AP Names MSU's Javon Ringer First Team All-American

Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- For the 90th time in school history, Michigan State has a consensus All-American.

Javon Ringer was named to the Associated Press All-America first team Tuesday, less than a week after he earned the title of Walter Camp All-American in Orlando, Fla., the site of the Spartans' Capital One Bowl game against Georgia.

The senior captain from Dayton, Ohio, accounted for 96 percent of his team's rushing yards this season (1,590 of 1,661), led the nation with 370 carries (of his team's 477) and is proud to be still standing relatively unscathed from the most significant workload of his life.

"By playing for Michigan State, I've been fortunate enough to have an opportunity to perform on a national stage," Ringer said in a statement released Tuesday night by the school. "In this offensive system, I've been asked to play an important role and that's certainly not something that I've shied away from.

"I've taken my share of hard hits, but I've been fortunate to play the entire season with just some bumps and bruises."

Ringer is the first MSU player since receiver Charles Rogers in 2002 to be named All-America at an offensive or defensive position.

Brandon Fields, a punter, was the school's last All-American in 2004, followed by kick returner DeAndra Cobb a year earlier.

When informed Tuesday night by The Detroit News of Ringer's accomplishment, mentor Lorenzo White, a two-time All-America tailback for the Spartans, gushed with pride about his prized pupil.

"Everybody knows what kind of work he put in this year," White said. "It shows his durability and qualities that will make pro scouts look at him and say, 'He's tough, a team player and among the top at his position.' "

The two running backs talk often and share stories about the demands often placed on the job.

Regular season practices typically gave Ringer enough work, but not to the point of exhaustion. Bowl practices, however, at least the seven since Tuesday have been a different animal, Ringer said.

"I've done a lot," said Ringer, who mentioned 50 and 60-yard sprints in recent sessions . "I want to hit, I like hitting."

"I don't want to go the whole month without being tackled and then get hit for the first time against Georgia."

Durability is one of Ringer's strongest qualities.

Trainer Jeff Monroe told The Detroit News last month that Ringer responds well from basic treatment. Enhanced pharmaceuticals like anti-inflammatory medicine haven't been needed because Ringer deals with pain so well.

Ringer overcame several unexpected health issues this season, including a stomach virus that caused him to lose at least 10 pounds before a Nov. 1 game against Wisconsin.

Against the Badgers, ailing from the condition, he accounted for 64 all-purpose yards to become the school's career leader in the category.

On Oct. 25, Ringer overcame what was initially thought of as a severe hamstring injury in practice to blast Michigan for 197 yards and two scores.

Team officials said after the 35-21 win in Ann Arbor that Ringer could barely walk off the field when he injured the hamstring two days before the game.

Coach Mark Dantonio has repeatedly called Ringer a "true Spartan warrior" willing to make any kind of sacrifice for the team's benefit.

Ringer has tried to set such an example all season and brought his entire offensive line with him to a postgame news conference after a 23-7 win over Notre Dame on Sept. 20.

"Since arriving at Michigan State, my focus has been on becoming a complete back; someone willing to do whatever it takes to win," Ringer said.

Ringer's mother, Darlene Ringer, said she still is amazed at her son's ability to take a pounding and keep going.

She never questioned Dantonio and his staff's decision to have such a persistent running focused on her pride and joy.

"Javon would tell me he was sore, he's not inhuman, but he never wanted to be too vocal about it," Darlene said. "I would tell him, 'If you're tired, tell the coaches.' But I knew then and still know now that would never happen."

Spartans explode with school-record 35 assists in blowout

58 Point Win Margin and 118 point total are second highest marks in school history.

by SHANNON SHELTON DETROIT FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

EAST LANSING -- A week off did Michigan State plenty of good.

In their first game since last Sunday's against Bradley, the No. 18 Spartans used a team effort to dominate Alcorn State, 118-60, on Saturday night at the Breslin Center.

Five players scored in double figures, and sophomore guard Chris Allen, who came off the bench, led all scorers with 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Every MSU player that entered the game scored, but the most impressive stat was the 35 assists the Spartans (6-2) collected on their 44 shots.

"Magic (Johnson) proved here that it's as much fun to give as it is to receive, and as much fun to make a great pass as it is to make a great shot," said coach Tom Izzo. "We're getting those wings to run a little bit better, which opens things up for Kalin (Lucas) especially."

MSU's performance set multiple records. The 35 assists were the most in school history, beating a previous high of 32. The 118 points were the second-most MSU has scored, three shy of the 121 scored in 1992 against Morehead State.

In the first half, the Spartans had 20 assists on 22 shots. Point guard Korie Lucious had seven and Lucas had six. Lucious finished with 11 assists, Lucas eight.

Michigan State led, 60-26, by halftime and shot 71% from the field. The Spartans shot 58.7% for the game.

"We knew we were going to play good because we practiced pretty good," said senior guard Travis Walton. "The way you practice is the way you play sometimes. We probably had the best practices during finals week that I've had in my four years here. It showed today with 35 assists and our point guards having 19 assists with just two turnovers."

