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ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 24, ISSUE 6 101 f Big Shoes To Fill I f Michigan State is to repli- cate its Rose Bowl season of a year ago, it might have to do so in com- pletely different fashion. The offense, at least early, could have to lead the way, while the de- fense, one of the best in the coun- try last season, re- loads. But even if that's the case, the Spartans could be very good, ranking among the favor- ites in the Big Ten East Division. Why? Quarterback Connor Cook excelled toward the end of last season, when Michigan State won 13 games, in- cluding the Rose Bowl over Stanford; senior Jeremy Langford is back after a 1,422-yard rushing season; and the receiving corps is deep and talented. "The offense is going to be explo- sive," said Paul Konyndyk, the associ- ate editor at SpartanMag.com, the Ri- vals.com site that covers MSU. "That was apparent throughout the spring. Those guys are going to be able to score a lot of points." Cook, a junior, had his ups and down during his first season as the Spartans' starter, but more ups during the last half of the year. He passed for nearly 2,800 yards with 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He could be better in '14, with receiving options like Tony Lippett, Keith Mumphery, and Macgarrett King, Jr. Although he was suspended in the spring, King is expected to return for this season. Michigan State has to replace three starters in its offensive line, but hold- overs Jack Conklin (left tackle) and Jack Allen (center) could be All-Big Ten performers. They'll block for Langford, a 6-foot, 210-pounder who scored 18 rushing touchdowns in 2013. "He's going to be a workhorse back there," Konyndyk said. Coach Mark Dantonio's defense ranked third nationally in scoring last season, allowing only 13.2 points per game, and was No. 2 in total yardage, giving up 252.2 each Saturday. But several key pieces of that D, including linebackers Max Bullough (13-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten, 1st Legends) Date Opponent . . . . . . . . . Results 8/30 W. MICHIGAN. . . . . . . W, 26-13 9/7 SOUTH FLORIDA . . . . . W, 21-6 9/14 YOUNGSTOWN ST . . . W, 55-17 9/21 at Notre Dame . . . . . . L, 13-17 10/5 at Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . W, 26-14 10/12 INDIANA . . . . . . . . . . . W, 42-28 10/19 PURDUE . . . . . . . . . . . . W, 14-0 10/26 at Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . W, 42-3 11/2 MICHIGAN . . . . . . . . . . W, 29-6 11/16 at Nebraska . . . . . . . . W, 41-28 11/23 at Northwestern . . . . . . W, 30-6 11/30 MINNESOTA . . . . . . . . . W, 14-3 12/7 vs. Ohio State^. . . . . . W, 34-24 1/1 vs. Stanford* . . . . . . . W, 24-21 ^ Big Ten Championship, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis * Rose Bowl Who's in Charge? COACH MARK DANTONIO Record at Michigan State: 64-29 (seven seasons) Record vs. Purdue: 5-0 Michigan State Connor Cook settled Michigan State's quarterback situation last season, and now is one of the reasons why Spartan fans have high hopes in 2014. Michigan State Spartans 2014 OPPONENT PREVIEW • OCT. 11 • ROSS-ADE STADIUM • TIME: TBA • TV: TBD Date Opponent 8/29 JACKSONVILLE ST 9/6 at Oregon 9/20 E. MICHIGAN 9/27 WYOMING 10/4 NEBRASKA 10/11 at Purdue 10/18 at Indiana 10/25 MICHIGAN 11/8 OHIO STATE 11/15 at Maryland 11/22 RUTGERS 11/29 at Penn State 2013 RESULTS 2014 SCHEDULE EARLY LINE: MICHIGAN STATE -17 Combined career statistics for the departed Darqueze Dennard, Demicos Allen, Max Bollough and Isaiah Lewis, who led the Spartans to the No. 2 total defense in the FBS in 2013. "Got to love the Spartans. They're on a roll defensively. Six starters are gone, but this is a well-oiled machine. Pat Narduzzi, the best defensive coordinator maybe in America, is going to have a terrific line. And quarterback Connor Cook may not be the best, but he is in the top three. The line is a big question to watch, but it is all right there for the Spartans to be the favorite in the East." — Tom Dienhart, Big Ten Network TOM'S TAKE 971 91.5 28.5 22 tackles tackles for loss sacks interceptions