Want to play Michigan State? Dantonio says team is 'game ready'
There's more than two weeks to go until Michigan State's spring game and coach Mark Dantonio already thinks his Spartans are ready for a game.
It's a bold proclamation, especially for a team awaiting its first scrimmage of the spring. We're more likely to hear statements similar to Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher's from earlier in the week than coaches ready for fall to begin. Dantonio credits the return of over half his team's starters from 2014.
"I know this, that we could go out and play a game tomorrow," Dantonio said via SpartanMag.com. "We're going to make mistakes, but we are game ready because we practice enough, we do enough things from a live stand point, we tackle enough. We do the things that we need to do. When we hit the field we are moving, and we have a lot of guys with experience back."
Two of the starting positions MSU needs to fill are at in the defensive backfield. Cornerback Trae Waynes, expected to be an early-round pick in the NFL draft, and safety Kurtis Drummond, a first-team All-American in 2014, are both gone.
However, Dantonio has liked what he's seen from the defensive backfield so far. It's got to be a nice confidence boost given that Michigan State is in what's perhaps the biggest game of the first few weeks. Oregon travels to Michigan State on September 12. In 2014, the Spartans lost 46-27 on the road to the Ducks.
"Jermaine Edmonson is playing very well, [Demetrious] Cox bounces out there [to cornerback]," Dantonio said. "Arjen [Colquhoun] has been solid. Both of those guys are having a good spring. Vayante Copeland is a guy that is playing very solid. He's got to get his weight down, and it's coming. But I think he has great things in store for him as a defensive back here at Michigan State. He's a great tackler, he has great ball skills. He's firm at the point of attack. He's sudden and explosive."
For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!