Valero Alamo Bowl Practice Update: Day 2
12/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 28, 2009
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - With temperatures near 50, third-year Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio sent his team through a 2 1/2-hour workout in full pads Monday, Dec. 28 at Alamo Heights High School, as the Spartans (6-6) continue preparation for the Jan. 2, 2010, Valero Alamo Bowl game against Texas Tech (8-4). The 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl will be televised nationally by ESPN, with kickoff set for 9 p.m. EST.
"I was very, very pleased with today's practice," Dantonio said. "We had a good run yesterday. It looks like guys stayed in shape over the Christmas break. It was a beautiful day for practice, and we got a lot of work done.
"There has been good retention. We're 10 practices into our Texas Tech preparation, so there's retention there. It's just a matter of how quickly it came back to them after the holiday layoff. They've had a lot of information thrown at them, and they've been able to get that information back to us immediately on both sides of the football. The bottom line is that we have to execute and play with great fundamentals on game day. We also need to play fast and with excitement. Obviously, there are certain situations that we have to win on game day, and the ball has to bounce our way some too. The key thing is that we have to be focused and ready to play mentally and I think we will. In addition, we need to have our legs up underneath us."
Since Michigan State concluded the regular season Nov. 21 against Penn State, Dantonio said "a bowl game is almost a season in itself.
"After today's workout, I told the seniors that we have only three practices left together. They need to put their best foot forward, so they can put themselves in a position to close out their careers as winners. The last game is always a big indicator of where you're at (as a program) just in terms of how you play. We've been competitive in the last two bowl games (vs. Boston College in 2007 Champs Sports Bowl and vs. Georgia in 2009 Capital One Bowl), but we didn't quite get the job done. We had opportunities to win both of those games. So we look forward to the opportunity and challenge of playing Texas Tech.
"For the returning players, there's also definitely a carryover effect into next season. By the end of the bowl preparation, we will have had 15 additional practices, so we've been able to work on a lot on fundamentals. Hopefully, all of that fundamental work shows up on Saturday (against Texas Tech).
"It's also a game in itself because we haven't played a game in five weeks," Dantonio continued. "So in a lot of ways, it's like a season-opening game. With that long of a layoff, you don't know how your guys are going to tackle in space or how well they're going to catch the ball in a crowd. That's why we went live (full contact) in practice today. There's always risk (of injury) involved, but we made it through today without injury. So that's a good thing."
 Eric Gordon drops into pass coverage during Monday's practice.  | |
Following Monday's practice, Dantonio took the opportunity to talk about two of the team's unsung heroes: sophomore wide receiver Keshawn Martin and junior linebacker Eric Gordon. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Martin has produced 805 all-purpose yards over the last four games, averaging 201.3 yards per game during the stretch, while the 6-0, 228-pound Gordon ranks second on the team in tackles (84) and production points (175).
"Obviously, you noticed Keshawn Martin last year as a true freshman, but this year, he's been a consistent playmaker," Dantonio said. "He's made big plays as a pass receiver, kick returner, ball carrier and thrower. Keshawn is an excellent football player because of his speed and explosiveness. He's also definitely a gamer. Keshawn is going to be a great player for us for two more years.
"All of our linebackers run well - under 4.6 (in the 40) - and Eric Gordon is definitely in that neighborhood. Eric is a good football player, and he's had an outstanding year; however, he often gets overlooked because people focus on Greg Jones' stats. Eric is very active in our defensive scheme, and he needs to have a great game for us against Texas Tech on Saturday."
With Tuesday's weather forecast calling for a 90 percent chance of rain and temperatures near 40, the Spartans will move their practice session indoors to the Alamodome. The team's scheduled trip to SeaWorld San Antonio on Tuesday also is in jeopardy.
Bowl Roster Update
Freshman defensive end Corey Freeman (6-2, 230), who enrolled at Michigan State last spring, has been added to the bowl practice roster after being awarded a scholarship.
