Michigan State 2005 Season | Team Page	Select Conference ACC Big East Big Ten Big 12 Conference USA Independents MAC Mountain West Pac-10 SEC Sun Belt WAC Select Team

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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: John L. Smith (4th season, 18-18) 2005 record: 5-6 Big Ten finish: 2-6 (9th) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 20th (201.8 ypg) Passing: 11th (295.5 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 76th (164.6 ypg) Passing: 85th (244.9 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 Idaho Sept. 9 Eastern Michigan Sept. 16 at Pittsburgh Sept. 23 Notre Dame Sept. 30 Illinois Oct. 7 at Michigan Oct. 14 Ohio State Oct. 21 at Northwestern Oct. 28 at Indiana Nov. 4 Purdue Nov. 11 Minnesota Nov. 18 at Penn State Depth Chart: Offense 5 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 6 Matt Trannon Sr. 8 Devin Thomas So. WR 18 Terry Love Jr. 15 Kerry Reed Sr. SL 32 Jerramy Scott Sr. 4 Carl Grimes So. LT 66 Mike Gyetvai Jr. 68 Tom Kaczmarek So. LG 74 Kyle Cook Sr. 71 Kenny Shane Jr. C 54 John Masters Jr. 65 Joel Nitchman Fr. RG 73 Roland Martin So. 77 Dan Zynn Sr. RT 79 Jesse Miller So. 75 Pete Clifford Jr. TE 80 Kellen Freeman-Davis Jr. 81 Dwayne Holmes So. QB 5 Drew Stanton Sr. 7 Brian Hoyer So. RB 23 Javon Ringer So. 30 Jehuu Caulcrick Jr. Depth Chart: Defense 6 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 47 Brandon Long So. 94 Jonal Saint-Dic Jr. NG 17 David Stanton Sr. 99 Ogemdi Nwagbuo Jr. DT 92 Clifton Ryan Sr. 98 Bobby Jones Jr. DE 95 Justin Kershaw So. 93 Nick Smith Jr. WLB 41 David Herron Sr. 55 Adam Decker Fr. MLB 43 Kaleb Thornhill Jr. 49 Steven Juarez Sr. BAN 27 SirDarean Adams Jr. 26 Tom Dance So. CB 9 Demond Williams Sr. - Kendell Davis So. CB 29 Greg Cooper Sr. 37 Ross Weaver So. SS 3 Nehemiah Warrick Jr. 28 Michael Bell Jr. FS 21 Otis Wiley So. 33 Dan Fortener Fr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K - Brett Swenson Fr. P 8 Brandon Fields Sr. KR 9 Demond Williams Sr. PR 18 Terry Love Jr.

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John L. Smith was hired to lift Michigan State back into Big Ten title contention, at least occasionally. Heading into his fourth season with the Spartans, the well-paid Smith still seems at least a year away from thinking about a championship. But Michigan State has the goods to get back to a bowl game and maybe pull a stunner here and there.

"We are coming off the best spring we've ever had at Michigan State," says Smith. "We are getting better over there on defense. We are running to the ball better."

With a healthy Drew Stanton at quarterback, experienced receivers, proven running backs and a promising offensive line, the Spartans will be dangerous. The defense will not be great, but its depth has improved. This should curtail the wearing-down process, which had a hand in last year's nosedive after a 4-0 start and a No. 11 ranking.

"Michigan State has been known for beating teams they are not supposed to beat, and then losing games they shouldn't lose," says Stanton. "We want to erase that reputation and gain the type of consistency where we can win week-in and week-out."

Considering how well Michigan State played at times in 2005, it's not hard to visualize Stanton getting his wish. But consistency will not be achieved until the defense fixes all its leaks and a placekicker emerges. There is potential for both.

OFFENSE

With All-America candidate Stanton and quality skill personnel around him, the Spartans will be dangerous again. Stanton throws well on the run or in the pocket in Michigan State's potent spread offense. The senior intends to be more patient within the offense this year. In the past, he has forced throws in the red zone due, in part, to a struggling kicking game.

Stanton has a proven cast of wide receivers, led by Jerramy Scott, who needs only 40 catches to replace Andre Rison as the school's all-time leader. Kerry Reed, who had a team-high five touchdown catches last year, and massive target Matt Trannon bring size and toughness, while Terry Love is a quality burner in the short area.

Javon Ringer says he wasn't at 100 percent health when he rushed for 817 yards as a freshman, averaging a whopping 6.7 per carry. Now fully recovered from a high school knee injury, Ringer could prove to be as good as any ballcarrier in the Big Ten.

Jehuu Caulcrick rushed for 619 yards as a freshman in '04 and has bulked up beyond 250 pounds while maintaining nifty feet.

Three starters must be replaced on the offensive line, but the cupboard is not bare. First-year starters Roland Martin and Jesse Miller are promising on the right side. Senior Kyle Cook will be good at guard or center. Mike Gyetvai moves from right tackle to left tackle and is ready for a breakthrough. But the tight ends are not consistent blockers.

DEFENSE

The defensive line won't be the weakness it was last year, but it's not yet a strength. There still is no one who approaches the pass rush ability that Smith had on his Louisville teams.

Rush end Brandon Long is probably still a year away, while junior college transfer Ervin Baldwin could be the x-factor. Clifton Ryan moves from defensive end to defensive tackle, adding quickness to the interior.

Inside linebacker David Herron has a nose for the ball and can stuff the isolation play. There aren't many better in the Big Ten at running from sideline to sideline than Herron. Kaleb Thornhill is coming off knee and shoulder surgery, but he wasn't a savior even when he was healthy. Play-making SirDarean Adams has tremendous speed at the linebacker level, but is questionable at the point of attack in the front seven.

A revamped wrist card signal system should reduce the communication problems that foiled the pass defense last year, when the Spartan secondary was out of position on too many plays. Junior college transfer Nehemiah Warrick ran well and hit hard from the strong safety spot in the spring, while seniors Demond Williams and Greg Cooper are functional at cornerback.

SPECIALISTS

Michigan State place kickers made only 5-of-16 field goal attempts last year. Walk-on Todd Boleski showed 50-yard range in the spring, but much is expected from incoming freshman Brett Swenson. Punter Brandon Fields also has a great leg.

FINAL ANALYSIS

For a team that has been sub-.500 for two straight seasons, Michigan State does not need to tighten screws in many areas in order to make drastic gains. Michigan State is a placekicker and a pass rusher away from being in position to make significant noise in the Big Ten.

The fact that the Spartans are hoping for newcomers to provide immediate help in those areas doesn't bode well for their chances, but at least the wish list is not a long one. The offense will be electric again, and the Spartans will be quicker on defense.

Michigan State led Notre Dame by 21 in South Bend and won in overtime, was inside the 20 with a chance to put Ohio State down by two scores midway through the fourth quarter in Columbus, and has taken Michigan to overtime two straight years. The Spartans are not low on confidence, but Smith's teams have faded in the second half of seasons against lesser competition. A victory against the Fighting Irish, Wolverines or Buckeyes is possible. But in order to have a successful year, the Spartans must bear down in mid-October and not wear down or let down against Big Ten teams like Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota.