The Flying Spartan Sack
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From M-Live (link in resource center)
THE SACK!
EAST LANSING -- Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio likes his team to watch a movie together on Friday nights before games, and last week the players picked "The Waterboy" starring Adam Sandler.
On Saturday, during Michigan State's 10-7 win at Ohio State, linebacker Denicos Allen made an effort that the coach plans to plant in Michigan State football lore as a "Waterboy" moment, likely with a picture and captain in the football center.
A blitzing Allen leaped a Ohio State blocker and came down on the quarterback for a sack, one of his two and nine for the day for the Spartans.
In the movie, a comedy, Sandler plays an absurd character who ends up being the hero of a football team. Sandler's character listens to his coach portrayed by Henry Winkler (Fonzie from "Happy Days"), who tells him to visualize and attack. In one instance, Sandler's character leaps a blocker and takes the ball away from a quarterback.
Allen's similar play made television highlights packages even in Columbus after the game, and the Spartans have been having fun with it since.
"It was a great movie for our guys," Dantonio said. "They had fun with it. Even at halftime I just said, hey, visualize and attack, just like in the movie. And there goes Denicos flying over the running back and hitting the quarterback. That one will probably go down as a little momento for all of our guys. It was a good feeling. It was a good feeling going into the game. It was a good feeling Friday night. We were focused, we knew what we were supposed to do, played with a lot of enthusiasm, and it was fun. And I think going into the game we were going to make it fun, and I think that's what we have to do."
Dantonio said his wife, Becky, reminds him to have fun.
"I think she's right, and this needs to be -- this is a game, and we need to continue to try and find ways to make it fun for our players, so that was one of the ways we did it," Dantonio said.
Allen, after the game, said he felt a blocker go toward his legs and he leaped.
"I didn’t think I could jump that high, but apparently I can," he said. "It was all heart out there today, heart and effort by everybody, and we got a big win. On that play, I felt the guy cutting me and I went kamikaze."
Allen, a sophomore from Hamilton, Ohio, was among the many standouts for the Michigan State defense that collected the nine sacks for 64 yards lost, and also had 13 tackles for loss for another 71 yards.
E-mail Greg Johnson: gjohnson@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/gregjohnsongrp
From M-Live (link in resource center)
THE SACK!
EAST LANSING -- Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio likes his team to watch a movie together on Friday nights before games, and last week the players picked "The Waterboy" starring Adam Sandler.
On Saturday, during Michigan State's 10-7 win at Ohio State, linebacker Denicos Allen made an effort that the coach plans to plant in Michigan State football lore as a "Waterboy" moment, likely with a picture and captain in the football center.
A blitzing Allen leaped a Ohio State blocker and came down on the quarterback for a sack, one of his two and nine for the day for the Spartans.
In the movie, a comedy, Sandler plays an absurd character who ends up being the hero of a football team. Sandler's character listens to his coach portrayed by Henry Winkler (Fonzie from "Happy Days"), who tells him to visualize and attack. In one instance, Sandler's character leaps a blocker and takes the ball away from a quarterback.
Allen's similar play made television highlights packages even in Columbus after the game, and the Spartans have been having fun with it since.
"It was a great movie for our guys," Dantonio said. "They had fun with it. Even at halftime I just said, hey, visualize and attack, just like in the movie. And there goes Denicos flying over the running back and hitting the quarterback. That one will probably go down as a little momento for all of our guys. It was a good feeling. It was a good feeling going into the game. It was a good feeling Friday night. We were focused, we knew what we were supposed to do, played with a lot of enthusiasm, and it was fun. And I think going into the game we were going to make it fun, and I think that's what we have to do."
Dantonio said his wife, Becky, reminds him to have fun.
"I think she's right, and this needs to be -- this is a game, and we need to continue to try and find ways to make it fun for our players, so that was one of the ways we did it," Dantonio said.
Allen, after the game, said he felt a blocker go toward his legs and he leaped.
"I didn’t think I could jump that high, but apparently I can," he said. "It was all heart out there today, heart and effort by everybody, and we got a big win. On that play, I felt the guy cutting me and I went kamikaze."
Allen, a sophomore from Hamilton, Ohio, was among the many standouts for the Michigan State defense that collected the nine sacks for 64 yards lost, and also had 13 tackles for loss for another 71 yards.
E-mail Greg Johnson: gjohnson@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/gregjohnsongrp
