Michigan State notes: Mark Snyder takes DEs, Mike Tressel back with LBs
EAST LANSING – In Mark Dantonio’s silence since signing day on Feb. 1, Michigan State’s head coach has reconfigured his defensive coaching staff.
Dantonio said after Saturday’s spring scrimmage that he has reassigned Mark Snyder to coaching defensive ends and that co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel once again has reassumed duties coaching linebackers.
“I felt like at this point in time, he needed to take our defensive line because of the player-coach ratio,” Dantonio said of Snyder, who was brought in to coach linebackers and special teams for the 2015 season. “You know, what you have right now, you have so many run-pass option plays where there’s a run-pass conflict that the defensive ends really start to be coached differently than inside players. So I felt like we needed to go from a 15-to-1 ratio to more of a 7- or 8-to-1 ratio.”
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MSU started Auston Robertson and former walk-on Kenny Willekes at defensive end, while Robert Bowers, Mufi Hill-Hunt and Dillon Alexander all saw a number of snaps.
Ron Burton continues to coach defensive tackles. Raequan Williams and Gerald Owens got the start inside, but Mike Panasiuk and Naquan Jones both played extensively Saturday.
“They work collectively together, but they meet separately,” Dantonio said of Snyder and Burton’s groups. “What we’re seeing now from an offensive perspective demands that we coach differently.”
PLAYERS OUT: There were 15 players who did not dress for Saturday’s game (alphabetically): DL Drew Beesley, CB Josh Butler, DE Demetrius Cooper, WR Donnie Corley, WR Felton Davis III, QB Messiah deWeaver, DE Josh King, S Kenney Lyke, RB LJ Scott, CB Tyson Smith, WR Brandon Sowards, DT Kyonta Stallworth, S Demetric Vance, S Jalen Watts-Jackson and S Khari Willis.
Scott told The Associated Press on the field that he was not suspended or injured, though Dantonio confirmed what the junior-to-be had posted on social media shortly after the season about having two shoulder surgeries.
“We’re not going to play him this spring,” Dantonio said of his star running back. “He’s to the point where he’s physically maybe close to being ready.
Quarterback Damion Terry was the only one of 71 players who dressed and did not play, wearing a headset for the offense and calling signals. Dantonio said in December that the rising senior had a knee procedure after last season. Redshirt freshman Messiah deWeaver did not dress but also was on the sideline using a headset, and the Big Ten Network said he was injured. Brian Lewerke and Colar Kuhns were the only two quarterbacks who played.
MSU’s 86-player spring roster did not list which players were injured or suspended.
TWO-WAY THREATS: Justin Layne, who had moved to defense last year, played on both sides of the ball and caught two passes for 60 yards. Kaleel Gaines joined him at both wide receiver and cornerback.
YOUTH CLINIC: MSU announced 1,100 kids took part in this year’s youth clinic before the spring game. Last year, a record 1,817 children participated after 1,718 attended the previous year.
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari.