MSU head coach Mark Dantonio made it clear Saturday that, if healthy, senior quarterback Brian Hoyer will start next week after missing most of the second half of MSU’s 45-7 home drubbing against Ohio State.
Watching Ohio State run up the score against the Spartans on Saturday was like watching your dog get mercilessly beaten by a crazy neighbor, knowing there was nothing you could do except close your eyes and wait for the madness to end.
The No. 20 MSU football team may be considered by some as a program on the rise, but if the Spartans’ 45-7 loss to No. 12 Ohio State proved anything Saturday, it’s that the Spartans have a long way to go before they’re on the same level as the Buckeyes.
It’s a mystery how Javon Ringer can be three different people on any given MSU football Saturday. First he’s a kid, waking up in a hotel room to watch Saturday morning cartoons before going out to play football with his friends.
Like most Ohioans, Rocco Cironi grew up an Ohio State Buckeyes fan.
Ohio State has won 11 straight road games against Big Ten opponents. The last time the Buckeyes lost on the road was Oct. 8, 2005, when they fell to No. 16 Penn State, 17-10. Six of those wins came against teams that were ranked at the time.
The Buckeyes will start freshman quarterback Pryor for the fifth straight game. This season, Pryor has looked average compared to the larger-than-life character he was portrayed as during his recruitment.
With a host of Ohio State playmakers making their way to Spartan Stadium on Saturday, the MSU defense is going to have its hands full in a showdown featuring two of the last three unbeaten Big Ten teams.
There was a big hit and a fumble recovery by freshman linebacker David Rolf. A heads-up play by sophomore safety Jesse Johnson, who waved for a fair-catch on a surprise onside kick attempt. A kick return average of 35 yards by freshman running back Glenn Winston, who gave the No. 23 MSU football team great starting field position time and time again.
Evanston, Ill. — MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi stepped up to speak after MSU’s 37-20 win Saturday, let out a short sigh, as if to remember last year’s 48 points surrendered to the Northwestern offense, and finally appreciated his team’s defensive turnaround against the Wildcats.
In college football, players come and go. They leave their mark on the field and in the record book, and some, if they’re lucky, go on to make their marks in the NFL. In many cases, programs struggle to find new players who can fill the shoes of their departed stars. But in the case of the wide receiver position at MSU, that has very rarely been a problem.
With a 5-1 record, the Spartans have reached the midpoint of the regular season in good shape for a Big Ten championship run. From stellar running-back play to a surprisingly stout defense, the team has earned high marks through six games. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the MSU football team halfway through the season.
1) Last season, Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bachér, then a junior, threw for a career-high 520 yards and five touchdowns against MSU.
It’s that time of the year — the temperatures are dropping, the cider is flowing and fall has officially started.
Garrett Celek had large shoes to fill as a high school senior planning to attend Cincinnati for football.
Last week, Iowa’s front seven shut down running back Javon Ringer and kept quarterback Brian Hoyer in check. MSU’s offensive line will need a better performance this week against a strong Northwestern front seven.
For a defensive-minded leader with roots in the secondary, last season’s double-overtime loss to Northwestern couldn’t have sat well with MSU head coach Mark Dantonio. Northwestern’s then-junior gunslinger, quarterback C.J.
Football junior kicker Brett Swenson was named co-Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week last week after he was a perfect 3-for-3 in field goal attempts in MSU’s 16-13 win over Iowa.