James Ferentz, the starting center at Iowa, said it was a nightmare to prepare to play the Spartans.
"I think they are incredible," Ferentz said. "You have to spend all this extra time preparing for them, because they are able to do so many different things. It's not like they are doing a lot of different things to confuse you. They do a bunch of different things, and they are good at all of them."
Ferentz said the Spartans made it harder because they change their defensive look so often.
"They come out in a 3-4 and then a 4-3, and then they have stacked looks," Ferentz said. "They have a lot of depth, a lot of speed. It's a very tall order preparing for them."
Ferentz said Iowa can make adjustments to any defense. "The problem is, MSU is very good," he said. "It's definitely one of the toughest defenses to face in the Big Ten."
Will Matte, a senior center at Indiana, praised the intelligence of the Spartans defense.
"You can adjust the protection, but then they can adjust the blitz," he said. "They did that a lot last year when we played them. They pick up on a lot of habits. It's a smart defense, if anything."
Brian Mulroe, a senior left guard at Northwestern, praised Michigan State's energy.
"They are very high motor," Mulroe said. "It's always exciting. It's the best of the best."
While the Spartans lost All-American Jerel Worthy to the NFL, Mulroe doesn't think it will change anything. "I'm sure who is coming up next is just as good. It's their speed and explosiveness. They are relentless."
Chris Norman, a Michigan State linebacker, said the Spartans defense started to change after the 2009 season.
"Our defense improved tremendously," Norman said. "Then our defense took the next step in 2011. A trend was established. We have to stay faithful to that trend."
Norman said the defense was fast and disciplined.
"It looked extremely fast in 2011," Norman said. "If we get faster, I think we will be, like, the best defense in college football history."
Source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/UsatodaycomCollegeSports-TopStories/~3/Em1mExW2k7c/1
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