In just his second season as head coach, Mark Dantonio has led the Michigan State football program to its best season since 1999. The Spartans finished with a 9-4 record and an appearance in a New Year's Day bowl. This is also the first time the Spartans have appeared in a bowl in consecutive years since doing so from 1995-97. With the 2009 season on the horizon, the Spartans are looking to improve upon last season and continue to rebuild the program. Everything starts with the incoming freshmen, and according to http://rivals.com MSU has one of its best classes in years with a ranking inside the the top 20 in the nation. With some holes to fill left from last years team, it is possible we could see some of the new players on the field right away. Undoubtedly the leader of the team is Junior linebacker Greg Jones, who is virtually a lock to be voted to one of the team captain positions by his teammates. However, the hot topic surrounding this years team is the ongoing battle between Junior quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol. Some might say Cousins has a slight edge because of his one extra year with the team and with the offensive system, but if the spring game is any indication, the battle is far from over. Cousins and Nichol each threw for 357 yards and 4 touchdowns. The battle will continue in the fall, but if it continues the way it has, Dantonio says he is willing to make the decision a game or two into the season. The Spartans kick of their 2009 campaign hosting Montana State on September 5, at 12:00 pm. More information can be found at http://msuspartans.com.
In just his second season as head coach, Mark Dantonio has led the Michigan State football program to its best season since 1999. The Spartans finished with a 9-4 record and an appearance in a New Year's Day bowl. This is also the first time the Spartans have appeared in a bowl in consecutive years since doing so from 1995-97. With the 2009 season on the horizon, the Spartans are looking to improve upon last season and continue to rebuild the program. Everything starts with the incoming freshmen, and according to http://rivals.com MSU has one of its best classes in years with a ranking inside the the top 20 in the nation. With some holes to fill left from last years team, it is possible we could see some of the new players on the field right away. Undoubtedly the leader of the team is Junior linebacker Greg Jones, who is virtually a lock to be voted to one of the team captain positions by his teammates. However, the hot topic surrounding this years team is the ongoing battle between Junior quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol. Some might say Cousins has a slight edge because of his one extra year with the team and with the offensive system, but if the spring game is any indication, the battle is far from over. Cousins and Nichol each threw for 357 yards and 4 touchdowns. The battle will continue in the fall, but if it continues the way it has, Dantonio says he is willing to make the decision a game or two into the season. The Spartans kick of their 2009 campaign hosting Montana State on September 5, at 12:00 pm. More information can be found at http://msuspartans.com.
