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EAST LANSING - It makes sense for Michigan State to try Keith Nichol in tonight's Alamo Bowl at wide receiver, a position so depleted that the No. 3 and No. 4 wideouts on the depth chart are walk-ons who have never caught a pass.
But after listening to Mark Dantonio on Friday, it may be more than that. It sounds like the Spartans are counting on Nichol to make plays and make a difference at receiver against Texas Tech.
"He's a bigger, stronger, faster version of Blair White," Dantonio said of Nichol, the Spartans' backup quarterback, "if you want to put it that way."
Dantonio also said Nichol has been doing some practice work as a punt returner, and he didn't shoot down the idea that the 6-foot-2, 215-pound athlete from Lowell might catch more passes beyond tonight.
"Those decisions are made in the future," Dantonio said. "The situation we became involved in and the necessity of the numbers kind of predicated that we move Keith. ... We knew when we recruited him that he would be a viable part of the football team and that he would make plays for us."
Receivers Mark Dell and B.J. Cunningham are two of 11 current players suspended for their involvement in the Nov. 22 fight at Rather Hall. A 12th, backup Myles White, is suspended for an unrelated transgression.
Wideout Chris D. Rucker is one of the suspended players. Rucker and Myles White would have contributed in the game.
Receivers Donald Spencer and Fred Smith also are suspended, although both of them were redshirting this season - but that has depleted the scout team, where redshirting defensive backs Johnny Adams and Patrick White have been working at receiver.
Blair White and Keshawn Martin will start at receiver tonight, with walk-ons Brad Sonntag and Milton Colbert backing them up. Blair White has been working with Nichol on the nuances of the position and said "he can do some things" with the ball in his hands.
Dantonio also said Nichol, who was not available for interviews this week, will play some quarterback and will "be on the field quite often."
"It'll be a positive story," Dantonio said, "and we need some positive stories."
QUOTABLE: Texas Tech interim head coach Ruffin McNeill, on the pressure he faces in this game: "Pressure to me is growing up and we make $2,000 a month as a family and our bills are $3,000. That's pressure. This is the fun part."
Dantonio, asked how the Rather Hall fight situation has affected him over the past six weeks: "I sleep fine and my diet is good, so I haven't starved or anything like that. What the situation has done is take away from football. It's taken away from recruiting. My time is spent dealing with a problem instead of dealing with a football issue."
McNeill, on a Wednesday conversation he had with fired Texas Tech coach Mike Leach: "I told him I loved him and asked him if he needed anything. He said 'Hang in there and be yourself.'"
MSU MILESTONES: Several Spartans can make a mark on the record book tonight. Greg Jones is three tackles for loss away from third on the MSU career list. Kirk Cousins is 30 completions away and 135 passing yards away from fourth on both single-season lists.
If Cousins can throw for 266 yards, he'll pass Brian Hoyer (2,725 yards in 2007) for third place. And Cousins is four touchdown passes away from Drew Stanton's record for touchdown passes in a season (22 in 2005).
Blair White needs 15 catches to tie Devin Thomas for the single-season record of 79. Five catches will push White past Charles Rogers (68 in 2002) for second place.
As a team, MSU needs 257 passing yards to break the single-season record of 3,510 set in 2003.
TEXAS TECH TIDBITS: The Texas Tech defense needs one sack to set a new single-season record. The Red Raiders have 40, 15 of them from end Brandon Sharpe. ... McNeill's defense has held nine of 12 opponents under their average of total offense. ... The Red Raiders need 25 yards to set the single-season record for kickoff return yardage. ... All four of Texas Tech's losses this season have come in night games. The Red Raiders are 4-4 at night, 4-0 during the day. ... Texas Tech is 2-4 when it has more turnovers than its opponent.
