Louisville's John L. Smith was named MSU's 23rd football head coach during a Thursday night press conference at the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center.He replaces Bobby Williams, who was fired midseason on Nov.
MSU is expected to announce Louisville football head coach John L. Smith to lead the Spartans at a 6:30 p.m.
University engineer Bob Nestle said the MSU Board of Trustees plans to name an architect for the construction of luxury suites, club seats and a club to Spartan Stadium at its Friday meeting.HNTB would not start the renovations until further studies assessing the feasibility and costs of making the additions are completed.
Charles Rogers won what is probably just his first postseason national honor Monday, as the Football Writers Association of America named the junior wide receiver to its All-American team.
While MSU continues searching for its next football coach this week, former head coach Bobby Williams will be waiting for a big check to arrive.
MSU will pay Bobby Williams $550,000 to end his contract with the university, officials announced Wednesday.The buyout deal is more than twice what the university had to pay under the terms of its 5-year rolling contract with Williams, which was in its third year.
MSU will pay Bobby Williams $550,000 to end his contract with the university, officials announced Wednesday.The buyout deal is more than twice what the university had to pay under the terms of its 5-year rolling contract with Williams, which was in its third year.
Despite the fact that MSU won't be playing in a bowl game, senior quarterback Cedric Henry will strap on his Spartan helmet one more time."Cedric Henry has accepted an invitation to play," East-West Shrine Game spokesman William Homer said.
The MSU football team's season was low-lighted by lackluster efforts, humiliating losses, several suspensions and the dismissal of the head coach before the end of the year. There were five losses by 21 points or more, five players who voluntarily left the team and six players suspended for one game or more. "It was a disaster," ESPN college football analyst Beano Cook said.
It was perhaps the worst-kept secret in college football. But on Monday, MSU star receiver Charles Rogers made it official. He is going pro. Rogers confirmed the speculation during the team's year-end banquet. "I felt like today was a better day because I have my family and my teammates here," the 6-foot-4, 205-pound junior said after receiving the team's most valuable player award. "If you're projected to be a top-10 pick, you can't say no." Although Rogers was quick to point out during the past several weeks he hadn't made up his mind about whether he would forfeit his last year of college eligibility and enter the NFL Draft, there wasn't an analyst - or teammate - who expected him to stay. "We saw it coming.
MSU Athletics Director Ron Mason says interested coaches and their agents have been tying up his phone line since he fired Bobby Williams three weeks ago.
State College, Pa. - Not only did Penn State's Larry Johnson single-handedly embarrass the Spartans on Saturday, he solidified his place among the NCAA's best all-time tailbacks.With 279 rushing yards on 19 carries (14.7 per carry), Johnson became just the ninth running back - and the first in Big Ten history - to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in a single season.
State College, Pa. - Just when Spartan fans thought it couldn't get any worse, Penn State trounced MSU 61-7 Saturday night in Happy Valley.The 61 points is the most any MSU squad has yielded since a 63-0 loss to Michigan in 1922.
Say aloha to the Spartans. MSU and University of Hawaii athletics officials signed a contract Monday to play three football games against each other starting in 2004. The Spartans will play at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on Dec.
Although the MSU football team had a familiar result when it lost to Purdue 45-42 at Spartan Stadium, interim head coach Morris Watts said there was a difference in the way the team played. "One of the things I felt very good about was how hard our young men competed through the four quarters," he said.
MSU has been on the wrong end of many big plays this season, but Saturday the defense retaliated with game-breaking plays of its own. Although Purdue scored 45 points and gained 555 yards of total offense, the Spartans forced a season-high five turnovers - four interceptions and a fumble - which led to 23 of the team's 42 points. On a day that recognized the last game at Spartan Stadium for the senior class, it was a day of firsts for many of the Spartan defenders in MSU's 45-42 loss to the Boilermakers.
For just the second time all season, Spartan fans witnessed a game decided in the fourth quarter.
Lansing Mayor David Hollister is an MSU alumnus and a football season-ticket holder. And now he's living a fan's dream come true. Hollister has the "honor" of sitting in with MSU Athletics Director Ron Mason, 19 other football fans and one professional hiring consultant to brainstorm a list of qualities and characteristics the perfect Spartan head football coach would have. The panelists don't get to hire the coach to replace Bobby Williams.
In front of national media in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center, MSU junior quarterback Jeff Smoker spoke publicly about his substance abuse problems for the first time since being indefinitely suspended Oct.
With plenty of dark clouds looming above the Spartans, a win was just what they needed to help brighten things up around East Lansing. And winning by the score of 56-21 made it that much better. "I think our team feels much better," junior wide receiver Charles Rogers said.