Michigan St. faces Penn St. in drive for 10 wins
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said Tuesday the Spartans still have plenty to play for after being eliminated from Big Ten title contention.
The Spartans (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) travel to Penn State (6-5, 2-5) looking to secure a fourth 10-win season in the last five years.
"We're a little bit of the forgotten ones right now," Dantonio said. "Got a very good football team, got a chance to win 10 football games. We need to take comfort in that and take comfort in the fact that we're going places. This program is strong and healthy."
Ohio State wrapped up the East Division title by beating Indiana over the weekend. Next up is a Nittany Lions team the Spartans haven't faced in four years; in the last meeting, in 2010, Michigan State captured a share of its first conference championship under Dantonio with a 28-22 win in the last game of the regular season at Beaver Stadium.
There was also a wrinkle on Tuesday's depth chart, with wide receiver Tony Lippett listed as a starting cornerback.
A fifth-year senior, Lippett is first in the Big Ten in touchdown receptions and yards per game. He began his career as a cornerback before moving to offense, and Dantonio used him at cornerback for several series during the Spartans' win over Rutgers. He played well, tallying two pass breakups and one tackle, and Dantonio said he felt he could help the defense and help add to his NFL draft resume by playing cornerback for the first time since 2011.
"He was able to make that transition easily," Dantonio said. "I think he's a wide receiver at the next level, I just think this is an added dimension to him in terms of who he is from a toughness standpoint, from a competitive standpoint, and in an emergency situation."
Dantonio compared Lippett to former Ohio State standout Chris Gamble, who played both ways when Dantonio was the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator.
"It was pretty amazing what he was able to accomplish," Dantonio said. "That was because we pushed the issue there. I think the issue can be pushed at times if you have the right person with the right mentality and I think Lippett has that mentality."