Smoker family statement (parents Sue and Jay and brothers, Bob and Craig): “We feel like the time has come to share some information about Jeff Smoker’s personal struggle with substance abuse.
Ann Arbor - The battle between intrastate rivals failed to measure up to last year‘s classic, as the Spartans failed to keep Saturday’s contest close against Michigan, losing 49-3.Last season, Michigan and MSU battled it out until the last play, needing every tick on the clock to decide a winner.
Ann Arbor - University of Michigan alumni and students pride themselves on its presence.It’s estimated that 880,000 pounds of reinforcing steel was used in its construction.It’s almost impossible to miss the giant block “M” on the back of its scoreboard when driving down Main Street in Ann Arbor.They call it the “Big House.” And for good reason.Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in college football with a capacity of 107,501.
MSU Sports Information announced late Thursday that junior defensive end Greg Taplin is suspended for Saturday’s game against Michigan. Spartan head coach Bobby Williams didn’t address the media or release a statement regarding the suspension.
One week after the indefinite suspension of junior quarterback Jeff Smoker, Spartan fans are still in the dark as to what “team rules violation” actually means. Attempts by The State News to reach Smoker on campus or at his parents’ home in Manheim, Pa., have not been successful.
Junior defensive end Greg Taplin has been suspended for one game for violating team rules and will not dress for the Spartans’ contest against No.
Saturday’s game with Michigan marks the 94th intrastate battle and the 49th since the Spartans joined the Big Ten in 1953.The No.
It was a different quarterback taking the snaps, but the result was the same for MSU. The Spartans (3-5 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) dropped their third consecutive game 42-24 against the Wisconsin Badgers (6-3, 1-3) in front of a national television audience Saturday night. And Saturday’s spotlight was firmly fixed upon sophomore signal caller Damon Dowdell following Thursday’s announcement that junior quarterback Jeff Smoker was indefinitely suspended for violating unspecified team rules. “I thought he came in and stepped up to the challenge,” senior strong safety Thomas Wright said of Dowdell.
The MSU football team practiced differently, had a new quarterback under center, and preached about showing toughness, but nothing changed. In an attempt to separate itself from the Big Ten’s cellar, the Spartans (3-5 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) turned in another dismal performance in a 42-24 loss to Wisconsin at Spartan Stadium on Saturday night.
Football fan support continued to seesaw at Saturday’s loss to Wisconsin in Spartan Stadium. Some students carried signs and wore shirts with written jabs at junior quarterback Jeff Smoker, who was nowhere to be seen after head coach Bobby Williams suspended him indefinitely Thursday for violating unspecified team rules.
Junior quarterback Jeff Smoker was indefinitely suspended Thursday for violating unspecified team rules and will not play in MSU’s nationally televised game Saturday against Wisconsin. “I can’t really go into any detail as far as what the extent of the problem was,” MSU head coach Bobby Williams said.
After two straight losses and countless questions regarding a lack of toughness, MSU head coach Bobby Williams decided this week was the time to mix things up in practice.So for the first time all season, the Spartans’ first-team offense squared off against the first-team defense on the practice field.“We get real excited when we get to go against the first-team offense,” sophomore linebacker Ronald Stanley said.
After MSU’s second consecutive blowout loss, head coach Bobby Williams said he would consider calling plays.
The Spartans’ season continued to plummet on the heels of a 28-7 defeat to the Golden Gophers on Saturday. “Nothing good came out of that football game,” MSU head coach Bobby Williams said.
For the second straight week, the MSU football team had a successful start, but sputtered the rest of the game.
The Spartans’ gridiron woes continued Saturday. MSU (3-4 overall, 1-2 Big Ten) was plagued by crucial penalties and allowed Minnesota (7-1, 3-1) 543 yards of total offense and 390 rushing yards in the 28-7 loss. It was the Spartans’ third defeat in their last four games and second straight in conference play. “We’re not a good football team right now,” MSU head coach Bobby Williams said.
John Hannah was president, Ralph Young was athletics director and Michigan State was still a college. The year was 1953 and the Spartans were beginning their first season of Big Ten football. “I remember when we got into it,” said Frank “Muddy” Waters, a 1950 graduate and football head coach from 1980-82. “I was a student at the time. “It was a very exciting time.
The season for the MSU football team has not developed the way anyone could have imagined. The Spartans (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) have dropped three of their last four games - two of which have been blowout losses. “We’re not anywhere near where we should be or where I expected this team to be,” head coach Bobby Williams said at a Tuesday press conference.
Iowa City, Iowa - Under rolling gray skies, the Spartans couldn’t weather the Iowa storm on a dreary Saturday in Hawkeye country. Five turnovers coupled with MSU’s worst offensive performance - 249 total yards - the Spartans (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) extended their losing streak at Kinnick Stadium to 14 years with a 44-16 loss to a talented Iowa squad (6-1, 3-0). “It’s really very, very hard to play over the number of turnovers we had and give up big plays like we did,” MSU head coach Bobby Williams said. And unless the Spartans begin to execute like the team expected to come out of the preseason, the forecast for the rest of the season is dismal, as MSU still has to play top-ranked programs Michigan and Penn State. “Obviously, they have an up field battle,” ESPN analyst Bob Davie said.
Say it ain’t so, say it ain’t so. Just six games into a much anticipated season, many are wondering how good is the MSU football team - or how bad? The facts say the Spartans (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) are average.