Javon Ringer separates from the Wisconsin Badgers’ defense during the first quarter of the game Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Ringer rushed for 145 yards in a 37-34 Spartans loss.
The influence of MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo stretches far past basketball, as he showcased Saturday.
Izzo instructed students camping out for lower bowl Izzone tickets Saturday night to line Chestnut Road — which is home to the Duffy Daugherty Football Building — to greet the football team when it returned from Wisconsin after its 37-34 loss. With Izzo leading the charge, the students followed and swarmed the street to greet the football buses.
When the football players and coaches arrived to a mob of students, they were grateful for the welcome home they received on what was otherwise a tough night.
“It was very surprising,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said at his Monday press conference.
“It was very much appreciated, but I wish we would have won. It shows what kind of support Spartan football has and Spartan athletics in general has.
It gives you an indication in terms of how much people care, and that was a positive thing because people did care.”
Even though the reception was uplifting, the team knows itself and its fans won’t be pleased with just playing hard — there need to be positive results.
“It kind of caught me by surprise, you know, it was good to see that we have that type of support behind us even after a tough loss like that,” senior strong safety Travis Key said.
“But at the same time, we can’t really be satisfied with that.”
MSU will take a two-week break from road play when it hosts Northwestern Saturday and then Indiana for the annual Homecoming game on Oct. 13.
Now returning to your starting lineup
Freshman cornerback Chris L. Rucker will be available to play all of Saturday’s game against Northwestern at Spartan Stadium.
Rucker was ejected in the second quarter of Saturday’s game for a post-play altercation with Wisconsin wide receiver Marcus Randle El. Randle El also was ejected for his involvement in the scuffle.
MSU coaches originally thought Rucker could be suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game because his ejection didn’t occur until the second quarter.
Sophomore cornerback T.J. Williams played his second career game at cornerback when he replaced Rucker in the second quarter.
He intercepted a pass at the MSU goal line in the same quarter.
Ray of hope
Birmingham Brother Rice running back Caulton Ray joined the 2008 MSU recruiting class by giving a solid verbal commitment this week.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior is listed as a three-star prospect on www.rivals.com, a recruiting Web site, and is ranked 53rd best at his position in the nation.
Ray, who runs a 4.47 40-yard dash, will join a Spartans team next season already deep at the running back position with junior Javon Ringer, sophomore A.J. Jimmerson and freshman Andre Anderson returning.
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Ray is ranked the 15th best prospect in Michigan by Rivals.
