Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Enter Second Week of Preseason Camp
8/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Following the 11th practice of preseason camp on Monday, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio met with the media to provide an update on the team. The Spartans held their first preseason jersey scrimmage on Saturday in Spartan Stadium and are entering their second week of preseason camp.
"I thought our running backs ran well, we punted the ball very effectively, (and) we played well in the red zone on defense," summarized Dantonio regarding the scrimmage, which was won by the defense, 30-14. "Guys made plays on both sides of the ball. It was a great scrimmage. It was a very productive scrimmage, we played a lot of people, and we had a chance to evaluate a lot of people."
The Spartans are scheduled for their second practice of the day on Monday evening. On Tuesday, BTN will be at practice to tape a special "BTN Live" on the Spartans.
"I feel good about our football team," said Dantonio. "Injuries are at a minimum -- we lost Ed (Davis) obviously -- but injuries are at a minimum. But at the same time, this is the `dog days.' You have to come out, and you have to grind throughout the entire week. We're going to go hard, we're going to go live, we're going to do things, but it's going to be all formatted so it's live, then thud, then special teams, or whatever, but we're going to try and put them in game-like situations like we always do. But our players come to play, and they come to practice every day."
MEET THE SPARTANS SET FOR TUESDAY, AUG. 18: Michigan State football fans of all ages are invited to attend the 13th-annual "Meet The Spartans," presented by Pepsi, on Tuesday, Aug. 18 from 4:30-8 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. Ninth-year Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and members of the 2015 football team will be available for autographs on the concourse inside the stadium.
Parking is free (Ramp 5; Lots 63W, 66A, 75, 79 and 62W), and the stadium gates (Gates B, C and J) open at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.
The format is similar to last year, as offensive players will be available for autographs from approximately 5:30-6:30 p.m. and defensive players from approximately 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dantonio will be available for autographs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Autograph stations will be positioned on the north, east and west concourses inside Spartan Stadium.
For more information, click here.
QUOTABLE:
MSU head coach Mark Dantonio
On the depth chart...
The offensive line is pretty much set. Tight end is pretty much set. I think our wide receiver situation is pretty much set; those guys played well. It's about finding the six guys...Quarterback situation, you're trying to find out who is the No. 2, but both of those guys (Tyler O'Connor, Damion Terry) played very effectively in the scrimmage I felt. Defensively, we're trying to find out who that linebacker is (to replace Ed Davis). Chris Frey is up there. But also (Jon) Reschke is involved in that. I thought (Drake) Martinez played very well in the scrimmage. Andrew Dowell played very well in the scrimmage as well. So those are guys in addition to the other starters (Riley Bullough, Darien Harris). The back end, we're trying to find our top six guys. Arjen (Colquhoun) and Jermaine Edmondson both played well. Then you have the three or four guys who have been standard there. We're playing pretty good. We kicked the ball well, so it was a good scrimmage.
On punter Jake Hartbarger and if his consistency has been better in preseason camp...
Thus far, yeah. I've thought he's punted very well. He was on it on Saturday. But with that being said, ...Tyler O'Connor has been punting the ball very effectively as well. (We'll see) over the long haul, over the next two weeks, who is going to be the most consistent guy here. But there's no question that Jake Hartbarger will be the punter. But at the same time, it's his first time around, so we have to work all of the different situations that go into punting.
On the running backs and if there was any separation in the battle for the starting tailback...
All of them played well. I look for the ability to break for yards after contact; all three of those guys (Gerald Holmes, Madre London, LJ Scott) really played well.
I think when you're a young player, that's the last thing probably to come (picking up blocks and blitzes). They've done a good job, but they're in progress I think, because it's new. You have Delton (Williams), who has been actively coached for two years, so he'll be back in the mix. And then you have three guys who are relatively new. They have the physical tools to do it, which is the positive thing. It's not can they do it, it's can they get the right guy at the right moment. And that's probably the biggest thing.
On LJ Scott and his performance in the scrimmage...
Impressive, very impressive. Ability to stay square and get up the field. He's a very impressive running back. Basically what you see right now is he's ready to play football.
On if any freshmen cornerbacks can get into the playing rotation...
It's all about consistency. They had good scrimmages, but it's all about, can they be consistent as we add more things and as time takes it course. Can they stay healthy? How is their consistency these next eight practices, probably all the way through next Tuesday.
On red-shirt freshman Vayante Copeland...
