Walking into the media wing of Spartan Stadium following his team’s grinding 28-13 win over Furman University, Mark Dantonio neither smiled nor scowled.
Bouncing to the outside and headed toward the right sideline looking to cut into open field, Furman’s Richard Hayes III couldn’t see junior nose tackle Malik McDowell bounding after him. Before he could look up field, he was ripped off the ground by McDowell and slammed to the turf, his body caught in a wrangled mess.
Josiah Price, normally kept from the mouth of the public address announcer recorded two penalties — one a fifteen yard personal foul, the other a hold.
MSU football opened up their season with a seven play, 76 yard scoring drive in under four minutes. The following 56 were inert and underactive with flashes of potential, but mental lapses on both sides of the ball allowed Furman to stick around for the majority of the game. A philosophy one could take after MSU’s 28-13 win? Survive and advance.
On a beautiful 72 degree evening at Spartan Stadium, jam packed with 74,516 members of the Spartan faithful, the MSU football team opened the season defeating FCS opponent Furman 28-13.
It didn't take long for MSU to get rolling, as R.J. Shelton took a reverse sweep 32 yards on the first play from scrimmage. L.J.
Follow along with The State News football writers, Nathaniel Bott and Stephen Olschanski, on the live blog as #12 MSU football takes on Furman.
R.J. Shelton’s final first snap of his senior year will come with a different feeling. For the past three years he wasn’t the eldest of the receivers, he wasn’t the most experienced, nor the man who lined up on a crucial third down knowing the ball was coming to him no matter the coverage. And after watching the likes of Bennie Fowler, Tony Lippett and Aaron Burbridge shoulder the weight of the receiving corps and be the go to guy, Shelton wants to add his name to the list of top Spartan pass catchers.
The State News is proud to announce a new podcast, with football beat writer Stephen Olschanski and sports desk editor Casey Harrison as the leading personalities. In the first episode of The State News Podcast, Stephen and Casey introduce themselves, reveal the format for the show, discuss layout and content for future episodes and discuss the top sports headlines across the country.
When FCS opponent Furman and head coach Bruce Fowler roll into Spartan Stadium Friday evening, they will be greeted with a sea of green and white that’s stands 75,000 strong filled with fans anxious to build off last season’s appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Already widely heralded as one of the top linebacker groups in the nation by various pundits and media outlets MSU junior linebacker Jon Reschke said Tuesday afternoon the he and his fellow linebackers have the capability of being the best corps in the nation at the end of the season.
Tyler O’Connor stood poised in his white Nike shirt and green shorts and peered out over the media herd walking towards him — he knew the inevitable was coming. Someone would undoubtedly ask him about Connor Cook.
MSU football announced Thursday following the last practice of preseason camp, fifth year senior quarterback Tyler O'Connor, fifth year senior linebacker Riley Bullough and fifth year senior defensive back Demetrious Cox will be captains for the 2016 season.
With just 11 days until kickoff of the 2016 football season, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio addressed the media Monday afternoon during preseason camp and named fifth year senior quarterback Tyler O’Connor as the starter for week one of the regular season against Furman.
MSU football checks in at No. 12 in the Associated Press Preseason Poll, marking the third straight season the Spartans have garnered a spot inside the AP’s top 15 and the fifth time under Mark Dantonio that MSU has started the season in the AP Top 25.
It’s hard to criticize a team that went to the College Football Playoff last season, but it’s no surprise that MSU’s defense, more specifically the secondary, proved to be the team’s Achilles' heel in the College Football Playoff.
A lot has changed with MSU football in the last 10 years — mostly because of Dantonio and his coaching staff.
With the 2016 season now less than a month away head coach Mark Dantonio and his offensive staff must find a rotation of wide receivers to accompany the new quarterback.
The MSU football team welcomed the media on Monday and held a series of press conferences for Media Day at Spartan Stadium.
Coming off a Big Ten championship, a berth in the College Football Playoff and a 12-2 record last season, MSU football is ranked No. 11 in the country in the preseason USA Today Amway Coaches Poll released Wednesday.