Edwin Baker celebrates MSU’s win over Minnesota, and deservedly so.
I watched the game on some covert, streaming peer-to-peer pirate website which was great and awful at the same time. It was great that I could watch the game, and I was very glad for that. It was awful because it was very lo-res, choppy and somebody somewhere kept changing the channel to check in on other games. I guess beggars can’t be choosers.
So, let’s hear it for Edwin Baker. Baker scored all four MSU TDs.
He had 179 of the Spartans 189 rushing yards all by himself.
He was scrappy, explosive and you could tell he just wanted it more than anyone else on the field. I’m a big Edwin Baker fan.
Le’Veon Bell couldn’t seem to make anything happen against the Gophers, which was a disappointment. I think Bell is going to be great, but he is a bit hit-or-miss against tougher Big Ten schools. Bennie Fowler looked good, and Larry Caper was barely visible as a runner and seems more effective as a receiver. The three-headed running back monster seems to morphing in to just Edwin Baker.
Kirk Cousins looked good but not great. He was 9 for 20 for 131 yards passing. It didn’t seem like Kirk has the poise of past games, and his confidence might be a bit shaken after three picks last week. He did throw one pick, but I’ll excuse it since it was tipped. B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell both had some nice catches.
The Spartan Defense looked tough and solid. Greg Jones and Co. held the Gophers to only 76 yards rushing and one TD in the fourth quarter. Jerel Worthy is a tough hombre. I would have nightmares if I was a QB facing #99 next week.
Granted, the Golden Gophers are not having a great year. Their coach was fired and they 1-9 overall, 0-6 in conference. At the same time, they are not all together awful either. They’ve got some quality players and can be dangerous on any given play. I’m glad the Spartans dispatched them without too much trouble, but I’m not gushing by any means.
Aaron Bates continues to impress with his punting averaging 41.7 yards per. And I bet every team pauses for a moment to ponder if he’s just going to haul off and throw a first down. You know the seed is planted.
If the MSU game was a little boring, the Michigan game was completely bananas. It was beautiful in it’s calamity. Both offenses were on fire. Both defenses were ice cold. I was most surprised by Illinois. I didn’t think their offense was THAT good, or that their defense was THAT bad. They rose/sunk to the level of their competition. The Wolverines offense has been pretty spectacular most of the season. And that is where it all ends. A 1-D team in a 3-D world. In the triple overtime finish, the Fighting Illini failed on the two-point conversion, and the Wolverines win 67-65 and finally end their three-game in-conference losing streak. Maybe RichRod’s seat cooled slightly after the win, but who knows. Michigan is 6-3 and bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. They still have to face Purdue on the road, Wisconsin at home, and then The Game at the Shoe. I predict UofM loses all three, but Purdue is the big question.
Notre Dame had a bye, so no new news. They’re 4-5 and they face a Utah team that got smacked in the mouth against TCU. I bet Utah comes back madder than hell and the Irish lose another one at home. Like UofM, I’ve got ND going 6-6.
The Spartans are off next week with a well-deserved break. I’m hoping to see a fired-up, healed-up, fueled-up Spartan team take on the Boilermakers Nov. 20th in East Lansing. I think the time off will do them some good. You’re 9-1 boys, and that’s pretty dang awesome.
I don’t know what the BCS will do (who does), but the AP and USA Today both put MSU at #10.
#10 is better then I expected after beating Minnesota, but if feels good to be there after #14/#16 last week.
Other AP rankings in the Big Ten:
- Wisconsin moves up to #7 from #9.
- Ohio State hangs at #8.
- Iowa moves up from #15 to #13.
- Almost-Big Ten school Nebraska hangs at #9.
Happy to be back in the top ten! Now, what will the BCS do?
Nice work this week Spartans. Take a breather, you’ve earned it. We’ll see you in two weeks. GO GREEN!
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