Dantonio: Center should look at QB

ByMitch Sherman ESPN logo
Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Nebraskacoach Bo Pelini andMichigan StatecoachMark Dantonio traded comments Tuesday over MSU defenders whose clapping disrupted the Huskers' offense in the Spartans' 27-22 win last weekend.

Nebraska centerMark Pelini, the coach's nephew, experienced trouble on several occasions in delivering the football to quarterbacks Tommy Armstrong Jr. and backupRyker Fyfe,who played part of one series in thefourthquarter. The timing issues appeared to doom both of the Huskers' two-point conversion attempts, hampering a furious rally from down 24 points.

Bo Pelini said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches' teleconference that he would speak to the league office about the clapping. If done intentionally to disrupt the offensive cadence, Michigan State should have been subject to a dead-ball penalty.

"You would hope they would catch it," Pelini said.

Dantonio said Michigan State employs "different ways" to "move our front," including hand motions and clapping.

"From my perspective," Dantonio said, "we can move our people however we want."

Told of Bo Pelini's intention to discuss the clapping with the Big Ten office, Dantonio suggested that Nebraska's center ought to look at the quarterback instead of relying on him to call for the football.

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