EAST LANSING – Michigan State University concluded its 10th spring practice on a warm and breezy Tuesday morning.
The sunny setting included a notable post-test reset. After playing their first full scrimmage with their new staff and roster on Saturday, the Spartans saw clear footage that reminded them of what they need to improve on.
“I thought they ran to the ball well and were physical,” defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Joe Rossi said of Tuesday's scrimmage. “I saw some good individual plays, but I also saw plays that needed improvement and adjustments.
“For us, our process is to look at that scrimmage and see what we can learn from it. If we're wrong, where can we improve, how can we be better? Take in all the information you can and apply it to your practice today.”
Michigan State began spring practice under new coach Jonathan Smith on March 19 with a live period, but Saturday was the first extended practice in that environment. The scrimmage spanned more than 80 plays, defensive line coach Regi Souianoa said. So what did he like about it?
“I’m really, really glad we got to scrimmage,” Suianoa said with a laugh. “Obviously, some guys were a little off early in the scrimmage. Just go out there and just play football and see what they can do live. No coaches, no scripts. . They're just playing. I really liked that part.”
Suianoa is one of six assistant coaches Smith brought in from Oregon State, and the Spartans have new coordinators in all three phases of the game. It's been more than three months since he had a full staff, and the roster is pretty much set as of late, but he still has a lot of new plans to work on. Going live will change things for the staff, with him being the only assistant back on set.
“I think it puts some pressure on the players,” Rossi said of the scrimmage. “We have practices, first downs, second downs, everything goes according to the script. When we get to the scrimmage, it feels more like a real game, where you put the ball down and play.
“It's not entirely a game, but sometimes you take it for granted as a player. When you get into a situation like that, you learn some of the basics that might have been there when you were in a more controlled environment. that they may now have forgotten or overlooked. The more we can put them in that situation, the better.”
Michigan State's roster is expected to be a mix of veterans in their seventh year of college to true freshman early enrollees on their way out of high school. In between, some have spent time with previous staff and are now adapting to different roles.
“Everyone was playing fast, everyone was playing hard,” sophomore defensive end Jaylen Thompson said of the scrimmage. “The defense was working on it. We had a good day.”
The scrimmage was closed to the public and the media, and it's unclear what happened that entire day aside from clips posted by the program on social media. Only defensive coaches and players were able to speak to reporters Tuesday, but there was some talk about the other side of the ball as well. It's no surprise that quarterback Aidan Childs, who transferred from Oregon State after his true freshman season and is expected to be the starter, was drafted.
“I would definitely go with Aidan,” said sixth-year senior defensive end Chris Bogle, calling Chiles a standout from scrimmage. A big quarterback, he likes to run a little bit and can throw the ball down the field. ”
Michigan State is in its final two weeks of spring practice, and fans will get their first look at the new team at the “Spring Showcase” on April 20 (2 p.m.) at Spartan Stadium. This will also be the team's last public game before returning without fans ahead of fall training.
“After that scrimmage, we had a little bit better idea of what our players can do for the most part,” Suianoa said. I fixed it before I took the pads off in the summer and went to the actual race. ”
