus defensive tackles Robert Newkirk (second-team All-Big Ten in '98) and Pete Govens (13 career starts).
The losses on offense are small in quantity but big in quality. Gone is second-team All-Big Ten tailback Sedrick Irvin, MSU's fourth all-time leading rusher with 3,504 yards, who declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft after his junior season. Irvin isn't the only loss, with first-team All-Big Ten center Jason Strayhorn (24 career starts) and fullback Garett Gould (30 career starts) also missing from the starting lineup.
Coach Saban's top priority this fall is to improve the team's toughness on both sides of the football.
"A goal is to improve our play in the offensive line," Saban said. "The group improved over the course of last season but it didn't play with a lot of toughness. We must become more physical up front and play with more power. We didn't get consistent production out of our running game and that made our offense one-dimensional at times.
"The same goes for the defensive side of the ball. We must improve the play of our front seven. We slipped dramatically last year by allowing more than 170 rushing yards per game. You can't play winning football while giving up those numbers."
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| Senior Bill Burke |
Offensive Scouting Report
The strength of Michigan State's offense should once again be its passing game, thanks to the presence of senior quarterback Bill Burke (6-5, 200) and his two favorite targets, junior split end Plaxico Burress (6-6, 229) and senior flanker Gari Scott (6-1, 197). Last year, the Spartans ranked third in the Big Ten in passing offense, averaging 246.2 yards per game."Our skill position players are definitely the strength of this offense," Saban said.
Burke heads into his second season as Michigan State's starting quarterback. In '98, the southpaw completed 195-of-358 passes (.545) for a Spartan single-season record 2,595 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He ranked fourth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (127.3 rating) and total offense (195.2 yards per game). Burke had a school single-season record seven 200-yard passing games, including a career-high 345 yards vs. Purdue. He already ranks among MSU's career passing leaders in attempts (eighth at 454), completions (eighth at 243), completion percentage (seventh at .535), yards (eighth at 3,249) and touchdown passes (fourth at 26).
"Bill Burke really came on strong late last season," Saban said. "Bill has an air of confidence now and that's a real positive because his teammates look up to him and believe in him.
"Bill's greatest asset is as a game administrator. He has proven his ability to execute the offense with very few mistakes and when surrounded by good players, he can play winning football.
"Bill had a good off-season because he was able to go full speed. A year ago, we were managing the number of throws Bill had in each practice because of his back injury. He's stronger now and moves better in the pocket."
The Spartans have a capable back-up quarterback in sophomore Ryan Van Dyke (33 of 63 for 353 yards, 2 TDs and 4 INTs).
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| Sophomore Ryan Van Dyke |
Michigan State features arguably the NCAA's top pass-receiving duo in Burress and Scott, who combined for 123 catches for 1,856 yards and 12 TDs in '98.
Burress ranks among the nation's top five wide receivers according to both The Sporting News (No. 4) and Lindy's College Football Annual (No. 5). A second-team All-Big Ten pick by the media in '98, he nearly rewrote the single-season record book by leading the Spartans in receptions (65), receiving yards (1,013) and touchdowns (8). Burress broke MSU's single-season record for receptions and tied the single-season mark for TD catches. He finished third in the Big Ten in receiving yards (84.4 per game) and fifth in receptions (5.4 per game). He had four 100-yard receiving games, including a season-high 10 catches for 150 yards vs. Purdue.
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| Junior Plaxico Burress |
Scott, a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection for '99 by Street & Smith's, was the team's second-leading receiver last year with 58 catches for 843 yards (14.5 avg.) and four TDs. He had two 100-yard receiving games in '98, including a career-high 157 yards on nine receptions vs. Penn State. Scott already ranks among MSU's all-time leaders in receptions (11th at 104), receiving yards (10th at 1,612) and touchdown receptions (eighth at 12).
"Gari Scott has improved himself each year," Saban said. "Gari's coming off his most productive season and I'm looking forward to him having an outstanding senior year."
Depth at wide receiver is provided by Lavaile Richardson (6-2, 198, Jr.), Herb Haygood (6-0, 180, So.) and Demont Smith (5-10, 172, Jr.). Richardson ranked fifth on the team in receptions with 13 for 145 yards (11.2 avg.) while Haygood caught 12 passes for 148 yards (12.3 avg.).
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| Senior Gari Scott |
"Lavaile Richardson is a solid possession-type receiver and a good, physical run blocker. Herb Haygood has big-play capability but we didn't give him enough opportunities last year. We must find ways to get more production out of him."
The tight end job belongs to Chris Baker (6-3, 251, So.), who had 22 receptions for 305 yards (13.9 avg.) and three TDs. Baker became a key offensive weapon down the stretch, catching 20 passes (289 yards) over the last seven games.
The Spartans are deep and experienced at tight end, where Brad Rainko (6-3, 241, Sr.), Ivory McCoy (6-3, 227, Jr.) and Kyle Rance (6-6, 251, Sr.) also lettered. Rainko caught six passes for 42 yards in '98 while McCoy had five catches for 38 yards.
"We're blessed with several good tight ends," Saban said. "Chris Baker came a long way last year as both a receiver and a blocker. Ivory McCoy has great speed at that position and Brad Rainko and Kyle Rance have played a lot of football."
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| Senior Lloyd Clemons |
Michigan State has three capable, but untested tailbacks in Lloyd Clemons (5-11, 211, Sr.), Shawn Foster (5-11, 200, So.) and Little John Flowers (6-0, 208, So.). Clemons ranked as the team's second-leading rusher last year with 364 yards on 73 carries (5.0 avg.) while Foster (22 for 126) and Flowers (8 for 66) combined for 192 yards.
"We must find a go-to guy at the running back position, as both a runner and receiver," Saban said. "There's healthy competition at tailback. Lloyd Clemons gives us some experience at that position and he's a guy who runs with some authority. Both Little John Flowers and Shawn Foster showed some promise and ability last year but neither played as much as we had hoped. They both have potential but potential won't do us any good unless it can be turned into production.
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| Sophomore Shawn Foster |
The other vacancy to be filled in the offensive backfield is at fullback, following the departure of three-year starter Garett Gould.
Top contenders for playing time at fullback include Billy Greene (6-1, 238, Sr.) and Dawan Moss (5-11, 233, R-Fr.).
"There's a question mark at fullback with the loss of Garett Gould," Saban said, "but we can do a lot of things with our tight ends to help us with the switch at fullback."
The tailbacks not withstanding, Michigan State's success running the football may depend more on the maturation of the offensive line. Last year, the Spartans ranked No. 8 in the Big Ten in rushing at 129.3 yards per game ? its lowest rushing average since '83. An inexperienced offensive line that featured three first-year starters contributed to an inconsistent ground game. The Spartans were held below the 100-yard rushing mark five times, largely as a result of the single-season record 46 sacks allowed. Michigan State had only 14 rushing touchdowns in '98, its lowest total since '91.
"Last year, we simply didn't get enough movement up front to create space for the runners to make plays," Saban said. "The line must play more physical football. We must have a consistent running game, so we can have better balance on offense."
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Junior college transfer Tupe Peko (6-4, 276) won the starting job at left tackle during spring drills.
"We took a look at a lot of different combinations up front during the spring because we want to put our five best offensive linemen on the field," Saban said. "I like the way things have worked out.
"I've always felt center might be the best position for Casey Jensen. Tupe Peko had a good spring at left tackle, which allowed us to move Dave Sucura inside to left guard. I really like the power and strength we have on the right side of the offensive line. Greg Robinson-Randall made tremendous improvement. Greg lost 50 pounds and played well when he was healthy. I look for him to take the next step as a player next fall. Shaun Mason was our best offensive lineman until he got hurt early last season.
Others who should figure in the offensive line playing rotation are center Josh Smith (6-3, 272, So.), guards Paul Harker (6-3, 288, So.) and tackle Matt Bonito (6-6, 271, Jr.).
"I still don't know if we have enough quality depth along the offensive line," Saban said, "but we'll see how some of the young guys progress.
"Our success this season may well be determined by how we finish games. Last year, we had several opportunities to close out games by controlling the clock, but we didn't get the job done. I'm looking forward to this team playing with more mental toughness. We also must become a more disciplined football team and reduce the number of careless penalties."
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| Spartans Defense |
Defensive Scouting Report
Coach Saban is determined to find improvement on the defensive side of the football after Michigan State ranked second-to-last in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing 171.8 yards per game."I was really disappointed in the way the defense played last year," Saban said. "We lacked character up front and didn't play with great effort and toughness. We can't play winning football if we don't win the battle up front."
