Mark Dantonio Says Michigan State Now 'One Of The Hunted'
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Long considered the football afterthought to the in-state rival Michigan Wolverines, the Michigan State Spartans cemented themselves as perennial contenders in the Big Ten with a conference championship and Rose Bowl victory in 2013.
While the rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State has become rather one-sided in the last decade, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has no trouble maintaining intensity in preparation for the Wolverines.
"I continue to live in Michigan," Dantonio said. "That ought to do it."
Dantonio has worked for years to build the program in East Lansing, and with the Spartans so clearly on the rise, Michigan State has more than Michigan to worry about. Dantonio said handling success will be the next hurdle for the Spartans.
"I think the Big Ten Conference, you've always got attention coming your way," Dantonio said at Big Ten Media Day. "It's what you do with that and how you handle that, so what we've tried to talk about, really, is how do we handle success now? We've had success, we've gotten to a point where we've done some special things. What's our agenda next? How do we handle that success? And that's going to be really one of the biggest things we're going to have to deal with this year.
"I think we're a little bit more of the hunted," Dantonio added. "That's a good place to be, but it's also a very precarious place to be as well."
The coach took care to not elevate Michigan State above the other big names in the conferences, making sure to clarify that he classifies his team as one of the best in the conference versus the best.
"First of all, I termed ourselves one of the hunted, so I think that's important to recognize - not 'the hunted,'" Dantonio said. "We're not looking for any entitlement, anybody to put us up there. We'll get what we earn. Every game will be a challenge, beginning with our first game ... We've had a knack for winning football games these last couple years, but we've also taken a step back at times. It's important that we understand that we've done that.
"We've stuck our foot in the ground and driven forward when those things have happened. We found the inches last year," Dantonio continued. "We have to continue to find those inches and gain even more ground because respectability could fly right out the window on us. I understand that. It's what we've done lately that you're basically judged on. We continue to build our future as we move forward."
The secondary played a major role in Michigan State's success in 2013, and Dantonio said that group - nicknamed "No Fly Zone" - will need to handle success smartly as much as any other unit on the team.
"It's going to be interesting to see how we respond, and again, handling success moving forward, but our players did some tremendous things last year," Dantonio said. "I don't think I've ever been a place where we've had three players in the secondary be First-Team Big Ten or All-Conference ... Those guys, they were gifted, they knew what to do, they played fast, they made plays on the ball, tremendous asset."
