The volleyball team dropped its first Big Ten game Thursday night against Minnesota. Now they face something they have yet to see on their schedule — a two day break in-between games.
Think back a few weeks about the MSU football team. A stagnant offense, struggling to find a rhythm at quarterback or wide receiver, diluting the ability to produce anything of substance.
Just when the Spartans began looking like a complete team and potential Legends Division frontrunner, they struggled to put away a flawed Purdue team and a wave of uncertainty comes crashing back. The MSU defense did the heavy lifting – producing a shutout and a touchdown – while its offense struggled to move the ball once again in a 14-0 win over the Boilermakers (1-6 overall, 0-3 Big Ten). Leading up to Saturday, head coach Mark Dantonio talked about whether his team would be able to handle its recent success after back-to-back impressive wins against Iowa and Indiana.
It was almost an upset, but ultimately the higher-ranked team prevailed. A week after showing improved defense and ability to close out games, the field hockey team (7-8 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) couldn’t make good of a late 3-1 lead as they fell to No.
Just when the Spartans began looking like a complete team, a potential Legends Division favorite, they struggle to put away a struggling Purdue team and the wave of uncertainty comes rushing back. The MSU defense did the heavy lifting while its offense seemed to regress in a 14-0 win over the Boilermakers (1-6 overall, 0-3 Big Ten). The Spartans (6-1, 3-0) scored on a 45-yard fumble recovery from senior linebacker Denicos Allen in the first half, and hung on to keep Purdue out of the end zone before redshirt freshman tight end Josiah Price scored on a trick play in the fourth quarter. Sophomore quarterback Connor Cook threw for 107 yards and junior running back Jeremy Langford went over the century mark for the second straight game with 131 rushing yards.
After marked improvement the past two weeks offensively, MSU took a 7-0 lead into the locker room against Purdue in a half oddly reminiscent of the lackluster performances that opened the season. MSU was billed as a heavy favorite heading into the contest against the 1-5 Boilermakers. The Spartan offense came out revving its engine on the first drive, feeding junior running back Jeremy Langford three straight plays while employing unbalanced formations with multiple offensive linemen.
For a moment, it seemed as though head coach Tom Izzo had pulled off an impressive Evel Knievel impersonation. Clad in stuntman gear, Izzo rode a cannon, hashtagged #IzzoCannon, into Breslin Center. He joined his wife and kids at the center of the court with a helmet under his arm.
It must have been a birthday sense, because even before the game Allyson Krause knew she would score on her 20th birthday. The sophomore forward didn’t know when, but with just less than two minutes left in the match, Krause took a pass from the corner.
Every game is becoming more and more crucial for the women’s soccer team. After starting the season out 6-0-2, the Spartans (7-5-2 overall, 1-5-0 Big Ten) have been in a tailspin since conference play.
The field hockey team has been on a hot streak. But in order to remain undefeated in Big Ten play, they will have to overcome the other undefeated Big Ten team — No. 3 Penn State. “We’re going to try and do what we’ve been doing,” junior forward Abby Barker said. “It is a big game, there’s a lot of pressure on the line. But like we were saying the other day, pressure is a privilege, and we’re excited to be able to compete.”
The real games have finally arrived. The puck will drop on the new season for the MSU hockey team when they travel to Amherst, Mass., to take on UMass Friday and Saturday night.
After a thrilling 14-4 comeback in the first set, it seemed as though the Spartans were on their way to another Big Ten victory. Perhaps the improbable first set comeback drained them. Or maybe it was simply an off-night.
Every game counts. That’s the message of the weekend as the MSU football team(5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) welcomes Purdue (1-5, 0-2) to Spartan Stadium (noon, Big Ten Network) to open up the second half of the regular season. Although the Spartans have started to hit their stride on offense, the Boilermakers come into the matchup touting the worst offense in the Big Ten, led by true freshman quarterback Danny Etling, who picked up his first career start in a 44-7 drubbing by Nebraska last week.
Every game counts. That’s the message of the weekend as the MSU football team(5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) welcomes Purdue (1-5, 0-2) to Spartan Stadium (noon, Big Ten Network) to open up the second half of the regular season. Although the Spartans have started to hit their stride on offense, the Boilermakers come into the matchup touting the worst offense in the Big Ten, led by true freshman quarterback Danny Etling, who picked up his first career start in a 44-7 drubbing by Nebraska last week.
Every game counts. That’s the message of the weekend as the MSU football team(5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) welcomes Purdue (1-5, 0-2) to Spartan Stadium (noon, Big Ten Network) to open up the second half of the regular season. Although the Spartans have started to hit their stride on offense, the Boilermakers come into the matchup touting the worst offense in the Big Ten, led by true freshman quarterback Danny Etling, who picked up his first career start in a 44-7 drubbing by Nebraska last week.
Now is the time to shine. With just six games left in the season for the men’s soccer team, it’s up to this squad to show whether they’re capable of making any run in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
One word has been circulating the women’s field hockey locker room and has made its way out onto the field: Destiny. “One of our team goals was to win against the Big Ten from the start of season,” head coach Helen Knull said. “In non-conference season we didn’t get the result we wanted. But now we’re far more focused on the process, which is practice Monday through Thursday, and taking care of business on Saturday … But win or loss, on Saturday, our destiny is still in our hands.”
The 2013 football season is halfway over for MSU (5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten), and things appear to be looking up for the Spartans heading into tomorrow’s matchup with Purdue (1-5, 0-2). Since its season opener reminded everyone another dismal season wasn’t out of the question, MSU has reshaped its image and emerged as a Legends Division favorite. Sophomore Connor Cook has taken the reins at quarterback and his supporting cast has improved each game while getting multiple players involved. Here are the most notable players and events from the season’s first half.
Every game is becoming more and more crucial for the women’s soccer team. After starting the season out 6-0-2, the Spartans (7-5-2 overall, 1-5-0 Big Ten) have been in a tailspin since conference play.
The No. 5 MSU volleyball team will resume its Big Ten season tonight, taking on No. 10 Minnesota (16-3 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) on the road. The match will be televised on ESPN2 live at 8 p.m.