Did I dream this? The MSU-Iowa TV commentators never mentioned this, and I haven't see anything about it in any post game articles, but I thought Sparty blew the game. As I remember it, MSU took two unnecessary timeouts during their late touchdown drive. I even said to my wife, "They just insured that Iowa will have enough time to score." Considering Iowa won in the last two seconds, I thought they cost themselves the game. Am I remembering the events correctly?
Did MSU Blow It?
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SelectionSunday
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Sparty's biggest mistake in my opinion was going to the prevent D early on in Iowa's final drive. They had stuffed Iowa for pretty much the entire game, then went away from what had been successful. Not a fan of the prevent defense. Too often it prevents you from winning, and that was probably the case on Saturday.
You mean outside of the fact that the Iowa running back recovered it, stood up and handed it back to the ref??
Actually, they didn't go prevent at all. If anything, they went more aggressive. They blitzed just about every down on that drive. I'm totally stunned that they left their cornerback #29 in single coverage against the Iowa WRs with no cushion that entire drive. #29 had a rough night. MSU sent three men on a blitz on the TD play to end the game. It was the opposite of prevent defense, frankly.
They took their final timeout right after the hook and lateral play where the guy ran out of bounds, so the clock was stopped anyway. At that point there was 1:49 left in the game, ball on the IA 30 yard line. One incompletion and one TD pass later and Sparty scores with 1:37 left.
It amazed me that they looked at the play 4 times on the telecast, had a timeout to talk about it and never mentioned that the Iowa guy recovered it and a review would have been a waste of time.
The biggest mistake was giving the same look on third down as they did on 4th down. Iowa ran the same play, quick look expecting blitz, beat the one on one coverage inside and score. If they dropped everyone there, the throwing lane may not have been open.
Second biggest mistake was not mugging the receiver once the corner was beat.
That was a heck of a finish.
Iceland12
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If you can see a replay of the game go to the second to last play of the game. There are five seconds on the clock. Watch the clock as the Iowa QB takes the snap and back pedals. He gets into throwing position and the clock is on four seconds!
Now the game was at MSU so it can't be called a home field clock and the TV clock isn't official but presumably it was in line with the official time at the start of the play.
I'm just saying.....
SelectionSunday
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Unless I'm interpreting them incorrectly, the quotes I read Dantonio acknowledges they went to the prevent defense, certainly for the first part of Iowa's final drive (which was my point) when they picked up huge chunks of yardage.
"It's just very chaotic, the last two minutes, and you don't want them to hit anything deep on you," Dantonio said.
In the postgame on BTN, DiNardo (as a former head coach in the Big 10 he knows a heck of a lot more than I do) said the same thing as well. He said they started the drive in the prevent but went away from it after Iowa's early big-gainers.
Either way, I think Dantonio's a terrific coach. Tough loss in Spartyland.
"It's just very chaotic, the last two minutes, and you don't want them to hit anything deep on you," Dantonio said.
In the postgame on BTN, DiNardo (as a former head coach in the Big 10 he knows a heck of a lot more than I do) said the same thing as well. He said they started the drive in the prevent but went away from it after Iowa's early big-gainers.
Either way, I think Dantonio's a terrific coach. Tough loss in Spartyland.
DarrenTheGreek
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When Iowa got 1st and goal they ran 3 plays. For all of them, MSU had multiple defenders in the secondary. There were no lanes and all the passes went incomplete. When Iowa lined up on 4th down, MSU put every guy on the line of scrimmage. No LB's...No Safeties. All CB's were playing 1:1 man coverage. I said to my wife before the ball was snapped "touchdown, slant route". BOOM, that's just what happened. Dantonio should be ashamed for that horrific defensive formation on the last play.
Yes, I think you're correct. Early in that drive I think they did rush only 3. Once they got down to the 30 yard line, then they started dialing up the blitzes.
And, I agree, Dantonio is terrific. I was marveling at the absolute disgust he had for that loss. If you watched him right at the end of the game, it literally looked like he was ready to vomit. I mean it tore him up. I like that fire.
If you can see a replay of the game go to the second to last play of the game. There are five seconds on the clock. Watch the clock as the Iowa QB takes the snap and back pedals. He gets into throwing position and the clock is on four seconds!
Now the game was at MSU so it can't be called a home field clock and the TV clock isn't official but presumably it was in line with the official time at the start of the play.
I'm just saying.....
Dantonio himself checked the timing while watching the tape with a stopwatch. He said there wasn't any sort of error. http://noise.typepad.com/hey_joe/2009/10/dantonio-on-iowa.html