Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Becoming League Contenders, Looking For Credibility
10/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 6, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State's football team already has nine more sacks and one more victory than it did in 2002.
But an NCAA-high 28 sacks and a one-third share of the conference lead haven't turned the heads of the No. 21 Spartans (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) or head coach John L. Smith.
"If we get through a couple more weeks and get a couple more wins, maybe we will be (league contenders)," Smith said at his weekly media session Monday. "But we're just looking for credibility."
The quest continues Saturday when Michigan State visits Illinois (1-5, 0-2), the first of four road games left for the Spartans.
"The biggest concern about this week is we're getting some guys banged up, and we can't afford to have that," Smith said. "But the good part about being a team is some guys are going to have to step up and play."
None of the injuries in an all-business 31-3 win over Indiana were as serious as first feared. Yet, the cumulative physical and mental drain on a team lacking in proven depth is a serious concern.
"As you move into the second half of the season, it's the time when everything starts to wear on everybody," Smith said. "You lose a guy here or get some guys banged there, and all of those things start to mount. Sometimes your players' batteries start to drain a little bit. You have to make sure you hook 'em up to the charger and charge 'em up."
Michigan State's leap from ninth- or 10th-place projections in the Big Ten has been led by quarterback Jeff Smoker and sack specialist Greg Taplin, the league's offensive and defensive players of the week.
Smoker, who was suspended for the final five games of last season due to a substance-abuse problem, continued his impressive comeback with 32-for-40 passing accuracy against the Hoosiers, tying a school record for completions.
Taplin had three sacks to double his season total and tie teammate Matthias Askew and Iowa's Matt Roth for the Big Ten lead.
"Since you said that, there has kind of been a heated discussion between (Askew) and me," Taplin said about who is the better pass rusher. "We have a dinner on it, actually."
The Spartans' 28 sacks for 198 yards in losses rank just ahead of Kansas State (27 for 202 in six games), Florida State (22 for 136 in five games) and USC (21 for 164 in five games).
But Michigan State's coaches and players insist the most important numbers are the ones on the scoreboard at the end of each game. Everything else is just a spinoff of that.
"I think it's our obligation as coaches to make sure we don't forget one thing," Smith said. "We've got to point out on film, which we do, `Gentlemen, we have a long way to go to be a good football team.' "
Perhaps the distance is not as far as many expected with the improvement the Spartans have shown in the last three games. That is clear to Michigan State's players as they compare themselves to other teams.
"Iowa was supposed to be the Big Ten champ again," Taplin said. "They were real tough coming into the year. And I still think Iowa is a tough football team. But we beat them. We're a tough team also."
