For redshirt freshman tight end Paul Lang, his first touchdown in a green and white uniform couldn’t have been scripted any better.
The MSU volleyball team displayed its top performance of the season against Michigan last week, but on Saturday, the players’ efforts weren’t enough, as they fell to Ohio State in four sets (26-24, 22-25, 23-25, 22-25).
This weekend served as a rollercoaster of emotions for the field hockey team, as it went 1-1 in two close games against Northwestern and Central Michigan.
For the past four years, the home team has won in the MSU-Wisconsin men’s soccer matchup. Sunday afternoon, MSU (7-7-1 overall, 2-2-0 Big Ten) extended that streak to five years, beating Wisconsin (5-7-3, 1-3-0) at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field, 2-0.
The MSU women’s soccer team’s (8-8-2, 2-7-1 Big Ten) winless streak now stands at six, as it lost to No. 4 Penn State 5-1 in University Park, Pa., Friday night and Ohio State 3-1 in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday.4
Another late game rally by the MSU men’s hockey team (1-2-1) picked it up a tie against Niagara, 3-3.
Junior outside hitter Lauren Wicinski had quite a day for the MSU volleyball team, but it wasn’t enough to beat Ohio State.
The No. 23 Michigan football team (5-2 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) used a 20-yard completion from senior quarterback Denard Robinson to junior receiver Drew Dileo to set up a game-winning 38-yard field goal by junior kicker Brendan Gibbons to stun the Spartans (4-4, 1-3) 12-10 in Ann Arbor.
Head coach Mark Dantonio is fond of reminding us football is a game of inches. MSU’s three most recent losses — against No. 8 Ohio State, Iowa and now Michigan — have come by less than six total points.
A 20-yard pass by senior quarterback Denard Robinson to junior receiver Drew Dileo set up a 38-yard game winning field goal to help the University of Michigan football team (5-2 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) avoid an upset, knocking off MSU (4-4, 1-3) 12-10 for the Wolverines’ first victory over MSU in five years.
It was a first half defined by defense with explosive plays in limited supply, as the No. 23 University of Michigan football team (4-2 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) headed into the locker room leading the Spartans (4-3, 1-2) 6-0 at halftime.
They had battled, scrapped and overcame penalties for 40 minutes, yet as they headed out for the third period, the MSU hockey team was staring at a 2-0 deficit and the reality of an unhappy home opener.
It wasn’t easy, but the MSU hockey team (1-2) used a three goal third period to rally from a 2-0 deficit to get its first win of the season, knocking off Niagara (1-2) 3-2 Friday night.
It started with a radio interview after being named the MSU football head coach in 2006, and after being asked about a University of Michigan loss to Appalachian State, he responded with: “Should we have a moment of silence?” It continued with an ultimatum to his team at the news conference before his first game as a head coach against the Wolverines, publicly challenging the Spartans, “How long will you bow to Michigan?” It was followed by a stern reply to former U-M running back Mike Hart’s now infamous “little brother,” comment by angrily replying, “Pride comes before the fall.” And it was reignited in an ESPN.com interview in April, when he responded to a question about U-M’s surge in recruiting by saying, “We’ve beat Michigan the last four years, so where’s the threat?” In his six years at the helm, Mark Dantonio has made one thing abundantly clear: He doesn’t like U-M, and he’s not shy about saying so. But as the Spartans (4-3 overall, 1-2 Big Ten) approach a potential historic milestone for the program — a record fifth consecutive victory over archrival U-M (4-2, 2-0) on Saturday (3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) — Dantonio’s tone unexpectedly has shifted, undergoing a noticeable change to one of admiration and respect. “I have a great deal of respect for Brady Hoke,” Dantonio said of the U-M head coach at his weekly press conference Tuesday.
You might not remember the last time Michigan beat MSU in football, which is understandable. Back then, you probably had more important things on your mind, such as remembering the right order of dance moves to “Crank That (Soulja Boy).”
Barely visible at the base of one of the display cases in Schembechler Hall is a sentence etched in small black lettering on the white backdrop: “The Paul Bunyan Trophy is temporarily located in East Lansing but will return next year.”
With the season coming to a close, the No. 20 MSU field hockey team has two pivotal games coming up this weekend against No. 8 Northwestern and Central Michigan.
After a disappointing overtime loss to Indiana last Sunday, the MSU women’s soccer team (8-6-2, 2-5-1 Big Ten) hopes to come away with a couple wins against some familiar opponents this weekend during its last road trip of the regular season.
After a crucial win against Michigan on Wednesday, the MSU volleyball team looks to build a winning streak against Ohio State on Saturday.
The polls might say Niagara hockey is a lesser opponent than Minnesota, but MSU hockey (0-2-0) refuses to believe so.