Mork D'Antonio's "secret formula"
"While Dantonio is back on staff in an advisory role to Barnett this year, the interim coach was coy about the impact Dantonio would have on the Spartans this Saturday.
Because he has a secret formula to success, I can't share. So, I'll just say it that way, if that's okay," Barnett said with a broad smile."
You mean being 2-3 against Harbaugh with his last win coming in 2017?
October 18th, 2023 at 9:36 AM ^
I think Izzo uses the same formula, which is to have your players commit so many penalties the refs don't flag most of them because they don't want to be seen as having undue influence over the game.
October 18th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
I know someone whose dad was a BigTen ref for years and he said MSU had the worst coaching staff under Dantonio of yelling at refs for no good reason.
October 18th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
War of attrition, bigly
October 18th, 2023 at 9:41 AM ^
The secret formula was called Grandpa Bullough's Special Medicine.
October 18th, 2023 at 9:41 AM ^
I always felt going back to the Tony Mandarich days that the State program was riddled with steroids.
October 18th, 2023 at 9:43 AM ^
our game plan involves NOT PUNTING.....
October 18th, 2023 at 9:49 AM ^
the formula is steroids mixed with more steroids?
October 18th, 2023 at 9:53 AM ^
As others have pointed out.
1. RR and Hoke
2. Jerry Sandusky cratering PSU.
3. Tressel sending MSU his leftovers.
4. Freakish luck
October 18th, 2023 at 9:58 AM ^
If there was a secret formula to win, why wouldn't they be using it against other teams? Isn't the point of playing the game to win? I would think this secret formula would have already been implemented!!
October 18th, 2023 at 10:28 AM ^
You are underestimating how much Dantonio hates Michigan. He cared 0% about games against Maryland, Iowa, and Rutgers. They have been practicing for Michigan since the day he set foot back on campus.
October 18th, 2023 at 12:11 PM ^
This isn't Dantonio's team, these aren't his players, they aren't using his playbook. If they were then they are in big trouble, as they don't have the defense to play the kind of football Mark was known for. Plus the last time he was a head he was ran out of town due to sucking at his job and not recruiting well. This game will end a lot like all the games this year, a slow 7 to 14 points for Michigan in the first quarter 3 to 7 points for MSU, then the game will slowly build to a 40 point lead.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
Steroids were MSU's secret to success
October 18th, 2023 at 10:03 AM ^
1) Pull Mork out of retirement to stand on the sideline and scowl.
2) ???
3) Profit.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:05 AM ^
I thought his secret formula was whatever Max Bullough was taking. After a great senior season he was mysteriously suspended for the bowl game and then dropped 25 pounds between the end of the season and the combine.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:15 AM ^
His secret formula is build a culture of hate. He’s pathetic.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:18 AM ^
We are all paranoid about this game because MSU has done so much to infuriate us over the years (Mork’s snarky comments, cheap shots, the tunnel mugging, Spartan Bob, etc.). And this year it is clearly a one game season for them. But any outsider looking at this is going to chuckle at the idea MSU has any kind of legitimate chance at a win. It is probably close for a quarter or a half, then Michigan pulls away.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:25 AM ^
Are we about to play a program that gang jumped two of our players in the tunnel last year? And our team is number 2 in the nation and their team mascot is Miss Cleo.
Anyone else cooking ribs Saturday?
October 18th, 2023 at 10:28 AM ^
Mork is bringing in a new team from penitentiary and Adam Sandler is their QB. Mason Graham is going to whoop them with his club.
October 18th, 2023 at 12:01 PM ^
Mason better be putting some tridents on the end of his club this week.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:50 AM ^
There's also his secret formula to the Sparty "No Fly Zone": Commit pass interference/ db holding every single pass play. The theory is that the ref's can't possibly throw a flag every single down.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
Has Dantonio reintroduced the Spartan march down the field?
IIRC, the actions that the Spartan football field took that day - and, I assume every game where they did this - were prohibited by B1G or NCAA rules. The Spartans were on Michigan's practice area - which, by guideline / rule - they should not have been.
