Throwback jerseys are in, so the MSU football team decided to take the fad one step further - with a throwback name.
In honor of the school's 1,000th football game, the Spartans will go incognito, removing the logos from their helmets and going by the name Aggies on the scoreboard, Sports Information Director John Lewandowski said. The name is in honor of the 1896 Michigan State College Aggies who first took the field.
"Basically they laid the stones in the past that we walk on," head coach John L. Smith said. "If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be able to play this great game.
"I think it's great that our football team recognizes that."
The changes are part of an effort to celebrate the Spartans past, a key component to the recruiting process.
Just ask Rutgers coach Greg Schiano about tradition. He has seen both the good and bad sides of it. He saw top recruits flock to the University of Miami, where he was a defensive coordinator before leaving to rebuild Rutgers.
But that job hasn't been easy with the team's feeble past. He will bring a 1-0 team that was 1-11 last season, not the greatest recruiting sell, to East Lansing on Saturday.
Record-breaking Smoker
Quarterback Jeff Smoker returned with a vengeance Saturday.
He also made sure that his name will be remembered for years. With 324 yards passing, Smoker broke Dave Yarema's record for career passing yardage with 5,756 yards. He also broke Ed Smith's record for yards of total offense with 5,556.
Smoker was 21-for-34 with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the game.
"As far as I played, I thought I played well," Smoker said. "Outside the two interceptions I threw, I did well."
Knott quite ready to practice
Tight end Eric Knott limped off the field with an ice pack on his right knee.
The injury kept him out of Sunday's short practice and he will undergo an MRI today.
Special Stanton
Although he is the backup quarterback, Drew Stanton was featured on special teams during Saturday's win. The No. 5 that was running down the field and harassing returners all day finished with two tackles.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
"He's a football player, give him some credit," Smith said. "He runs on the field and makes tackles."
Stanton may eventually be asked to throw the ball on a fake punt play. But for now, the Spartans are happy just to find a new tackler.
"We like having a guy that can throw the ball there," Smith said. "In case you want to run a fake or do any of those things."
Team approach
Smith was happy with his team's energy Saturday, but he would like to see his players congratulate each other instead of celebrating individually.
"We want to celebrate. But we want to do it with our teammates," Smith said. "Your job isn't to show off for the people in the stands, your job is to grab your teammate who helped you make that sack or that interception. And we've not learned that yet. We've got kids that celebrate by themselves, which is baloney."
Counting votes
Although they still are not ranked, MSU did get six votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
The vote count would put them at the equivalent of 47th place in the poll.
