The MSU football team lost one of its recent, in-state recruits Monday morning to a rival Big Ten school. Aubrey Pleasant, who verbally committed to MSU on Dec.
Honolulu - MSU had two touchdowns called back because of penalties against Hawaii in a loss on Saturday, a fact that did not sit well with coaches or players. Both would-be touchdowns were by senior running back DeAndra Cobb, a 75-yard rush in the second quarter and a 98-yard kickoff return in the fourth. It's uncertain if either would have reversed MSU's 41-38 loss at Aloha Stadium. Head coach John L.
Honolulu - The MSU football team could not finish what it started many times this season. That did not change against Hawaii on Saturday night in yet another disappointing game for the Spartans. MSU (5-7 overall, 4-4 Big Ten) succumbed to Hawaii 41-38, in the last game of a long, frustrating season. "We don't get to go into the offseason on a good note now; we go into it on a real sour note," head coach John L.
MSU could have adjusted its offense and planned a way to get around Wisconsin's top-ranked defense. But the Spartans stuck to their strength, running the ball, and the Badgers could not do anything to stop them.
The MSU football team said it could beat anybody on its schedule and proved it Saturday, beating No.
Despite MSU's 32-19 loss to Ohio State, senior place-kicker Dave Rayner had a record-setting day - making the MSU all-time field goals record, with 60, and the all-time scoring record, with 312 points. "It feels good, but it would have felt a lot better if we would have won," Rayner said.
The frustration of back-to-back stinging losses is starting to wear on the Spartans and their coach. MSU blew a fourth-quarter lead for the second-straight game.
After MSU lost to Michigan 45-37 in triple overtime Saturday, head coach John L. Smith said there was no way to console his broken team.
Ann Arbor - As the MSU team buses sat outside Michigan Stadium, head coach John L. Smith stared back at the "Big House" with a glazed look on his face. Perhaps Smith was thinking about what could have been, if his Spartans (4-4 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) had held onto their 17-point fourth quarter lead.
Ann Arbor - When sophomore quarterback Drew Stanton walked down the tunnel at Michigan Stadium to begin the second half with his teammates, he wore a baseball cap instead of a helmet, sneakers instead of football cleats and MSU warm-ups instead of full pads. It was official - Stanton, after dissecting Michigan's defense almost at will in the first half, would not finish the game he started.
Senior running back DeAndra Cobb had a career high 205 rushing yards against Michigan, but after MSU's triple-overtime loss, he could only remember one play. MSU was four yards away from the end zone for a dramatic win against rival U-M.
5. Oct. 6, 1956 MSU 9, U-M 0 The Oct. 6, 1956 game between then-No. 2 MSU and then-No. 5 Michigan had a lot of defense and barely any offense. This game marked the first time attendance at Michigan Stadium exceeded 100,000 people.
Even when the annual Michigan-MSU rivalry has Big Ten title implications, as it does this year, there's always room for verbal jabs. "I don't like none of them over there," senior bandit Tyrell Dortch said.
For most football teams, there is an air of judgment that comes with the bye week. It can be bad for a team on a winning streak because the time off can potentially erode that positive momentum.
When head coach John L. Smith publicly scolded the Spartans for poor practice habits earlier this season, he probably wasn't talking about junior running back Jason Teague. "He's one of the hardest-working guys involved in the program," running backs coach Reggie Mitchell said. Teague's work ethic is a big reason why he has been MSU's starting running back all season, which is a minor surprise considering the sometimes-brilliant performance of redshirt freshman Jehuu Caulcrick. Caulcrick can be a bruising runner who consistently gains yards when he gets in a groove, as in the fourth quarter of MSU's 38-25 win against Illinois last Saturday.
The MSU special teams have had its problems this season, and it continued Saturday against Illinois. A blocked punt, a mishandled extra point snap and another missed field goal all led to a long day for Spartans kickers - sophomore punter Brandon Fields and senior place-kicker Dave Rayner. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Fields seemed to take his time catching the ball before trying to punt it.
The trick play called for receiver Jerramy Scott to pass to quarterback Drew Stanton, and the defense was so fooled, both players knew there would be no excuse for failure. Scott, with the football in hand, after receiving a pitch from Stanton, saw his sophomore quarterback streaking toward the end zone, wide open.
Iowa City, Iowa - After completely dominating Indiana's offense in the second half last week, the MSU defense could not put on an encore performance at Iowa. The Spartans (2-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) gave up 464 total yards to Iowa (3-2, 1-1) - the worst offensive team in the Big Ten prior to this weekend. "As far as the defense is concerned, I don't think we played very smart today," senior linebacker and captain Ron Stanley said.
Iowa City, Iowa - Love was in the air Saturday. Terry Love, that is. The redshirt freshman caught his first career reception for 19 yards in the second quarter of MSU's 38-16 loss at Iowa on Saturday. Then he caught his second career ball on a 9-yard slant rout - good enough for another first down. His third career catch came two plays later, a 4-yard gain. After the next three plays, Love would add his fourth, fifth and sixth career catches. The only thing that could stop Love late in the second quarter was his shoe - which came off - forcing him to the sidelines. Love would add three more receptions to his not-so-long ago empty résumé in the second half, giving him nine on the day with 103 yards.