The biggest challenge on defense is retooling the front seven.
Back in the fold are left defensive tackle Jace Sayler (6-5, 285, Jr.), right defensive tackle Desmond Thomas (6-3, 285, Sr.) and right defensive end Robaire Smith (6-5, 269, Sr.).
Sayler, who started all 12 games at left end in '98, moves inside to left tackle to fill the vacancy left by three-year starter Robert Newkirk. Last year, he tied Newkirk for the team lead in tackles among defensive linemen with 61 (26 solos, 35 assists), including six for losses (12 yards).
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| Senior Robaire Smith |
Smith led the defensive line and stood fourth on the team in tackles with 52 (23-29) until he broke his right fibula against Ohio State. He led the Spartans in tackles for losses with eight (22 yards) through the first eight games.
Look for Nick Myers (6-2, 275, So.) to take over at left defensive end following Sayler's shift inside to left tackle.
Others who should push for playing time on the defensive line include tackle Josh Shaw (6-3, 275, So.) and ends Hubert Thompson (6-4, 268, R-So.) and Raheem Miller (6-2, 243, Sr.). Shaw lettered as a true freshman in '98 and produced 31 tackles (14-17), including three for losses (12 yards). Thompson turned a lot of heads during the '99 Green-White spring game, with three tackles for losses (21 yards).
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| Junior T.J. Turner |
Turner started eight games in '98 and finished fifth on the team in tackles with 74 (46-28). He played well down the stretch, recording double figures in tackles in four out of the last five games.
Thornhill, a second-team Freshman All-American, ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 80 (46-34), including four for losses (15 yards). He averaged 9.5 tackles in his six starts.
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| Sophomore Josh Thornhill |
"I thought the defense played better during the second half of last season when T.J. Turner and Josh Thornhill played the inside linebacker positions," Saban said. "It's important to have a playmaker like Julian Peterson on the field and he handld the adjustment from defensive end to outside linebacker during spring ball. In certain situations, we'll move Julian back down and utilize him as a designated pass rusher."
The two others who'll be certain candidates for playing time are veterans Mike Austin (6-3, 234, Sr.) and Shawn Wright (6-2, 230, Sr.). Austin (49 tackles) started the first five games of the '98 season before being sidelined for six games with a chip fracture in his left ankle. Wright was credited with a career-high 46 tackles (25-21) while earning four starts at the WILL position.
The Spartans have ranked among the NCAA leaders in pass defense each of the last two seasons -- No. 10 in '98 (101.6 rating) and No. 16 in '97 (106.3). Michigan State allowed only 11 passing touchdowns last season, its lowest total since surrendering seven in '94.
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| Senior Aric Morris |
Morris, who led the Spartans with 127 tackles (76-51) in '98, enters his third season as the starting strong safety. He reached double figures in tackles seven times last season, including a career-high 17 tackles each vs. Penn State (12-5) and Ohio State (10-7).
"Aric Morris is one of the top players at his position in the country," Saban said. "He has been one of our most productive players the last two years and he has the ability to make big plays.
"Aric has emerged as a true team leader. His presence reminds me a little of Ike Reese and it's important to have that type of leader."
Hill (54 tackles) started all 12 games at right cornerback a year ago and led the Spartans with five interceptions.
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| Junior Renaldo Hill |
"There are a couple of big holes to fill in the secondary but we're pretty solid in that area," Saban said. "Our two young corners, Renaldo Hill and Cedric Henry, showed a lot of promise last year and made some big plays and Richard Newsome had a productive spring at free safety."
The Spartans could benefit from the healthy return of cornerback Amp Campbell (6-0, 200, Sr.), who suffered a cervic-spinal injury in the second game last season. Campbell (25 career starts) underwent spinal-fusion surgery last September to repair a fracture between the sixth and seventh vertebrae. He has been granted a sixth-year waiver request by the NCAA but under Big Ten regulations, he must complete his undergraduate degree requirements prior to the '99 season.
