Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Football: Joe Bachie breaks mold of team-elected MVPs

By Connor Muldowney

PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 25: Joe Bachie #35 of the Michigan State Spartans jumps over Gus Edwards #13 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during their game on November 25, 2017 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 25: Joe Bachie #35 of the Michigan State Spartans jumps over Gus Edwards #13 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during their game on November 25, 2017 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Michigan State football held its annual awards banquet on Sunday evening and sophomore linebacker Joe Bachie was named team MVP.

Joe Bachie is in the record books. Not only is he the team-elected MVP for the 2017 Spartans, but he’s the first sophomore to win the award in the Mark Dantonio era.

Must Read: MSU Football Recruiting: 2018 class should close with a bang

The second-year middle linebacker from Cleveland, Ohio, broke the mold of what was, before Sunday night, a 10-year stretch of no underclassman winning team MVP in the Dantonio era. He was voted as the team’s most valuable player by his teammates, an award that will go a long way in his collegiate career.

Drew Stanton was the last underclassman to win the award back in 2004 when John L. Smith was still head coach but this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. The Spartans had a major turnaround in 2017, going 9-3, and a big reason for that success was the defense.

In fact, Michigan State’s defense ranked in the top 10 nationally for a good chunk of the season, including top-five against the run. A big reason for the success? The leadership of a young, underrated sophomore linebacker from Ohio.

Bachie finished the season with 94 tackles, 8.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions and looked like a sure-fire first or second-team All-Big Ten selection. Though he finished on the third-team, a bit of a snub, he still has to feel good about his first season as a full-time starter.

According to Jeremy Warnemuende of 247Sports, this award means more to him than any Big Ten honor.

“This is more important to me,” Bachie said. “It’s what my teammates think. We can’t control anything else. I don’t control (All-Big Ten). Quite honestly, I don’t really care about it. … It’s a great accomplishment being third team, so thank you to them. But it’s what my teammates think that’s important. I’m just glad that I’m on this team with these guys.”

Michigan State has a bright future, especially with Bachie roaming the middle of the defense for the next two years. He might just be the best middle linebacker since Greg Jones and his potential is through the roof.

Next: MSU Basketball: Game-by-game predictions for December

The future is bright in East Lansing, and it starts with Bachie.

Home/Spartans Football