The swagger is gone and the expectations went with it.

So is his favorite target and his pristine image.

As well as the complete coaching staff, his two top running backs and his whole comfort zone.

The passing records seem a forgone conclusion, but for MSU quarterback Jeff Smoker, there is so much more to prove.

What's real is the nervous twitch of his eye and a no-name receiving corps that could easily let him down.

As Smoker addressed reporters for the second time since being reinstated to the football team, he tried to emphasize that he was concentrating only on this week's game.

When the Spartans take the field against Western Michigan at 3:40 p.m. Saturday, it will be Smoker's first time out of the tunnel as a starter since he was suspended for violating team rules after a 28-7 loss to Minnesota at Spartan Stadium, leaving his team just when they needed him most.

Last season's bitter taste still remains, and when he takes Saturday's first snap, the only certainty is that at least four people in the stands will be cheering for a gallant return.

His parents will make the trip from Manheim, Pa., to East Lansing with his two brothers to cheer on their son.

"I'm not trying to come in and prove myself," Smoker said. "I'm just trying to come in and do what I've got to do.

"The right thing for me to think about is to focus on the game. Not everything around me, but throwing the ball. I'm going to focus on being physically and mentally prepared for the game."

It's still uncertain how Spartan fans and students will react, but Smoker will try to block out the negativity.

"I don't worry about that," Smoker said. "If I did, I would be focused on all the wrong things.

"When I get on the field, I need to concentrate on football."

He's tried to ignore all the negative things, but the questions about the past year asked of the signal caller forced him into a more guarded demeanor. But he still denies that it affects him at all.

"I don't care about this," Smoker said. "I just care about football."

What will really matter is whether the senior quarterback has regained the trust of his teammates. They said all the right things, but what they feel deep down might still be hidden.

"He's earned it