October 18th, 2023 at 11:31 AM ^
It was such a stupid move by MSU! Just raise your arms and don't try to clothesline another player. Whatever your tradition, you can always ensure to clear the field. Ask the Michigan player to move. Ask the Michigan coaches to move the Michigan player. Wait for a couple of more minutes. There are so many things that could have been done to prevent this. I would lay the blame for this incident completely on MSU.
October 18th, 2023 at 11:50 AM ^
Oh yay! An opening to discuss this further.
It's still not clear to me why MSU didn't manage to get Michigan cleared from the field. I think MSU claimed (per anonymous sources through MSU beat writers) that they did ask Michigan players to clear the field. Michigan players say they were never approached with such a request.
At best, there's some miscommunication there.
Regardless, Dantonio said "Onward!" without ensuring a clear path across the field. So I do blame him first and foremost.
But--and here's the part you're all going to get mad at me for--next to blame is Lawrence Marshall.
On one side of the field, Khaleke Hudson turned sideways to make himself as small as possible and the Spartans unlocked arms to pass him. On the other side of the field, Lawrence Marshall turned to face them and got into a "Come at me, bro" stance. Those Spartans did not unlock their arms and attempted to drag him.
So, yeah, those Spartans could have also unlocked arms, but Lawrence Marshall did throw down the gauntlet.
It was at that point that it all went off the rails.
October 18th, 2023 at 2:28 PM ^
They did ask them to clear the field, but the Michigan employees (not players) were like "uh no...this is the time the Big Ten has mandated we are on the field for warm ups, we are not going to not warm up so you can walk around in an empty stadium and waste our time."
October 18th, 2023 at 10:59 AM ^
The Opponent Watch from last year describing D'Antonio's Michigan-hating machine gone haywire is still one of my all-time favorite posts here. Succinctly accurate.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:59 AM ^
Does it involve him smiling behind all the MSU players while they lock arms and walk the entire field like children playing "Red Rover" while Michigan warms up?
Based on the last time he did this, his secret formula seems to be, "anger UM players pre-game, only to get pummeled during it". So basically, I am here for it Mork, bring that shit on, again.
October 18th, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
His secret formula is that he gets Sparty to treat this as their Super Bowl and do everything(!) they can to win it. Trick plays, dirty cheap shots, pre-game intimidation, criminal behavior. Whatever it takes.
Beyond that, in case anyone cares, I was at the Rutgers - MSU game (I know!) and yes, I even stayed for the whole thing. It was glorious. The biggest surprise for me was that Rutgers was able to run the ball down their throat in the fourth quarter. RU just kept pounding out 5-6 yard runs even when Sparty knew it was coming. U-M has some opportunity there, especially with a good mix of play calling to avoid the typical MSU stack-the-box with 8 raging lunatics ploy.
The Rutgers passing game was horrific except for one amazing catch in the end zone and two mid-range crossing routes. MSU's pass rush was very effective - Wimsatt had to throw on the run a lot (and he was not very good at it). Wimsatt also failed to keep the ball on some read option plays where he had a lot of green grass. I think JJ will get pressured, but he's a better thrower on the run than Wimsatt, and I think he can run the ball a few times to keep the edge rushers a bit more honest. He just needs to make sure that he gets out of bounds before the criminals seriously injure him.
Houser was pretty solid considering (i) his lack of experience and (ii) the weather was awful. But Rutgers had a couple of prime interception opportunities that they missed. Not a lot of downfield passes from him (weather caveats apply). He's a pretty confident/cocky kid and he's got a lot of fire in him. He was really good in the red zone and with the quick passes and crossing routes, so mixing up the coverage will be key.
Need to stay away from penalties - MSU plays dirty and will try to get retaliation calls. MSU got a ton of questionable calls in the first half against Rutgers and took full advantage. RU figured it out in the second half, and it was a completely different game.
October 18th, 2023 at 11:31 AM ^
This is what Michigan will do to MSU and Dicktonio
October 18th, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^
Why do I think this is how they share the secret formula in East Lansing?
