1. The coaching staff is to blame for this loss
Yes, we know, the offensive line and safeties were the two major issues in this one and if those two groups played better, Michigan State would have come away with a victory on Saturday.
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However, the coaching staff played a bigger factor in the outcome than people want to admit. Mark Dantonio was out-coached by Herm Edwards, flat-out.
A head coach who hasn’t been in the college ranks in a couple of decades out-coached a guy who has 101 wins in 11 years as the head coach of Michigan State along with six 10-win seasons. That’s not something you want to hear as Dantonio enters his 12th season with the program.
Late in the game, clock management was horrid. Moreover, play-calling was simple and predictable and instead of scoring one more time to put the game away, the staff called plays that pushed the Spartans backwards and forced them into punting situations.
And that offensive line. I mean, adjustments should have been made in-game to fix the woes up front. There has to be someone who can protect Brian Lewerke back there or open holes in the run game.
Everything about the second-half meltdown was on the coaches and that’s a tough pill to swallow.