ShareThisANN ARBOR, Mich. - If anyone should be credited with creating a method to marginalize Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, it's Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio.
Robinson could not be stopped in the first five games of the 2010 season, using his arm and speed to vault himself into Heisman Trophy consideration -- and bring the unbeaten Wolverines into the top 25. Opposing defensive coordinators failed to devise a good plan to stop Robinson, or if they did, they lacked the personnel to carry it out.
Then Michigan State popped up on the schedule, and Robinson was never the same after that 17-point loss at home. He was intercepted three times, gained just seven yards per completion and failed to reach 100 rushing yards for the first time all season. Michigan won just two more games after its 5-0 start, and Robinson's decline in production mirrored his team's slide.
So what's the trick to rendering Robinson human? Dantonio might have the answer.
"You have to tackle him in space if he gets on the run," said Dantonio, whose Spartans face Robinson and No. 11 Michigan on Saturday in East Lansing. "You have to cover well downfield. You have to make him go to his secondary receivers, and you have to be able to keep him corralled, which is a lot easier said than done. We were able to do that somewhat last year. This year's a new year, so we have to make sure we have great attention to detail and that we're responsibility oriented in terms of everybody has to handle their job."
Against No.23 MSU (4-1, 1-0), Robinson will try to figure out a way to execute against the nation's No. 1-rated defense. The Spartans are allowing just 173.4 yards per game, gobbling up bad offenses like Central Michigan (88th nationally), Ohio State (105) and Florida Atlantic (118).
MSU allowed only 275 yards in a 31-13 loss at Notre Dame. In its most recent game two weeks ago, it held Ohio State to 0.9 yards per rush and posted a shutout for the first 59:50 of the game before the Buckeyes scored a meaningless touchdown with 10 seconds to go.
"This game's going to be won up-front," Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges said. "I don't think there's any question about that."
MSU's defensive front has caused chaos for opposing teams, and Borges knows Robinson and his skilled players won't have a good game unless the line is successful against the guys lined up across from them, such as standout freshman Marcus Rush, all-Big Ten player Jerel Worthy and William Gholston, the top recruit in Michigan two years ago.
It isn't just coaching rhetoric when Borges speaks about the front line -- the team with more rushing yards has won 38 of the last 41 Michigan-Michigan State matchups.
If Robinson can't break out of his slump against the Spartans (he had minus-9 rushing yards as a freshman), Michigan will have trouble trying to end its three-game losing streak in the instate rivalry.
"They have a pretty high potent offense, but defensively we've been playing pretty well," Dantonio said. "They've been playing pretty well as well. We'll find out."
(Contact Ryan Autullo at rautullo(at)theblade.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit the Toledo Blade
