Last year, I devoted a post to almost all of Michigan State's football games. Why not make it a tradition?
I don't know that we can take much from the Spartans' first game of the 2009 campaign. I thought both Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol looked good at quarterback, but would give a slight edge to Cousins. His passing was a bit crisper, but Nichol definitely brings elusiveness and speed. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see them split equal time again next week, when State takes on Central Michigan.
The receiving corps looked quite good. B.J. Cunningham had a nice game, and Blair White impressed me yet again. He's got the best hands of all of them, and is fast.
The real stunner for me was Dion Sims at tight end. I see him listed at 6'5" and 230 pounds, but he looks bigger than that--and, wow, does he have speed for a big guy. This kid is going to be fun to watch.
The running game was solid if unspectacular. I don't know if that was a result of Montana State picking its poison and committing more to stopping the run. Caulton Ray had some nice runs, and both Edwin Baker and Larry Caper showed flashes of brilliance. It's probably going to be running back by committee for the year, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when you have running backs with the raw ability that Ray, Baker, Caper, and Winston bring to the table. I'm a little concerned with the run blocking of the offensive line. Hopefully, center Joel Nitchman is okay after sustaining some sort of leg injury in the game. State needs a healthy offensive line.
The Spartans respected Montana State and came ready to play. Overall, the execution was pretty good (although Dantonio looked rather pained at times in the second half) and State picked up a solid victory. We'll know a lot more about this team next week against Central Michigan.
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