Nov. 18, 2009

Player Interviews

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Members of the Michigan State football team met with the media after Tuesday's practice to talk about this week's game against Penn State. The Spartans (6-5, 4-3 Big Ten) host No. 13/12 Penn State (9-2, 5-2) Saturday, Nov. 21 at 3:30 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC; for those outside the Midwest region, the game will be shown in a mirror window on ESPN.

For MSU, 19 seniors will make their final appearance in Spartan Stadium on Saturday. The 2009 Senior Class consists of: Trevor Anderson, Rocco Cironi, Kendell-Davis Clark, Adam Decker, Brandon Denson, Danny Fortener, Andrew Hawken, Ashton Henderson, A.J. Jimmerson, Michael Jordan, Brendon Moss, Joel Nitchman, Andrew Pendy, Mike Schmeding, Brett Swenson, Jeremy Ware, Ross Weaver, Marcus Webb and Blair White.

Senior offensive tackle Rocco Cironi

On how the offensive line has improved this season...
I think we have improved a lot this year and have come together better along the way. When we switched Brendon Moss to guard and D.J. Young to tackle, people didn't know how that would work, but it worked out well and I think we are playing great together.

On giving the quarterback time and creating holes for the running backs...
I think giving the quarterback enough time is harder than creating holes. You need to use a little more athleticism because defensive players are usually quicker than offensive players.

On how it feels to be bowl eligible...
Finishing out my senior year by going to a bowl game is really special. It feels great that our hard work is being recognized.

Senior wide receiver Blair White

On how it feels to be bowl eligible...
Going to a bowl game is huge for our team. We came in this season and lost some games that we probably should have won, but getting this sixth win and going to a bowl game is a goal that we set for ourselves and I'm glad we accomplished it.

On how it felt to beat Purdue in a come-from-behind win...
We battled all game and we were down by 11 in the fourth quarter, but we just fought back like we have all season. Coach Dantonio told us that in all but one of the 11 games we have played this year, we were ahead in the fourth quarter at some point. We are always going to keep fighting and we just found a way to squeak by this week.

On how he is going to prepare the team for the last game...
This game is important, because if we win it will improve our bowl situation dramatically. So we are just staying focused on Penn State and doing what we need to do to prepare.

On his last game at Spartan Stadium...
As my last game at MSU, it will be emotional. I am just going to focus on Penn State and getting a win. It will be emotional, but it will also be fun.

Senior kicker Brett Swenson

On last week's two career-long field goals...
It was great that I was able to go out there and perform well, especially since it is late in the season and it was a close game. As a kicker, you need to be dependable and it was exciting that I was able to help my team out by putting points on the board.

On how it feels that Coach Dantonio can count on him...
It feels great that people on my team, especially Coach D, have faith in me. It helps me to relax knowing that they are behind me. I feel like I am getting stronger every year and having a coach that will back you up is really important.

On his last game at Spartan Stadium...
I am just going to take every moment out of it that I can because the last three and a half years have flown by. I'm just going to take it all in and hopefully have a successful day.

Senior fullback Andrew Hawken

On how it felt to come from behind and beat Purdue... I was so excited to win last Saturday. Going into that game, we knew that we had to win in order to keep our bowl hopes alive. Just because of how close the score was and how we were making big plays, I was so excited that whole game. It was such a great feeling to finally come out on top.

On how he is going to bring the momentum from last week to this Saturday... We just need to bring that excitement home, eliminate mistakes and continue to play like we know how to. We need to play hard and play with a chip on our shoulder because we need this win to solidify a bowl spot. After what happened last year against Penn State, we need to keep that in the back of our minds, but also focus on this year.

On what it means to play his last game at Spartan Stadium... I have a bunch of great memories from that stadium and I know this last game is going to be special. It is Parents Day on Saturday and my parents will be down on the field so I bet it will be a little emotional. It will also be good to play at home one more time and take in the moment. I just want to get a win and end Senior Day on a positive note.

Senior defensive end Trevor Anderson

On how it feels to be bowl eligible... It feels great, especially since we were able to redeem ourselves defensively. The offense also played great; Brett Swenson came out and made some clutch field goals...That sixth win made it possible to go to a warm place for a bowl game, but a seventh win would make it even better.

On what he learned from last season's game against Penn State...
I think the problem last year was that it was the first time playing for a championship for a lot of us. We weren't prepared enough for the pressure of that game. It is going to mean a lot if we can go out there this Saturday and redeem ourselves of last year.

On his last game at Spartan Stadium...
This Saturday is going to be a big game for me individually, but hopefully a bigger win for our team as a whole.