By Frank Haynes Aug 22, 2006, 17:45 GMT
OFFENSE: Drew Stanton was as hot as any signal-caller in the nation through the first month last year, throwing for nearly 1,200 yards and 13 TDs in leading the Spartans to a 4-0 start. Stanton, now a senior, wound up with 3,077 yards, 22 TDs and 12 INTs, and he is without question the key to Michigan State's chances this fall.
Helping the 6-3, 230-pound gunslinger will be a highly- skilled crop of ball handlers, notably senior WRs Jerramy Scott and Matt Trannon, sophomore RB Javon Ringer and junior RB Jehuu Caulcrick. Scott is within striking distance of becoming the school's all-time leader in receptions and is coming off a season in which he caught 49 balls for 722 yards and four TDs.
Ringer was thought to be the next great back at MSU and flashed signs of brilliance last year when he averaged 6.7 ypc en route to 817 yards and five scores. But he has been hobbled by a knee injury and whether he can carry the bulk of the load for Smith's club remains to be seen. Caulcrick rumbled his way to more than 600 yards in 2005 and is the team's battering ram, checking in somewhere around the 250-pound mark. As for the offensive line, just two starters are back, but that doesn't mean the unit is devoid of talent.
DEFENSE: Just six starters return from a defense that ranked in the bottom half of the national rankings in just about every category. The Spartans gave up almost 29 ppg while foes found it particularly easy to pass the ball against them, doing so for an average of 244.9 ypg.
Stopping the run also proved problematic for Smith's troops (164.6 ypg) and with only one starter back along the defensive line, more of the same could be expected. The good news for MSU is that all three LBs are back, including senior David Herron Jr. who logged 65 tackles in '05, 38 of which were solo efforts. Another guy to keep an eye on is junior SirDarean Adams, a tremendous athlete with big-time playmaking ability.
In the secondary, senior CBs Demond Williams and Greg Cooper return, but the safeties are new and could be an area of concern, at least at the outset. Juco transfer Nehemiah Warrick could be a nice surprise back there, but the lack of any significant playmakers up front could spell disaster for a defense hoping to turn things around in a hurry.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Spartans were simply terrible last year on FGs, making just 5-of-16. Talented newcomer Brett Swenson will battle sophomore Todd Boleski for the kicking job, and Swenson is a true freshman who is expected to be the Spartans' kicker of the future. As for punter Brandon Fields, he has a booming leg but was inconsistent in '05. The 6-6 senior should bounce back though and you can reasonably expect him to revert to his old form when he was considered one of the best in the country.
OUTLOOK: While seriously challenging for the Big Ten title is probably a year or two away, a bowl game is a reachable goal for the 2006 Spartans. It won't be easy however despite what should be a couple of wins right of the chute. Playing host to both Idaho and Eastern Michigan to kick off the campaign will serve as tune-ups for a trip to Pittsburgh which is followed by a home bout versus national championship contender Notre Dame.
The Big Ten slate gets underway the next week with a visit from Illinois followed by a trip to intrastate rival Michigan. Mighty Ohio State comes to East Lansing next, but consecutive games against Northwestern and Indiana, both on the road, could have MSU in decent shape at it closes the regular season against Purdue, Minnesota, both at home, and at Penn State.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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