Saturday, January 3, 2026

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Sports

FOOTBALL

Receivers stand out in weekend matchup

Flash forward a week and the offense has gone from stumbling to startling, with eight receivers totaling more than 14 yards receiving in the No. 10 MSU football team’s (2-0) 41-7 victory over Central Michigan (1-1).

FOOTBALL

Maxwell able to lead MSU, conference

Midway through the No. 10 Spartans’ (2-0) 41-7 thrashing of Central Michigan (1-1) on the Chippewas’ home turf Saturday afternoon, something became very apparent — Andrew Maxwell is going to be just fine.

VOLLEYBALL

Column: MSU appears confident with Big Ten play looming

The Spartans have opened the 2012 season with three consecutive invitational championships by winning the Spartan Showcase, University of Connecticut Classic and the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational over the last three weekends. Junior outside hitter Lauren Wicinski now has garnered a pair of MVP trophies — sophomore libero Kori Moster took home the MVP from the Connecticut Classic — and no fewer than five Spartans have been named to an all-tournament team.

SPORTS

Spartans fall to Northeastern

A rough weekend for MSU field hockey concluded with a 3-1 loss to Northeastern on Sunday at Ralph Young Field at Old College Field. The Spartans were hoping to bounce back from their double-overtime loss to Virginia on Friday, but a second-half surge by the Huskies was enough to put the game away.

FOOTBALL

Arnett frustrated with playing time against CMU

It was the biggest play of DeAnthony Arnett’s young MSU career. The sophomore receiver’s 48-yard reception was a careerlong and set up an MSU touchdown on the Spartans’ opening drive of the second half against Central Michigan, but after the game Arnett hardly was thrilled. After playing less than a handful of plays in the Spartans’ season-opening victory against then-No. 24 Boise State, MSU receivers coach Terrence Samuel said Arnett likely would see an increase in playing time on Saturday.

FOOTBALL

Defensive end Lawrence Thomas makes impact at fullback against CMU

It’s been over a decade since MSU legend T.J. Duckett donned a green and white uniform, but Saturday afternoon there was another No. 8 lining up in MSU’s backfield. Redshirt freshman defensive end Lawrence Thomas — “LT” to his coaches and teammates — saw an expanded role in a place few expected to see — at the fullback position.

FOOTBALL

Pleasant Trip

The Spartans went on to finish off the Chippewas 41-7 behind Bell’s two touchdown, 70 yard performance and the leadership of junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell, who threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns on 20-for-31 passing.

FOOTBALL

Bell off to another hot start, as Spartans lead Chips 24-0 at halftime

Junior running back Le’Veon Bell is leading the Spartan effort, carrying the ball 15 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. After a shaky start, junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell seemed to find his groove with his receiving corps, going 17-for-28 for 213 yards and his first touchdown of the season, a 20-yard strike to junior tight end Dion Sims.

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball defeats IPFW in Auto-Owners Insurance Invitational

MSU volleyball may have seen its 18-set winning streak stopped when it dropped the first set to IPFW in the first game of the Auto-Owners Insurance Invitational, but the Spartans fought back and won their seventh match in a row, 3-2. Head coach Cathy George is happy with the win, however. “It’s OK to be tested,” she said.

FOOTBALL

Chip Off The Old Block

When the Spartans step onto the field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium Saturday afternoon, they will be doing so in front of the biggest crowd the stadium has seen. For the first time in Central Michigan’s school history, tickets for the game sold out prior to game day, where the No. 11 Spartans (1-0) will face off against the Chippewas (1-0) before an expected record capacity of 32,855 fans.