SPORTS
Field hockey's effort earns 2 All-Americans
After its best season in club history, the MSU field hockey team had two players named Division I all-Americans.
FOOTBALL
Pressure rises to hire coach
MSU Athletics Director Ron Mason says interested coaches and their agents have been tying up his phone line since he fired Bobby Williams three weeks ago.
SPORTS
Women's cross country places 12th in NCAAs Women's cross country places 12th in NCAAs
The MSU men's and women's cross country teams closed their seasons at the NCAA Championships on Monday in Terre Haute, Ind. The women's team placed 12th, falling one spot from last year.
FOOTBALL
Rogers to enter NFL Draft
It was perhaps the worst-kept secret in college football. But on Monday, MSU star receiver Charles Rogers made it official. He is going pro. Rogers confirmed the speculation during the team's year-end banquet. "I felt like today was a better day because I have my family and my teammates here," the 6-foot-4, 205-pound junior said after receiving the team's most valuable player award. "If you're projected to be a top-10 pick, you can't say no." Although Rogers was quick to point out during the past several weeks he hadn't made up his mind about whether he would forfeit his last year of college eligibility and enter the NFL Draft, there wasn't an analyst - or teammate - who expected him to stay. "We saw it coming.
ICE HOCKEY
Miller demoted back to Rochester Americans
After a two-game stint in the NHL, former MSU goaltender Ryan Miller was sent back to the minor-league Rochester Americans on Sunday. Miller went 1-0-0-1 in his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres, but he allowed eight total goals to the New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets.
FOOTBALL
Lusterless losses end season
The MSU football team's season was low-lighted by lackluster efforts, humiliating losses, several suspensions and the dismissal of the head coach before the end of the year. There were five losses by 21 points or more, five players who voluntarily left the team and six players suspended for one game or more. "It was a disaster," ESPN college football analyst Beano Cook said.
ICE HOCKEY
Streak continues with loss to Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Ohio - The MSU hockey team traveled south Friday, hoping to get an easy win over a conference doormat before starting a tough stretch of games next weekend.Instead, the Spartans' surprisingly difficult season took another downturn.At MSU's expense, the lowly Bowling Green Falcons notched their first league win - by an overtime score of 3-2 at the BGSU Ice Arena.The Spartans (5-6-0 overall, 3-4-0 CCHA) grabbed a 2-1 lead with less than four minutes to go, but once again, they couldn't hold a late-game advantage.Falcon right wing Tyler Knight scored with 1:54 left in regulation and then center D'Arcy McConvey tallied a controversial goal with 1:50 left in overtime to seal the upset for Bowling Green (3-8-1, 1-7-1).MSU had blown similar late leads to Lake Superior State and Niagara earlier this season, but the Spartans came back to win both of those games.
SPORTS
Spartans not able to make up for 1st half
A hot Miami (Ohio) squad drained 13 three-point shots en route to an 86-84 win over the MSU women's basketball team in Sunday's championship game of the Spartan Chevrolet Classic. After a short-lived 6-3 lead, MSU found itself trailing for the remainder of the game.
SPORTS
Streak continues with loss to Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Ohio - The MSU hockey team traveled south Friday, hoping to get an easy win over a conference doormat before starting a tough stretch of games next weekend.Instead, the Spartans' surprisingly difficult season took another downturn.At MSU's expense, the lowly Bowling Green Falcons notched their first league win - by an overtime score of 3-2 at the BGSU Ice Arena.The Spartans (5-6-0 overall, 3-4-0 CCHA) grabbed a 2-1 lead with less than four minutes to go, but once again, they couldn't hold a late-game advantage.Falcon right wing Tyler Knight scored with 1:54 left in regulation and then center D'Arcy McConvey tallied a controversial goal with 1:50 left in overtime to seal the upset for Bowling Green (3-8-1, 1-7-1).MSU had blown similar late leads to Lake Superior State and Niagara earlier this season, but the Spartans came back to win both of those games.
BASKETBALL
Missing the point?
Despite pulling out a 66-52 win over North Carolina Asheville on Friday night, the MSU men's basketball team still showed its need for a true point guard. The No.
SPORTS
Johnson rushes past 'U'
State College, Pa. - Not only did Penn State's Larry Johnson single-handedly embarrass the Spartans on Saturday, he solidified his place among the NCAA's best all-time tailbacks. With 279 rushing yards on 19 carries (14.7 per carry), Johnson became just the ninth running back - and the first in Big Ten history - to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in a single season.
VOLLEYBALL
Schram slams in road games
Had Kim Schram not been in MSU's lineup this weekend, the Spartans might have not picked up two victories.But the sophomore outside hitter was on the floor - and she delivered.
SPORTS
HARDY: Izzo searches for squad's new leader
Tom Izzo has a problem. Tom Izzo has a good problem. Tom Izzo has a problem that would make most college hoops coaches salivate, dribbling up and down courtside. Izzo is taking auditions for leader of the 2002-03 MSU men's basketball team. And his players are standing in line to sign up, 6 and 7 feet tall. "I don't think our effort from our leaders is what it should be," Izzo says following the Spartans' first season win Friday as they beat North Carolina Asheville, 66-52. "We're still a leaderless
FOOTBALL
Johnson rushes past 'U'
State College, Pa. - Not only did Penn State's Larry Johnson single-handedly embarrass the Spartans on Saturday, he solidified his place among the NCAA's best all-time tailbacks.With 279 rushing yards on 19 carries (14.7 per carry), Johnson became just the ninth running back - and the first in Big Ten history - to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in a single season.
FOOTBALL
SPORTS UPDATE: Penn State crushes gridders, 61-7
State College, Pa. - Just when Spartan fans thought it couldn't get any worse, Penn State trounced MSU 61-7 Saturday night in Happy Valley.The 61 points is the most any MSU squad has yielded since a 63-0 loss to Michigan in 1922.
SPORTS
Heisman watch
It's a strange race for the Heisman Trophy this year. The nation's best athletes - Marshall's Byron Leftwich, Ohio State's Maurice Clarett and MSU's Charles Rogers - have been eliminated by injuries or a terrible surrounding cast.
SPORTS
Players look to go out with a win in finale
The MSU football team has virtually nothing to play for in the last week of conference play.The Spartans (4-7 overall, 2-5 Big Ten) sit alone in eighth place in the Big Ten standings, and their final push for a bowl bid was thwarted last week in a zany 45-42 loss to Purdue (5-6, 3-4) at Spartan Stadium.But senior offensive guard Paul Harker said in addition to playing for pride, ending the season with a win is enough incentive to play hard."This is the last game we'll play together with these guys," he said.
VOLLEYBALL
Spartans hit road for 2 Big Ten games
The Spartans are expected to pick up their first two-win weekend since Oct. 25-26, the last time they played Purdue and Illinois, but they know the task won't be an easy one. MSU has struggled on the road all season long, especially in the Big Ten.
SPORTS
Ohio State and Michigan kick off rivalry weekend
No. 9 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State Buckeye faithful don't want to even think about the past while Wolverine fans are hoping for déjá vu all over again. Once again, Ohio State will bring an undefeated mark into its contest with U-M, and if recent history is any guide, the Buckeyes will exit Ohio Stadium with a blemish in their record. In 1993, an unranked Wolverine squad demolished the No.
SPORTS
Leading the way
season marred by disappointment and controversy will come to an end for the Spartans in University Park, Pa., against Penn State. The entire coaching staff from this season will be relieved of duty at the end of the season, and the program will be under completely new reigns. At this point, Athletics Director Ron Mason hasn't picked anyone to lead the team, making it impossible to know the program's direction.