Goals remain ‘extremely high’ for Dantonio, MSU

East Lansing — Mark Dantonio had a hard time spitting it out on Monday — “three and nine,” the Michigan State coach said.

That, of course, was the record the Spartans finished with in 2016, just a season after playing in the College Football Playoffs. Now, a week into preseason camp and the 2017 opener just weeks away, Dantonio’s job is to turn those numbers around. However, he wasn’t about to spend media day at Spartan Stadium putting a number on what would qualify a good season.

Instead, the talk continues to surround winning.

“We play in a very competitive conference,” Dantonio said. “Win the (Big Ten) East is what we need to do to get to a Big Ten Championship game, and that’s when things start to happen for you.

“So our goals are high. They always will be high. I’m not going to sit here and say we need to win ‘X’ amount of games. But our goals are always going to be extremely high.”

Dantonio and his staff have done plenty of winning in the first 10 seasons at Michigan State. Getting back on that track won’t be simple.

Not only are the Spartans trying to wash away the taste of winning just one conference game a season ago, they’re working on getting past a difficult off-season that put a dent on roster talent and depth. Only two full-time starters are back on offense and four on defense, making the Spartans young.

But Dantonio said he sees a fresh approach already just one week into preseason camp, from the staff and the players.

“It wasn’t just Mark Dantonio who took a step back last year, it was our entire football team,” Dantonio said. “And I think there is a renewed sense of what we need to do in terms of on the field, off the field, in the classroom as well.

“Every day we’ve come to practice, and we enter our seventh practice right now, there is a great sense of energy. I feel good about it. I feel like we have intangibles going for us, and I think we’ve got some good players. So looking forward to the start of the season.”

Michigan State opens the season Sept. 2 at home against Bowling Green.

matt.charboneau@detroitnews.com

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