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Beyond Belief
Evanston, Ill. — When MSU was down 38-3 against Northwestern midway through the third quarter, things looked hopeless. It looked like it could be John L.
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For once, breaks go Spartans' way
Evanston, Ill. — It takes a lot to overcome a 35-point deficit in less than 22 minutes.
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Fall from grace
Drew Stanton entered this season with a career completion rate of 65.7 percent — the highest all-time for an MSU quarterback.
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Spartans secure Ohio offensive line recruit
The MSU football team has received another verbal commitment from the class of 2007, this one from Mark Wetterer, an offensive lineman from Anderson High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to the season, Wetterer had offers from 12 Division-1 schools, including West Virginia and Maryland, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. He is ranked 28th in the state of Ohio by recruiting service Rivals.com. The Web site also ranks him as a three-star recruit out of five.
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Adams, Warrick swap positions as part of defensive shuffle
After surrendering 772 yards and 69 points combined in its last two losses, MSU's defense will get shaken up for Saturday's game against Northwestern. Most glaring are the position changes for two Spartans who have started every game in 2006.
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MSU might not win again this season
Confidence. It can make all the difference in the world in football, and MSU is no exception. The team always seems to need only one big play — be it a long pass, a broken tackle, a fumble recovery or a vicious hit — to get the wheels turning. But the team has had such a horrendous stretch of games that every last bit of confidence has disappeared, and you have to wonder if the players can get it back this season.
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Sea of red
Despite being more than 250 miles from home, Ohio State's football team almost had home-field advantage Saturday at Spartan Stadium. Fans clothed in scarlet and gray dominated the stadium's north end and dotted virtually every other section. "They're the No.
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No more talk, Spartans just win
It's tough to defend this MSU football team. I want to. I want the Spartans to win. I want them to run the table the rest of the way.
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MSU squanders opportunities
If MSU had scripted the beginning of Saturday's game against Ohio State, it probably couldn't have turned out any better than what actually happened. After forcing the Buckeyes to start at the 20-yard line, the Spartans defense caused a turnover, giving the offense the ball deep in Ohio State territory. On MSU's first offensive play, junior running back Jehuu Caulcrick caught a screen pass and rumbled just short of the goal line.
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Heisman hopeful Smith shines
Many questions are up for debate in college football, but there's one truth that is nearly indisputable: Regardless of where he's playing or whom he's playing against, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith is always the coolest guy on the field. Smith proved himself unflappable in early-season road games against Texas and Iowa.
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Trannon out for OSU game
After losing three consecutive games, it doesn't get any easier for the MSU football team. The Spartans host No.
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Kicking, coaching not to blame it's all about talent
As a senior, I've now seen the Spartans lose to the Wolverines four straight times. And although I've seen it before, this one was the hardest to watch.
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Predictable
Ann Arbor - Drew Stanton was one of the first Spartans to walk off the field Saturday.
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Maize flags leave MSU feeling blue
Michigan didn't need any extra help in its near-perfect 31-13 win against MSU on Saturday, but the Spartans gave them plenty. Penalties were a problem for the Green and White throughout the day, from early in the first quarter to the end of the game.
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MSU QB recruit has near-perfect Homecoming
Quarterback Keith Nichol, an MSU commitment from the class of 2007, went 12-of-13 passing for 262 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-13 Homecoming win for Lowell High School on Friday, The Grand Rapids Press reported. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Nichol also scored two touchdowns on runs of 6 and 10 yards. "We're not surprised by Nichol's performance," Lowell head coach Noel Dean told the Press.
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Monday musings
Ricky Williams suffered a gash on his left heel last week when a locker room door slammed shut behind him. Team doctors said Williams is in stable condition but strangely is still asking for medicinal marijuana. NBA commissioner David Stern received a proposal last week to expand the league to Europe in the near future. The sticking point: How would Dwyane Wade's 30 free throws a game translate into euros? The Miami Dolphins started former Detroit Lion Joey Harrington at quarterback Sunday in place of the struggling Daunte Culpepper. Not to be outdone, the Lions pulled their starting quarterback and replaced him with Scott Mitchell. New Hampshire wide receiver David Ball caught his 51st career touchdown pass Saturday, breaking Jerry Rice's NCAA Division I-AA record. Still safe: Marcus Vick's NCAA career arrests record. The Detroit Tigers wrapped up an American League Divisional Series victory on Saturday — their first playoff series win since 1984. In a touching tribute, Tigers closer Todd Jones was wearing the same pair of underwear he had on the last time Detroit won a playoff series. After that loss, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner wants manager Joe Torre fired, according to media reports. The leading candidate for Steinbrenner to replace Torre with: A big bag of money.
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Lack of discipline, depth hurt, but this loss was no surprise
There's no shortage of reasons for MSU's 31-13 loss to Michigan on Saturday. A lack of discipline is one.
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MSU, Illinois fined $10K for flag-planting fight
The Big Ten fined Illinois and MSU $10,000 each on Wednesday for a scuffle between players following the Spartans' 23-20 loss to the Fighting Illini on Saturday. After the game ended, Illinois players attempted to plant a flag at midfield in Spartan Stadium.
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Cook: 'I have no doubt' Stanton will play Sat.
A day after being labeled as probable for the Michigan game, it seems MSU senior quarterback Drew Stanton will be starting under center Saturday. "I have no doubt (he'll play)," senior center Kyle Cook said after Tuesday's practice.
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Conley's Top 10: Angry in the mountains
Each week, State News football reporter Ethan Conley offers his own Top 10 college football rankings. No.