Michigan State University Athletics
BTN Football Tour Visits East Lansing
8/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The BTN Football Tour hit East Lansing Tuesday on its seventh stop to shoot footage and interviews for Tuesday night's episode of BTN Live. The daily, 90-minute show, which airs weeknights from 6-7:30 p.m., will devote a majority of its programming on Tuesday with coverage from Michigan State's practice. The show will re-air at 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday's episode of BTN Live will be hosted by Rick Pizzo, Glen Mason and Marcus Ray. The show will check in with reports on practice from Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith, who will provide on-the-field analysis of MSU's top newcomers, rising stars, important position battles and 2014 schedule.
The show will give an inside look at a Spartan practice and also includes interviews with head coach Mark Dantonio, assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Dave Warner, junior quarterback Connor Cook and junior defensive end Shilique Calhoun. In addition, BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart caught up with senior safety Kurtis Drummond and senior running back Jeremy Langford.
DiNardo has made several trips to East Lansing on previous stops on the BTN Football Tour, but he came away most impressed this year with what the Spartans have up front on both sides of the football.
"Most impressive to me is, especially over the past eight years since Coach D has been here, is how the offensive line and the defensive line have developed," said DiNardo. "That was more obvious today than it's been in any year in the past."
Although the Spartans are in the midst of preseason camp, DiNardo noted the concentration level was there for Tuesday's practice.
"It's not always the right speed that you want it, because guys are starting to wear down, but you worry about the concentration, and I saw very few jumping offsides, very few penalties, very few mistakes, so obviously they're into it mentally," he said.
Griffith liked what he saw from the offense on Tuesday, especially at wide receiver.
"They still have to play great defense, which they're known for doing," said Griffith on what Michigan State will need to do to maintain its winning ways from last season. "Offensively, they have to continue to develop and not turn the ball over. One of the great things I saw today was the wide receivers - they looked unbelievable. I think that's going to be the next step for them. The wide receivers were inconsistent maybe two years ago, they got better last year, and seeing them this year is like night and day.
"When we come to Michigan State, there's always a lot of teaching going on, so that's always good because you really get a good evaluation of what the players look like. This is an elite team, there's no question about that...I'm looking forward to this team competing."
Revsine, DiNardo and Griffith also had a chance to tour the new $24.5 million Spartan Stadium North End Zone facility, which is near completion and will be open in time for the regular season.
"I've seen facilities, not only in the Big Ten, but all over the country," remarked DiNardo. "It's one of my hobbies - I love looking at facilities. As you walk through Michigan State's facility today, there are some as good, but I don't know if I've seen any better. So I think it's fair to say that's as fine of a facility as there is in the country."
"It's incredible," said Griffith. "When you talk about having a place for families to come, your players obviously have a chance to meet there as well, and incoming recruits have a chance to be there, it really is an impressive facility. It's really going to be something Michigan State can use and take advantage of."
For more coverage of Tuesday's BTN Tour stop, visit BTN.com.
