When Mark Dantonio met with the media following the No. 20 MSU football team’s (3-1) 23-7 victory over Eastern Michigan on Saturday, one of his biggest frustrations was the slow start that saw his team trailing 7-3 at halftime.
Not so fast, my friends. Just because the MSU football team lost to Notre Dame last week under the lights of Spartan Stadium, it doesn’t mean the Spartans aren’t worth the national spotlight.
As the No. 20 Michigan State Spartans headed into the locker room trailing Eastern Michigan 7-3 at halftime of Saturday’s game, boos rained down on them from the Spartan Stadium crowd. The same thought echoed in the minds of the fans, the players and the coaches. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The Eagles were ranked 116th in total points allowed.
The No. 20 MSU football team (3-1) was able to overcome what head coach Mark Dantonio described as a “flat” first half to beat Eastern Michigan (0-4) 23-7 on Saturday, but a passing game that was supposed to get better with experience seems to be getting alarmingly worse with each passing week.
Moments after MSU football head coach stormed away from the podium after Saturday’s underwhelming 23-7 victory over Eastern Michigan, defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi took the stage. Narduzzi turned to the media and with a big grin requested one thing of the reporters before him; “Smile!”
As he went to the locker room, with boos raining down from the stands, Dion Sims knew he had to do something. He couldn’t afford to be the underclassman that showed occasional flashes of potential anymore. With the No. 21 MSU football team (3-1) trailing Eastern Michigan (0-4) 7-3 at halftime, Sims hadn’t caught a pass, and the offense couldn’t find a rhythm.
The No. 21 MSU football team (3-1) avoided a scare, coming from behind to knock off Eastern Michigan (0-4) 23-7, thanks to fourth quarter heroics from Dion Sims and Le’Veon Bell.
The boo birds were out in the first half, as the No. 21 MSU football team (2-1) trails Eastern Michigan (0-3) 7-3 at halftime.
If you’re to believe Le’Veon Bell, Spartan fans should have no worries about No. 21 MSU’s (2-1) game against Eastern Michigan (0-3) this Saturday.
When Andrew Maxwell committed to the MSU football team as a senior in high school in 2008, the MSU campus wasn’t quite the same as it is today.
It’s often overlooked, but special teams is one of the most important facets of a football game, and after Saturday’s 20-3 loss to No. 11 Notre Dame (3-0), the No. 21 Spartans (2-1) know it better than anyone else.
Bennie Fowler isn’t quite sure what happened in the first quarter of MSU’s 20-3 loss against No. 11 Notre Dame. On first down, junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell found Fowler in the end zone for what would have been a 28-yard touchdown pass that would have knotted the game at 7-7.
The No. 21 MSU football team (2-1) is headed back to the classroom this week, hoping to study up and learn where the mistakes were made in Saturday’s 20-3 loss to No. 11 Notre Dame.
After the passing game struggled to get off the ground in a 20-3 loss to No. 11 Notre Dame (3-0) on Saturday, the No. 21 MSU football team will spend this week looking for explanations and solutions to the offense’s weak showing.
Campus police reported about half as many arrests as the last Notre Dame home game, and the East Lansing Police Department, or ELPD, also said numbers were surprisingly low.
Head coach Mark Dantonio said it was a “tough day at the office.” Junior linebacker Max Bullough called it an “eye-opener.” Offensive coordinator Dan Roushar said it was “frustrating.”
It was the interceptions Max Bullough and Chris Norman just couldn’t quite grab. It was the touchdown that bounced off Bennie Fowler’s hands. It was the near-blocked punt that became a roughing the kicker penalty. On a night when Notre Dame appeared to make every big play, the Spartans couldn’t manage to just get out of their own way. By the end of the night, No.
The morning after most home football games, East Lansing is comparable to a party war zone -— streets filled with broken glass, lawns littered with red solo cups and trash scattered throughout the city.
Fou Fonoti was unavailable to play against Notre Dame on Saturday, and a foot injury is expected to keep him out for an extended period of time.
When Mark Dantonio looked at the box score following Saturday night’s game, he had one simple statement: “There’s not a lot there.” It was a struggle from start to finish, as the No. 10 MSU football team (2-1) fell to No. 20 Notre Dame (3-0) 20-3, with the Spartans offense never managing to reach the red zone.