Spartans tackle Florida Atlantic in slippery showdown, 17-0

MSU running back Javon Ringer did everything on a rainy Saturday afternoon against Florida Atlantic except change his soggy shoes.

Ringer churned his soaked feet for 282 yards on 43 carries — both career highs — and scored MSU’s only two touchdowns in a 17-0 victory over the Owls.

“I knew we were going to run the ball with the weather,” said Ringer, whose 282 yards in a single game were fourth-most in MSU history.

“We’re a running team. We like to establish the run first and with the weather conditions like this, it kind of suited us well.”

In front of a determined crowd that barely filled half the stadium, withstood constant rain and endured gusting winds, Ringer pounded the ball on a field that best resembled a Slip’n Slide. He busted touchdown runs of 21 and 11 yards, while junior kicker Brett
Swenson added a 22-yard field goal in the third quarter to give MSU its only other score.

Ringer didn’t fumble once on a day when the football was put on the ground while live 12 times and turned over four times.

“To me the most impressive thing about his performance was no turnovers,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. “For him to get the yards and control the game at certain moments was impressive.”

The Spartans have combined to rush for nearly 500 yards in the past two weeks, with Ringer taking 77 carries in those two games.

“It’s so hard for me to just take credit for all of that,” Ringer said. “It’s definitely my offensive line, my fullbacks, my tight ends and the receivers blocking up field.”
The shutout was MSU’s first since 1999, when the Spartans didn’t allow a point in a 34-0 rout of Northwestern late in the season.

The defensive effort was the result of a front seven that tackled well, given the conditions, and a secondary that slowed Florida Atlantic’s vaunted spread offense.
“We know that we have the ability to make a stop and have no points on the board, so we know that our defense is a top-notch defense,” said senior strong safety Otis Wiley, who recorded five tackles and four pass breakups.

Sophomore cornerback Chris L. Rucker shut down Florida Atlantic’s best receiver, Cortez Gent, not allowing a completion to the 6-foot-2-inch wideout.

“Pro scouts were all over (Gent) and NFL scouts said that guy was a stud,” MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said. “Chris Rucker did a great job.”

Ringer kicked off the scoring early in the second quarter with a 21-yard touchdown run that capped a six play, 67-yard drive in which MSU ran the ball all but one play.
Swenson added the field goal with 6:26 left in the third quarter after Ringer accounted for all five plays and 40 yards on the drive.

Ringer ended the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown run near the start of the fourth quarter. The drive was keyed by a 47-yard pass from Hoyer to sophomore wide receiver Mark Dell that brought MSU from deep out of its own zone.

Both quarterbacks struggled mightily with muffed snaps, off-the-mark throws and dropped passes because of the rain that blew diagonally at times.

MSU signal-caller Brian Hoyer, who said he went through 20 quarterback towels during the game, threw one interception and muffed five snaps while going 5-of-15 for 88 yards.
His senior quarterback counterpart, Florida Atlantic’s Rusty Smith, went 8-of-34, a passing percentage of below 25 percent, for 143 yards.

“We were not able to handle the elements today,” said Smith, the Sun Belt Conference preseason offensive player of the year. “I probably threw four spirals all day.”

Highlighted by a fumble at MSU’s 4-yard line midway through the fourth quarter when the Owls were primed to get on the board for the first time, Florida Atlantic turned the ball over twice.

MSU finishes its non-conference slate next week with a home game against Notre Dame at 3:30 p.m.