A few players set career highs. Freshman forward Delvon Roe's 13 points and freshman forward Draymond Green's 10 points were their best totals; sophomore center Tom Herzog tied a career high with two blocks; and Allen tied his field-goal mark with seven.

"We just needed a game to get this team on track a little bit," Izzo said.

MSU started slow in the first 6 minutes, and Alcorn State led, 13-12, after an Anthony Ford jumper with 13:37 left in the first half. The Spartans answered with three consecutive buckets from their frontcourt players -- Green followed up on a missed jumper from Marquise Gray, and Gray then made back-to-back dunks on assists from Lucious.

The Spartans led, 18-13, and the Braves answered with a jumper from Jarvis Williams to make it 18-15. The Spartans then went on a 12-0 run to take a 15-point lead.

Izzo started center Idong Ibok to preserve MSU's rotation at the other four positions so Goran Suton can return to the role when he recovers from surgery. Suton has missed six games with a left knee injury and had a scope Dec. 4 to remove cartilage. Izzo said Suton began running earlier that day, however, and Suton said he hopes to return for the Texas game in Houston next Saturday.

MSU's Javon Ringer named First Team Walter Camp All-American Running Back

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Michigan State senior running back Javon Ringer, who rushed for 1,590 yards and 21 touchdowns during the 2008 regular season, has been named to the Walter Camp All-America Team, which is selected by NCAA Football Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. The Walter Camp All-America Team, the nation's oldest all-star lineup, was introduced live on the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show Thursday night on ESPN from the Atlantic Dance Hall on Disney's Boardwalk.

The 5-foot-9, 202-pound Ringer, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, leads the nation in scoring (10.5 points per game) while ranking second in rushing touchdowns (21), third in rushing (132.5 yards per game) and 11th in all-purpose yards. He leads the Big Ten in scoring and all-purpose yards and ranks second in rushing. His 1,590 yards rank as the second-highest single-season rushing total in school history. Ringer became the first Spartan to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since T.J. Duckett in 2000-01.

"Javon Ringer is certainly most deserving of this prestigious honor," MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. "Javon has been the heart and soul of our football team this season. No running back in the country was asked to carry more of his team's workload (than Javon). Despite being the main focus of opposing defenses each week, Javon continued to produce steady numbers, and he played a significant role in helping our team win nine games during the regular season.

"Javon is a complete football player. He's a great blocker in pass protection; he catches the ball well out of the backfield; and he can be equally productive running the ball inside and outside. In addition, Javon has a tremendous work ethic, and he's an unbelievable competitor."

"It is an honor to have coached Javon Ringer for the past two seasons," Spartan running backs coach Dan Enos said. "He is a tremendous asset to our team, a great leader and role model. His work ethic and attitude are exceptional, and he is, undoubtedly, a large reason why we have been so successful the last two years."

Ringer has accounted for 96 percent of Michigan State's rushing yards (1,590 of 1,661) and 78 percent of its rushing attempts (370 of 477) in 2008. He has recorded seven 100-yard rushing games this season: Eastern Michigan (34 carries for 135 yards), Florida Atlantic (43 for 282), Notre Dame (39 for 201), Indiana (44 for 198), Northwestern (35 for 124), Michigan (37 for 194) and Purdue (32 for 121). Ringer became first offensive player in Big Ten history to earn Player of the Week honors for three consecutive weeks (vs. Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic and Notre Dame).

With his 1-yard TD run in the second quarter in the regular-season finale at Penn State, Ringer tied Jehuu Caulcrick's school single-season records for rushing TDs (21) and points scored (126). He has eight multi-TD games in 2008, including a career-best five scores vs. Eastern Michigan. His five rushing TDs represent the second-best single-game total in Spartan history, just one short of the school record held by Blake Ezor (6 rushing TDs vs. Northwestern, 1989).

His 370 carries also lead the nation - 32 more attempts than the second running back on the list. He has recorded four of the six highest single-game carry totals in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision this season (44 vs. Indiana, 43 vs. Florida Atlantic, 39 vs. Notre Dame and 37 vs. Michigan).

Ringer ranks first on MSU's all-time list in all-purpose yards (5,349), second in rushing yards (4,351) and fifth in rushing TDs (33). He also ranks among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision active career leaders in carries (first with 823), all-purpose yards (second), rushing yards (third) and rushing TDs (13th). The Dayton, Ohio, native has 19 career 100-yard rushing games and 11 career multi-TD games.

Calm down Spartan fans...it's not as bad as you think

by rterpstr December 04, 2008 15:41PM

Tom Izzo and Spartan fans may be disappointed, but the season's not over yet.

It looked good on paper. A match-up against the nation's #1 team. At Ford Field, the location of this year's Final Four. Preview, perhaps? That's what Spartan fans were hoping for.

And then it all went wrong. Horribly, terribly, wrong.

The HD enhanced the blank, deer-in-the-headlights look of Spartan fans. My dad was snoring on the couch. I found myself aimlessly texting my buddies. And then it hit me:

This game was a dog.

