MSU DC Joe Rossi tells his unit that 'belief is critical in everything you do'
Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi talks positive takeaways, consistency, and facing a revamped UCLA team
The Michigan State Spartans sit at 3-2 overall after dropping their first two conference games of the season. This week MSU returns home to face the 1-4 UCLA Bruins who are coming off their first win of the season versus top ten-ranked Penn State.
One of the biggest tasks for the Spartans will be to slow down the Bruins' offense that is fresh off a 42-point outburst.
MSU's defense has struggled so far this season, allowing the second-most points per game among Big Ten teams this season at 30.6. The Spartans are also tied for the fourth-most yards per game at 359.4 alongside USC.
There is almost nowhere to go but up from those positions in the statistics. To that end, Spartan defensive coordinator Joe Rossi says his team is motivated to be back in front of its home crowd after two straight games on the road.
“We want to win games, and we haven’t won games in two weeks,” Rossi said. “The guys are working really hard. They are really excited to be back home, excited for homecoming, and we got a good opponent coming in, so that is where we are at right now.”
Through the first five games, MSU has shown flashes of being able to compete at a high level and keep itself in games. But the Spartans have yet to put together four quarters of football to hang their hat on. Rossi acknowledges this and believes consistency will be key for the team as a whole.
“We’re in the business of winning football games,” Rossi said. “We don’t feel like we have played a complete game as an offense, defense, and special teams. The flashes give you what you’re capable of, right? The dips are the lack of consistency. So I think the flashes give you the belief that you can do it, and the motivation. If there weren’t the flashes, then you are sitting there saying, ‘Hey, we got some issues,’ right? But there are flashes. We have got to have them be more consistent, and we have to get them at the same time. If we do that at the same time, I think everybody will like what they see.”
A major positive out of the loss at Nebraska was the pass rush that Michigan State generated.
