RSS
Home
Was it experience or talent that sealed Michigan State's fate at the last second against No. 6 Iowa?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
It was almost too hard to watch. After seeing Michigan State fall early in the season to beatable teams and in such disappointing fashion (some by as close as 3 points or less), this weekend's display became too much to handle for many Spartan fans.
With only a few seconds left, Michigan State had an opportunity to upset the No. 6 team in the country, Iowa, and move into the top rankings in the Big Ten and join the ranks of the best in the country. It all came down to one forth down play and a talented quarterback who gave his team a sporting chance for a play in the end zone.
A stellar Spartan defense, after keeping the Hawkeyes out of the end zone for much of the game, let up one play, but it was all Iowa needed. Once again, the Spartan faithful watched as their hopes were crushed in the final moments of a game losing to Iowa 15-13 going to 4-4 overall and falling 3-2 in the Big Ten.
This season has been particularly hard for Spartan fans in the final moments and it begs the question: What's going wrong in those last-minute plays?
Last season, Michigan State had two games in particular where they pulled the upsets and gave the fan base a surge of energy. Now it just seems like all the energy has just been sucked out of this team. In the final seconds during the Wisconsin and Iowa games last year, the Spartans kicked a field goal for a win and robbed the lead in another as time ran out. What's the difference now? Well, experience could certainly be called into play. Many of the Spartan stars last year (Javon Ringer, Brian Hoyer, Otis Wiley) were seniors and this season's squad is relatively inexperienced with young athletes at quarterback, running back and a number on the defensive end as well. The blame can not squarely rest on any one of these players shoulders as many of them, especially on defense, played liked a team who'd been working together for years. Stopping Iwoa offensively would be tough for any team this year and the Spartans managed to do that until the final play of the game.
So is the problem talent? Again, many players displayed abilities that even some of last year's stars could not handle. While Brian Hoyer will not likely go down as an all-star MSU quarterback, Kirk Cousins led his team like a true captain and helped to keep the offense on the field against what many consider to be on of the best defenses in the country.
So what is the answer for these last second losses? Why are Spartan fans repeatedly being subjected to this heartbreak? It's most likely a combination of the reasons stated above. This year's squad may not be the most talented, but they're talented enough and while there are moments that their youth shows a bit, it's certainly not costing them all their defeats. Michigan State is in a transition year and in the years to come, there will be moments of glory resembling the 2008 season victories once again. In the mean time, it may be tough, but the season is not over and the Spartans can still attain victory.
"Iowa's a great team and we stuck with them the whole time," said junior linebacker Eric Gordon. "We're right up there in the country. We just need to finish these games. It's not a difference in talent or anything. We just need to finish."
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