October 18th, 2023 at 11:42 AM ^
I've always thought Harbaugh wasn't very good at the details it takes to win this game and just not understanding how hard Sparty plays this game, 2 of those 3 losses never should have happened and conservative play gave Sparty the opening to steal 2 of them. Lay the hammer down and Sparty has 1 win against Harbaugh.
Jim has a team that win can this game by 40 this year but I'm certain that somehow it will be a one score game in the 4th
October 18th, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
I don't believe that at all honestly, why does everyone forget that UM did in fact sling it around quite a bit in the 2021 game? Also people are underrating two factors here, one UM wanting to get this game over with quickly to expose the starters to less potential dirty stuff by MSU and two wanting to exact revenge for last year on the scoreboard. So barring bad weather I 100% disagree with anyone saying UM will be super run heavy. Maybe they won't throw it 70% of the time like Washington but I expect a balanced approach at least.
October 18th, 2023 at 11:46 AM ^
It would not surprise if they have been only prepping for Michigan after the UW blowout.
Well maybe somewhat surprise me but I’m sure extra game planning and film review has been ongoing.
October 18th, 2023 at 6:55 PM ^
This is absolutely what they've been doing. They know their season's in the toilet, so it's been game planning for Michigan for weeks. And probably all summer too. Why do you think mork's back on the staff?
October 18th, 2023 at 12:02 PM ^
Bounties. It’s just bounties.
October 18th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
Bold of them not to use the secret formula of success for Rutgers
October 18th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
For how prevalent the "Harbaugh can't win against rivals" argument was for so long, I was surprised to learn that Dantonio had a losing record against him.
October 18th, 2023 at 6:54 PM ^
Because they ignore the fact that we had terrible head coaches. They don't say Mork was 2-3 against Harbaugh, they say he was 8-5 against Michigan.
October 18th, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
Dantonio's successful formula was apparently waiting for UM to hire to awful head coaches and beating them before turning back into a pumpkin once Harbaugh showed up.
October 18th, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^
His secret formula is Michigan going through an unprecedented bad period. Where players like Anthony Zettel grow up life long michigan fans, take one look at the situation, and go elsewhere.
October 18th, 2023 at 2:36 PM ^
Cheat, injure Michigan’s players intentionally and pay off the refs.
The Spartan Way!
October 18th, 2023 at 3:22 PM ^
Best rivalry in football, Harlon?
October 18th, 2023 at 4:17 PM ^
Tuck's secret sauce is Mork's formula.
October 18th, 2023 at 6:52 PM ^
I know we're all having fun poking at the comment...but in all seriousness, wtf does that mean? A secret formula?
Also if you think we're just gonna walk in there at night after they literally hired mork strictly for this game AND had a whole bye week to prepare (because they obviously didn't use it on Rutgers), then you've paid literally no attention to this game, ever. Has there been a single game since Harbaugh's been here where we didn't think we would destroy them? Yet he's 4-4 against them, here.
I'm nervous, as always. Fuck these sparty scumbags.
October 18th, 2023 at 7:01 PM ^
For Coach Dangtoenail, it will never be over
For MSU, it’s over
So where’s the threat?
October 18th, 2023 at 7:08 PM ^
Mork can have all the secrets the staff will gobble up, but they are coming off an epic choke against Rutger, and UM is performing as a well-described boa constrictor. I believe our coaches will have a fantastic game plan that beats sparty into submission early, with dignity (and by dignity, I think we have backups playing early in the 3rd qtr), leaving Mork.to.pace the sideline with that 'I just got kicked in the nuts' face.
Go Blue.
October 18th, 2023 at 8:08 PM ^
And Harbaugh outscored him by 48 points over those 5 games.
There are 3 brutal losses in the JH tenure that grossly over impact his record:
1) The spot at OSU. 2) The muffed punt vs MSU. 3) The Covid loss vs MSU.
Replace 1 and especially 1 & 2 with wins and his whole tenure has a different tone.
October 19th, 2023 at 5:21 PM ^
His secret formula is to make a claim to the NCAA that Michigan is stealing signs/
GO BLUE
October 23rd, 2023 at 8:40 AM ^
Musta been something wrong with the formula...