Bowl season could not have gotten off to a worse start for the Michigan State Spartans. Ahead of its Jan. 2 game against Texas Tech in the Valero Alamo Bowl, nine players have been charged with assault and conspiracy in connection with a Nov. 22 fight at a campus residence hall.
All of the players who have been connected to the incident have either been suspended or dismissed from the team, and will not play in the bowl game. Three of the players charged, Mark Dell, B.J. Cunningham, and Chris L. Rucker, are starters.
The season has already been disappointing for the Spartans, whose was marred by inconsistent play. And while they’ll face an equally inconsistent team in the Red Raiders, head coach Mike Leach will have a healthy, rested team to prepare for possibly the first time this season. Dell was an integral part of the Michigan State offense, and it’s tough to see how it will be able to keep up with Texas Tech’s explosive aerial attack without him.
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 10:46 pm by Raj Sethi
The Michigan State Spartans, ravaged by suspensions stemming from an on-campus fight recently, may be like pigs led out to slaughter as they meet Texas Tech’s offensive juggernaut in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2.
The Spartans ranked 96th in pass efficiency defense, 103rd in pass defense, and allowed 29 touchdown passes on the season… and that was before having two players kicked off the team and another eight suspended after they were involved in a fight at a campus dorm.
Three of the suspended players were starters: defensive back Chris L. Rucker and wide receivers B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell.
While the Spartans still keep Blair White, their best receiver, he will likely receive extra attention without Cunningham providing the Spartans a legitimate No. 2 threat at the receiver position. That could spell trouble for Spartans QB Kirk Cousins, who doesn’t have much of a run game to fall back on.
Texas Tech, on the other hand, likely won’t be let down by their offense in this game. Despite losing Michael Crabtree and QB Graham Harrell from last season, QB Taylor Potts has stepped into coach Mike Leach’s offense admirably, and the Red Raiders don’t look like they’ve lost a step.
Texas Tech averaged 36.7 points per game this season, which likely spells trouble for a beleaguered Michigan State team whose ranks are suddenly depleted by 10.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 9:06 pm by bryan
