News and notes from Mark Dantonio's weekly press conference

Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio held his weekly press conference on Tuesday where he discussed the win over Wisconsin and this week’s game with Nebraska. Here are the notes from what he had to say.

(Just a FYI, the Dantonio pressers last much longer than Hoke’s, that’s why his notes tend to be longer. I have had complaints about that. It’s not a bias thing, it’s a time thing)

- Dantonio said the team “just kept playing” against Wisconsin and showed a lot of composure. Felt the team grew a little bit on offense and it was good to see Andrew Maxwell win the game in overtime.

- He wouldn’t call the Wisconsin win a “season saver.” He thought it was a good win and it sent a message to keep playing and to finish. Said focus has to turn to Nebraska.

- Dantonio feels Maxwell is getting more comfortable as the season has progressed. He felt Maxwell “cut it loose” on the final drive in regulation and became confident in his abilities. He feels Maxwell has done a tremendous job but you are always asking for more out of your players and team and Dantonio feels Maxwell is growing. He feels he has the demeanor and the tools to do what the coaches want him to do.

- Dantonio called Max Bullough an overachiever, but said it with the greatest respect. Said he is very self driven and will always look to get better.

- Dantonio felt linebacker Taiwan Jones made a step forward in the Wisconsin game and had a great game.

- When asked about playing in close games Dantonio said that the big element is finishing. Against Ohio State, he felt they didn’t finish by not getting the ball back. Against Indiana, the team finished by playing very well in the second half. Against Iowa, the defense didn’t finish the game on a 5-minute drive by the Iowa offense. Against Michigan, the offense had a chance to finish late with a first down or a touchdown when they settled for a field goal. Against Wisconsin, Dantonio said the team just kept its composure and made the plays late when they needed to.

- When asked about MSU’s play in November, he has been proud about his team’s ability to finish the season strong in previous seasons. He said that’s when championships are won, in November.

- Said the team was “having fun” even when down 7-3 in the third quarter against Wisconsin and that was what helped them comeback. After the game, Dantonio apparently joined the team in a dance. He said that was the first time he had done that.

- When asked about Nebraska’s success, Dantonio attributed it to manufacturing the “Big Red Machine” and being able to create a style and mindset where they would run the football.

- Dantonio feels Taylor Martinez is similar to Braxton Miller and Denard Robinson. He is a big part of the offense and can produce a lot of yardage.

- Dantonio said last year, MSU didn’t play well against Nebraska. It was the one game he felt the team didn’t play well. He said his players want to atone for that this week.

- Dantonio said Dion Sims was about 80 percent against Wisconsin. They weren’t sure how much they would be able to use him in the game, but they were surprised about how much he did play. Dantonio expects him to play in full this week.

- Dantonio said the team is as healthy as it has been in the last three weeks. MSU has its first bye of the season after this week’s game with Nebraska.

- When asked about Rex Burkhead, Dantonio said he is a tough-minded football player and a complete football player. Even without him on the field, Nebraska is still moving the ball well.

- On the issues running the ball, Dantonio said they have a big, physical back (Le’Veon Bell) that needs to run downhill. Said MSU needs to strive for balance on offense and they need to avoid the penalties on the offensive line.

- Dantonio said Aaron Burbridge had a tough game (went without a catch). Said that comes with being a young guy. He was out of sync during the game but Dantonio said that he will bounce back.

Keys to victory for MSU, Michigan against Iowa, Illinois

The seventh week of the college football season is upon us tomorrow. Here are a look at keys to victory for MSU and Michigan on Saturday.

MSU vs. Iowa

Start fast – Michigan State has not been too good at this in recent weeks, but starting fast will be very important in this game. The Hawkeyes have had their two losses this season come by a combined four points. Iowa is a team that tends to hang around, so MSU doesn’t want to leave this game up to a few plays in the fourth quarter. The defense needs to limit the big play early and the offense has to find a way to get the ball to its receivers in open space.

Look for Burbridge – Michigan State finally got a receiving performance it could build on last week as freshman Aaron Burbridge caught eight passes for 134 yards. Burbridge made some tough catches in traffic and moved well with the ball. The Spartans need to find ways to get him the ball and make him a focal point in the offense. Next to Michigan State, Iowa has the next-best rushing defense in the Big Ten, so the Spartans will have to be able to move the ball through the air, and Burbridge will play a big part in that.

Get to the quarterback – Iowa is far from an offensive juggernaut. The Hawkeyes average just 22.6 points per game right now and only 200 passing yards per game. Quarterback James Vandenberg has just two touchdowns passes with two interceptions this season and he has been sacked six times. Michigan State has to get pressure on him and force him into bad passes. The Spartans have just five sacks this year from a front line that has been hyped up all season. It’s time for the front four to live up to that hype and create havoc for the quarterback.

Michigan vs. Illinois

Don’t look ahead – Illinois has been bad, no doubt about it. But, the Wolverines can’t start looking ahead to Michigan State until this game is over. The Illini can still be a dangerous team and they are desperate for a win. Michigan just needs to take care of its business and then move on to the Spartans.

Build off last week’s game plan – I thought Al Borges did a real nice job with the way he attacked Purdue on offense and I think that is what will work against Illinois on Saturday. Use the run heavily to open up the occasional big pass plays, get Denard Robinson in space and try to find some balance with the other backs. Robinson had to do most of the work on the ground last week, but he didn’t get “beat up” doing it. That will be important again this week.

Make Scheelhaase a passer – Michigan’s defense has taken on a whole new identity over the last few games, really shutting down opponents. This week, they take on a quarterback with some questionable passing ability. In limited action, Scheelhaase is just 65 of 104 passing for 659 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions. He does have the ability to run the ball, as he had 84 yards on 22 carries at Wisconsin last week. Michigan would be wise to keep Scheelhaase in the pocket and make him beat the defense with his arm, which I don’t think he can do. If Scheelhaase is able to find open running lanes on the outside, he can create some big offensive plays and make the game interesting.

MSU's Treadwell the latest to get the injury bug

Looks like the injury bug is going around.

First it was Michigan that had some injuries that will impact the depth of the team, now it is Michigan State’s turn. (It is unclear if MSU caused the injuries themselves to get attention away from Michigan. Just kidding guys)

Joe Rexrode, formerly of the Lansing State Journal and now of the Detroit Free Press, reported on Wednesday that junior left guard Blake Treadwell suffered a fracture in his tibia and will be out for 4-5 weeks.

True freshman wide receiver Aaron Burbridge had arthroscopic knee surgery as well and will be out at least six weeks, which increases the likelihood he will redshirt this season. Burbridge had a chance to make the roster entering training camp, especially considering the inexperience MSU has at the position, but the injury won’t allow him to compete for a spot.

While the injury to Burbridge may not have a great impact, the tibia fracture for Treadwell is certainly an issue.

Treadwell was expected to start at left guard this season and he will now at least miss the season opener with Boise State on Aug. 31. The good thing for the Spartans is they have plenty of starting experience on the offensive line.

The injury opens the door for redshirt freshman Jack Allen, who has yet to see any live snaps in a college football game. Certainly opponents will look to exploit him as the weak link on the line.

The loss of Treadwell early in the season probably won’t be felt unless another lineman suffers an injury, then the depth up front will be tested.

As I have said before, the strong offensive line for the Spartans will be a key to the development of quarterback Andrew Maxwell. If the line starts to crumble, there may not be much hope for him to succeed.