Cotton Bowl Practice Update No. 1
12/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Eighth-year Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio sent his team through a nearly 2-hour workout in shells on Friday, Dec. 26 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the No. 8 Spartans (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten) resumed preparation for the Jan. 1, 2015, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic against No. 5 Baylor (11-1, 8-1 Big 12).
"It was important to get into AT&T Stadium because it's such a unique venue," Dantonio said. "It was also important to knock the rust off and begin reconditioning after a six-day layoff. It was a productive practice, and the tempo was good. I also was impressed by the recall by our players after the Christmas break.
"We're excited about the challenge of playing a talented Baylor team. Defensively, the bottom line is we have to be able to tackle in space, and offensively, we have to control the football and put together drives that result in points."
Michigan State team MVP and Big Ten Receiver of the Year Tony Lippett echoed Dantonio's excitement about the upcoming match-up against the Bears.
"We need to embrace the moment," Lippett said. "As seniors, this bowl trip is all about enjoying the last time we spend with our teammates and coaches. I wouldn't say there's a sense of urgency, but we need to embrace this moment and have fun with the process of preparing for this Top 10 showdown.
"AT&T Stadium is `live.' The stadium is awesome. The jumbotron is definitely an attention grabber. It's a nice setting, and it's well decorated. Despite its size, depth perception isn't an issue. It was challenging at times with the natural light that comes in from the concourse, but it isn't going to be a problem on game day."
Lippett wasn't the only Spartan that was impressed by the 71,815-seat home of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys.
"It kind of felt like we were entering an amusement park," fifth-year senior All-America free safety Kurtis Drummond said. "Although the stadium was empty today, I could feel the excitement.
"The most important thing this week is to try and have fun. These bowl practices can be long and can begin to feel repetitive. We have to have fun every time we put the pads on because we won't get any of these practices back. This week and this Cotton Bowl are about creating lifetime memories."
Friday night, Michigan State joined Baylor for a Dallas Cowboys Welcome dinner and program in AT&T Stadium. The dinner menu included: brisket, short ribs, fried catfish fillets, mac and cheese, grits, baked beans, green beans, slaw, salad and Mexican Cornbread.
Michigan State is making its school-record eighth-consecutive bowl appearance, including its first-ever trip to the Cotton Bowl Classic. The Spartans are making their 25th postseason appearance overall, including their second-straight New Year's Day bowl game. MSU also is looking to extend its school-record three-game bowl winning streak after topping No. 18 Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl, 33-30 in triple overtime; edging TCU in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 17-16; and knocking off No. 5 Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl, 24-20.
The 79th Cotton Bowl Classic will be televised by ESPN, with kickoff set for 12:45 p.m. ET.