Vayante is very balanced. He's a very good tackler and he has very good ball skills. He reminds (me) a little of Darqueze Dennard, in how he carries himself and his competitive nature. He's pushing to be a No. 1. I really feel like he's been in the mix. You see (Jermaine) Edmondson, you see Arjen (Colquhoun) and you see Vayante. Those are the guys competing for that corner position, or for both corner positions if we decide to move (Demetrious) Cox to safety, which he's taken a lot of reps there too.
On freshman linebacker Andrew Dowell and why he's in the mix to play...
Very active, very mature, able to pick up things. He gets off blocks. Disruptive. Plays hard every play. He has shock, he has power. And he can run to speed on contact. He has good ball skills. He's a guy that figures to play. He'll play for us this year as a freshman, that's what I would anticipate, unless this wall falls on top of him.
On the secondary...
Montae (Nicholson) has played both safeties. He has equal ability at both safeties.
You have to play well on the edges of your defense. I don't think there's a defense in the nation that's going to have a great defense if they don't play well on the edges. The corner position is important. We have guys with ability. Darian Hicks will be back today (was out for a week with mono). I understand he may be able to practice with no contact; we may get him back sooner rather than later, so that would be a real positive for us. But we'll see, we have to see. He'd be in the mix as well. We have got guys that have played, we have got guys that we've coached for two to three years at that position, so they'll know what to do, and if they continue to play like they've played, we'll be fine.
Senior quarterback Connor Cook
On his thoughts about how the scrimmage went...
I thought it went really well...We ran the ball really well. That's the big thing for our offense right now is to find a guy who can run the ball. I think we kind of struggled with that in the spring because guys were kind of unfamiliar with the stuff, guys were still learning. You see how comfortable Madre London is and how comfortable Gerald Holmes is. LJ Scott ran well. I think the main positive that we took away from the scrimmage was running the ball. We ran the ball great. The offensive line played great. I think it went well.
On improving on unforced errors...
To not jump offsides. I think looking at a play sheet with all the penalties on it from the scrimmage, and it was just offsides or holding and stuff like that -- stuff that's easy to correct. I think guys need to hold their water and be more disciplined mentally.
On the team bringing their game to the next level...
We just have to keep reaching higher like Coach Dantonio always says. To never be complacent. Never be satisfied. Always just come out each day and get two percent better each and every day and make the next day better than the last.
Co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Dave Warner
On the running back position...
I think it might be like 2013 when we were a little bit unsettled or had a couple guys going into the season that went into week four where we settled on Jeremy Langford. It might be similar to that.
On what Gerald Holmes has done to put himself in position...
He's done a better job of being decisive in the run game. In the past he's been a little bit slow making his decision and dancing in the hole a little bit, and I haven't seen that from him. I think he's made decisions, and I think he put his foot in the ground and gotten vertical. When he's done that, he's run with power.
On Madre London...
Those guys (London and Holmes) have done a good job of understanding that we like our backs going north and south. When they find that first crease, they've taken that. Madre's done the same (as Holmes). I think he's done a good job of running through tackles. He broke a handful of tackles on Saturday. I'm not sure what our yards after tackle was, but I know it was pretty impressive.
On LJ Scott's performance in the scrimmage...
First of all, I saw someone who's been here about a week and he's picked up things very well. We've thrown a lot at him well and he's done very well from a mental aspect of learning the offense, more specially pass protection and things like that which are a little bit more involved from what he's used to. He did well there, and with the ball in his hand he's shows patience. He hangs behind his blockers, lets things happen, and then when he likes his crease, he takes it. 230 (pounds), he can run pretty powerful.
Assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett
On the cornerback position...
The freshmen are doing a good job. It's good that Darian [Hicks] is coming back and that will give us five solid guys. And then we can see what we can do with the freshmen.
On how the top four guys are playing...
The main guys are doing a really good job. They had a good scrimmage and we were looking forward to that. They knew that had a chance to get some separation and show that maybe you need to be out here. And I think they did that for the most part. Demetrious [Cox], Arjen [Colquhoun], Jermaine [Edmondson], and Vayante [Copeland] all did a really, really nice job. It was what you expect from guys that have been in the program and what you would expect them to do.
On having the expectation that players reach an "elite level"...
Our job -- that's why they call us coach -- is to get to that level, to get everything we can out of the players. I'm just trying to get the best out of them that they can do.
