FOOTBALL
Lack of discipline, depth hurt, but this loss was no surprise
There's no shortage of reasons for MSU's 31-13 loss to Michigan on Saturday. A lack of discipline is one.
SOCCER
MSU scores 1st, but ends with 1-1 tie against U-M
Ann Arbor — It was all guts and no glory for the MSU men's soccer team (6-4-2 overall, 0-2-2 Big Ten) on Sunday, as the Spartans walked away from their game against Michigan with a 1-1 tie. The high stakes of the intrastate rivalry motivated players on both teams through an extra 20 minutes of play, but neither team was able to net the game winner. "I was afraid the minutes were going to haunt us and maybe they'd sneak one with fresher legs," MSU head coach Joe Baum said.
FOOTBALL
MSU, Illinois fined $10K for flag-planting fight
The Big Ten fined Illinois and MSU $10,000 each on Wednesday for a scuffle between players following the Spartans' 23-20 loss to the Fighting Illini on Saturday. After the game ended, Illinois players attempted to plant a flag at midfield in Spartan Stadium.
VOLLEYBALL
Big Ten has been rude awakening for MSU
After winning a majority of its nonconference games, the MSU volleyball team finds itself struggling heading into its weekend matches. The Spartans have lost three of their four Big Ten matches, giving them a 1-3 record in the conference. "I think we have had great opportunities to win every game," head coach Cathy George said.
ICE HOCKEY
Jeff Lerg shines in net in Green and White scrimmage
It didn't take long for MSU head coach Rick Comley to say what everybody at Tuesday's Green and White intrasquad hockey scrimmage was thinking when the final horn sounded at Munn Ice Arena. "I thought (sophomore goaltender) Jeff Lerg played really well," Comley said smiling.
SOCCER
Men's soccer travels to play Oakland today
Before heading to Ann Arbor on Sunday for a rivalry game against Michigan, the MSU men's soccer team will travel to Oakland for a 4 p.m.
FOOTBALL
Conley's Top 10: Angry in the mountains
Each week, State News football reporter Ethan Conley offers his own Top 10 college football rankings. No.
ICE HOCKEY
Student season ticket sales up; new 8-game option available
For the 2006-07 Spartans hockey season, two different student-ticket packages are being offered. The packages are similar to those for football and allow for an upgrade into the official MSU hockey student section, Slapshots. One package offers admission to all 17 regular-season home games, excluding the CCHA playoffs, should the Spartans host a home series.
FOOTBALL
Cook: 'I have no doubt' Stanton will play Sat.
A day after being labeled as probable for the Michigan game, it seems MSU senior quarterback Drew Stanton will be starting under center Saturday. "I have no doubt (he'll play)," senior center Kyle Cook said after Tuesday's practice.
FOOTBALL
Ringer out for season; Stanton probable for U-M
The worst-case scenario is now reality. Sophomore running back Javon Ringer is out for the season. However, senior quarterback Drew Stanton is probable for Saturday's game against Michigan. During the second quarter of MSU's 23-20 loss to Illinois on Saturday, Ringer went down with an injured right knee after gaining three yards on a screen pass.
ICE HOCKEY
MSU hockey season begins tonight at Munn here's what you'll see
The trees' leaves are starting to change colors, the weather is becoming a little more frigid, a would-be promising football season is once again down the toilet and the 2006-07 MSU hockey team is just about ready to kick off a new season in defense of a CCHA playoff championship.
SPORTS
Monday musings
Monday Musings For the first time in more than 30 years, Notre Dame will make 5,000 season tickets available to football games starting next season. The fee for the tickets will help pay for more than $40 million in repairs to Notre Dame Stadium, as well as Charlie Weis' months of post-slap therapy. Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was ejected from his team's game Sunday after stomping on Dallas center Andre Gurode's face. Haynesworth said he plans to appeal any suspension because, come on, Gurode's face does kind of look like a Dance Dance Revolution board. For the second straight season, only selected MSU football players will be available to the media before this Saturday's game against Michigan. Team officials said the rest of the team will be unavailable to give interviews because they'll be busy making sure no one plants any flags at Spartan Stadium.
FOOTBALL
Don't blame Smith players stunk
If you want to point fingers as to why MSU lost to Illinois, there's plenty of blame to go around.
SOCCER
Spartans still winless in Big Ten
After back-to-back 1-0 home losses against Indiana and Purdue over the weekend, the MSU women's soccer team dropped to 0-3 in Big Ten play.
SPORTS
Spartans invite alumni back to pool for meet
By Matt Benjamin For The State News It was Homecoming on Saturday, and the celebration was on at the Charles McCaffree Pool in IM Sports-West, where the 51st annual Alumni Swim Meet was held.
FOOTBALL
Blame Smith he still has no clue
Coaching is more than a simple task of motivating a group of 18- to 22-year-olds to play hard on Saturdays.
FOOTBALL
MSU can't hold the line
It was a game that wasn't supposed to be close. MSU was expected to put up big offensive numbers against Illinois Saturday, answering any questions about the lingering effects of the Notre Dame collapse. But after a disappointing 23-20 loss, the Spartans failed to respond to that question and raised many more about an offense that put up just 259 total yards. "We should be able to put up 40 points on Illinois," senior center Kyle Cook said.
SPORTS
On 50th anniversary, Spartans lose in OT
As the ball rolled into the goal, several MSU men's soccer players fell to the ground, stunned at how the game had just ended in front of them.
SOCCER
Tillman is Big Ten's best defender again
MSU men's soccer senior goalkeeper Jason Tillman has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks. Tillman was honored after posting consecutive shutouts against Bowling Green and Wisconsin last week.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans, Wolverines will be cream of CCHA crop this season
By the slimmest of margins, the No. 5 MSU hockey team was picked as the early favorite in the CCHA Coaches Poll, which was announced Wednesday at the league's Media Day. Although the Spartans had the most first-place votes in the media poll, No.