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Sports

FOOTBALL

Column: Students need to show pride, end excuses

Josh Mansour
November 7, 2012

It was an instantly telling indictment. After leading the entire afternoon against Iowa on Oct. 13, the MSU football team (5-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) had lost the lead, was headed to overtime and had now lost the coin toss. With all of the momentum favoring the Hawkeyes, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio made what would normally be a surprising decision. He elected to play the overtime period in the end zone away from the student section because the Spartans needed as much support as possible and looking at a section about a quarter full didn’t inspire intimidation.

FOOTBALL

Maxwell leans on faith during difficult season

Josh Mansour
November 6, 2012

Andrew Maxwell did something unusual before his weekly press conference. He woke up and made his way approximately two hours north to open the polls at 6:45 a.m. at Adams Elementary School, 1005 Adams Drive, in Midland, Mich.

FOOTBALL

Dennard, Adams discuss controversial foul calls in heartbreaking loss to No. 18 Nebraska

Jesse O'Brien
November 6, 2012

Darqueze Dennard played the game of his life Saturday. The junior cornerback finished with two interceptions, four tackles, one called-back touchdown and one controversial pass interference penalty.

ICE HOCKEY

Canceled Winter Classic affects many, MSU hockey team included

Growing up in Metro Detroit, Brent Darnell spent his winters with his backyard turned into an ice sheet. Like many young hockey players, the sophomore forward said he would wait for the pond to finally freeze so he could lace up his skates and head outside for the rare outdoor hockey play.

BASKETBALL

Merchant discusses injuries, team’s progress

Zach Smith
November 6, 2012

When MSU women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant cast her vote on Tuesday morning, she encountered a broken ballot machine — a good representation of the week the Spartans had.

VOLLEYBALL

Carney makes impact felt as assistant coach, father

Matt Sheehan
November 6, 2012

For MSU volleyball’s assistant coach Russ Carney, a day’s work might seem like something it would take an army of people to accomplish. But after 10-12 hours a day filled with coaching and tracking the team’s academics, housing situations and even parking on game days, Carney still can’t get enough of his job.

SOCCER

Men's soccer opens Big Ten Tournament with No. 22 Indiana

The last time Jay Chapman took the soccer field against Indiana, he walked away with his first collegiate hat trick and a 3-1 win for MSU men’s soccer (8-9-1 overall, 3-3-0 Big Ten). Chapman looks to have similar success as the Spartans open up the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday in Evanston, Ill., against the No. 22 Hoosiers at 1 p.m., Central time.

BASKETBALL

No. 14 Spartans preparing for trek to Germany

Josh Mansour
November 5, 2012

There are times when Tom Izzo wonders what MSU athletics director Mark Hollis has gotten him into. Traveling more than 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to open the No. 14 MSU men’s basketball season in Germany was one of those times.

BASKETBALL

No. 14 men's basketball team anxious for Germany trip

Dillon Davis
November 5, 2012

As it is, Branden Dawson has plenty of challenges heading into his second year with the MSU men’s basketball team. Coming off a major tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in March, along with the continued process of maturing his game to become one of the leaders for head coach Tom Izzo’s squad, the sophomore has plenty on his mind moving into the team’s first regular-season game against Connecticut.

FOOTBALL

Little plays have resulted in lost season

Josh Mansour
November 4, 2012

The margins can’t get any smaller.

BASKETBALL

Injuries make for ‘tough week’ for MSU

Josh Mansour
November 4, 2012

As soon as she heard the question, asking to sum up a week that saw two of her top players lost for the season with major injuries, Suzy Merchant sighed, closed her eyes and shook her head. “It was a rough week. It was probably the roughest week I’ve had in a long time,” Merchant said.