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Sports | Football

FOOTBALL

Column: Perception vs. reality with MSU football

Dillon Davis
October 24, 2013

When it comes to measuring the MSU football team, there’s a growing distinction between perception and reality. Early season offensive demons reemerged last week as the Spartans (6-1 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) slinked away with a 14-0 victory against Big Ten bottom-dweller Purdue. Sophomore Connor Cook appeared more like a drunkard throwing darts than a Division I quarterback, seemingly regressing from a stellar stretch he had against Iowa and Indiana.

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Thomas remaining positive after slow start to MSU career

Dillon Davis
October 23, 2013

Death, taxes and answering questions about Lawrence “LT” Thomas. At this point, those are the certainties in the life of head coach Mark Dantonio. After answering at least one question about the sophomore defensive end almost weekly since the season began, it’s become a practice as steady and consistent as clockwork for Dantonio. Since Thomas suffered an undisclosed injury during summer workouts, there’s been an insatiable thirst to know the status of the former five-star prospect from Detroit.

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Dantonio talks Illinois, injury

Stephen Brooks
October 22, 2013

With MSU past the halfway point of its season, head coach Mark Dantonio’s message Tuesday wasn’t unlike the one he delivered the previous week. After his team practiced poorly leading up to it and struggled to put away Purdue in a sloppy 14-0 win, Dantonio again emphasized testing his players’ ability to handle success as well as the increasingly difficult nature of the schedule as the season wears on. Despite their solid record, the Legends Division-leading Spartans (6-1 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) sit just outside the top-25 polls as they travel to Illinois (3-3, 0-2) for a 3:30 p.m.

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Column: Spartans need to beware of relapse

Stephen Brooks
October 20, 2013

The Spartans played with fire Saturday and emerged unscathed. If the worst team in the Big Ten wasn’t on the opposing sideline, though, there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t have been burned. MSU (6-1 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) dodged an embarrassing and likely dream-killing loss in its uninspiring 14-0 victory against lowly Purdue (1-6, 0-3).

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Defensive Domination

Stephen Brooks
October 19, 2013

Just when the Spartans began looking like a complete team and potential Legends Division frontrunner, they struggled to put away a flawed Purdue team and a wave of uncertainty comes crashing back. The MSU defense did the heavy lifting – producing a shutout and a touchdown – while its offense struggled to move the ball once again in a 14-0 win over the Boilermakers (1-6 overall, 0-3 Big Ten). Leading up to Saturday, head coach Mark Dantonio talked about whether his team would be able to handle its recent success after back-to-back impressive wins against Iowa and Indiana.

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MSU survives offensive struggles, beats Purdue

Stephen Brooks
October 19, 2013

Just when the Spartans began looking like a complete team, a potential Legends Division favorite, they struggle to put away a struggling Purdue team and the wave of uncertainty comes rushing back. The MSU defense did the heavy lifting while its offense seemed to regress in a 14-0 win over the Boilermakers (1-6 overall, 0-3 Big Ten). The Spartans (6-1, 3-0) scored on a 45-yard fumble recovery from senior linebacker Denicos Allen in the first half, and hung on to keep Purdue out of the end zone before redshirt freshman tight end Josiah Price scored on a trick play in the fourth quarter. Sophomore quarterback Connor Cook threw for 107 yards and junior running back Jeremy Langford went over the century mark for the second straight game with 131 rushing yards.

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Defensive touchdown gives MSU 7-0 lead against Purdue at halftime

Stephen Brooks
October 19, 2013

After marked improvement the past two weeks offensively, MSU took a 7-0 lead into the locker room against Purdue in a half oddly reminiscent of the lackluster performances that opened the season. MSU was billed as a heavy favorite heading into the contest against the 1-5 Boilermakers. The Spartan offense came out revving its engine on the first drive, feeding junior running back Jeremy Langford three straight plays while employing unbalanced formations with multiple offensive linemen.

