MSU notes: More Donnie Corley? Freshman could return kicks
EAST LANSING – Perhaps Donnie Corley can be the answer to Michigan State’s struggling return units.
Assistant coach Mark Snyder said the true freshman may get a shot to return either punts or kickoffs Saturday when the Spartans travel to Maryland (7:30 p.m./Big Ten Network).
“Based on our conversations,” Snyder said, “you guys may see a little bit more of him.”
Corley has been interspersed on both the kickoff, punt and coverage (Rangers) units. Late in Saturday’s 54-40 loss to Northwestern, Corley went back to return his first kickoff of his young career. It was a touchback.
However that coupled with 10 passes thrown his way by quarterbacks Brian Lewerke and Tyler O’Connor point to the Detroit native is growing into more of a role as a play-maker for the Spartans. Corley finished with five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.
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Snyder said it is up to assistant Brad Salem, who runs the return units, to decide if Corley is ready.
But it’s not just the return game where the Spartans (2-4, 0-3 Big Ten) are having issues on special teams.
MSU gave up another kickoff return for a touchdown due to a “misfit” on the coverage, the fourth score allowed on returns by the Spartans’ coverage units since the start of 2015.
Safety Khari Willis, who plays on the coverage unit, said the Spartans must tackle better and stay in their lanes.
“Coaches give us an assignment, and we got a lot of tools and skills that we can do to defeat blocks,” Willis said. “I just feel like we gotta execute. Execution is the word.”
Snyder pointed to Kevin Cronin’s six out-of-bounds kickoffs as one of the most glaring concerns. Michael Geiger was a bright spot again, hitting both of his field goals.
“We just address the things as we see it,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said, “and ask ourselves if it’s scheme or execution. Then we have to make changes if it's one or the other.”
Ten men: MSU had just 10 players on the field for Northwestern running back Justin Jackson’s 29-yard touchdown run on third-and-3 in the first quarter.
Snyder said both Andrew Dowell and Matt Morrissey came off the field with injuries after the second-down play. The Spartans replaced just one of them in the revamped third-down package that features two down linemen, four linebackers and five defensive backs. T.J. Harrell came on at linebacker with Riley Bullough and Ed Davis.
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Jackson took the shotgun handoff, cut to his left where the empty spot was in MSU’s defense, juked cornerback Vayante Copeland to the ground and raced to the end zone while three defenders chased him in vain.
“Just a miscommunication,” Snyder said of the missed substitution.
Back problems: LJ Scott has been struggling to pick up blitzes, part of the reason the sophomore hasn’t maintained the lead back duties he received early in the season. It’s meant more snaps for Gerald Holmes and Madre London.
Quarterbacks coach Salem, who previously coached running backs, was asked about how that unit was doing at safeguarding their quarterbacks in pass protection. He said the backs need to continue to work on their hands and body placement while blocking.
“You always need to get better at every position,” Salem said. “And I think guys did a nice job stepping up in there. Sometimes we might have chipped and knocked them off the line, so it’s just putting it all together. That’s where we’re at with every position group.”
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari.
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