Scouting Ahead: A look at the Michigan State football team's game against Notre Dame

Posted: Sep 30, 2009 at 12:37 AM [Sep 30, 2009]

Welcome to "Scouting Ahead," a scouting report on Michigan's next opponent (when there is TV footage available).

For Michigan State, I watched the Spartans' game against a common opponent, Notre Dame. The Irish held on for a dramatic 33-30 win over Michigan State a week after Michigan beat the Irish, 38-34.

OFFENSIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY:
FIRST SERIES:

1-10, offset I, 2 WR Caulton Ray run up middle into Notre Dame’s second tier.

2-4 GUN 3 WR singleback. Incomplete pass dropped by Mark Dell

3-4 GUN 5 WR empty Incomplete pass to B.J. Cunningham, dropped. Kirk Cousins had a bunch of time.

4-4 Punt.

SECOND SERIES:

1-10 singleback 2 WR Cousins complete out right to Blair White

1-10 singleback 3 WR 1 TE Larry Caper runs up middle through a pretty good gash.

2-4 I form 2 WR Glenn Winston run up middle for first down. Again, a big hole.

1-10 play started with 5 WR shift into 2 WR, 2 TE, singleback Cousins pass to White on a quick screen left. Wide open.

2-5 I form, 2 WR. Caper run right. Got nothing off tackle.

3-6 GUN 3 WR singleback. Good pass threaded from Cousins to White in double coverage. Cousins had good protection, too.

1-10 I form 2 WR Cousins scramble right. Had plenty of time, no one open downfield.

2-11 tight I form 2 WR. Cousins throws off back foot complete to Dell out left. Pretty much perfect pass makes it complete.

1-10 singleback 2 WR 2 TE Winston run middle, offensive line broke down. Winston gets nothing.

2-11 GUN singleback 3 WR Cousins pump-fake for TE Charlie Gantt open. Gant dove, looked to have it in his hands diving and dropped it.

3-11 GUN 3 WR singleback Cousins overthrew Cunningham, who was open between defenders.

4-11 FG attempt by Brett Swenson GOOD 7-3 Notre Dame

THIRD SERIES:

1-10 GUN singleback H-back 3 WR Ray runs middle, gets big hole and can cut to the outside.

1-10 I-form 2 WR Michigan State line picks up the blitz well. Cousins to Dell out left. Faked out the cornerback, Darrin Walls.

1-10 singleback twins right Caper run middle right through the Notre Dame front four.

2-5 singleback twins right, 2 TE Cousins out left to TE Dion Sims.

1-10 singleback 2 WR 2 TE Cousins incomplete for Sims, broken up but could have been caught. Was right on target.

2-10 GUN singleback H-back 3 WR. Ray goes nowhere but Notre Dame blitzed. There was a hole, but McCarthy was waiting a few

3-10 GUN singleback 4 WR Cousins incomplete for Dell, too high but Dell looked like he could have gotten a hand on it. Also threw it a little bit ahead.

4-10 FG attempt by Brett Swenson 52 yards. Missed.

FOURTH SERIES:

1-10 GUN singleback 3 WR. Keith Nichol in at quarterback. Nichol scramble out of bounds for five yards plus a late hit by Notre Dame.

1-10 I-form, 2 WR, Nichol at QB. Handoff up middle for about five yards by Caper.

2-5 GUN empty 4 WR move TE Nichol QB draw, runs for a first down. Got into second tier and faked out a defender. Plus, personal foul on Notre Dame.

1-10 I-form 2 WR WR pass from Keshawn Martin rolling right to Blair White for a Michigan State touchdown for 30 yards. Good play call by the Spartans as essentially every Notre Dame player bit on it. Notre Dame leads, 13-10.

FIFTH SERIES (after onside kick):

1-10 I-form 2 WR Nichol at QB. Roll right throw complete to Dell. Good throw on the run by Nichol.

1-10 singleback twins left. Nichol incomplete to Gantt. Notre Dame got its first good pressure of the day.

2-10 GUN singleback trips left. FLAG, false start by Gantt.

2-15 GUN singleback 3 WR. Screen right to Ray. Good blocking on the screen. But Ray fumbled (should have held the ball better) and Notre Dame recovered. Ray let the ball hang out a little bit too much on the run after screen.

SIXTH SERIES

1-10 singleback twins left Cousins back at QB. Cousins has time scrambling, finds Dell open downfield. Again, good pocket awareness and an accurate throw.

