MSU men’s and women’s cross country teams began their season Friday at the Nike/Playmakers Spartan Invitational determined to prove they were worthy of their high preseason rankings.
The tales of two cities, but one of them might as well be a sequel. It was the best of times, the worst of times, in East Lansing on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday. Both days showed promise - the age-old tradition of the Fighting Irish and Spartans and the christening of Ford Field in regular play.
For the first time in more than two years, the MSU women’s golf team played a complete home tournament, but the Spartans couldn’t sweeten the experience with a win. Though the weather turned rainy and gray Sunday, the Mary Fossum Invitational continued.
The Spartan victory over Northern Illinois on Friday was more than just a traditional win.In the sweep, Spartan head coach Chuck Erbe notched his 200th win as MSU volleyball coach.
For the second game in as many weeks the MSU football team faced a double-digit half-time deficit. It has been a re-occurring theme this season.
The MSU women’s soccer team (6-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) swept its league-opening weekend, defeating Illinois 2-0 on Friday and Iowa 4-0 on Sunday. Junior goalkeeper Stacy Heller made four saves against both teams, posting her third and fourth shutouts of the season. Against the Fighting Illini (3-5, 0-2), freshman midfielder Erin Konheim scored the game-winner in the 62nd minute by burying a pass from freshman forward Emma Harris. Junior forward Tiffany Laskowski sealed the victory in the 83rd minute, scoring her fourth goal of the season with an assist from senior midfielder Heidi Lutz. Against Iowa (4-3, 0-2), junior defender Andrea Sied scored the first goal of the game in the ninth minute.
Lansing Twp. - Mateen Cleaves said his trade from Sacramento to Cleveland was nixed last week because of a previously undetected broken bone in his left foot. Cleaves said the fracture doesn’t hurt and he didn’t even realize he was injured until X-rays came back from a Cleveland physical.
Detroit - Motor City football fans are used to losing, so Sunday’s 37-31 loss to the Green Bay Packers was nothing new.But Lions fans had another reason to cheer, as the game marked the regular-season debut of the $500-million Ford Field and Detroit’s first regular-season game downtown since 1974.“I love the fact that its down in Detroit,” Mike Emke said of the new facility.
The MSU field hockey team (8-1) claimed two victories over East Coast opponents in the weekend, including an upset of No.
The MSU women’s tennis team struggled at the three-day Bronco Invitational in Kalamazoo this weekend.
He wasn’t Notre Dame’s first choice, but in just three games as head coach, Tyrone Willingham has guided the Fighting Irish back to national prominence. His style and demeanor might not be flashy, but his players know he’s there to win. “I think a lot of guys are happy Willingham is here,” Irish cornerback Shane Walton said.
No. 6 Ohio State vs. Cincinnati (in Paul Brown Stadium) The Buckeyes (3-0) are fresh off a marquee win over Washington State last week.
The MSU special teams unit looks to make a positive impact against Notre Dame - a week removed from a horrendous performance. In the 46-22 loss to California, the Spartans fumbled two kickoff returns and gave up a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown. On the return, senior cornerback DeMario Suggs missed a tackle and junior linebacker Mike Labinjo was out of his coverage lane.
In the land under the Michigan-Indiana border once sat the tarnished golden dome of the Fighting Irish. Marked by scandal - the resignation of former Irish head coach George O’Leary over inaccuracies found in his résumé and threatened sanctions by the NCAA concerning activity under the Lou Holt era - their golden helmets glowed less, showed a few more scratches and chipped a little easier.
Unfortunate events have prevented the women’s golf team from hosting a tournament the past two years, and head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll hopes the third time really is a charm. In 2000, rain scattered golfers and forced the Mary Fossum Invitational to end after just 18 holes.
The life of a starting quarterback isn’t always easy.If the team wins, he gets all the praise, but if it loses, it’s all his fault.
For the first weekend this season, the MSU women’s volleyball team only has one match to worry about.
Last week was a fun week in college football, especially with the Wolverweenies going down. Both Death Ro (11-4) and McSkinny (9-6) went 3-2, but Death Ro was the one who sold out and went with Michigan.
Here’s a look at the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy: Front-runners: Ken Dorsey senior quarterback, Miami After two solid performances, Dorsey put up numbers that were closer to Heisman standards in a 44-21 win over Temple.
Coming into the season, the MSU football team was expected by many experts to be undefeated when the men from South Bend, Ind., came to Spartan Stadium.Instead, it’s Notre Dame (3-0) that boasts a perfect record.“They’re not beating themselves,” MSU head coach Bobby Williams said.