It's the final game of the season at Spartan Stadium, and MSU is looking for its first back-to-back win since week two.The Spartans (4-6 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) would like nothing more than a win to send their 14 seniors out in style, while a loss would officially end MSU's bid for a bowl game.
It's difficult being a fan of the gridders these days. With all of the controversy surrounding the team, students with friends at other Big Ten schools are scared to answer telephone calls on not just Saturdays, but every day of the week. All of the preseason hype and Bowl Championship Series bowl game potential has transformed into making it on the list of ESPN.com's Bottom 10 college football teams week after week and hoping to make it to that bowl with the weird blue field.
Coming into this season, he didn't know if he'd even get a snap, but sophomore quarterback Damon Dowdell has made the best of a bad situation. In the preseason, Dowdell was second on the depth chart.
Lansing Mayor David Hollister is an MSU alumnus and a football season-ticket holder. And now he's living a fan's dream come true. Hollister has the "honor" of sitting in with MSU Athletics Director Ron Mason, 19 other football fans and one professional hiring consultant to brainstorm a list of qualities and characteristics the perfect Spartan head football coach would have. The panelists don't get to hire the coach to replace Bobby Williams.
MSU's sixth-seeded men's soccer team eked out a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Ohio State (11-7-1, 3-3) in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Sophomore midfielder Jordan Gruber kept MSU's tourney hopes alive Thursday, netting the game-winning goal with just more than three minutes left in regulation to allow the Spartans (12-6 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The Spartans enjoyed a 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the match after a Buckeye defender headed the ball into his own net. Neither team scored until the 40th minute when an MSU defender deflected a cross past senior goalkeeper Tyler Robinson for an own goal to deadlock the score at one going into the break. MSU senior forward Brett Konley had the first real score of the game, chipping a shot over Ohio State goalkeeper Chad Brown at 56:32 to break the tie.
As the weeks pass, the Heisman Trophy race is shaping up to be a two-man battle between teammates - Miami's tailback Willis McGahee and quarterback Ken Dorsey.
It's been a bumpy ride and a rough finish. But regardless, Saturday's game against Purdue marks the last time the 2002 senior class will take the field at Spartan Stadium. "I've got a lot of memories coming through that tunnel," senior cornerback DeMario Suggs said.
Thursdays are the most eventful day of the week here in Spartan football land. You'd think it would be Saturdays, but you'd also think the Spartans would hold press conferences to discuss football. Not this season.
Saturday was supposed to be a day when the MSU football team was going to clinch a top bowl bid with a win over a Purdue squad led by its leader Joe Tiller. It was supposed to be a day when I, as a senior, was going to partake in an abundance of pregame activities, stumble into Spartan Stadium and watch our prolific offense and outstanding defense pick apart the Boilermakers. But that is nothing like what it's going to be.
Ohio State might have the most talented hockey team in the CCHA. Most programs would be happy with a pair of first-round NHL draft picks, a three-year starting goalie and three senior defensemen - all of which OSU has.
It has been a long and eventful week leading up to the Spartans' second consecutive NCAA Tournament. On Thursday afternoon, the squad boarded a plane to Boston, Mass. Waiting for the No.
This weekend is all about rebounding for the MSU volleyball team. Following disappointing losses against Indiana and Ohio State a week ago, the Spartans (15-9 overall, 7-7 Big Ten) know they need an extremely strong showing at home this weekend to finish the season strong.
No. 2 Ohio State at Illinois The Buckeyes' offense has been suspect recently, but their sound defense has kept alive the dream of playing in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan.
In the words of Amy Allen, it's been a long time coming. Allen, a senior defender on MSU's women's soccer team, has never been to an NCAA Tournament. This morning, however, Allen and the Spartans boarded a bus bound for Ann Arbor and round one of the National Championship tournament after receiving a nomination from the selection committee. Allen said the team went "nuts" upon learning of its selection late Monday night. "We just all had our eyes glued to the screen, and it came on and everyone started screaming and calling everyone on their cell phones," Allen said.
After receiving its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid one year ago, the MSU field hockey team has matched that feat this year.
The MSU men's basketball team heads into its second and final exhibition game looking to establish itself defensively. The Spartans lost 104-85 in their exhibition opener to the Magic Johnson All-Stars on Nov.
Former MSU hockey player Jason Woolley was waived by the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.Sabres spokesman Gregg Huller said Woolley will be sent down to Buffalo's American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester if he's not claimed by another NHL team by Friday.Woolley, a defenseman, had no goals, three assists and 29 penalty minutes in 14 games with the Sabres this season.
It's an awkward time for the MSU football program. On the field, the Spartans (4-6 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) are attempting to salvage what's left of a dismal season.
On the eve of National Signing Day, the MSU hockey coaching staff expanded its recruiting class by two players. Forward/defenseman Tyler Howells of Eden Prairie, Minn., and defenseman Chris Snavely of Lancaster, Pa., both inked National Letters of Intent with MSU on Wednesday - less than 24 hours after they verbally committed. Forward Tommy Goebel of Parma, Ohio, and goaltender Dominic Vicari of Clinton Township also signed Wednesday.
MSU men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo said on National Signing Day on Wednesday that even though he and his assistant coaches only had three open slots for scholarships, the Spartans' 2003-04 recruiting class has been a "treat recruiting season." "There is no question this is one of the best recruiting classes we've had," Izzo said.