1-10 Gun singleback 3 WR. Cousins complete out right to Cunningham but FLAG too many men on field Notre Dame. Savvy move by coach Mark Dantonio and Cousins to hurryup to catch ND in a penalty.

1-5 twins left singleback. Cousins quick pass to Cunningham left. Good recognition by MSU for a wide receiver having a linebacker covering him.

1-10 singleback 3 WR Caper run middle. Not much push by offensive line on the play.

2-7 GUN singleback 3 WR Cousins throws a little ahead of Blair White, but FLAG Notre Dame pass interference.

1-10 I-form twins right, 2 TE. Cousins hit as he threw, not good blocking by Michigan State. Notre Dame just ran over them. But Cousins was almost intercepted on throw to Dell. Good play by Dell to break up the interception. FLAG, holding on right guard Brendon Moss.

1-20 GUN singleback 4 WR Cousins out left to Cunningham. Really good read and throw by Cousins to open man.

2-9 GUN singleback 3 WR 1 TE Cousins a quick out right to Cunningham. Again, a good pre-snap read.

1-10 singleback, 3 WR, TE. Run middle right for Caper. Again, a nice-sized hole. Plus FLAG for facemask.

1-GL I-form 1 WR, 2 TE. Caper runs middle, bashes through Notre Dame defensive front for a touchdown. MSU just overpowered the Irish defensive front there. Michigan State leads, 17-16.

SEVENTH SERIES: (first of second half):

• 1-10 singleback 3 WR Nichol at QB. Caper runs up the middle, again with a big hole.


• 2-4 singleback 2 WR 2 TE. Fumbled snap by Nichol. FLAG for illegal snap


• 2-9 I-Form 2 WR. Run middle to Caper. Not much there.


• 3-9 singleback 3 WR. Nichol pressured. Threw it away.


• 4-9 Punt.

EIGHTH SERIES:

• 1-10 singleback 2 WR, move TE Cousins at QB. Scrambles with no one open and gets a couple yards.


• 2-6 singleback twins left. Winston runs left, didn’t get much.


• 3-7 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins has time with blitz, finds Dell out left for first down. Great read and recognition by Cousins.


• 1-10 singleback 2 WR. Cousins again with time, finds wide open Gantt over middle, who was able to get open pretty easily.


• 1-10 I-form 1 WR. Caper run middle.


• 2-6 I-form 1 WR. Winston runs up middle, gets into second tier.


• 3-3 singleback 2 WR, 2 TE. Cousins out right to TE Brian Linthicum for first down.


• 1-GL I-form 1 WR. Caper stretch run left and Notre Dame couldn’t stop it for a touchdown. Great blocking by the offensive line, especially the left side and the fullback, Andrew Hawken. XPt blocked. Notre Dame leads, 26-23.

NINTH SERIES:

• 1-10 offset I, 2 WR. Cousins at QB. Cousins over middle playaction to Gantt. Again, an accurate pass by Cousins.


• 2-4 I-form 1 WR. Caper run middle. No hole whatsoever.


• 3-3 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins over middle to Dell, broke a tackle for a huge play down the right side eventually. That was a perfect play. Michigan State exploited a soft middle of the field a bunch of the day, the same thing Indiana did to Michigan last week.


• 1-10 I-form 2 WR. Winston runs middle, into second tier.


• 2-5 I-form 1 WR. Cousins playaction, great pass to Blair Whitefor a touchdown over the Notre Dame cornerback Darrin Walls to the post corner route for a touchdown. It was a perfect throw. Michigan State leads, 30-26.

TENTH SERIES:

• 1-10 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins almost intercepted looking at a hook out to Cunningham. Walls broke on it and broke it up. Cousins got lucky.


• 2-10 I-form 2 WR Cousins pressured, thrown way high.


• 3-10 singleback 3 WR. Michigan State picked up the pressure. Cousins throws incomplete to Cunningham stretched out. It hit Cunningham in the hands, but he couldn’t hold on.

ELEVENTH (and final) SERIES:

• 1-10 GUN singleback trips right motioned to 3 WR. Cousins over the middle to Linthicum for a first down. Accurate.


• 1-10 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins out left to Cunningham.


• 2-2 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins out left to Linthicum. Essentially the same route, just a couple yards shorter.


• 1-10 empty 5 WR. Cousins throws high to Cunningham, but he jumps to catch it.


• 2-2 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins over the middle on a cross to Cunningham for another first down.


