Michigan State seeks rebound season

CHICAGO -- Nearly every season a top Big Ten contender suffers close, excruciating defeats and spends the offseason brooding about  hypothetical situations.

That's what Michigan State's players and coaches did on their summer vacation. The Spartans entered last season as league favorites but lost five Big Ten games by a combined 13 points. They all were in painful fashion.

Michigan State gave up a late lead and lost in double overtime to Iowa. Michigan kicked a last-second field goal in a 12-10 victory, and Northwestern also won on a last-minute field goal. A 63-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter gave Ohio State a 17-16 win.

The Spartans' most difficult loss to accept came against Nebraska. The Spartans led 24-14 in the fourth quarter and cornerback Darqueze Dennard returned an intercepted Taylor Martinez pass for a touchdown. It was called back for a personal foul. Later, Dennard was whistled for a questionable pass interference penalty on Nebraska's game-winning drive.

"It was a play here, a play there. A call here, a call there," Michigan State senior linebacker Max Bullough said. "Whether it was a call that was justified or not, or whether it was a play that went our way or went the other team's way, it's just the way it went."

The Spartans did pull out their own magic to become bowl eligible. Michigan State scored a touchdown with 1:08 left to tie Wisconsin and ultimately beat the Badgers in overtime. Michigan State also held off TCU 17-16 to claim the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

"Last year we thought we could save the season and then we did, we ended up 7-6, which was much better than the other way around," Bullough said. "But it's tough to go through a year like that.

"I think it's created an edge for us this off-season. I want to prove ourselves again. I want people to not forget about Michigan State. 'Oh crap, we're playing Michigan State this week.'"

There's reason to believe the Spartans can rebound and compete. First, the schedule lightens up. The Spartans replace Big Ten champion Wisconsin and unbeaten but bowl-ineligible Ohio State (20 combined wins) with Purdue and Illinois (eight combined wins).

Michigan State led the Big Ten in defense by a whopping 34 yards per game last year and returns two first-team all-Big Ten defenders in Bullough and Dennard. Defensive end Marcus Rush, linebacker Denicos Allen and safety Isaiah Lewis also were league honorees. In all seven defensive starters return, as does all-Big Ten punter Mike Sadler.

But offense is why the Spartans failed in most tight situations, and question marks remain. Michigan State's enigmatic attack ranked ninth in yards per game and 10th in scoring but was first in time of possession. Quarterback Andrew Maxwell was third in yards per game but failed to crack the top 10 in passer efficiency.

The unit's only three offensive players garnering all-Big Ten mentions -- RB Le'Veon Bell, TE Dion Sims, G Chris McDonald -- all left the squad. There's inexperience at running back and tight end to go along with a quarterback battle between Maxwell and Connor Cook.

The Spartans no longer are replacing a three-year starter at quarterback like last season. Both Maxwell (13 starts) and Cook (17 passes) have experience. That's why Coach Mark Dantonio said his team's quarterback position enters the season much stronger.

"Right now Andrew is our No. 1 quarterback," Dantonio said. "He's got a great deal of experience and a lot of confidence right now. With that said, Connor Cook has played as everybody knows, and I think that's a big positive for us."

Also, offensive coordinator Dan Roushar left to coach running backs for the New Orleans Saints.  Jim Bollman, who previously worked with Dantonio at Michigan State and Ohio State, left his job as Purdue's offensive line coach after 30 days to join the Spartans.

"He brings a tremendous feeling of security, I guess, in terms of knowing him as a person, knowing his credibility and his character, first of all, and then also knowing what he knows as a football coach," Dantonio said. "He's been an offensive coordinator at the highest level."

Through the chaos of last season, the team stayed together, Bullough said. That's what gives him hope this year could have a different finish for the Spartans.

"It wasn't as much calling guys out, it wasn't as much arguing between the two, offense and defense units," Bullough said. "It was more just frustration as a team that we couldn't get the wins. There were times we didn't close out the games we should have closed out. They didn't do their job in other situations. It kind of went both ways."

"We really want to prove ourselves again. I think that's how I think about it. I want to prove ourselves and let everyone know that we're a team to be reckoned with, we're a team you don't want to play. The only way to do that is by winning. That's where my motivation comes from."