Capital One Bowl Update: Friday
12/31/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 31, 2010
Walk-Through Photo Gallery | Kickoff Luncheon Photo Gallery | Press Conference Podcast
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Michigan State football team underwent its final preparations for the 2011 Capital One Bowl with a team picture and walk-through Friday afternoon at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. Prior to the walk-through, the entire Spartan team and coaching staff attended the Capital One Bowl Kickoff Luncheon at the Renaissance Hotel.
In the morning, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio answered questions from the media in the last press conference before kickoff.
"This has been an outstanding bowl in every respect," Dantonio said in his opening statement at the press conference. "It's a privilege to be down here. I want to congratulate Alabama and all that they've done over the past number of years. It'll be a great challenge for us, a great opportunity for us as well.
"In retrospect, this has been a special football season for us. There have been a lot of things that we've done for the first time and this program is really on solid ground right now as we continue to build the foundation. We look forward to the opportunity tomorrow and I want to wish everybody a Happy New Year and hope that 2011 will be just as special."
Also on Friday, Spartan offensive coordinator Don Treadwell was named the head coach at his alma mater, Miami University. For a complete release, including quotes from Treadwell, Dantonio, and MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis, please click here.
The No. 7 Spartans (11-1) will take on No. 15 Alabama in the 2011 Capital One Bowl Saturday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.; the game will be televised on ESPN.
The following is a complete transcript of Friday's press conference with head coach Mark Dantonio:
On the weather in Orlando warming up and how it might affect the team...
I thought we were going to be able to get acclimated a little bit early in the week but I had my hat and my gloves on on Sunday and I think it just got down to the gloves on Monday. I think we were looking for a little warmer weather earlier in the week but we'll have to play through that. We've kept it hot up there [in East Lansing], been practicing indoors and had it about 85 degrees and such, but earlier this week it was a challenge for us. We've got to play through that. That's part of it.
On Alabama coach Nick Saban's background as a defensive backs coach and working under Coach Saban as MSU's DB coach from 1995-2000...
In five years of coaching at Michigan State with Coach Saban that was probably my biggest learning curve as a secondary coach. I don't want to disrespect anybody I worked for in the past or anything, but you found yourself doing things on a much higher plane of learning technique, etc. As a defensive backs coach, I grew greatly and as a coach in general I grew greatly in that five years. It's always difficult when the head coach is trained and his background is in that position that you coach. I don't care where it is, whether it's quarterbacks, whatever it is. It's always a little bit difficult, but there's always a silver lining there as well. He knows what you're teaching, he knows what you're fundamentally teaching, he knows how you're teaching it, so when things go wrong, there's a silver lining because it's a part of him as well. It's a give-and-take there a little bit but it certainly is very rewarding and I would not be in this position right now had it not been for the opportunity to come to Michigan State and that's what's the most crucial thing is. I learned a great deal.
On how preparations vs. Coach Saban differ from those against another former boss, Jim Tressel...
I really haven't played against [Coach Saban] before. When I was at Ohio State, I left Ohio State and the very first game of my head coaching career was against Ohio State, so I got that over and done with quickly. Since then I've played them a number of times and have yet to beat them, but we've gone through that phase. This is the first time in this respect that we've done that but this is a Michigan State team against an Alabama team. It doesn't come down to two head coaches. There are a lot of different people that have a definite impact on this game and will have a lot to do with the outcome of this football game. It really hasn't been that emotional. It's a little bit bittersweet; you don't like to go against someone that you know really personally because we know so many people on the Alabama staff. It's not just Nick, it's [tight ends/special teams coach and former Michigan State head coach] Bobby Williams, it's [associate athletics director for football and former Michigan State assistant AD and director of football operations] Mike Vollmar, it's some of the other coaches as well. It's a little bittersweet in that respect, but we're very excited to be here and I think the unique thing about this is we have an opportunity to play the defending national champions, the defending Heisman Trophy winner. We'll get an opportunity to make a statement whether we are one of the elite teams in this country at this point in time or not, and that's the challenge.