Other contenders for playing time in the secondary include cornerbacks Donvetis Franklin (5-11, 189, Sr.), DeMario Suggs (5-11, 193, Jr.) and Richard Brown (5-11, 192, Jr.) plus safeties Lorenzo Guess (6-1, 188, So.), Duron Bryan (6-0, 191, So.) and Jimel Cofer (6-1, 191, R-Fr.).Special Teams Scouting Report
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| Senior Paul Edinger |
Edinger, a top contender for the Lou Groza Award, led the Big Ten and ranked third in the NCAA in field goals at 2.0 made per game. He finished second in the league and No. 18 nationally in scoring at 8.6 points per game. His 94 points represent the most scored in a season by a Spartan placekicker. Edinger connected on a school single-season record 22-of-26 field-goal attempts (.846), including 13-straight during a late-season stretch.
Jarrett finished second in the Big Ten and No. 12 nationally with his 43.8-yard punting average. It marked the ninth-best single-season punting average in MSU history and the highest mark since Greg Montgomery averaged 45.0 yards in '87.
"Paul Edinger was one of the most consistent placekickers in the country last year and he also did a very good job on kickoffs," Saban said. "Craig Jarrett put up some impressive numbers but he really needs to improve his consistency.
"Overall, there's plenty of room for improvement for our special teams. We ranked among the national leaders in punt returns (No. 9 with 14.0 avg.), did a good job on kickoff coverage but didn't get much production out of our kickoff return team (18.6 avg.). If we improve the consistency of our special teams, they could become a real weapon in terms of controlling field position."
Gari Scott ranked third in the Big Ten and No. 9 nationally in punt returns with his 13.8-yard average. It took Scott only eight games to break Michigan State's 48-year-old single-season record for punt return yards, finishing with 440 yards in '98.
The 1999 Schedule
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| Get ready for 1999! |
Michigan State opens the '99 season with a Thursday, Sept. 2 prime-time game against Oregon in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans' non-conference home slate also features in-state rival Eastern Michigan (Sept. 11). Michigan State's home agenda also includes Big Ten rivals Iowa (Oct. 2 Homecoming), Michigan (Oct. 9), Ohio State (Nov. 6) and Penn State (Nov. 20).
The Spartans' away schedule includes a trip to Notre Dame (Sept. 18). Michigan State's Big Ten road schedule calls for stops at Illinois (Sept. 25), Purdue (Oct. 16), Wisconsin (Oct. 23) and Northwestern (Nov. 13).
"We have a very demanding schedule, with seven bowl teams from last year," Saban said. "All seven of those teams have a number of quality players returning. This year, we have the talent and maturity to compete with anyone on our schedule. The challenges of a difficult schedule also create a significant number of opportunities for our team. We're looking forward to the upcoming season and the challenges ahead.
"By far, the Big Ten is the most competitive conference from top to bottom in the nation. Penn State has been picked as the preseason No. 1 team by a number of publications. Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue can be found listed in nearly everyone's Top 25, so expect another tight race for the Big Ten championship."
? 1999 Schedule
Coaching Staff Changes
There are five new additions to Michigan State's full-time coaching staff for 1999, including offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Morris Watts, defensive coordinator Bill Miller, defensive line coach Brad Lawing, tight ends and special teams coach Bob Casullo and wide receivers coach Reggie Mitchell.Morris Watts begins his third stint as Michigan State's offensive coordinator, having previously served in that capacity for former head coach George Perles for eight seasons, from 1986-90 and 1992-94. The 61-year-old Watts comes to Michigan State following a four-year stint as offensive coordinator at Louisiana State (1995-98), where he helped develop one of the Southeastern Conference's most potent offenses. Watts first came to Michigan State as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1986. During his tenure from 1986-90, Michigan State compiled a 37-19-3 record (.652), won two Big Ten titles (1987 and 90) and made four postseason bowl appearances (1987 Rose, '88 Gator, '89 Aloha and '90 Sun). His stay at Michigan State was interrupted by a one-year stint as quarterbacks coach with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he tutored Vinny Testaverde. Watts returned to East Lansing, Mich., in 1992 and spent three more seasons on the Spartan coaching staff, serving as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. His coaching credits also include stops at the USFL's Birmingham Stallions (quarterbacks, 1984-85), LSU (quarterbacks, 1983), Kansas (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks, 1982), Indiana (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers, 1973-81), Louisville (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers, 1972) and Drake (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers, 1965-71).