Not what Tom Izzo, or MSU faithful had been hoping for. I thought MSU could definitely lose this game, but not by the margin that they did. In the moments following, Spartan fans have crept closer to the ledge, bemoaning their team and the lost prospects for the season.

Easy guys, it's going to be OK.

If there's one thing I really like about MSU, it's the fearlessness of Tom Izzo. The guy would agree to play a team of penguins in Antarctica if he thought it would make his squad better. But at this point of the season, it proved to be just too much for the guys.

It's understandable. The loss of Goran Suton crippled MSU, because it meant they had to go up against a formidable Tar Heel front line without their best low post player. Would G's presence have meant a win? No. But it might have made the difference between a 15 and a 35-point loss.

Tom Izzo is also right when he mentions the schedule. 4 games in 7 days is tough for any team. Then throw in the fact that MSU was coming back from Florida, and the final game of the four was the most important, with the most pressure, against the best team. North Carolina will run you off the floor even if you have a month to prepare for them. But short rest and really only a day of practice to fully concentrate on their squad? You can't like that situation.

Imagine if MSU had won the Old Spice Classic? They would have had to go through Maryland, Gonzaga, and Tennessee, and then take on the Tar Heels three days later! That's too much for any team. And even as it was, I can completely understand why the Spartans had no legs. Not only were they tired, but once Carolina starting knocking down shot after shot, running the break to no end, and the lead starting growing, it was just too much mentally and physically for MSU to handle. And so: Fail.

But there is hope. I know most fans aren't ready to totally give up on MSU, but there are plenty of folks out there who are dejected right now about the Spartan's tournament chances (because, it's not enough to make it to the NCAA's, but you have to be in position to win), because they have yet to prove themselves against top competition this year. And that's where the hope lies, because there are a couple more chances down the pipe for the Spartans to re-assert themselves as a contender come March.

Saturday, December 20th @ Texas (in Houston): The major road test for this Spartans team. Texas is good, not quite as good as in past years I think, but it still will be a great test for MSU in a hostile environment. It won't be easy without Suton, but getting a win here would be key for sure, and boost that RPI.

Saturday, January 10th vs. Kansas: The Jayhawks are looking good, but this Saturday game in the Breslin will pick up the Spartan's spirits after they open up the Big 10 with Minnesota, Northwestern, and Ohio State. This is a major game, will have a massive crowd, and will be a key win confidence-wise for Izzo's crew as they enter the teeth of they conference schedule.

February 10 @ Michigan/February 17 @ Purdue: Two conference games in a row with an improved in-state rival and one of the best teams in the league, both on the road. Important to get a win at Michigan, and then have that carry it over to Purdue.

Those are just four chances for MSU to prove to itself and to the rest of the NCAA that they are a legit contender for both the Big 10, and a berth in the Final Four. Just like folks can't get too excited about Michigan's win over UCLA, they can't get too down over UNC blowing the doors off of the Spartans. College sports is all about context. In some cases, what is asked of these athletes is too much. In other cases, they need to give more. MSU will have a chance to give a better effort down the road, against some quality competition. If they lose those games, then it's time to panic. But knowing Tom Izzo, and seeing the talent that this team possesses, I firmly believe they'll have things under control by the Big 10 tournament.

So breathe easy, Spartan fans, and shake that UNC game off. Great teams will do that to you, even if you do play a good game, and the Spartans certainly didn't do that last night. And just imagine, should MSU pull their crap together, and make a charge to the Final Four, wouldn't a rematch with the Heels be nice? Because by my count, the Spartans now owe them one.

Penn State-Michigan State: Obama to Dantonio, "Yes We Can!"

This Saturday's matchup between the Michigan Sate Spartans (9-2) and the Penn State Nittany Lions (10-1) resembles another huge test of time and perseverance—two factors which recently decided the presidential election. Like that fight, Penn State offers a heavily lauded team led by Joe Paterno, the elder statesman of college football. A man that, like John McCain to the Republicans and America, has unquestionable integrity and commitment to his chosen profession.

On the other sideline stands Mark Dantonio, scarcely two seasons into his tenure as head coach of MSU, leading a group of Spartans that have received only the slightest of backhanded praise, parceled out by tight-lipped "pros" of in-state publications and national news giants throughout the past three months. These Spartans were not expected to be here, just like Barack Obama was not supposed to be on the presidential ballot, let alone win the big game. Surely the other teams normally perched atop the Big Ten may be asking, "who invited them?" to this final championship-deciding weekend. But guess what, they are here, and they have a great chance of shaking up the world of college football Saturday by beating Penn State.

How did Barack do it? Go to CNN to find that out.

How will Michigan State do it? Read on...

Freedom. MSU has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Just like Barack Obama, Michigan State is not SUPPOSED to be in the position they are in. Nobody expected they would be playing to win the Big Ten and go to The Rose Bowl. Nobody. Not even I could have dreamt nor hoped for this opportunity. Penn State will be playing in front of 100,000 people who expect them to win but who are truly heartbroken about how the Lions blew their chance at a national title. The pressure on them will be huge. Win one for JoePa. Make up for Iowa. Don't fall apart any further. Sure, everybody will be asking "can Michigan State win the big games?" as they have before the Northwestern game, the Michigan game, the Wisconsin game, the Notre Dame game, etc. Now, I'm lying by saying MSU has nothing to lose, if Javon Ringer goes off and runs wild, he will be on the Heisman stage. That alone will give added momentum. Also, look for Mark Dantonio to take chances, run some odd plays. He knows the truth that you cannot win big unless you bet big.

