By Jeremy Harness

 

LOS ANGELES – Suspending a key player at the most crucial time of a season – the Rose Bowl, in this case – is the most heart-wrenching, nerve-racking decision that coach can possibly have after certain rules are broken.

 

On the other hand, as Stanford head coach David Shaw said Monday morning, taking that action is very necessary for the overall health of the team.

 

The topic was brought up in the aftermath of Michigan State suspending star senior middle linebacker Max Bullough for the Rose Bowl for breaking team rules. At press time, however, no other information has been released pertaining to any details of the violation that Bullough committed to warrant the suspension.

 

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio did not discuss this matter much further Monday morning, but he said that either Darien Harris or Kyler Elsworth will start in Bullough’s place while both figure to see significant time at the position.

 

When asked if their responsibilities will be the same, he said that nothing would change.

 

“It’s our system,” Dantonio said. “It’s not one individual; it’s our system.”

 

Shaw shed more light on the importance, as tough as it certainly is, to make that kind of decision when it is most necessary in order to set an example for the entire team as far as what is acceptable and what is not.

 

He recalled the beginning of last season, when he had to suspend a star linebacker and leader of his own, Shayne Skov, for the opening game of the regular season. Skov was arrested in the offseason prior for driving under the influence, and Shaw responded by suspending him for the entire offseason as well as that first game.

 

Since the incident, Skov has been, by all accounts, an unquestioned team leader and a positive example for the rest of his Cardinal teammates.

 

“Those are not really tough decisions because you set the rules before,” he said. “You set the rules early, and the guys know what they are. (When) the rules are broken, those are easy decisions.

 

“We’re in this to help young men grow, to set an example for my two young boys as they grow up. They come to every single game, and they come to practices. There are rules for these men, just like there are rules for them. You’re helping them further in life.”

 

For this reason, Shaw said that he applauds Dantonio’s move to remove Bullough – the heartbeat of the Spartans’ defense – for the Rose Bowl, the first such game in which Michigan State has played in 25 years.

 

“It doesn’t happen everywhere, and there are a lot of places where you get a slap on the wrist and they bench you for a practice, and then you play in the game,” Shaw said. “But it’s a sign of who Coach Dantonio is, and there are still some really, really good disciplinary coaches in this country that believe in setting discipline for these college athletes, which is vital to your success as a team but even more vital to their success after football.

 

“I’ll tell you this: Shayne Skov appreciated it. I think it set him on the path to where he is now as a person and as a player.”