The 42-year-old Miller spent the last four years as defensive coordinator at Miami (Fla.). He previously spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under Pat Jones at Oklahoma State (1989-94). He coached the defensive backs under John Gutekunst at Minnesota from 1986-88. Miller served as defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Nevada-Reno from 1983-85. He spent two years as the defensive secondary coach at Drake from 1981-82. Miller began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State (1979-80) and his alma mater, Texas-Arlington (1978).
Lawing, 42, comes to Michigan State following 10 years at South Carolina (1989-98), where he coached the defensive line and served as recruiting coordinator under Sparky Woods and Brad Scott. He previously worked for six seasons at Appalachian State (1983-88), where he coached the defensive line for five years and the tight ends and offensive tackles for one season
Casullo spent four seasons under George O'Leary at Georgia Tech (1995-98), where he coordinated all the special teams and coached the running backs for three years and the defensive ends last season. The 48-year-old Casullo arrived at Georgia Tech following 10 seasons at Syracuse (1985-94), where he coached the tight ends and special teams the last four seasons (1991-94). He previously served as running backs coach for two years (1989-90), recruiting coordinator for two seasons (1987-88), administrative assistant and personnel coordinator for one year (1986) and volunteer assistant coach for one season (1985). Mitchell, a Flint, Mich., native served as an assistant coach to Glen Mason the last 12 years. The 38-year-old Mitchell comes to Michigan State following two seasons as the running backs coach at Minnesota. He followed Mason to Minnesota after a nine-year stint at Kansas, where he coached running backs for two years (1995-96), defensive ends for four seasons (1991-94) and defensive line for three years (1988-90). Mitchell first joined Coach Mason as wide receivers coach at Kent State in 1987. Prior to joining Mason, he coached the running backs at Western Michigan in 1986. He served as a graduate assistant coach under Bo Schembechler at Michigan in 1985. His first full-time coaching assignment came at Ferris State in 1984 where he worked with the wide receivers.
OFFENSIVE STARTERS LOST (3): C Jason Strayhorn, FB Garett Gould, TB Sedrick Irvin.
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING (8): SE Plaxico Burress, LT Dave Sucura, LG Paul Harker, RG Casey Jensen, RT Greg Robinson-Randall, TE Chris Baker, FL Gari Scott, QB Bill Burke.
DEFENSIVE STARTERS LOST (5): LT Robert Newkirk, RT Pete Govens, OLB Courtney Ledyard, CB Lemar Marshall, FS Sorie Kanu.
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING (6): LE Jace Sayler, RE Robaire Smith, MLB T.J. Turner, OLB Josh Thornhill, SS Aric Morris, CB Renaldo Hill.
STARTING SPECIALISTS RETURNING (2): PK Paul Edinger, P Craig Jarrett.
TOP LOSSES: TB Sedrick Irvin (two-time second-team All-Big Ten, MSU's fourth all-time leading rusher with 3,504 yards, rushed for 1,167 yards and 10 TDs in 1998), C Jason Strayhorn (first-team All-Big Ten in '98, 24 career starts), FB Garett Gould (30 career starts), FS Sorie Kanu (second-team Coaches All-Big Ten in '98, 365 career tackles including 121 in '98, 40 career starts), CB Lemar Marshall (tied MSU single-season record with 16 pass break-ups in '98, 261 career tackles including 101 in '98, 24 career starts), OLB Courtney Ledyard (171 career tackles, 34 career starts), DT Robert Newkirk (second-team Coaches All-Big Ten in '98, career-high 61 tackles in '98, 31 career starts).
TOP RETURNEES: QB Bill Burke (completed 195-of-358 passes for MSU single-season record 2,595 yards and 19 TDs in 1998), SE Plaxico Burress (second-team Media All-Big Ten in '98, MSU single-season record 65 receptions for 1,013 yards and 8 TDs), FL Gari Scott (team's second-leading receiver in '98 with 58 catches for 843 yards and 4 TDs), TE Chris Baker (22 receptions for 305 yards and 3 TDs in '98), OT Greg Robinson-Randall (started the last 10 games at right tackle in '98), OG Shaun Mason (missed 10 games with right knee injury in '98, second-team The Sporting News Freshman All-American in '97), DE Robaire Smith (first-team Walter Camp All-American in '98, 52 tackles including 8 for losses in '98, 14 1/2 career sacks), SS Aric Morris (led team in tackles with 127 in '98, 19 career starts), DE Julian Peterson (led team with 18 tackles for losses including 10 sacks in '98), CB Renaldo Hill (54 tackles and team-leading 5 interceptions in '98), MLB T.J. Turner (74 tackles in '98), OLB Josh Thornhill (second-team The Sporting News Freshman All-American in '98, 80 tackles), PK Paul Edinger (third-team Football News All-American in '98, MSU single-season record 22 field goals made), P Craig Jarrett (third-team The Sporting News Freshman All-American in '98, finished second in Big Ten in punting with 43.8 avg.).
