Michigan State Offensive Line Coach Mark Staten Opens Up About the Spartan Woes!
The Michigan State Spartans will step out of Big Ten play and face BYU at 3:30pm this Saturday at home. The Spartans are coming off a two week losing streak, and are looking to regain some confidence, starting with a victory. Offensive line coach, Mark Staten discussed his insight on the offensive line unit and the Indiana loss.
Having the right offensive line combination is not about searching for a combination but simply having the right players at the right position. The rotation can change week from week, each player is evaluated throughout practice, and after evaluation Staten will select an appropriate rotation for the upcoming game. For the squad it’s less about what the mistakes are, but more when the mistakes are happening. Staten explains: “Sometimes the ball bounces to you and sometimes it bounces away from you, and it seems like it has been bouncing away from us more often right now.”
Following the game Saturday, Staten stressed the expectations he has of Higby so he can continue throughout the season successfully. Dennis Finley isn’t that much closer to game play, he is dragging slightly physically and mentally, and it needs to click before he can go out and perform again. Kodi Kieler has played an important role on the line this season with his flexibility and wiliness to move about from position to position. On Kieler, “The technique might not always be great. He continually works at the technique because he is going 105-110 percent…”. Staten found that Beedle was exposed this past weekend, and the defense found a way to use his flaws against him. However, plan to see him on and off at left tackle, or possibly left guard against BYU.
Overall, the Indiana defense surprised the offensive line and were able to penetrate the inside. Staten believes the Spartans played slightly weak on the inside and were taken a bit back by the defensive swings. He added this note: “I think overall, we’re playing well enough to win, but not consistent enough to win.”
