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Sports | Football

FOOTBALL

MSUFCU offers Rose Bowl loans for fans headed to California

Olivia Dimmer
December 10, 2013

For students who are short on cash but still yearn to visit Pasadena, Calif. to see the Spartans face off in the Rose Bowl, the MSU Federal Credit Union, or MSUFCU, is offering a loan to make that trip possible. The loan has a minimum amount of $1,000 and can be financed over an 18-month period at an annual percentage rate as low as 6.9 percent. Spartan fans who take out a loan of $1,000 will end up paying $58.64 a month for a total of $55.52 in interest.

FOOTBALL

Narduzzi named nation's top assistant

Matt Sheehan
December 10, 2013

After 13 games of commanding one of the nation’s most feared defenses, defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi was named as Broyles Award winner. Narduzzi is the first MSU coach to win the award that is given to the nation’s top assistant coach in its 18 year history.

FOOTBALL

Dozens of supporters welcome Spartans home

Matt Sheehan
December 8, 2013

Sunday morning, 8-year-old Cody Ream and his 7-year-old brother Dylan Ream couldn’t wait to see sophomore quarterback Connor Cook. However, this time they wouldn’t be seeing him on a football field or on the TV — they would be seeing him step off the team plane on the tarmac of Capital Regional International Airport.

FOOTBALL

For Lewis, game offers chance at redemption

Stephen Brooks
December 5, 2013

Ever since 11:52 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2011, Isaiah Lewis has patiently awaited a moment that was never guaranteed to arrive. At that minute, time ran out on MSU’s Big Ten title hopes. Wisconsin finished a second-half comeback against the Kirk Cousins-led Spartans, avenging a regular season loss at Spartan Stadium and claiming the league’s coveted Rose Bowl bid in the process.

FOOTBALL

Ready for Battle

Dillon Davis
December 5, 2013

As fans were ushered down the steps and out the exit of Lucas Oil Stadium into a chilly Indianapolis night, Denicos Allen witnessed something he’d never seen before. Max Bullough was there, too — he remembers it well. The then-sophomore linebackers were forced to watch several members of the 2011 Spartans, a band of brothers toward the end of a special season, break down in tears.

FOOTBALL

Stars aligned

Stephen Brooks
December 5, 2013

Les Brown is credited with coining the phrase “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” For college football coaching staffs coast to coast, landing stars — as many as possible — is the lifeblood of the business. Not star players per se, although that’s the ultimate goal, but rather players with the most five-sided shapes attached to their online recruiting profile. More stars means better players. Better players means more wins. More wins means more money and job security for said coaches. With the advent and evolution of national recruiting analysis services such as Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN’s Recruiting Nation in the past decade, any potential prospect worth a Division 1 coach’s time is promptly listed, evaluated and assigned a “star rating” from one to five based on skill. A five-star-rating represents the most elite high school athletes.

FOOTBALL

2011 loss still fresh on MSU football players' minds

Stephen Brooks
December 4, 2013

Max Bullough will never forget the feeling. In the senior linebacker’s four years at MSU, he’s experienced a wide range of emotions. There were highs, from dramatic late-game miracles such as the “Little Giants” and “Rocket” games of 2010 and 2011, to winning the first bowl game under head coach Mark Dantonio. He felt the lows, too, through a disappointing 2012 season and snapping a four-game winning streak against rival Michigan.

FOOTBALL

Dantonio on BCS title: 'Why not us?'

Dillon Davis
December 3, 2013

“Why not us?” That is indeed the question following Mark Dantonio’s weekly press conference with the media yesterday afternoon. With only a few days before the No. 10 Spartans (11-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) travel to Indianapolis for a date with No. 2 Ohio State (12-0, 8-0) in the Big Ten Championship Game, the MSU head coach briefly entertained a scenario that would send the Spartans to Pasadena — not for the Rose Bowl, but for the BCS National Championship Game.

FOOTBALL

Then and now

Stephen Brooks
December 2, 2013

Regardless of what happens in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game, No. 10 MSU now can be remembered as the only program with multiple Legends Division titles — the Big Ten is switching to an East-West division alignment next season. Before trying to avenge their 2011 loss in the conference championship at the hands of Wisconsin, the then-No. 11 Spartans had to take care of Minnesota on senior day. Now, the sights are set on an undefeated showdown with No. 2 Ohio State.

FOOTBALL

Six Spartans earn Big Ten first-team honors

Matt Sheehan
December 2, 2013

With the nation’s No. 1 defense residing in East Lansing, it was all but guaranteed the Spartans would make their presence known in the Big Ten football awards. Six members of the No. 10 MSU football team earned All-Big Ten first team honors from the coaches, the program’s highest amount since 1966 — the last time the Spartans claimed a national title.

FOOTBALL

To Indy And Beyond

Stephen Brooks
December 1, 2013

History was made on Saturday, clearing the way for significantly more momentous milestones before the book is closed on MSU’s 2013 football season. No.

FOOTBALL

On To Indy

Dillon Davis
November 30, 2013

A season ago, the MSU football team had to beat Minnesota to earn bowl eligibility in hopes to salvage a season.

FOOTBALL

Fearsome Foursome

Stephen Brooks
November 29, 2013

Four guys. Four years. Slightly less than 900 tackles, 27.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 70 passes defend, seven forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries. That’s the combined production of linebackers Max Bullough and Denicos Allen and defensive backs Isaiah Lewis and Darqueze Dennard, a band of three-year starters readying to play their final snaps at Spartan Stadium against Minnesota.