• 1-10 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins pumpfake, throws high and inaccurate for Dell in double coverage. Had completed his first five passes on the drive.


• 2-10 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins short over the middle to White.


• 3-6 GUN singleback 3 WR. No huddle. Cousins throws a jump ball out to Cunningham with ND safety Ray Herring. Herring tips it up and Cunningham, with great concentration, makes the catch.


• 1-10 empty 5 WR. Cousins pump fake, had time and had Capers wide open in the end zone with no one around him. Cousins overthrew it.


• 2-10 GUN singleback 3 WR. Cousins, under pressure, throws an off-the-back-foot pass to the middle of the field that was picked off by Kyle McCarthy. His worst throw of the game (rivaling the miss on Capers the play before) and his most costly, as the Spartans could have tied the game with a field goal.

OFFENSIVE THOUGHTS:
-Michigan State looked very similar to how Michigan did against Notre Dame the week before. Both teams were able to exploit Notre Dame’s weak front. The Michigan State offensive line looked like it could dominate the line of scrimmage there. Will likely be a stiffer test for Michigan State this week.

-The Spartans’ offensive line was able to pick up Notre Dame’s blitz well in the first quarter, especially when the Irish passed.

-Michigan State likes to use tight ends a lot. Uses three of them in different formations.

-Loved the WR pass to Blair White in the second quarter. It caught Notre Dame completely off guard.

-Can see why Keith Nichol plays. He’s much more mobile than Cousins, which offers a nice change-of-pace option for Michigan State. But he isn’t fast enough that it should be the only reason to use him if Cousins and State is playing well.

-That said, Kirk Cousins should be the starter based off of this game. For most of the game, he played extremely well. The last drive made him the goat with the interception, but it overshadowed an otherwise impressive day. His second-to-last drive, under pressure, was shaky, though. The last drive, save for the last two plays, he looked good. He marched Michigan State right down the field and could have scored. He was 7-of-10 on the final drive, but when MSU got close, he folded while trying to make a play.

-The way Michigan State’s offense moved on Notre Dame the week after Michigan did the same, especially in the second half, makes you wonder how good the Irish defense is, or if both teams’ offenses are really that good and balanced.

-Michigan State showed a lot of balance, a lot more than last season when Javon Ringer had to do everything for the Spartans.

-Considering Michigan’s porous run defense and questionable secondary play at corner opposite Donovan Warren, wouldn’t be surprised if MSU mixes things up a lot with a heavy does of out routes early to the side opposite Warren. From this tape, they seem able to do that extremely well with Cousins in the game.

-Michigan State’s offensive line blocked really well. Tough to tell on pass blocking because Notre Dame’s front seven has been pretty unimpressive this season, but the running game was able to gash well. Again, tough to say how good they are or how much that is Notre Dame’s ineptness. There was the same question after the Michigan-Notre Dame game about the Wolverines’ offensive line.

-Michigan State’s wide receivers are a little bit underrated. Blair White might be the second-best receiver in the Big Ten behind Arrelious Benn of Illinois (and just ahead of Eric Decker of Minnesota). Cunningham is a great leaper and has good hands, as is Dell. They could be a big, big problem for Michigan.

DEFENSIVE THOUGHTS:

-Michigan State opened in nickel because Notre Dame ran three wide receivers. They’d shift into a base 4-3.

-The Spartans had pressure on the first series, but no one bothered to pick up Clausen, who found a wide open Kyle Rudolph. No one was guarding him. Big defensive miscue there. Early on, Michigan State seemed unable to pick up tight ends.

-Early on, Michigan State’s defense couldn’t stop Notre Dame on the first drive. The
Irish made the Spartans look pretty horrific. Not much by way of run defense. On Armando Allen’s touchdown run, he was barely touched up the middle.

-Michigan State in pass rush got good pressure off Notre Dame’s tackles, but it opened up the middle a lot for Jimmy Clausen, who isn’t a mobile quarterback like Tate Forcier, to run through.

-Michigan State’s secondary completely lost Michael Floyd on the Irish’s second touchdown. For some reason, WILL linebacker Eric Gordon was on Floyd. Gordon was beat easily. FS Trenton Robinson was trying to get over in support, but he was too late. Really bad decision making and reaction by the Spartans’ defense.

-Michigan State really struggled picking up the swing pass and screen pass. Often, the receiver got 5 or so yards before anyone came in close to make contact.

