By DAVE DYE
FOX Sports Detroit
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Rebuilding Michigan State's football program has required overcoming many obstacles along the way in Mark Dantonio's four years as coach.
Next step: win a bowl game.
Dantonio's Spartans squads are 0-3 in bowls entering their New Year's Day game in the Capital One Bowl against Alabama in Orlando, Fla.
Michigan State lost to quarterback Matt Ryan and Boston College 24-21 in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, to quarterback Matt Stafford and Georgia 24-12 in the Capital One Bowl two seasons ago and to Texas Tech 41-31 in the Alamo Bowl last year.
Dantonio knows exactly what his team needs to celebrate a victory in its final game this time: make plays late in the game, just as they've done all season en route to an 11-1 record.
"We've played very tough bowl opponents," Dantonio said Friday. "In every game, we came to compete. In every game, we had a chance to win in the fourth quarter. That's what you're coaching for. You're trying to get the opportunity to win the game in the fourth quarter. At that point in time, you've got to make plays to win it.
"We've been able to do that this year. We've made plays in the fourth quarter to win football games."
Michigan State hasn't won a bowl game since 2001, when Bobby Williams was the coach during a 44-35 victory over Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Classic.
Williams is now an assistant at Alabama, coaching the tight ends and special teams.
After being snubbed for a BCS bowl bid, a victory over the defending national champion Crimson Tide would do wonders for the Spartans' reputation.
"How important would that be to our football program?" said Dantonio, whose team is ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll. "I think if we win, should we win, when we win, based on how everything shakes out, we're going to be probably about a top-five football team in this country. I think that makes a big statement for Michigan State and where we're going with this program.
"This is not the end here. This is sort of the middle of the road, something we've accomplished after four years of hard work. It will continue to just push us forward."
Dantonio has been on the road frequently in recent weeks, to preview the bowl game with a trip to Orlando and also for recruiting visits.
He met up with Alabama coach Nick Saban during the Orlando trip. Dantonio was a defensive backs coach on Saban's staff at Michigan State from 1995-99.
"It's very busy when you go to those things," Dantonio said of his reunion with Saban. "You're together about five minutes without anybody around you. It's 'Hey, how you doin', how's the family?'
"I have tremendous respect for Nick as a coach, organizer. I wouldn't be standing here at this podium as the head football coach at Michigan State had I not been hired by Nick. I feel very, very good about our relationship, look for him for guidance throughout my career.
"But this is not about Nick Saban vs. Mark Dantonio. This is about Michigan State vs. Alabama."
Dantonio expects to get a bump in recruiting from the surprising 11-win season.
From what he's seen in recent weeks, that is happening, Dantonio said.
"It's been a big positive," he said. "We've got some great visits coming up with some outstanding football players that are sort of national-type recruits. That's very exciting. I do feel like momentum is changing."
For Dantonio, it has been a whirlwind of a season. He suffered a heart attack shortly after an overtime victory against Notre Dame in mid-September, missed two games and came back to lead the Spartans to their first Big Ten title in two decades.
Dantonio, however, indicated he hasn't had much time for reflection yet and probably won't until after recruiting wraps up in early February.
"It's been a unique season, to say the least," Dantonio said. "That's been interesting. I don't think we've had a season like this where all things have sort of gone in one direction on the field, for the most part. We've had adversity off the field. It's been a good season, and blessed. I want to thank everybody for their prayers for this football team, for this particular coach and our coaching staff and everything we've done.
"I really haven't had too much time to reflect other than a game like the Penn State game. We reflected a little bit over Thanksgiving."
And then it was time to go searching for more recruits to keep this turnaround moving in the right direction.
Now it's time to start focusing on Alabama, with an opportunity to validate their season and show the nation the Spartans really were worthy of a BCS bid.
Dec. 17, 2010
