Legends, Leaders speak
Mark Dantonio and Bret Bielema took part in teleconferences today, half an hour apiece, to kick off BTFCG week. Dantonio said Darqueze Dennard should be good to go against Wisconsin. "He should be back," Dantonio said. "He could have probably played this week but we held it."
* Both said they've never encountered a rematch in a college football season. Dantonio was asked if he believes in the idea that it's difficult to beat the same team twice. "I don't know. I'm gonna find out, I guess."
* Dantonio said MSU must do a better job of stopping the run -- and get off to a better start in general -- to beat Wisconsin again. Bielema said Wisconsin's special teams has to be better than it was in the MSU loss (and the Ohio State loss). And he said his defense can't give up big plays the way it did in East Lansing.
* Bielema recently asked mentor Barry Alvarez when he'll stop thinking about the Hail Mary. The response: "Never."
* That said, Bielema said revenge is not a big theme for his team this week. He said the Badgers are more focused on what they do and what they can achieve. "Michigan State earned that victory," he said. "They scored more points than we did."
* Bielema also said LB Ethan Armstrong is OK and out of the hospital after a scary moment and ambulance ride off the field during the Penn State game.
* Both coaches talked extensively about their quarterbacks, the impact of this championship game on their programs and the Big Ten, and the fact that this is a title game with no one from the league's big four programs -- Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska.
"It's a new era," Dantonio said.
To catch up on the Northwestern coverage:
Here's the game story, the rail, the report card and the notebook with items on Keshawn Martin and more.
Here's more from Kirk Cousins on Dantonio after the game and what the win meant: "He was in the locker room celebrating and really felt like that was the win to clinch the division. So it was a big win for us. To win 10 games in back-to-back seasons shows where this program is now at. To come out in this game when you know you have the championship game clinched, in weather like this on the road and to still give the effort we gave shows a lot of discipline and maturity on this football team. It’s the kind of thing we’ve been talking about since we finished up last year.
“We felt like this schedule is as tough as anybody’s in the conference. So the fact that we can win 10 games, lose one game in Big Ten play and possibly at the end of today be the only Big Ten team with one loss says a lot about what we were able to accomplish this year.”
The Spartans are not complaining about the fact that they have to win one more to earn roses.
And it's time to talk Cousins-Cunningham on the list of great MSU pass-catch combos. Smith-Gibson and Smoker-Rogers are mentioned in the story. Smith and Gibson, like Cousins and Cunningham, did it for three years. Smoker and Rogers did it for a year and a half, basically. Bill Burke-Plaxico Burress was a terrific two-year combo. Bobby McAllister-Andre Rison for two years. And let's not forget Steve Juday to Gene Washington in 1964 and '65 (with Jimmy Raye throwing to Washington in 1966). You have to take longevity and football eras into account, but I think Cousins and Cunningham match up with anyone mentioned as a combination. What do you think?
Oh, and the Zooker finally got the hook at Illinois. Let's sing together:
"What the Big Ten needs now,
Is Leach, Mike Leach."