Unity. Just like the Democrats ran a focused, finely-tuned message-machine, Michigan State's football team is the ultimate example of a coalesced team. The German school of psychology calls this "Gestalt." According to Webster, Gestalt is defined as: "a structure, configuration, or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts." You may look at Michigan State on a position-by-position basis and think they don't match up with Penn State. Watch some game film. Note how when Javon Ringer scores any of his 20 touchdowns this season, he doesn't pound his chest and prance around like a fool in heat. He hands the ball to the official and greets his linemen with thanks and class. Watch how just when you think Mark Dell is the only option to make a first down grab, some unknown receiver streaks across the middle and burns the opposing defense for a 60-yard TD. The power of team unity is often preached, but seldom attained or harvested as it has been on the field this year by MSU.

Rest. The Spartans have enjoyed their bye week at exactly the right moment in the season. As Penn State was beating up on Indiana to make up for their less-than top-5 showing at Iowa, The Spartans were resting and watching the Nittany Lions' every move. MSU will have its full complement of offensive and defensive weapons to choose from come game time.

Let it snow. Inclement weather is always the great equalizer in football. With the nation's leading rusher in the backfield, who has not fumbled once in 350+ rushes, The Spartans should fare just fine on the ground and open it up when needed. (Refer to QB Brian Hoyer's 60-yard connection through the air with Blair White between two receivers in last week's Purdue game). The weather is forecast to be 30 degrees and snowing.

No doubt. One of the weirdest looking written words in our fine English language is the downfall of any sportsman. Now that Penn State has been beaten, they have that incessant, creeping, clawing demon of doubt rooted in their minds. It may not be big, it may not be overwhelming, but once you know how to lose, you will lose again. If MSU can score first or take a two-score lead, look in the Penn State players' eyes as they search the scoreboard for more time and an answer. Key stat: Penn State was only leading 10-7 at halftime at home last week against Indiana, a team that is dead-last in the Big Ten standings, as well as defense (along with probably every other stat).

Underdog? The Spartans could teach Rodney Dangerfield something about "No Respect." It doesn't matter how many games we win, how many opponents go down, it's never enough. It's always "this next game will prove the old demons are finally laid to rest," "this next test will really prove if the Spartans have changed." Guess what sportscasters, that's old, stale, tired, done, kaput. This potential 11-2 season is way more than any Spartan could have hoped for, and if the team doesn't even show up for the game on Saturday, it's been a season to remember. Someone please take that albatross from around our green-and-white necks and shove it up the next ESPN commentator that says it.


Sorry GramPa Joe, there's a new coach in town named Dantonio leading a team who wants it more, and they will take it on Saturday.


Calling all Spartans! Be sure to join www.SpartanZone.com and post your green-and-white heart out.

MSU 2008 Spartan Basketball Schedule

Click on the small version for a downloadable / printable schedule for this year's basketball season...

Michigan State Soccer Wins Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Championship

Spartan soccer title is a keeper - Seventh straight shutout seals Big Ten sweep

Eric Anderson
For the Lansing State Journal

MADISON, Wis. - Avery Steinlage (right) and Josh Rogers stood and posed for picture after picture Sunday afternoon, smiles frozen on their faces.

And that wasn't just because temperatures hovered in the low 30s at the McClimon Complex.

They were two key pieces to the latest defensive gem for the 16th-ranked Michigan State men's soccer team, a 1-0 victory over No. 18 Indiana in the Big Ten Conference tournament championship game.

Senior forward Doug DeMartin provided the offense with a 57th-minute goal in the third straight 1-0 win for the Spartans (13-5-1), who extended their unbeaten streak to nine (8-0-1) and assured themselves of seeing their name called tonight when the 48-team NCAA tournament field is announced - not that there was any doubt.

But what made this day special, just like the one two weeks ago when MSU celebrated its first Big Ten regular-season title at DeMartin Stadium, was the man who lifted the crystal trophy: Coach Joe Baum.

"To send a coach out on top is fantastic, especially one of Joe's caliber, if you will, the historical magnitude that he has in college soccer in general, you can't really put it into words," said Steinlage, the sophomore goalkeeper who made six saves in his seventh straight shutout.

'Extra special'

Baum called the Spartans' accomplishments in his 32nd season as head coach "extra, extra special.

"If you look at it mathematically, by the RPI index, the Big Ten's the No. 1 conference in the country, and to win the regular season and the tournament in the No. 1 conference in the country, we're very proud," said Baum, whose team also likely will be rewarded with a good seed for the NCAA tournament.

In a program that stresses defense, there's a lot of pride in a stout backline that has allowed only one goal in the past nine matches - that on a penalty kick more than a month ago - and hasn't been scored upon in nearly 700 minutes.

