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Posted on Tue, Oct 5, 2010 : 2:44 p.m.

Stopping Denard Robinson is Michigan State football team's top concern

By Pete Bigelow

EAST LANSING -- If there’s such a thing as a positive to emerge from his heart attack, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said the extra rest he’s gotten lately has allowed him to watch more film.

“It’s the one thing I’ve been able to do while cooped up,” he said.

Dantonio has welcomed the added time because it’s allowed him to take an extended look at Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, the nation’s No. 1 rusher and No. 4 quarterback through five weeks.

Stopping him is the Spartans’ No. 1 concern Saturday.

MSUdefense.jpg

Michigan State safety Trenton Robinson attempts to pull down Wisconsin's John Clay during the second quarter of the Spartans' win last Saturday. Michigan State defenders say they'll take a team approach to stopping Michigan's Denard Robinson this week.

Carlos Osorio | Associated Press

“Everything seems to be four or five plays in a row, (the defense) gets some semblance of containment, then boom,” Dantonio said. “He throws the ball effectively and has good skill players around him. We’lll work at it.”

A lot of pundits have cast Saturday’s matchup between No. 17 Michigan (5-0) State and No. 18 Michigan (5-0) as a one-on-one battle between Robinson, a Heisman Trophy candidate, and linebacker Greg Jones, the Big Ten’s preseason defensive player of the year.

That’s not exactly how the matchup will play out Saturday, according to Jones.

“I’ve talked to all my teammates about how we’re going to stop him,” he said Tuesday. “I’m not just looking in the mirror. This is a team game.” Media members peppered the Spartans with questions about stopping Robinson on Tuesday. Do they recall facing a similar player? (No.) Do they fear run or pass more? (Balance.) And, how will they game plan against him? (Not saying.)

True freshman Tony Lippett, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound wide receiver, will mimic Robinson while running the Spartans’ scout team this week. As a high school quarterback at Detroit Crockett High School, he ran the spread offense.

But the Spartans are willing to admit that no one can truly replicate Robinson on the football field. They hold the ultimate respect for him.

“He’s a great player,” linebacker Eric Gordon said. “It’s always fun to play a player that has all this hype. He deserves all this hype, obviously, and it gives us a great opportunity to show what the Spartans defense, what we’re about.”

Pete Bigelow covers the Michigan football team for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2556, via email at petebigelow@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.

Comments

MaizeandBlueU

Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 11:16 a.m.

Stopping Denard is the #1 priority? LOL. It sure isn't stopping our kicking game!

orlandomichfan

Tue, Oct 5, 2010 : 2:35 p.m.

im figuring maybe one week out of the rest of the season that denard might have that one game where he doesn't do much,,,if that has to happen it better not be this week gooooo blue..lets get to 6-0