On strategies and principles he picked up from Coach Saban...
As I went to be a defensive coordinator at Ohio State, I think that's when I took the most from a defensive perspective. I think you have to empower your coaches, I believe in that. The organizational part of it, the techniques, the fundamental aspect, the teaching progression, all those things are direct reflections upon what he has done. The recruiting, the way we recruit - we're always trying to expand on things and always trying to bring something that someone else has done into our program and think of new things, too. It's a collective effort, taking things from Jim Tressel, Earle Bruce, Jim Young, Glen Mason, Nick Saban and everybody in between. It's an accumulation of things.
On Michigan State's keys to victory...
When you play a bowl game, one of the biggest things you look at is the ability to tackle. We have to be able to tackle in space and the team that tackles in space the best will probably win the football game, so that's number one, because you have to eliminate explosive plays. Number two is the turnover margin. Number three will be special teams. I could keep going. Red zone defense and offense is going to be critical. When you play in a bowl game it's almost like the first game of the season - you've had so much time to prepare you know your opponent pretty well but you know they've put in new things for you so you have to adjust. The players have to come out and play as a team.
On Big Ten and SEC comparisons, especially regarding size along the defensive line...
In order to look at conferences, you'd have to take an all-star team and play against another all-star team from another conference, which might not be a bad idea, generate more money for the BCS [laughter]. But I think when you look at a team like Iowa, their defensive line is built very similarly to Alabama's: big physical guys, heavy, two-gap players. It's going to be which football team plays the best, but certainly the SEC is a premier conference in this nation but I think the Big Ten is on equal footing in that respect. Some would argue, but...
On his current seniors, who were members of his first recruiting class...
It's very rewarding to me to see us be 11-1 in their final year. These are the things we talked about when we recruited them. We talked about winning a championship - we're co-champions, we talked about playing New Year's Day bowl games against these type of opponents, so these are things that we talked about and they've come to be real for them. Those are the things that are very rewarding to me. It's bittersweet because they're not going to be here next year and you know when you see them in the locker room they're going to take that Spartan jersey for the last time and it's going to be emotional for them, their coaches, their teammates and certainly myself as well.
On any particular seniors who have been practicing like they have something to prove...
Greg Jones is a very special player. His season began in a special way by announcing that he was coming back for his final year. That's a testament to his recognition that the program is on solid ground, even in the midst of turmoil, and he came back to win a championship and we were able to do that. The second thing that is critical for our football team is we've been to bowl games, we've got to win one. We've got to win our last game. That should propel us into 2011. When you win your bowl game it has a lasting effect on you for the next six, seven months. So that's what our focus will be. Are we one of the elite teams in the nation right now? We're going to find out tomorrow, because I do believe Alabama is.
On the team's Friday night tradition and whether tonight will be a special one... Bowl games are very, very busy. There's one thing after another throughout the week, but things will slow down for us and we'll be able to collect ourselves this evening and really take stock in who we are, who we're with, and what this all means. It'll be emotional because our seniors will have an opportunity to talk and they'll start to understand that this is their last go-round, the last game. And anytime you do something for the last time, you want to do it the very best that you can. So that'll be the focus, and it'll be a special evening.
On what jumps out about Alabama on film...
When you look at them you see offensively they have two outstanding tailbacks, one of them won the Heisman last year. Two outstanding players that I think will play at the next level. Julio Jones, outstanding receiver, go-to guy. They build a wall with big, physical defensive linemen. So when you look at them across the board, they can play with anybody in this country, there's no question about that. When I say an elite team, that's what I mean. They lost two games by a total of four points or they're sitting there 11-1. They were the number one team preseason, and halfway through the year they were still number one.
On Alabama DL Marcell Dareus...
I think he's very similar to some of Iowa's players. Big, physical, can run, two-gap guy. Very fundamentally sound. Again, they build a wall up there so nobody can play around that wall, and they're a very good attacking team. But again, this is a bowl game so this will be a change of speed for everybody.
