Thursday, September 29, 2005

John T. Greilick / The Detroit News The News' Dave Dye, who covers MSU, had no chance against Michigan beat writer Angelique S. Chengelis in NCAA Football 2006.

Michigan clobbers MSU -- in virtual world

By Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News

John T. Greilick / The Detroit News Michigan held Michigan State's powerful offense to 31 total yards in a 26-0 victory. Related links  NCAA football scores and stats Big Ten Talk Big Ten Weblog U-M schedule U-M roster U-M stats Big Ten schedule Big Ten standings Big Ten stats AP Top-25 poll USA Today / ESPN Top-25 poll Sports Challenge: Pick the college winners weekly, win prizes Game photo galleries U-M 33, N. Illinois 17 Notre Dame 17, U-M 10 U-M 55, EMU 0 Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

During a meeting of two great football minds and video-game neophytes, the game, Michigan vs. Michigan State, was put to the test on video this week.

Dave Dye, a veteran reporter who covers the Spartans for The News, should keep his day job. His challenger -- that would be me, the Wolverines' beat writer -- clearly has Division I coaching potential.

In my coaching debut, playing EA Sports NCAA Football 2006, Michigan defeated Michigan State, 26-0, and the Spartans' running game was snuffed for negative yardage

Unprepared, undisciplined, unmotivated.

These are not the traits one would want for his school's head coach.

Sadly, Spartan fans, Dye buckled under the pressure and was weakened by my trash-talking, not to mention my well-executed blitzes.

Michigan gained 233 yards of offense.

Michigan State, with the nation's third-best offense in real life, was held to 31 yards in video-game life. The Spartans were 0-for-7 in third-down situations and had three fumbles.

Go ahead, blame Dye.

He's just lucky that because executing place-kicking was so perplexing, Michigan missed two field-goal attempts and an extra-point attempt.

Michigan tailback Mike Hart, apparently well over an injured left hamstring that forced him to miss nearly three games, was outstanding. He scored the game's first points on a 72-yard run and finished with 24 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

The Chengelis-coached Wolverines led 13-0 at halftime, thanks to a late Steve Breaston touchdown. The Dye-coached Spartans looked confused and could never get their well-oiled offense going.

MSU quarterback Drew Stanton, being mentioned among Heisman Trophy contenders, lost a good deal of credibility, mainly because the Michigan defense was swarming and unrelenting.

Actually, Dye just didn't know which buttons to push. Stanton finished 8-of-15 for 67 yards.

Again, blame Dye, Spartans fans.

The Wolverines, under my direction, were seamless in their offensive execution, mixing pass and run effectively. Tight end Tim Massaquoi added an 8-yard touchdown reception from Chad Henne, and Hart rushed for his second score.

So, how does all of this translate to Saturday's game at Spartan Stadium?

It doesn't, except that we should stick to our day jobs and let everyone else play video games.