-Michigan State sacked Jimmy Clausen in the second quarter, sending six guys, including two linebackers right up the middle. First group to get to Clausen at that point on the year and actually injured Clausen on the play. Eric Gordon had a clean shot. Michigan State dominated the Notre Dame offensive line there.

-It took an injury to Clausen and a bunch of penalties for Michigan State to stop Notre Dame for the first time in the second quarter.

-Michigan State really seemed to struggle tackling against the run. Armando Allen was able to run pretty cleanly, breaking tackles along the way. The Spartans looked like they wanted to arm tackle a lot instead of using the body.

-Michigan State got lucky on the play Floyd got injured. He had feet inbounds when he came down with the ball before he landed out of bounds with his body. The coverage by Michigan State field corner Jeremy Ware was pretty good on the play, but Floyd outjumped him. The play was not ruled a touchdown, although it looked like it was. The series ended up in a Notre Dame field goal as MSU did a good job after the play holding the Irish to a field goal.

-Michigan State’s secondary did a pretty decent job on Notre Dame. Certainly, a better job than Michigan, but the Spartans were aided by the lack of Floyd for more than a half and a semi-hobbled Jimmy Clausen. That said, the combination of Ware and Kendell Davis-Clark along with Chris L. Rucker played well enough that it wasn’t a complete throw-and-catch fest like the Michigan game.

-On the first drive of the second half, Michigan State had a total meltdown on defense. State couldn’t get much pressure at all. And then State lost Tate as he crossed in the middle of the field before wandering into the area of Trenton Robinson while making the catch. Considering Floyd was out of the game, it was an interesting strategy not to throw a ton of attention at Tate, especially on the first series. Not the best halftime adjustment.

-Tackling, though, was much better early in the second half.

-Michigan State sold out on the run in the Wildcat near the goal-line on the first drive after half, completely bit which allowed an easy pass from Armando Allen to Robby Parris for a touchdown. The Spartans didn’t seem very good at having to adjust from their assignments if they see a play different than anticipated.

-Michigan State couldn’t really handle Golden Tate, which makes me wonder at least how they’ll deal with the speed of Michigan’s halfbacks and a guy like Darryl Stonum in space. Could see some big plays for Stonum based off of this tape. Tate burnt Michigan State time and again, including once midway through the third quarter which would have been a touchdown, except Tate dropped it.

-Chris L. Rucker had a great defensive coverage on Golden Tate early in the fourth quarter, knocking down a deep touchdown pass. Rucker had a pretty good day overall, didn’t get picked on by Clausen and the Notre Dame offense.

-Rucker, though, had a sure interception fall through his hands on a missed route/overthrown ball by Clausen. He was the only one within 20 yards of the ball. The drive ended in Notre Dame’s game-winning touchdown.

-On the game-winning touchdown play, safety Marcus Hyde was beaten by Tate. Tate had a step and there wasn’t much he could do with the ball that was thrown, no way he could have gotten to that. Tate, of course, ended up diving into the Michigan State band.

-Michigan State’s defense, under pressure to make a stop in the last defensive series of the game, played well, although it was helped by penalties, miscommunications and drops by Notre Dame. Still, they gave the offense a chance.

GOLDEN TATE JUMPING INTO THE MICHIGAN STATE BAND, SET TO BONNIE TYLER's 'TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART:'


SPECIAL TEAMS:
-Glenn Winston doesn’t seem to have a ton of speed on kick returns, but has patience for his blocks to open up. Don’t know how much of an issue that will be for Michigan, which has played well on kick coverage so far this year. Michigan State appears to have good blocking on kick returns, allowing Winston to find holes. Winston shouldn’t break for any touchdowns, but he likely could end up with decent returns most times out.

-Aaron Bates had a decent first punt.

-Brett Swenson is one of the best kickers in the country. Made a 42-yarder look easy in the first quarter. Missed from 52 yards hitting the upright, but had a good five yards of distance to go.

-Swenson, though, had an extra point blocked in the second half.

-Kick coverage on the first kickoff was pretty bad. Theo Riddick from Notre Dame made two people miss. Plus, another Michigan State defender just fell. The Spartans looked better, specifically on the last kick coverage of the first half.

-Punt miscommunication on the first attempt at a Keshawn Martin return. A blocker ran into him, not allowing Martin to catch the ball.

-Nice special teams call in the second quarter trying to catch Notre Dame sleeping with an onside kick. It was almost a perfect kick by Swenson. It went exactly 10 yardds, rolled back and was recovered by Michigan State.

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan sports for Annarbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow on Twitter @mikerothstein.