Player Analysis: Notre Dame

Sept. 17, 2008

Player Interviews

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Members of the Michigan State football team met with the media after Tuesday's practice to talk about this week's game vs. Notre Dame. The Spartans and Fighting Irish will meet at 3:30 p.m. ET in Spartan Stadium. The game will be televised regionally on ABC.

Senior defensive end Brandon Long
On preparing for Notre Dame...
We were out here today practicing hard and working hard. We've been watching film on these guys and they are a much improved Notre Dame team. We came out with some fire today, we really had a great practice and we're ready to go out there and do some great things against Notre Dame.

On the importance of the Megaphone Trophy...
It means a lot, any rivalry game, especially to me. I guess when I came here it was just a game, but as you're here you see the importance of the game and the intense rivalry that we have and the atmosphere that surrounds that game, you get a passion for it. I want to hang on to the trophy more than anything; I want to end my career on a positive note by beating Notre Dame, a much improved Notre Dame team.

Junior defensive end Trevor Anderson
On preparing for the game...
We're really looking forward to every day of practice. Once we go out there and practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, when we go out on Saturday, we're ready and prepared.

On this game's importance...
It's a big game to me, a very big game to me. Last year at this time, I couldn't travel. Sitting out last year, I've been telling everybody so far it hasn't hurt, but to actually see my teammates practicing and getting ready to go out there and perform and knowing that you can't be out there with them, it kind of hurt. But this is redemption time right now. It's going to be a big game for us.

On preparing for the rivalry game...
Preparing in the film room is probably a little bit more difficult than preparing on the field. It's more mental than it is physical with us. We have to constantly rep things, and the more you go get reps in, the more you get used to seeing things and the more you watch film, the easier it becomes on the field. So the preparation is a big thing. I feel that Coach Narduzzi, Coach Gill, Coach Tressel and Coach Barnett are getting us all ready. I'm expecting a lot from everybody, and I'm looking to prove myself.

Sophomore linebacker Greg Jones
On the importance of the Notre Dame game...
This game means a lot, not just for myself but for our team. We need this game to prove to a lot of people that we can play with anybody. Also for our fan base too, just how important it is to play this game here. It's going to be very, very important.

Sophomore defensive back Chris L. Rucker
On his impressive defensive performance against FAU's top receiver, Cortez Gent...
I knew some things about him, like the routes he was going to run after studying some film, and I just played my technique. Also I had guys like Otis Wiley, Danny Fortener and the whole secondary and whole defense backing me up.

On Danny Fortener's presence in the defensive backfield...
I feel comfortable with Danny back there, he knows what to do. He has some experience. He knows how to be in the right situations.

On the excitement surrounding Notre Dame...
The other games, you know, you're excited, but when you play Notre Dame, that's the game you really get excited for.

On starting the game last year in South Bend as a freshman...
My favorite memory was walking down on that field and seeing all the fans, and then at the end of the game, seeing all our players and how excited they were because we got the win.

On the Notre Dame receivers...
They're got some good receivers; they've got some nice depth. They've got a couple guys that didn't really play that much last year, but this year they're making big plays. Like Golden Tate for example, he's making a lot of plays this year and he's doing some good things. David Grimes, all those guys. It's going to be a good challenge for us this week.