CCHA arenas don’t get much farther away from MSU than Nebraska-Omaha’s Civic Auditorium.But they don’t get much closer to home for Spartan hockey players Tim Hearon and Chad Hontvet.Hearon, a junior center, and Hontvet, a freshman right wing, both played their junior hockey in the Cornhusker State.
A jam-packed Breslin Center helped both the men’s and women’s basketball teams usher in the start of the 2002-03 season Friday night.Master of ceremonies Terry “Boom Boom” Braverman got the Midnight Mania crowd riled up, followed by the Spartan Marching Band leading the crowd in the school fight song.San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci sent a message to his buddy - men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo - via video screen.“Tonight is the first step to another championship run, Izzo,” he said.
Iowa City, Iowa - Saturday’s 44-16 beating at the hands of Iowa provided more than just embarrassment for the Spartans (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten), it also opened the door for a possible quarterback controversy. The door was unlocked roughly three minutes into the third quarter when MSU head coach Bobby Williams sent sophomore quarterback Damon Dowdell into the game. On the Spartans’ previous possession, junior quarterback Jeff Smoker fumbled after a 3-yard scramble.
Omaha, Neb. - Amid the cheering for the victorious Denver Pioneers, one could almost hear the sigh of relief from MSU fans at the Omaha Civic Auditorium this weekend. Very rarely do Spartan fans take any solace from a one win, one loss weekend.
Iowa City, Iowa - Under rolling gray skies, the Spartans couldn’t weather the Iowa storm on a dreary Saturday in Hawkeye country. Five turnovers coupled with MSU’s worst offensive performance - 249 total yards - the Spartans (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) extended their losing streak at Kinnick Stadium to 14 years with a 44-16 loss to a talented Iowa squad (6-1, 3-0). “It’s really very, very hard to play over the number of turnovers we had and give up big plays like we did,” MSU head coach Bobby Williams said. And unless the Spartans begin to execute like the team expected to come out of the preseason, the forecast for the rest of the season is dismal, as MSU still has to play top-ranked programs Michigan and Penn State. “Obviously, they have an up field battle,” ESPN analyst Bob Davie said.
Weather in the mid-40s and continuous wind gusts didn’t keep the MSU baseball team off the diamond Sunday afternoon.The Spartans were divided into two teams, creating the Green/Gray World Series.
Omaha, Neb. - In the wee hours of Saturday morning, head coach Rick Comley watched the replay of MSU’s humbling 5-0 loss to Denver with a tally sheet in his hand.He was counting the number of turnovers his seventh-ranked hockey team made against the Pioneers in the first round of the season-opening Maverick Stampede on Friday.Comley’s final calculation: 110 MSU giveaways, including 50 by the defensemen, in 60 minutes of hockey.
Say it ain’t so, say it ain’t so. Just six games into a much anticipated season, many are wondering how good is the MSU football team - or how bad? The facts say the Spartans (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) are average.
No. 5 MSU field hockey team had a tough matchup Sunday but came out on top, downing No. 11 Louisville 4-2.With the victory, the Spartans improve to 13-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten this season.“They really put their passing game together today,” head coach Michele Madison said referring to her team.
The No. 18 MSU volleyball team went into State College, Pa. to face the powerhouse Nittany Lions, knowing it would be a tough match.The Spartans found out the hard way in their second straight loss.
The No. 5 MSU field hockey has compiled an 11-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten record so far and is looking to finish its final seven games of the regular season the same way it always has - with convincing wins. This season the Spartans have dominated the competition, outscoring opponents 52-9.
With college football at its midway point and the bye week behind the Spartans, MSU is ready to tackle the second half of its season. But MSU (3-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) was expected to be sitting with the big boys by this point in the season, at least according to most preseason predictions. The Spartans were ranked 18th in both preseason polls and selected by the media to finish third in the Big Ten.
For the second-straight week, Death Ro one-upped McSkinny. The Pac-10 matchup between Washington State and Southern Cal produced the only loss for Death Ro (19-9). McSkinny (16-12) benefited from Wazzu and Ohio State victories, while he watched his other picks - Wisconsin and Clemson - fall to Penn State and Florida State, respectively. Much to Death Ro’s delight, there aren’t any Pac-10 matchups on the Pigskin Prognosticators’ slate, but they do have four top-25 matchups to debate. MSU vs.
MSU head coach Rick Comley said he doesn’t know if his seventh-ranked Spartans will be as good as No.
Oh yeah, the college football year is rumblin’, bumblin’ and stumblin’ like a 320-pound defensive tackle who just scooped up the brown, oblong pill and ran it 60 yards to paydirt. It’s the second weekend in October and most teams already have a taste of conference play.
The women’s golf team placed sixth in the New Mexico State Give’Em Five Intercollegiate on Wednesday at the University of New Mexico Golf Course in Las Cruces, N.M. The Spartans shot a team score of 294 in the three-round tournament, rounding out at 915 (315-306-294) and trailing fifth place finisher Texas El Paso by two strokes.
The front-runners across the country didn’t do too much to bolster their standing last weekend, making the forecast for the Heisman Trophy even cloudier than before.
No. 15 Penn State at No. 13 Michigan What’s better preparation, a relaxing bye week or a hard-fought victory on the road? That’s the question as Michigan and Penn State collide Saturday in Ann Arbor.
Luckily for the Spartans, they don’t have time to dwell on their humiliating loss to the Wolverines on Wednesday evening. The No.
The men’s and women’s basketball teams will be unveiled to the general public during Midnight Mania tonight at Breslin Center.