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Spartans hoping to avoid letdown versus Purdue

Dillon Davis
October 18, 2013

Every game counts. That’s the message of the weekend as the MSU football team(5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) welcomes Purdue (1-5, 0-2) to Spartan Stadium (noon, Big Ten Network) to open up the second half of the regular season. Although the Spartans have started to hit their stride on offense, the Boilermakers come into the matchup touting the worst offense in the Big Ten, led by true freshman quarterback Danny Etling, who picked up his first career start in a 44-7 drubbing by Nebraska last week.

FOOTBALL

Spartans hoping to avoid letdown versus Purdue

Dillon Davis
October 18, 2013

Every game counts. That’s the message of the weekend as the MSU football team(5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) welcomes Purdue (1-5, 0-2) to Spartan Stadium (noon, Big Ten Network) to open up the second half of the regular season. Although the Spartans have started to hit their stride on offense, the Boilermakers come into the matchup touting the worst offense in the Big Ten, led by true freshman quarterback Danny Etling, who picked up his first career start in a 44-7 drubbing by Nebraska last week.

FOOTBALL

Spartans hoping to avoid letdown versus Purdue

Dillon Davis
October 18, 2013

Every game counts. That’s the message of the weekend as the MSU football team(5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) welcomes Purdue (1-5, 0-2) to Spartan Stadium (noon, Big Ten Network) to open up the second half of the regular season. Although the Spartans have started to hit their stride on offense, the Boilermakers come into the matchup touting the worst offense in the Big Ten, led by true freshman quarterback Danny Etling, who picked up his first career start in a 44-7 drubbing by Nebraska last week.

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Football midseason awards

Stephen Brooks
October 17, 2013

The 2013 football season is halfway over for MSU (5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten), and things appear to be looking up for the Spartans heading into tomorrow’s matchup with Purdue (1-5, 0-2). Since its season opener reminded everyone another dismal season wasn’t out of the question, MSU has reshaped its image and emerged as a Legends Division favorite. Sophomore Connor Cook has taken the reins at quarterback and his supporting cast has improved each game while getting multiple players involved. Here are the most notable players and events from the season’s first half.

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Could Cook be a 100-yard rusher?

Dillon Davis
October 17, 2013

The moment he uttered the remark, it would have been easy to see it as a slip of the tongue. And realistically, how else could it be interpreted? Sophomore quarterback Connor Cook, a 100-yard rusher?

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Bollman faces reunion against Purdue

Stephen Brooks
October 17, 2013

Jim Bollman faced a bit of a quandary early this year. After spending the 2012 season as Boston College’s offensive line coach, Bollman was named to the same position at Purdue under first-year head coach Darrell Hazell, his former colleague, on Jan. 18. Hazell and Bollman worked together for seven years at Ohio State, where Bollman served as offensive coordinator from 2001-11.

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Dantonio talks recent success, home field

Dillon Davis
October 15, 2013

My, how the tables have turned. During an overall disastrous 2012 season, the MSU football team didn’t clinch bowl eligibility until the final regular season game, going winless against Big Ten teams at home while nursing a stagnant offensive attack.

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Offensive Ignition

Stephen Brooks
October 13, 2013

When Indiana running back Tevin Coleman sprinted 64 yards to the house 61 seconds into the game, flashbacks of last year’s first-quarter scare in Bloomington, Ind., washed across the crowd of 73,815 fans, students and alumni on Homecoming weekend. Memories of the Hoosiers and their fast-paced offense racing out to a 17-point lead through one quarter came back into focus.

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Column: Offense potent in breakout win over Hoosiers

Dillon Davis
October 13, 2013

All season long, people have written off MSU’s offense. While navigating through a four-headed quarterback battle, a flurry of drops by the wide receiving corps and general ineffectiveness at key skill positions, the Spartans opened the door for criticism, leading many to believe the team’s path would mirror a disappointing showing from the previous year.