TOP NEWCOMERS: DE Dimitry Bernard (Jr./PrepStar JUCO All-American), FS Jimel Cofer (R-Fr./first-team all-state in '97), DE Kendall Daniels (Jr./PrepStar JUCO All-American), LB T.J. Duckett (Fr./Parade Magazine National Player of the Year), FB Dawan Moss (R-Fr./'97 PrepStar All-American), OT Tupe Peko (Jr./JUCO All-American), DE Hubert Thompson (R-So. /'96 Parade All-American), S Drew Young (Jr./112 tackles and 3 interceptions in '98).
THE STRENGTHS:
1. Wide Receiver -- Three of the team's top four pass catchers return. Plaxico Burress and Gari Scott combined for 123 catches for 1,856 yards and 12 TDs in 1998.
2. Quarterback -- Bill Burke threw for MSU single-season record 2,595 yards and 19 TDs in '98. Back-up QB Ryan Van Dyke appeared in seven games and passed for 353 yards and 2 TDs.
3. Secondary -- Eight lettermen return in the defensive backfield, including starters Aric Morris and Renaldo Hill. MSU has ranked among the NCAA leaders in pass defense each of the last two seasons, No. 10 in '98 and No. 16 in '97.
4. Specialists -- Paul Edinger led the Big Ten and ranked third in the NCAA in field goals at 2.0 made per game. Craig Jarrett's 43.8-yard average marked the highest season average for MSU punter since '87.
THE QUESTIONS:
1. Offensive Line -- MSU ranked No. 8 in the Big Ten in rushing at 129.3 yards per game in 1998, its lowest rushing average since '83. The Spartans were held below the 100-yard rushing mark five times and allowed 46 sacks.
2. Running Back -- Gone is Sedrick Irvin, MSU's fourth all-time leading rusher with 3,504 yards. Irvin accounted for 75 percent of the Spartans' ground attack in '98.
3. Defensive Front Seven -- MSU ranked second-to-last in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing 171.8 yards per game.
4. Special Teams -- Special teams play has been marked by inconsistency the last three years. In '98, MSU ranked No. 9 nationally in punt returns (14.0 avg.) but No. 95 in kickoff returns (18.6 avg.).
POSITION CHANGES:
Casey Jensen (from OG to C)
Broderick Nelson (from WR to CB)
Julian Peterson (from DE to OLB)
Jace Sayler (from DE to DT)
Dave Sucura (from OT to OG)
1999 Big Ten
Preseason Polls
(National Ranking)
Athlon SportsCollege Football 1. Penn State (2) 2. Michigan (7) 3. Wisconsin (8) 4. Ohio State (15) 5. Purdue (28) 6. Michigan State (29) 7. Minnesota (41) 8. Indiana (48) 9. Illinois (61) 10. Iowa (68) 11. Northwestern (80)
The Sporting News 1. Penn State (1) 2. Michigan (7) 3. Wisconsin (9) 4. Ohio State (11) 5. Purdue (21) 6. Michigan State (27) 7. Minnesota (38) 8. Indiana (68) 9. Iowa (73) 10. Illinois (78) 11. Northwestern (86)
Lindy's College Football Annual 1. Penn State (4) 2. Michigan (6) 3. Ohio State (8) 4. Wisconsin (13) 5. Purdue (36) 6. Michigan State (44) 7. Minnesota (46) 8. Indiana (52) 9. Iowa (63) 10. Illinois (77) 11. Northwestern (79)
Street & Smith's 1. Penn State (7) 2. Wisconsin (13) 3. Michigan (6) 4. Ohio State (3) 5. Michigan State 6. Purdue (14) 7. Minnesota 8. Indiana 9. Illinois 10. Iowa 11. Northwestern