"That's been the huge part of this success," said DeMartin, the Big Ten player of the year and tournament offensive MVP. "That's why we're winning - the defense."

For the second straight game, a defender cleared a ball off the goal line. Rogers did it late in Friday's semifinal win over Northwestern; this time, it was sophomore Nosa Iyoha in the 11th minute, who was in the right place to get the ball out of trouble with the Hoosiers (12-6-3) threatening.

And despite 11-time tournament champion Indiana holding a 19-6 advantage in shots, Steinlage needed to make just two tough saves.

Spartans win on the field, but could lose in the long run

by Michael Ferro, Michigan State Spartans Examiner

Some Spartan fans may have been rooting for Penn State to lose yesterday to Iowa. They did just that and some thought that signaled a better possibility for Michigan State to win the Big Ten Title. Well, I'm sad to inform those that yesterday's loss by Penn State is also a loss for the Spartans.

Let me explain.

Had Michigan State gone into an undefeated Penn State and won, like many had hoped we would, things would be different. If all goes according to the way analysts think it will, Ohio State will win it's next two games and close out their season with a win against rival Michigan. That would make them 7-1 in the conference. If Michigan State beats Penn State, the Nittany Lions will be 6-2 in the conference and the Spartans will be 7-1.

That's good right? Wrong.

With a tie for first place in the Big Ten between Ohio State and Michigan State, Ohio State will automatically go to the Rose Bowl since they beat us in the regular season. Had we faced an undefeated Penn State and all records between the three schools been 7-1 in the conference, Michigan State would go to the Rose Bowl because of the three, we are the only school to not face a lower division team.

What does all this mean? How can Michigan State still win the Big Ten Title?

Brace yourself Spartan fans. What I'm about to say might startle you.

Michigan State has to root for the Wolverines.

You see, if Ohio State loses to Michigan, their record goes to 6-2 in the conference. If Michigan State beats Penn State, the Nittany Lions would suffer the same record as Ohio State. The result? Michigan State winning the Big Ten Title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

So, Spartan fans, can you bring yourself to root for a school that constantly ridiculed you. A school that called you it's "little brother" and said it would "never lose to you, ever"?

The University of Michigan is having a historically bad year. The Spartans are having a historically good one. Lets face it, that makes it easier to root for them. Wolverine fans are often booing their own team nowadays instead of the usual arrogance to the rest of the country. Let's face it, that too makes it easier to root for them. Also, Ohio State made a mockery of the Spartan team and the yearning to have them suffer (as in possibly losing to one of the worst Michigan teams in history) would make it easier to root for the Wolverines.

It's a hard question to ask, but can Spartan fans set their anger aside and root for Michigan? It's going to be hard to even focus on the Wolverines with the Spartans playing Penn State at the same time. Michigan State is the better team this year when it comes to college football in Michigan and that's very comforting. Spartans must be cautious not to become the over-zealous team that Michigan has been in the past (and quite possibly will continue to remain).

Let me put it this way: I won't root against Michigan and I definitely will root against Ohio State. I hope Michigan wins and Ohio State suffers a terrible embarrassment that allows Michigan State a chance at the Rose Bowl. Is this all too vague? Perhaps. We'll see how I feel when the game approaches (I can't wait to see if Michigan players open their mouth in the week leading up to the game like Brandon Graham did in the week leading up to the Spartan/Wolverine game).

Bottom line: None of this matters if Michigan State loses to Penn State. If that happens, Penn State gets the title and the trip to the Rose Bowl (they beat Ohio State). The Spartans have a bye week coming up before they face Penn State. I hope they use that time to get healthy and mentally prepare themselves for one of their biggest games in recent history.

Detroit writers don't respect MSU

Columnists always write through prism of Michigan

November 5, 2008
Patrick Walters, Columnist for NOISE - Lansing State Journal


This will begin with a heartfelt-if-reactionary rant against Detroit newspaper columnists.

If you get your news from the Detroit newspapers, it hasn't been a pleasant past fortnight to read about MSU football. And yes, I'm referring to both of you who still get your news like that.

Granted, it's not on the scale of 2002 or anything like that, when the national types wagged fingers and even the surprisingly-still-alive Beano Cook registered his thoughts, but it's unpleasant to the extent that the Detroit newspaper columnists have been opining on the Spartans with alarming consistency.

This, as anyone who has followed the Spartans with any modicum of interest in the past few years knows, is always a complete disaster. (Yes, I'm building up to Rob Parker and Drew Sharp, so don't be disappointed if they're not in the next few paragraphs. Foreplay is important. Patience.)

You see, when the Detroit columnist comes up to East Lansing, it's only for one of three reasons: the Spartans are winning, the Spartans are playing Michigan in football or basketball, or the Spartans/coach stand on the precipice of some kind of accomplishment, which is really just a philosophical extension of the first reason.

And, because said columnist comes from the Detroit papers, he or she is under the obligation to view the Spartans through the prism of the Wolverines, because Michigan is CLEARLY the only major university in the state, and people in the Detroit area are clearly only interested in reading nine different ways about how the Wolverines somehow still have value this season.

