Thursday, May 9, 2024

Sports | Football

FOOTBALL

Freshman named All-Americans

The new year brings new honors for two Michigan State freshmen. After being selected as second-team Freshman All-Americans by The Sporting News last month, offensive guard William Whitticker and linebacker Ronald Stanley made the Football News Freshman All-America teams. Whitticker received first-team honors after starting 11 of 12 games this season.

FOOTBALL

Offense rolls in 44-35 victory

With an offensive attack never seen before in MSU football history, the Spartans rolled to a 44-35 victory over Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. The Spartans set MSU bowl game records with 44 points, 586 total net yards, 376 net yards passing and 210 net yards rushing. “We had a great game plan going into the game,” said sophomore quarterback Jeff Smoker, who threw for an MSU bowl record 376 yards.

FOOTBALL

Recruits hyped about bowl, watch postseason practice

A trip to the Dec. 31 Silicon Valley Football Classic in San Jose, Calif., may cost MSU hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the return on that investment could be the signing of some highly sought after recruits. Recruits are allowed to watch the team’s practice for a bowl game and see the team play on national TV, said Bill Kurelic, a recruiting expert from Midwest Recruiting.

FOOTBALL

Bowl packages available now

MSU fans can pick from full and land-only four-night packages for the Dec. 31 matchup with No. 19 Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. Both packages, through the Alumni Association’s Official MSU Bowl Tour, provide lodging from Dec.

FOOTBALL

Team, fans prepare for bowl game

The semester is almost over, and the grade is already in for the MSU football team’s 6-5 regular season performance. “Even in games that we weren’t successful in, our guys showed a competitive will,” head coach Bobby Williams said.

FOOTBALL

Spartans finally dominate

So much for the notion that an 11 a.m. kickoff would lead to sluggish results. In fact, MSU’s players were so fired up in pregame warmups against Missouri on Saturday that they had to be calmed down by the coaching staff. Nobody wanted to see any more injuries to end this erratic regular season.

FOOTBALL

MSU blows out Mizzou 55-7, earns needed sixth win

It took 11 games to do it, but the MSU football finally put a team away early and hung on for a 55-7 win Missouri at Spartan Stadium on Saturday. The victory, MSU’s biggest point margin in a win since it beat Iowa 49-3 two years ago, made the Spartans (6-5 overall, 3-5 Big Ten) bowl eligible.

FOOTBALL

Thornhill rewarded for abilities

MSU senior linebacker Josh Thornhill was selected Monday as the recipient of the John S. Pingel Award by the Michigan Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The Pingel award, based on academic and athletic performance, is named in honor of the former Spartan All-America halfback and National Football Foundation Hall of Famer.

FOOTBALL

Spartans crumble in third quarter

The MSU football team scored on every possession in the first half, except its last when sophomore quarterback Jeff Smoker took a knee.Then it put up a doughnut in the third quarter.Even though Penn State allowed the most points in a half Saturday since MSU scored 35 in the second half in 1997, MSU turned complacent in the third quarter, sophomore linebacker Mike Labinjo said.“We came out in the third quarter and a different team showed up,” Labinjo said.