Monday, December 22, 2025

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Sports | Football

FOOTBALL

Smith loses 3rd assistant football coach

Chris Meagher
March 1, 2005

MSU head football coach John L. Smith lost yet another assistant coach to a rival Big Ten school. Defensive backs coach Paul Haynes was hired by Ohio State, he confirmed Monday. Haynes joins running backs coach Reggie Mitchell and defensive line coach Steve Stripling as assistants who have left the Spartans in the past few months. Haynes, a Columbus native, said the opportunity to move back to his roots was the only major factor in his decision. "It's home for me," Haynes said.

FOOTBALL

Ex-Spartans make livings in AFL

Chris Meagher
February 28, 2005

The phrase, "Lights, camera, action" doesn't usually come to mind when thinking about a football game. But this is different. Flames, dancers, music and prizes are just part of the craziness that encompasses arena football. And there also is a football game complete with football players.

FOOTBALL

5 players showcase skills at NFL combine

Chris Meagher
February 25, 2005

Five MSU seniors will participate in the NFL Combine currently going on until Tuesday, trying to improve their positioning for the 2005 NFL Draft, which will take place April 23-24. Running back DeAndra Cobb, defensive end Clifford Dukes, free safety Jason Harmon, place-kicker Dave Rayner and defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson all will be down in Indianapolis to prove themselves at various skill and speed drills. The number of Spartans at the combine matches the number of players representing defending national champions Southern Cal. Cobb ranks third all-time at MSU for kickoff return yards with 1,632. Dukes, who dealt with an injury to his quadreceps muscle throughout his senior year, earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and ranks sixth of MSU's all-time sack list. Leading the Spartans in interceptions in 2004 was Harmon, who also finished third in tackles with 105.

FOOTBALL

Football practice to be open April 16

Chris Meagher
February 21, 2005

MSU fans will be allowed to attend spring football practice at 1 p.m. April 16 at Spartan Stadium. But because of the additions and constructions to the stadium, seating will be limited to the east stands. The open practice will take place in conjunction with the third annual youth football clinic being held at the Duffy Daugherty Football Building from 10 a.m.

FOOTBALL

MSU alumni to play in Super Bowl on Sunday

Chris Meagher
February 4, 2005

MSU will be well represented this weekend at the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., as three former Spartans are in the Sunshine State preparing for this weekend's battle. Philadelphia's Mike Labinjo and Ike Reese will be going up against fellow Spartan alumnus Jim Miller from New England on Sunday evening when the Eagles face the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. Labinjo spent his first 14 weeks with the Eagles on the practice squad, but was brought up to the active squad because of another player's injury mid-December.

FOOTBALL

Football team adds Birmingham recruit

Chris Meagher
January 31, 2005

Football team adds Birmingham recruitThe MSU football team picked up another recruit during the weekend, and the Spartans didn't have to go far to secure him. Adam Decker, a linebacker from Birmingham Brother Rice, committed to the Spartans over Georgia Tech, Princeton and Boston College.

FOOTBALL

Stanley named MVP in football all-star game

Eric Fish
January 24, 2005

MSU linebacker Ronald Stanley played impressively in the Hula Bowl on Saturday for the East Team, scoring two defensive touchdowns and taking MVP honors. The East rallied from a 6-0 deficit to win, 20-13. The Hula Bowl is the senior college football all-star game. Stanley returned a fumble 38 yards for a score and an interception 50 yards to lead the East in the third quarter in the comeback. Stanley was joined at the bowl by three other teammates - senior running back DeAndra Cobb, senior tight end Jason Randall and senior place-kicker Dave Rayner.

FOOTBALL

Lost in paradise

Honolulu - The MSU football team could not finish what it started many times this season. That did not change against Hawaii on Saturday night in yet another disappointing game for the Spartans. MSU (5-7 overall, 4-4 Big Ten) succumbed to Hawaii 41-38, in the last game of a long, frustrating season. "We don't get to go into the offseason on a good note now; we go into it on a real sour note," head coach John L.

FOOTBALL

Flagged down

Honolulu - MSU had two touchdowns called back because of penalties against Hawaii in a loss on Saturday, a fact that did not sit well with coaches or players. Both would-be touchdowns were by senior running back DeAndra Cobb, a 75-yard rush in the second quarter and a 98-yard kickoff return in the fourth. It's uncertain if either would have reversed MSU's 41-38 loss at Aloha Stadium. Head coach John L.

FOOTBALL

Spartans rush past Wisconsin in upset

MSU could have adjusted its offense and planned a way to get around Wisconsin's top-ranked defense. But the Spartans stuck to their strength, running the ball, and the Badgers could not do anything to stop them.

FOOTBALL

Crushing defeat

The frustration of back-to-back stinging losses is starting to wear on the Spartans and their coach. MSU blew a fourth-quarter lead for the second-straight game.

FOOTBALL

Sore subject

Ann Arbor - When sophomore quarterback Drew Stanton walked down the tunnel at Michigan Stadium to begin the second half with his teammates, he wore a baseball cap instead of a helmet, sneakers instead of football cleats and MSU warm-ups instead of full pads. It was official - Stanton, after dissecting Michigan's defense almost at will in the first half, would not finish the game he started.

FOOTBALL

What happened?

Megan Homanick
November 1, 2004

Ann Arbor - As the MSU team buses sat outside Michigan Stadium, head coach John L. Smith stared back at the "Big House" with a glazed look on his face. Perhaps Smith was thinking about what could have been, if his Spartans (4-4 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) had held onto their 17-point fourth quarter lead.