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Conley's Top 10: Buckeyes new No. 1
Each week, State News football reporter Ethan Conley offers his own college football Top 10 rankings. No.
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Caulcrick OK, Ringer uncertain for Pitt
Junior Jehuu Caulcrick and sophomore Javon Ringer — MSU's first- and second-string running backs — are battling injuries. Caulcrick missed Saturday's game with a sprained foot, but head coach John L.
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Defense looked much improved in trenches
So that's what a game looks like when the defensive line makes an impact. In Saturday's game against Eastern Michigan, MSU's defensive line got in the backfield.
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Trannon has breakout game hope it lasts
It only took four years, but it appears the MSU football staff has finally found a way to get the most out of Matt Trannon.
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Stanton recovers from interception on 1st throw to score 5 touchdowns
Lost in the excitement of Matt Trannon's record-setting day on Saturday was an outstanding performance by Drew Stanton. The senior quarterback looked like he was heading for a rough game at the start.
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That's more like it
During a four-minute span of Saturday's game, MSU played complacently and its defense gave up big plays, allowing Eastern Michigan to score 17 points. But for the other 56 minutes, the offense dominated and the defense stifled the Eagles en route to a 52-20 win at Spartan Stadium. "It was a little bit of a roller-coaster ride," head coach John L.
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Preseason polls pointless, so let's break down Week 1
In the realm of college football, preseason rankings achieve a rare level of uselessness rivaled only by sideline reporters, contraception* and Pac-10 defenses.
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Smith: No reason to worry about small margin of victory
Most fans will look at MSU's 27-17 win over Idaho on Saturday and label it as unimpressive or disappointing.
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Idaho's Erickson a familiar foe, but his attack is still unpredictable
Idaho head coach Dennis Erickson has an impressive college football résumé: a 145-56-1 career coaching record, a .718 winning percentage and two national championships.
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Season ticket sales hit 60K, suspended
With both public and student season ticket sales exceeding 60,000 for just the fifth time in school history, MSU officials suspended season ticket sales Monday. The 61,227 tickets sold represent the second highest number in school history, just fewer than the 61,479 tickets sold in 2000. The school also sold 12,722 student season tickets, the highest total since it sold 13,360 in 1991. The MSU football team has played in front of home crowds of more than of 72,000 for 45 consecutive games, with a capacity of 75,005. Two games, Notre Dame on Sept.
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Cornerback: MSU will be better than bowl eligible
The MSU football team hasn't been to a bowl game in two years, finishing with a 5-7 record in 2004 and 5-6 in 2005. The consecutive losing seasons and lack of a postseason berth haven't dimmed the players' morale, however.
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Whatever it takes
Drew Stanton put an end to the back-and-forth trash-talking featuring suggestions for Slim-Fast and winter hibernation jokes from MSU head coach John L.
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Defensive link tinkered as Ryan moves inside
The MSU football team's defensive linemen have been shuffled around throughout the spring practice schedule as the coaching staff searches to find a combination that works best. Senior Clifton Ryan, who tallied a team-high three sacks as a defensive end during the 2005 campaign, has switched over to defensive tackle.
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Veterans help ease Bennett to new position
MSU has been a wide receiver factory in the last few years, routinely pumping out some of the best split ends and flankers in the country.
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Work in progress
One of the team's sore spots last season — at place-kicker — has a positive outlook after Saturday's 115-play scrimmage at Spartan Stadium. Sophomore Todd Boleski missed his first 38-yard field-goal attempt but didn't disappoint after, nailing two field goals at 32 yards, and then at 40, 47 and 55 yards. The defense also showed signs of improvement, which senior defensive tackle Clifton Ryan said is "more athletic and (can) run the ball better than we did a year ago." The first-team defense faced a first-team offense undergoing changes with three new starters on the line. After the game, head coach John L.
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Dwan's career back on track after injury
John Dwan didn't see it coming. Three years ago, he was a rising pitching prospect, a powerful left-hander from Illinois who had compiled a 25-5 record at Libertyville High School and broken the school record for strikeouts. He committed to MSU and turned heads during fall practice with a nasty fastball and baffling changeup.
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Player's sentencing postponed until May
MSU football player Cole Corey's sentencing for pleading guilty to a single count of possession of a controlled substance has been adjourned until May 18. The sentencing was supposed to come down Thursday morning in the Lenawee County Circuit Court, but was adjourned to allow Corey and his attorney to argue some factors that could affect his sentence. "We're challenging some of the allegations in the presentencing report," said David Goldstein, Corey's attorney.
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Youthful look
The college careers of wide receivers Kyle Brown and Aaron Alexander are over. Now it's time for seniors Matt Trannon, Jerramy Scott, Kerry Reed and junior Terry Love to help the offense live up to the expectations as one of the Big Ten's best. In 2005, the passing game was the deadliest attack for the Spartans.
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Hoyer emerges as backup quarterback behind Stanton
Senior quarterback Drew Stanton will be stepping back for the next couple weeks so that sophomore Brian Hoyer can get more time calling plays. Head coach John L.
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Bandit player switched to free safety in spring ball
MSU football fans perusing the team's spring depth chart may be jolted when they see where Sir Darean Adams is listed. Instead of the bandit position, where he tallied 60 tackles and three interceptions as a sophomore, the 6-foot, 230-pound Adams is penciled in as the backup free safety.