Michigan State University Athletics
Grinz on Green Blog
10/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 13, 2011
By Steve Grinczel, Online Columnist
Whether it's been breaking new ground or adding to existing foundation, the Michigan State football program continues the process of building on tradition and creating more.
The Spartans will get yet another opportunity to complete the line, "for the first time (since or ever)..." when they host Michigan Saturday in Spartan Stadium.
Undefeated against the Wolverines since 2008, MSU will be going for a fourth consecutive series win for the first time since 1962. The Spartans prevailed 34-8 in '59, 24-17 in '60 and by the same score of 28-0 in '61 and '62.
That streak was part of a eight-game unbeaten string against U-M, which included ties in '58 and '63. Michigan State has enjoyed just two other four-game win streaks against Michigan: from '50-53 and '34-37.
A fourth would be added to the milestones that have continued to pile up since Mark Dantonio took over as head coach in '07.
The success against Michigan alone is especially noteworthy. The current three-game win streak, including back-to-back wins in Arbor, is the first since '65-67. Michigan State's 35-21 victory in Michigan Stadium in '08 was the first since 1990.
Kirk Cousins has a chance to become the first Spartan quarterback in the modern era to beat Michigan three times. He is currently in the elite company Al Dorrow ('50-51), Tom Yewcic ('52-53), Pete Smith ('61-62) and Jimmy Raye ('66-67) with two wins over U-M.
Michigan State's recent performance against Michigan occupies only a corner of a bigger program picture, however.
When the Spartans defeated Ohio State, 10-7, on Oct. 1, it marked their first victory in venerable Ohio Stadium since the historic shocking win over the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes in 1998. Furthermore, MSU became only the sixth, of 61 opponents, to beat Ohio State in Columbus since 2002.
Michigan State is in position to beat Michigan and Ohio State in the same season for the first time since '99.
Last season, MSU won its first Big Ten championship since 1990 and logged 11 wins for the first time in school history, although it's hard to imagine the great foundation-laying teams of the '30s, '50s and '60s not winning at least that many if they played a 13-game schedule as well.
To capture a share of the 2010 title, the Spartans had to win at Penn State for the first time since 1965, and which is something they hadn't accomplished in eight previous visits.
Cousins prefers to stay in the moment, however.
"I think they're all special accomplishments, (but) I think they'll mean a lot more to us and we'll reflect on them a lot more when our careers are over," he said. "I think when we come back in 15 or 20 years, that's when we'll spend our time focusing on the accomplishments, and reminiscing and talking about how good we used to be.
"I think right now we're focused on what's next, and right now it's beating Michigan this year. We're not too concerned about what happened last year because it doesn't help us this Saturday. There'll be plenty of time the rest of our lives to focus on all the accomplishments that we as a senior class are hoping to achieve."
Some of the other program feats are more nuanced, but also representative of a major culture shift.
Under Dantonio, Michigan State has gotten out of the maddening habit of almost always losing the game following a big win against a highly ranked opponent or major rival. The pattern of winning games they aren't supposed to win and losing games they aren't supposed to lose has fallen to the wayside along with the moniker of "Same Old Spartans."
Upsets, that benefit and detract from the Spartans, are still bound to happen, but they are no longer part of a decades-long trend.
The stick remains long and carrot looms large for this group of MSU players and those who follow. Michigan State is still looking for its first appearance in a BCS game, and there is that unsightly five-bowl losing streak that needs to be cleaned up.
Michigan State hasn't won back-to-back Big Ten championships in 45 years and hasn't played in the Rose Bowl in 23 seasons. Its last national title is in the distant past.
The future, however, no longer looks as far away.
Although their terminology may have varied greatly, many of the head coaches who preceded Dantonio alluded in one way or another to building a bridge linking the present to the glory days of "Biggie" Munn and Duffy Daugherty.
After the current group of departing seniors plays its final game, it will leave knowing it closed the gap the most of any other during a five-year period.
