Michigan State University Athletics
Spring Football Update: Coach Dantonio Q & A
4/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 9, 2009
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A.J. | Ross
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State football team completed its ninth practice of the spring Thursday afternoon (April 9) on the practice fields outside the Duffy Daugherty Football Building and also at Spartan Stadium. Head coach Mark Dantonio addressed the media prior to practice to give an update on the team's progress this spring.
Opening statement...
We'll have six [practices] after this; we'll give them time off over Easter and let them be with their families a little bit. Thus far guys continue to work very hard. I think most of the guys are making it through the practices. We haven't had a lot of injuries, so that's a positive, except for the guys that had surgeries after the season. It's been good thus far. The quarterback situation continues to work itself out. Both guys are playing pretty well and they've both been very productive. The offensive line--we're working toward solidifying that. Defense has been very good. We've got depth there. Specialists are solid.
On the running back situation...
We're going to find out a little bit more today. Our running backs are all right there, they've got to separate themselves. We're looking for the guy that can break the tackle, can take something out of not much and make something out of it. I think that's the key thing. If everything is blocked up well and a guy runs 10 yards down the field that's one thing. But he's got to make that first guy miss and get the yards after contact, that's what we look at. How secure is he going to be with the ball and his assignments on different things relative to pass protection and those types of things.
On his impressions of the walk-ons...
Milton [Colbert] is doing a nice job, again he's a young player, he's a freshman so there's a learning curve there. He catches the ball well and he is a big-bodied receiver. I think Johnathan Strayhorn is playing pretty well. He's a quick-bodied guy at defensive end and defensive tackle and he's doing some nice things along with Andrew Pendy and D.J. Young. Those three guys are guys that will fit into something here and they are playing well.
On the competitiveness of the starting quarterback position...
I think that there may be a little separation one way or the other through spring at some point. But I think when they come back in August it may go the other way. So I don't think that you can finalize anything. I think they are both very good players and have great arms. You also have to see where Keith [Nichol] is in that learning curve because he is now in the offense. I've been very happy with both of them. That will sort itself out in August and probably in the first few games of the season because I think they both will have an opportunity.
On the number of practices held this spring (15)...
It's a good learning environment because you get a chance to coach and then watch and teach and re-teach. But you're a little bit thin because you don't have 22 players or so here, probably about 27 when you count guys that are coming for their first time as non-scholarship players. So your numbers are down a little bit. I do think we're building depth. We have much more depth than we had last year at this time, but we're still a young football team so the experience should help us. But I guess you wish you had 20 [practices], but that's just as a coach. But in five weeks time you can get a lot. I think you see guys that have really improved. Trenton Robinson has really improved as a football player from the fall until now, and he's going to get playing time; he's done very well.
On tight end Brian Linthicum...
Brian is a guy who catches the ball very well and is tough. He knows what to do, and you'll see him play as well. I think we had four tight ends who played in games. If you look at him he's played about 500 snaps at Clemson so we have to consider him to have game experience. We've got some good players there and it should show up on Saturday next year.
On offensive lineman D.J. Young...
D.J. is a non-scholarship player paying his own way. He's taking 18 hours of class, much like Trevor [Anderson] did the year before. He's got to pass 11 in the summer. He's doing very well in school, and out on the football field he's doing a nice job, so he'll figure into some things.
If he is disappointed in his offensive line's performance during spring practices...
Well, I would say disappointed because they are seeing so many different things--different zone pressures and different movements from our defensive front. That's probably the area where you say "Well, only 15 practices?" As opposed to 20 before you get them ready. We're young there; we're missing Rocco [Cironi] because he's out. He's out right now with the shoulder after the surgery, but he'll be fine. Jared McGaha is making progress but he is still a young player, he's a red-shirt sophomore. So I'm not disappointed with them, but I think that's the place where you could use more reps and more time because it's such a complex position.
On safety Trenton Robinson...
Trenton is playing safety and he's doing a nice job. He's been very disciplined back there, he's got good ball skills, he's a very good tackler and he's extremely quick and very powerful.
On Antonio Jeremiah's position change to OT...
He can move back to defense in August and be caught right back up. What you see from him is great feet and power, but when one of those five pieces are out of order it affects the whole play, so you have to be patient. I think after today it will be three weeks for him as an offensive lineman. He's got talent, and we'll see how it goes, and I'll continue with that move until we can figure it all out. He's got ability, if you look at him and say "Who do you want to coach up there [on the offensive line]" you want to coach [Jeremiah].
On kicker Dan Conroy...
We're going to see a little more today as far as kickoffs. He's a young player and he's got to continue to work confidently, and I think when he is sure of himself on practices days he's very good, and when his confidence dies a little bit he's not quite as good, so he needs to continue to work.
On linebacker Brandon Denson...
Brandon Denson is having a very good spring. He's 230 pounds, plays with great power, explosive. He's having a good spring.
On his experience watching the men's basketball team at the Final Four...
It was a great experience. I think I've said all along, you can point across the street and see how champions do it. That's the important thing I think with this program; you gain a respect for how they do things whether it's winning close or coming back and winning. I just wanted to be a part of it like a fan, and it was a life experience.
On the intensity he sees in his team...
We're always going to have some fights, that's just going to happen. The intensity has been there but we've only had one scrimmage. We went in shorts yesterday, so we've got all of our shorts practices out of the way. We've had three shorts and the rest have been contact practices. The intensity is there and the want-to is there, and its always going to be competitive during the spring.
On the disparity between the defensive and offensive lines...
The offensive line situation, we have a couple of new guys in there and some young players. The defensive line we've got a lot of people back on defense, a lot of experience and depth. [The defensive line] may be a little bit ahead; maybe more than anything it's because of some movement things that we do that creates issues. We're living and learning, and I think that's what you have to do, you have to learn by experience. When you make a mistake and learn from that mistake, I think that mistake is worth making. If you don't learn from it there's a problem there, but I think we're learning from those mistakes.
On offensive tackle J'Michael Deane...
He's had a good spring. Tough, very athletic. Again another one of those positions where when he's sure of himself he's very, very good. But when he loses his confidence he needs to regain it, sometimes that takes a couple plays. I feel good about J'Michael.
On players that have really improved themselves since the bowl game...
There's quite a few players that have. Trenton Robinson has done a nice job, Brandon Denson has done a nice job. Greg Jones and [Eric] Gordon are steady players. I think Chris L. Rucker continues to be very good, and Ross Weaver is having a great spring. Johnny Adams is solid, so we've got guys [in the defensive backfield]. We've got guys who can run and we've got some powerful guys and that shows. You look at guys like Linthicum, he's a guy that's going to be a good player for us.
On the desire the team has to succeed...
You always compare things to before. When I came here before in 2007, we had a group of guys that really wanted to win and dig themselves out of a hole, and last year we had a great group of seniors. I think it's too early to tell how our seniors are going to handle this. We will be as good as our senior class, and they've got to have their best year as a senior. If we do that then we're going to be successful. A lot of that will be in their hands but I think that we're a more confident football team because I think success does that for you. We'll find out in August and September.
On the potential of the offense without Javon Ringer or certainty on a starting QB...
We have all of our receivers back and we have two quarterbacks; one that has operated in the system and has been successful, and another guy who we're going to see how he comes, but he's very athletic. I think we've got two guys that a lot of people would want as their quarterback. I never said we didn't have a talented tailback, we just didn't have too many Javon Ringers, but we have talent.
