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Sports | Football

FOOTBALL

Defense hopes to fill hole

Paul Day
February 6, 2002

The departure of senior linebacker Josh Thornhill to the NFL leaves a big hole in the middle of the MSU football team’s defense next season.Enter a hopeful replacement for next fall - Riverside-Brookfield High (Illinois) linebacker Steve Kielp, who will sign a letter of intent to play for head coach Bobby Williams today.“I think Kielp, a top 10 player in the state of Illinois, is very important to Michigan State,” said Bill Kurelic, recruiting analyst for MidwestRecruiting.com.

FOOTBALL

Spartans stay in state, add to receiving corps

Ryan Wallace
February 5, 2002

The key ingredients to a passing attack are a quarterback with a strong arm and wide receivers with speed and height.And the Spartans didn’t have to look far for the speed and height, with three Michigan wide receivers among MSU football’s 2002 recruiting class.The 6-foot-7 Matt Trannon joins Kyle Brown and Agim Shabaj, who have both been clocked 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash.Brown and Trannon are ready to sign Wednesday, but Shabaj is having second thoughts.

FOOTBALL

Wide receiver commits

Ryan Wallace
January 22, 2002

Kyle Brown, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior wide receiver from West Bloomfield High, said Monday that MSU would be his college of choice.Brown said he called MSU head football coach Bobby Williams Sunday to officially announce his decision.“(MSU) was the school that really fit me,” he said.

FOOTBALL

Football team adds offensive depth

With more than 20 football scholarship offers thrown his way, Joe Karaska had a tough decision at hand.On Sunday, the 6-foot-5, 325-pound offensive lineman picked the green and white, becoming the Spartans’ 15th commitment for the 2002 season.“It was kind of both me and my mom’s decision,” Karaska said.

FOOTBALL

T.J. ducks out of U for NFL

Ryan Wallace
January 11, 2002

The Spartan football team will have to switch to unleaded next season, as “Diesel” will no longer be available. A sense of satisfaction and relief beamed from T.J.

FOOTBALL

Fans bite into tailbacks departure

James Jahnke
January 11, 2002

Junior tailback T.J. Duckett is bolting from East Lansing - and a local favorite sandwich will probably be close behind. As the news of Duckett’s formal senior-year-skipping announcement bounced around town Thursday afternoon, fans had varying reactions.

FOOTBALL

Should he go, should he stay?

Trust me, this is not a plea for T.J. Duckett to return next fall. Actually, I have no clue if the big guy will depart the banks of the Red Cedar for the NFL’s big bucks, but speculation has the 3,379-yard career-rusher fleeing MSU in a limo after his 4 p.m.

FOOTBALL

U await, debate Ducketts decision

Ryan Wallace
January 10, 2002

T.J. Duckett told The Associated Press he hasn’t made his decision on whether to forgo his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.The Spartan star running back will announce his decision at 4 p.m.

FOOTBALL

Spartan offense prepares for new look

Dan Woike
January 9, 2002

The possible departure of junior running back T.J. Duckett would be a “disaster” for the Spartan football team, one top college football analyst said.ESPN college football expert Beano Cook said if Duckett takes his game to the NFL, MSU would struggle to compete in the Big Ten conference.“It’s a disaster for them - you can count on two more losses (for the Spartans),” he said.

FOOTBALL

Duckett to enter NFL draft

Dan Woike
January 9, 2002

Spartan junior running back T.J. Duckett will be rushing out of Spartan Stadium for the 2002 NFL Draft, a person close to the MSU standout told The State News on Tuesday. And, if Duckett announces that decision as he’s expected 4 p.m.

FOOTBALL

Freshman named All-Americans

Andrew Fifer
January 8, 2002

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

Eric Mckinney
January 7, 2002

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

Justin A. Rice
December 6, 2001

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.