So, you know, if you ever need to know how Michigan State is doing, by all means pick up a Free Press or News and see if the Detroit columnists have deemed it OK for anyone to watch anything but the Wolverines. Because it's with their blessing, you see, that the Spartans get their sense of self worth.

Weak analysis

I guess I could go on, but sarcasm can only take you so far and NOISE won't let me use the F-word as much as I enjoy using it. So that said, my thesis: F--- the Detroit columnists.

You, Detroit columnists, cannot offer a unique context to Michigan State, because you visit thrice yearly. You cannot provide insight, because you are all either so entranced with your own ego that you dabble in hyperbole (see below), or, in the case of Mitch Albom and Rob Parker, just decide to make s--- up. You cannot phrase any of this in a way that is unique or original, because to you, the Spartans are a secondary assignment, but to the reader, it is primary content. And it shows.

Why else would Drew Sharp call the Spartans the worst two-loss team in the nation after Saturday's narrow win over a blundering Wisconsin team? Surely not because of stupid arbitrary things like facts!

(While far from the BEST two-loss team in the nation, how the Spartans can be considered worse than Northwestern, a two-loss team that lost to MSU as recently as last month, just points to something else. To me, it points to Drew Sharp's creepingly and patently insecure need to cultivate his contrarian status by proffering arbitrarily-determined inaccuracies, presumably for the sake of rankling people like me, but surely not to sell papers. He gets paid to watch sports for a living; he's not THAT inexplicably dense.)

Oh, but all in all, it points to the greater triumph: they're here because Michigan State is winning in whatever fashion, and everyone loves to cover a winner. And from a readership standpoint, the Detroit papers will never stop covering Michigan State athletics, so it's foolish to suggest they butt out.

I suppose I just don't understand what will make Mitch Albom or Rob Parker just conjure something up that never happened. (Granted, different versions of make-believe in the respective cases, but make-believe nonetheless.) Or what will make Drew Sharp elect to rag on the Spartans following a stirring win. Print sports commentary is dead, so it can't be for readership.

In short, the journalistic value of Michigan State sports exists and exceeds your scope of expertise in this matter. We do not need you to tell us how to support MSU; we are not asking for you to put the already-known into a context that is already considered. Kindly stay home and write books about Michigan athletics, get rich that way, and we'll all be OK. And piss on your hats.

End heartfelt-if-reactionary rant against Detroit columnists.

Reality check

Back to sports.

Hey! Holy cow! The Spartans are 8-2 and have thus already exceeded everyone's expectations and secured a security bowl game appearance - how lavish! - at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. That's not bad as a fallback! All they need to do is beat Purdue this week and then - joy! - playing for a share of the conference title against Penn State in Happy Valley!

(It is here our author extends his thumb in the downward fashion, extends his tongue between his lips and makes a farting noise.)

Shove your scenarios in a sack, mister. Michigan State needs some major, major help from whatever the patron saint of football injuries is if they're going to make all the swell-sounding chatter come true. They rushed for 25 yards last week, their best receiver couldn't play, and the defense was pushed around with remarkable regularity.

Let's pray to the same pagan icon that Drew Sharp made his success blood oath with for all of this to go away next week. That said, I expect the Spartans to defeat Purdue 76-3.

Virus limits Ringer to 21 carries, 54 yards

Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- If you're wondering why Javon Ringer looked slower than usual Saturday against Wisconsin, he had a legitimate excuse.

Ringer wasn't near 100 percent healthy because of a virus he caught during the week that led to a 10-pound weight loss in a matter of days.

"That's what the doctors tell me," Ringer said. "I haven't eaten, by body had been aching, I haven't been sleeping. My body has been hot one moment and cold the next."

The Spartans' top running said he weighed in at about 192 Saturday, the lightest he's been in years. Once the appetite is back, Ringer will know he's recovered.

"I love to eat," Ringer said. "Once I start eating, I know I'll gain my weight back quick."

Entering Saturday's game as the nation's leader in rushing touchdowns (16) and carries (300), the 5-foot-9 playmaker finished Saturday with a season-low 54 yards on 21 carries.


Ringer did, however, score two key touchdowns to get MSU back in the game.

Both came from distances of two yards late in the third quarter and midway through the fourth.

In post-game interviews, Ringer expressed plenty of happiness about the win, but also some frustration that he couldn't be in the best shape.

"A lot of times I felt like maybe things could be a little different if I had a little more kick in my step," Ringer said. "My teammates knew I wasn't feeling too good, my offensive line knew I wasn't feeling too good.

"I'm just glad everybody continued to work. This is a team thing."

NOTE FROM SpartyOn.com :

Despite only carrying for 54 yards this Saturday, Ringer amazingly is still the #1 running back in the country leading all others with 321 carries, 1,427 yards and 18 touchdowns. Even more unbelievable is the fact that in those 321 carries, Ringer has not fumbled once all year.

