The MSU football team traveled a wide and quite unexpected spectrum of success and strife in 2003.
Emotions in East Lansing ran rampant as the Green and White endured a fairy tale season that nearly came crashing down near the end. Yet even after falling 17-3 to No. 22 Nebraska during The AlamoBowl, the Spartans were able to keep their heads up and point out the positives of the past season.
"We surprised a lot of people with the season we had," sophomore receiver Kyle Brown said. "People didn't think we were going to make it here.
"We had some ups and downs but we had a successful season."
MSU began nonconference play with the standard struggle to stay atop its opponents, but also provided fireworks and final-second finales due to first-year head coach John L. Smith's new style.
Smith's spread offense, led by senior quarterback Jeff Smoker - who caused sparks in Spartan Stadium simply by stepping onto the field in a uniform - lit up opponents. After returning from a substance abuse-induced suspension one year ago that left him out in the cold, Smoker heated up the Spartans and their quarterback-friendly offense, tossing up six touchdowns in the first two games of the season, resulting in wins over Western Michigan and Rutgers.
By the end of the season, the Manheim, Penn., native found himself NFL-bound and atop the Spartans passing record books, not to mention in the hearts of his fans, teammates and coaches.
"Jeff has done a lot for us this year," Smith said of Smoker's successful season. "Without him, it would have been a long year.
"He gave us an opportunity to win."
Smoker closed out his collegiate career as the second All-Big Ten team quarterback after throwing for 3,395 yards on 62 percent with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
After dropping a heartbreaker in the final seconds at home to Louisiana Tech and then holding off Notre Dame on the road, the Spartans headed into Big Ten play with a 3-1 record.
And that's when the "left for dead" team from MSU began to turn some heads.
Smith and company outfoxed Iowa in the conference opener and went on to win their next three games. Suddenly, the supposed-to-be cellar-dwelling Spartans were riding a five-game winning streak to accompany a 7-1 record and a No. 9 national ranking.
But then No. 11 Michigan and the second-half gauntlet part of the Spartans schedule got the best of them.
Fairy tale turned to nightmare as MSU lost three straight games: to the Wolverines, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
A crushing victory over Penn State in the regular season finale saved the Spartans from further embarrassment and finally allowed fans to exhale, as they exited from the ride that was 2003 MSU football.
The roller coaster ride resumes on Sept. 4 on the road as MSU heads to face Rutgers at the Meadowlands. Next time around, there might not be as many surprising climbs and falls, as the Spartans lose their ability to sneak up on opponents.
They traded that in for some hard-earned respect.
Football note: Backup quarterback Drew Stanton will undergo surgery in the next few weeks to repair an ACL injury which occurred during the AlamoBowl, according to MSU Assistant Athletics Director John Lewandowski.
Stanton, a redshirt freshman, was carted off the field after the injury took place to his knee during kickoff coverage. He later returned on crutches. The surgery won't be scheduled until the swelling in his knee subsides, Lewandowski said.
"The normal recovery period for this type of surgery is from four to six months. Drew is listed as questionable for spring practice, but we're hopeful that he can participate on a limited basis.
"We expect Drew to be fully recovered by June, so he can participate in the summer conditioning program."
The Farmington Hills native is expected to compete for the starting job with other likely candidates, including junior Damon Dowdell and freshman Stephen Reaves.
