The Spartans had enough trouble winning games without any extra distractions looming overhead. On Saturday, they played their first game after being hit with a midweek knockout punch — they learned they would finish the season under the direction of a coach whose days were numbered.

Athletics Director Ron Mason announced the firing of John L. Smith on Wednesday, effective at the end of the season. On top of preparing for Purdue, the Spartans also had to deal with the dismissal of their leader.

To make matters even worse, the Spartans learned of their coach's fate through the media and from contacts back home, rather than from Smith himself or from the MSU administration.

"I feel it's very unprofessional to pull the news out on us before the season ends," sophomore safety Otis Wiley said after Saturday's game. "We feel like we don't want to worry about that during the week. It's kind of a weird feeling during the week, knowing that you're not going to have coaches at the end of the season. I wish they would have waited until after (Nov. 18 against) Penn State to tell the news.

"We knew it was on the edge, but not that quick. It's kind of slapping us in the right face. They really didn't look at the players."

Senior punter Brandon Fields said it was difficult to practice for the remainder of the week because of the unusual circumstances.

"It definitely wasn't a good week with all the stuff that went on," Fields said. "It's definitely tough. That's basically the worst thing that can happen during the season. But just like everything else, that's part of life. You have to work on working through adversity."

The Spartans didn't appear to be affected by the controversy when they took the field Saturday. They battled for the entire game and even held a fourth-quarter lead before falling to the Boilermakers, 17-15. But after the game, the focus was once again on their soon-to-be-former coach.

Smith, who clearly is struggling with the situation, did not attend the post-game press conference. The players said he delivered an emotional speech in the locker room following the game.

"He said, 'There's a lot of times when you're going to get knocked down in life, and a lot of times it's going to be a lot worse than this,'" senior center Kyle Cook said of Smith's message.

Mason met with the team's four captains — senior quarterback Drew Stanton, Cook, senior defensive tackle Clifton Ryan and senior linebacker David Herron Jr. — Friday at the Duffy Daugherty Football Building to apologize for the way the situation was handled.

"Obviously, he would liked for us to have heard before, or soon after it got out to the 1:30 (p.m.) press conference," Cook said.

"You don't want to leave the players in the dark, and that was his biggest thing."

Cook said Mason didn't mention any potential candidates to fill the coaching vacancy.

"He said they don't have any clue yet as to who is on their list," Cook said.

Lacing 'em up

Javon Ringer made his first appearance since suffering a sprained knee against Illinois on Sept. 30. The sophomore running back was supposed to be out for the year but made a speedy recovery.

"He practiced and progressed all week, and he came back and played," Stanton said. "Everybody was kinda surprised, but he did some good things when he was in there. He's kind of a little freak of nature, to be able to come back that quick off of an injury.

"It was good to see. I'm happy for him, because he wants to be out there, he wants to play and run around and do some good things."

Ringer appeared to be a step slow, rushing 10 times for 36 yards. He also caught three passes for minus four yards.

"It's just a testament of the type of person that he is," Stanton said. "He's gonna come out and fight every down — no matter what. If he feels he can help this team he's going to go out there and try to make plays. I'm real proud of that kid, but it's nothing that's unexpected after you've been around him for this long."

Tight ends Kellen Davis and Eric Andino also returned Saturday for the first time since being suspended from the team for disciplinary reasons before the Spartans' Oct. 7 game against Michigan.