Hail to The Victors : The Michigan State Spartans Deliver The Goods In Ann Arbor

Hail to The Victors : The Michigan State Spartans Deliver The Goods In Ann Arbor. Patrick Yore of SpartyOn.com - Saturday, October 25th, 2008, Ann Arbor, Michigan

This beautiful fall day in Michigan had many sights and sounds that will be remembered and resound for a very long time. Beating a 2-5 team normally doesn't mean a whole lot, but today was special. Here are the images that will bring many a Spartan joy and haunt Wolverine fans forever...


Sparty Gets a Huge Tackle

Brian Hoyer tagged Blair White and burned UM for a 61 yard touchdown that ended with White running directly into the clutch of Sparty, Michigan State's brut mascot. Against a sea of green and white, the Spartan Marching Band was in that corner of the endzone too, and were so excited they rushed to gain composure and play the fight song in celebration.


Brandon Graham Eats Dirt and His Words

With about 2 minutes left in the first half, Javon Ringer jumped to the outside and jumped back in the Heisman race. Javon hit the line, spun outside and ran away from the entire UM defense for a 64 yard burn to his 15th rushing TD of the season. UM made an inept effort to chase him down, and guess who fell flat on his face, failing to catch Ringer as he crossed into the endzone? Mr. Brandon Graham who guaranteed a Michigan win. I wonder who had a more enjoyable view of that play. Graham with a face full of turf, or Mike Hurt, his brother in BS?


Sam McGuffie Gets Welcomed to The Big Ten

FIrst of all, no one, including me, wants to see anyone get hurt. Sam "Hopalong" McGuffie was UMs leading rusher coming into the game averaging like 65 yards. He had 10 yards rushing today. One run ended in a crushing fashion between three MSU defenders. Vary scary to watch, this clean attack was a great example of how violent the hits are delivered by The Spartan Defense. Sam, please report back to your brothers in The Big 12 how much you enjoyed your first rivalry game against State. Please post a response to let us know if this guy's ok.


Javon Ringer rips off 10 yarders late in the 4th

Michigan defense is normally a force to be reckoned with. Michigan was supposed to have some voodoo conditioning system that would overwhelm opponents late in the game. Watch State's last two drives and you will see a beautiful illustration of heart, soul, teamwork and sheer power.


Mark Dantonio's Smile

Mr. D couldn't help it. However much he tried, however much he preached that the game isn't over until it's over, he cracked a huge smile with around a minute left in the game. Maybe it was converting a 4th and 1 to seal the victory? Whatever he was thinking about, he wasn't smug. He wasn't waving a fist in his opponents face. In fact, he wasn't even looking at the other sideline. He was facing his players and his assistant coaches, knowing that his team of great young men came together and did what they were asked and supposed to do all day, up and down the field marked with a huge block M.

______________________________________________________________


An observation... Much has been made about how UM has many excuses as to why they are so pitiful this year. Mainly that it's Rod's first year and that they lost so many players. The next time you give UM a free pass on these grounds, remember a few of the Spartans who were missing from the roster this year including Devin Thomas, Drew Stanton, SirDarean Adams, Mike Bacon, Ervin Baldwin, Jehuu Caulcrick, Peter Clifford, Kellen Davis, Kaleb Thornhill, etc. Also reflect on where MSUs program was at the end of 2006 with John L. Smith, when a new coach walked onto campus at Michigan State then in HIS first year went 7-6, took his team to a bowl in Florida and barely lost to the #10 ranked team in the country.

______________________________________________________________


The Bottom Line :

- The game was the 101st meeting of the two schools

- Final score = 35 to 14. Any questions about this, refer to this article

- Javon Ringer rushed for 194 yards, scored 2 TDs including a 64 yard run. Sam McGuffie, UMs leading rusher in 2008 had ten yards total

- MSUs Trevor Anderson had 3 sacks

- Blair White, a walk on at MSU, had 143 yards receiving on 4 receptions including a 61-yard long TD catch and run on State's first possession

- Brian Hoyer went 17 for 29 and 282 yards, with 3TDs and no interceptions. UMs Threet completed 48.1% for 168 yards and was intercepted 3 times

Good game Wolverines, Victory for MSU!

___________________________
visit www.SpartyOn.com

MSU v UM : What a Joke!

Four football fans go rock climbing one afternoon, a Michigan fan, a Michigan State fan, a Notre Dame fan, and a Penn State fan. They had been arguing all the way up the mountain about who among them was the most 'die-hard' fan. Upon reaching the top the mountain, the Notre Dame fan proclaimed to the others... "This is for the fighting Irish!" and promptly threw himself off the mountain as a form of sacrifice. Not to be outdone by a Notre Dame fan, the Penn State fan jumped up and shouted... "This is for the Nittany Lions!" and then threw himself off the mountain. Refusing to be outdone by the Notre Dame and Penn State fans, the Michigan State fan rose to his feet and yelled at the top of his lungs "This is for the Spartans!" and without any hesitation, pushed the Michigan fan off the mountain.

Thank you to David Landis for the levity in this serious moment in time.

GO GREEN.

Are You There God? It's Me, Sparty...

