Maligned MSU secondary needs Alamo-worthy stand

SAN ANTONIO - Mike Leach is gone. His offense remains.

Michigan State would be much better off if it were the other way around.

It's hard to imagine a tougher matchup for MSU's struggling and shorthanded pass defense than Texas Tech's four- and five-receiver, quick-strike, high-scoring, improvisation-heavy attack - which has led the nation in passing for six of the past 10 seasons under Leach.

"There's a reason they're one of the best offenses in the country," said MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, who is charged with slowing that offense when the Spartans (6-6) and Red Raiders (8-4) meet tonight in the Alamo Bowl. "Their term is to find grass. So when a receiver runs a route and he stays covered, he's going to find a void."

"So they don't have a so-called, 'Run this route and if it's not open, OK, we'll go to second down.' Their receivers are expected to get open on every route. It's playground."

That passing offense is No. 2 in the nation this season, averaging 380.7 yards a game with 35 touchdown passes.

Leach, the offense's mastermind and play caller, was fired Wednesday amid allegations of mistreatment of an injured player, but interim coach Ruffin McNeill promised the Red Raiders will bombard as usual.

"If it can be faster," McNeill said, "it'll be faster."

MSU had the worst pass defense in the Big Ten this season, allowing 251.6 yards a game with a dismal 29 touchdown passes allowed - while picking off a league-low five passes. And the Spartans will be playing without top cornerback Chris L. Rucker, suspended in connection with the Nov. 22 on-campus fight at Rather Hall.

In other words, we need another word for "mismatch."

"We've got to step up and make plays to the best of our ability," said MSU senior cornerback Ross Weaver, whose role will increase with Rucker absent. "We can't worry about getting scared because our pass defense hasn't been that good. ... If you don't have confidence in what you do, you're already beat."

On the fly

To get an idea of just how pass-heavy Leach's offense really is, look no further than who will be calling the plays tonight. His name is Lincoln Riley and he is Tech's "inside receivers" coach.

Yes, the Red Raiders have two coaches just for receivers.

That's because the receivers are more than just receivers.

"All their wide receivers are quarterbacks running routes," Narduzzi said. "They've got six quarterbacks on the field at times."

And that's because all must be able to read the defense's coverage and adjust swiftly. Most offenses have plays with set routes, but Texas Tech relies on its passers and catchers to process information and react together with impeccable timing.

That's not to say there aren't plays and routes. But the Red Raiders make it difficult to detect patterns by switching up receivers' routes on the same play with audibles at the line of scrimmage.

The playbook itself is small. Texas Tech runs a lot of quick screens to receivers, forcing opponents to tackle in the open field, over and over again.

"The trick in performing and playing and executing against an offense like this is being able to simulate what they do 1,000 times before we play them," MSU coach Mark Dantonio said. "So (we've been) working on that. Whether it's film, whether it's walk-through, whether it's pass skills, seven-on-seven or team situations, we're trying to work on those to get our team ready.

"Then you have to execute against their speed and their quality of players. That becomes more difficult. But a lot of things can happen in the football game. Turnovers, lot of things can happen."

Reason for hope?

Narduzzi said he talked to several coaches in the Big 12 to get an idea of how to deal with Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have been far from perfect this season- throwing 16 interceptions, getting sacked 30 times and struggling in some games.

Tech was limited in a 20-13 win over a 4-8 Baylor team, with the Bears tackling well, getting stops on third down and protecting the red zone.

Narduzzi came up with strong plans and performances in MSU's last two bowl games, narrow losses to future No. 1 draft picks - Boston College's Matt Ryan and Georgia's Matthew Stafford.

Does he have a third in him?

The Spartans played solid defense during the middle portion of the season, including a 24-14 win over Northwestern. That offense, Narduzzi said, is the closest to Texas Tech's that MSU has seen this season.

That game featured good tackling from the Spartans. It will be needed tonight as well, along with better pass rush and secondary communication than MSU got for most of the season.

MSU also needs a positive start to manufacture some confidence. These players are well aware of what people are expecting to see in this game.

"We've got to prove a lot of people wrong," said senior safety Danny Fortener.

"You're gonna have to sit on this one until next September, so you better take it personal," Narduzzi said. "I take it personal as a coordinator. I want to go out and I want to feel good going into the summer."