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.
Delivering one last win at Spartan Stadium for the senior class and making sure the Big Ten’s surprise team doesn’t taint a championship season are chief concerns for the No. 11 MSU football team this week.
As the No. 11 MSU football team approaches Senior Day in the final regular season game of the year, it’s tough not to think about Andrew Maxwell.
For the second time in three seasons, the Spartans are heading to Indianapolis.
The Spartans are going back to Indianapolis. No. 13 MSU claimed the Legends Division title and booked its trip to the Big Ten Championship Game with its 30-6 win against Northwestern. For the second time in the past three seasons, the Spartans will head to Lucas Oil Stadium to battle for the conference crown – likely against undefeated No.
College athletics are big business. From the growing facades of athletic venues to the expanding salaries of the coaches and staffs on the sidelines to the varying cost of tickets, concessions and merchandise along the concourse, athletic budgets have become as much as a topic for discussion as the teams and players that the program represents. For athletics director Mark Hollis and MSU’s athletics department, the discussion heated up this summer following a June 21 Board of Trustees meeting, where a 4.7 percent increase — a little more than $4 million — to the athletic budget was reported for the 2013-14 fiscal year. Multiple outlets, including The State News, reported the $4 million increase was expected to be allocated exclusively to the football program.
MSU head coach Mark Dantonio knows how dangerous a desperate team can be. That was his team a year ago — backed into a corner, needing a win on the final day of the season on Minnesota’s frozen field to secure bowl eligibility.
More than once, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio mentioned the evolution of the outside perception of his now-Big Ten championship contending team at his Tuesday press conference. He recalled a September filled with skepticism of an unproven offense and an October in which potential turned into production, then he transitioned to November, when the Spartans established themselves as a complete team.
When the No. 13 MSU football team takes the field Saturday against Northwestern, they might be getting a glimpse of the past. A season ago, the Spartans lost six games by an average of five points, often failing to capitalize in critical moments before sneaking into a bowl game. That’s been the story for the Wildcats (4-6 overall, 0-6 Big Ten) this season, who now have lost six straight games by an average of 10 points, including overtime losses in two of the past three matchups.
While fans and media are anticipating a clash with Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game after the conclusion of the regular season, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is striving to keep his team focused in the moment.
LINCOLN, NEB. – During the course of a football game, there are defining moments that make the difference between a win and a loss.
LINCOLN, Neb. – With a historic opportunity in their grasp, they ran a “Charlie Brown,” but they didn’t pull a Charlie Brown — whiffing and falling flat. The then-No. 14-ranked Spartans strolled into one of college football’s most hallowed sanctuaries and used a crafty fake field goal to power their 41-28 win, the program’s first win against Nebraska in eight tries. MSU (9-1 overall, 6-0 Big Ten) was ahead by six and facing fourth-and-1 at the Cornhuskers’ 27-yard line early in the fourth quarter when head coach Mark Dantonio ordered the trickery named after the “Peanuts” main character. Once again, junior punter Mike Sadler was the secret weapon and designated ball-carrier on the deceptive play, this time as the holder on the field goal unit.
LINCOLN, NEB. – Many – myself included – predicted the No. 14-ranked MSU football team would require a nearly perfect game to voyage through Nebraska’s Sea of Red with a win.
LINCOLN, NEB. – All season long, defense has been a strength for the No. 14 MSU football team, able to overcome even the most egregious of offensive shortcomings.
Turnovers are the story as the No. 14 MSU football team heads into halftime leading Nebraska 20-7.
On Sept. 21, the MSU football team suffered its first and only loss of the season at the hands of Notre Dame. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away on the other side of the country, former Spartan running back Jehuu Caulcrick’s Twitter account created a stir on the Internet.
Darqueze Dennard has been asked about it more times than he can count. And now, he’s out for blood. Last season, the then-junior cornerback returned a 96-yard interception on a pass by Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez for a touchdown, which would have put the Spartans in the position to beat the Huskers for the first time in history. Instead, the play was called back on a penalty, opening the door for the Huskers to score on their final drive of the game to defeat the Spartans, 28-24.
If Nebraska senior quarterback Taylor Martinez made the following statement about MSU, few would raise an eyebrow. “They are one of the best defenses in the country … but at the same time, they can be beat. Our offense, when we’re clicking, we’re clicking. I don’t think anybody in this country can stop us when we’re doing our thing.”
Nebraska is just about the only roadblock on the Spartans’ way to the Big Ten Championship. With kickoff two days away, fans from Lincoln, Neb. and East Lansing are itching to see how the game will pan out. To paint a clearer picture for Saturday, The Daily Nebraskan’s football reporter Nedu Izu compiled three keys to the game for the Cornhuskers to take home the victory. Here are the steps the Red and White need to follow to deliver a blow to MSU’s title game hopes.
Tony Mandarich has been called the n-word by some of his teammates. He’s also been told he’s a redneck and asked where he’s flying his Confederate flag.