MSU will be back on the gridiron this Saturday as the Spartans will face the Iowa Hawkeyes in their first Big Ten Conference game of the season. Here are five things to watch this Saturday:
To better understand Ferentz and Iowa, The State News interviewed Courtney Baumann, the football editor for The Daily Iowan, and asked her four questions about the visiting Hawkeyes.
In ways, Iowa football is a walking contradiction.
Three weeks into the season, MSU's offensive turnovers have been well documented at six fumbles and two interceptions, but on defense, head coach Mark Dantonio and the Spartans are frustrated that they aren't creating turnovers of their own.
Josiah Scott is well aware of the national attention he has generated. Just three games into his collegiate career, Scott is hauling in weekly recognitions from the national media, including Pro Football Weekly.
Let’s get this clear and out of the way — comparing this Spartan team to the 2016 edition isn’t just simple, it’s lazy.
One day removed from MSU’s first loss of the season, head coach Mark Dantonio emphasized one word: resiliency. After MSU’s infamous season last year, the Spartans turned to their youth to step up and play a vital role on the team in 2017.
Everybody knew it coming into the season. Besides bouncing back from a 3-9 season, the talk surrounding this MSU team was simple — the Spartans are young, incredibly so.
After a 38-18 loss to Notre Dame, head coach Mark Dantonio reviewed the loss and previewed the Spartans’ first conference game of the season this Saturday in Dantonio’s weekly press conference on Tuesday.
If Saturday night’s game against Notre Dame was indeed the Spartans’ first true test of the season, well, they failed. Sure, the Spartans' history with Notre Dame reveals that you shouldn't use the result of this game as a platform to forecast the rest of the season, but it does disclose that MSU needs immediate changes to be made.
Before the highly anticipated MSU vs. Notre Dame game and before Spartan, Tiger and Dodger legend, Kirk Gibson, took his place among the "Ring of Honor" at Spartan Stadium, "Gibby and Friends vs. Parky" announced on Saturday afternoon they raised $1.2 million to fund research through MSU's College of Human Medicine into Parkinson’s disease. However, Gibson wanted to make sure he isn’t the only person that’s recognized.
Quarterback Brian Lewerke led a commanding drive to the 1-yard line on MSU’s first offensive possession of the season against Bowling Green. Junior running back LJ Scott would then fumble at the goal line, with the Falcons recovering the loose ball and preventing MSU from scoring on its first red zone appearance in 2017.
Looking solely at the stats, MSU didn’t have a bad night. The green and white outgained Notre Dame in total yards 496-355. The Spartans had the ball far longer than Irish, too, for about 34 minutes of the game compared to their foe’s 26.
It didn’t take long for the Spartans to allow their first defensive touchdown of the year in a 38-18 loss.
After a bye last weekend, the Spartans are ready to get back onto the gridiron and take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday night.
All eyes will be on the defense come kickoff against Notre Dame. It comes as no surprise, the unit has yet to allow a touchdown, despite the offense and special teams giving up their share. Cornerback Josiah Scott has been garnering some hype after PFF has rated him one of the best freshmen in the nation.
MSU football comes out of its bye week 2-0 and eager to face rival Notre Dame Saturday night. With the Megaphone Trophy on
Fresh off the bye week, the Spartans are 2-0 and will face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Saturday night with the Megaphone Trophy up for grabs. While MSU had its off week, the Irish defeated Boston College last Saturday 49-20 to improve to 2-1 on the season.
To Byron Bullough and Brian Allen, MSU’s rivalry with Notre Dame is more than just a game. For them, it’s an opportunity to reflect upon their childhood and their roots. MSU will take on the Fighting Irish this Saturday under the lights on the national stage for the first time this season. It will be the last time these two foes will face each other in the regular season until 2026.
If Division I collegiate football — between the sponsorships, money and national attention — was anything like school, so far, the Spartans are passing with flying colors.