“We’ll see what (Fowler) can do, … but Chris will not have contact — we won’t risk that,” head coach Mark Dantonio said. “But I think there will be opportunities to get out there and at least participate in some pass (drills), things of that nature. So it should be a positive for both.”

Dantonio went on to say although Fowler lacks experience, he expects the wideout to contribute for the Spartans in the upcoming season.

“Where (Fowler’s) at right now is a little bit of an unknown because he hasn’t played football in a year,” he said. “But he should be a good football player for us and be very dependable.”

Cook moves up
After it was revealed Tuesday that Maxwell sprained his knee during Saturday’s scrimmage, and his return date is unclear, Dantonio said redshirt freshman quarterback Connor Cook will step into the starting role and possibly could play for both teams in the April 28 Spring Game.

Dantonio said Cook saw somewhere between one-third and one-half of the reps from Saturday’s scrimmage with the first team offense, in which he completed nine-of-14 passes for 76 yards with an interception.

“The main thing you see with the (starters) is going against the first team defense,” Cook said. “That first team defense is super fast, super elusive and very physical, and they like to get after it.”

Dantonio said senior Peter Badovinac and redshirt freshman Tommy Vento also have been given an opportunity to prove themselves at the quarterback position, but he expects the bulk of the weight to be carried by Cook.

“That will give him an added dimension of learning and experience,” Dantonio said.

Somewhere in the middle
It’s no secret that MSU’s roster is filled with youth.

Dantonio said if they had to travel today, there likely would be only 10 seniors to make the trip.

“We’re a young team, but we’ve got a heavy dose of juniors, so that makes us an experienced football team,” he said.

Senior cornerback Johnny Adams chalked up his performance in the scrimmage — in which he stole two interceptions — to his own experience with the team.

“I got a couple picks by just being out there a long time, so it’s not the quarterback’s fault or the wide receiver’s fault, it’s just the ball kind of bounced my way,” he said. “Young wide receivers can help the quarterback out by just talking and just being alert out there.”

With only one scrimmage remaining before the Green-White intrasquad game, Dantonio was asked whether any team could “win” their spring game.

“I think you can lose them,” he replied. “You can lose them by not focusing on fundamentals and allowing times where you’re not getting things done and getting sloppy, trying to rest on the things that you’ve done in the past.”