Sparty: Hello God. It's me, Sparty. What are we doing wrong, God? How have we displeased you? Unlike our brothers in blue to the east, we try to be humble. We don't regale ourselves in gold and too many fine German sports coupes. We are men of the earth who strive to make this gift of the world a better place.

What will it take for us to win on Saturday, God, and make those maize and blues eat their proverbial crow, o glorious one?

God: Thou must keep it simple, my Spartan son. What are the simple keys to how Michigan State can beat UM Saturday, you ask? Stick to this, and ye shall prevail. Waver far from the course, and it may be another long year. (By the way, when I said I made man in my image, I was definitely thinking of you, Sparty.)


1. Score First - Take the ball if you win the coin toss and score first. Whomever can score first will set the tone for the whole day. UM's fans have been known to turn on their own teams on a dime, and if State can score quickly and confidently, the mood will be deflated. (See Wisconsin game this year).

2. Run Up the Middle - Take it straight to them. Do it again. Then do it again.

3. Run to the Outside - Give Javon the ball off tackle. We've all seen the trap blocking in the middle that takes way too long. Let the man run wild.

4. Pressure Defense - Put a ton of people on the line, right in Threet's face. Make him throw too soon. Put him on his back. Plug up the inside where the hoss Minor can bowl over people once he's up to speed.

5. Tackle - I'm not talking about diving for a running back's knees or pushing someone out of bounds. I'm talking about wrapping them up and driving a shoulder through to their spine on every play, every down.

6. Confuse UM's O-Line - Watch the Penn State game. It's UM's Achilles' Beer Gut.

7. Let It Rain - Michigan's Keystone Cop offense will look even more bumbling in the rain. Inclement weather always favors a team that runs well, and this can be summed up by the name Javon.


May the best team win, my son. Just know I'll be sporting my green tunic tomorrow. The rest is up to you.

__________________________

Author's Note

This game is kind of a perfect storm, a perfect setup if you will. MSU, who almost always came in as the underdog for years, is now favored. UM has become the laughingstock of the entire NCAA, their fans boo their own team off the field, and Rich "DickRod" Rodriguez is making John L. Smith look like a rootin' tootin' genius.

Which team has more to prove, or to lose, for that matter? One that can go 7-1 and finally shatter their Sisyphus complex, or another that can claim their whole season redeemed by playing spoiler to their rivals?

Luckily, last weekend's loss by MSU to OSU will give the Wolverines a false sense of hope and give the Spartans even more venom to bring to the trenches.


Strap it up, gentlemen—let's finally let the hitting do the talking.

For that special UofM fanon your Christmas List...

Northwestern : Wildcats or Just Puss' in Boots?

SpartyOn.com Week 7 Pregame Checkdown : Don't Believe the Hype : MSU vs Northwestern

When it comes to the Northwestern Wildcats versus Michigan State Spartans this weekend, don't believe the hype. If you read the blogs, sports websites and papers, the game is supposed to be a shootout between two leaders in the Big Ten. One will be proven unworthy of their lofty perch, and I'm thinking a lot of purple-wearing people are going to be Green with envy when the clock hits zero.

We all know about NCAA rushing leader Javon Ringer and last year's offensive explosion by C.J. Bacher, but let's look at the lesser known facts that will make the true difference...


Northwestern :

- Opponents have 10 combined wins in 26 games including Syracuse 1-4, Ohio 1-5
- Beat Duke, that perennial powerhouse by a walloping four points
- Northwestern's D-line has 17 sacks already this season, that's great, but MSU's offensive line has only given up only two sacks in six games, that's right, two
- Shonn Greene had 159 yards rushing against NW and averaged 7.6 yards per carry which bodes well for Ringer
- Running back Tyrell Sutton did not practice Wednesday


Michigan State :

- Chicago is full of Spartan graduates and the Northwestern stadium is definitely not an imposing place to play
- Hoyer, Dell and B.J. Cunningham are on track to make defenses think twice about keying on Javon every play. Confusion in a defense kills.
- MSU's defensive backs will get multiple interceptions in the game not only because of their tenacity and intelligence, but because of the new-found strength of their brothers up front like Trevor Anderson on the Spartan D-line putting pressure on QBs and forcing errors
- When it comes to close games, a great kicker is solid gold. Enter Brett Swenson, 12 for 13 on the year.
- Don't get too excited about the Spartans being banged up, according to the official depth chart for Saturday, MSU is at full strength at every position, including Otis Wiley.

It has been two weeks since Northwestern have given or taken a real hit. Last Saturday, the 'Wild' cats (on their bye weekend) sat around their dorm rooms watching MSU gel even tighter as a solid team and emerge from a knock-down street fight with a very respectable Iowa team stronger, more confident, and ready to take on all comers. The bumps and bruises sustained in that game will only fuel Michigan State's desire to dominate in Evanston on Saturday.


Predictions :

Javon goes for 200+, Bacher gets sacked at least three times and is picked off twice

MSU 37 - Northwestern 21


www.SpartyOn.com

GO GREEN! GO WHITE! Obama Chants with the Spartan Faithful at Campaign Rally

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Close to 20,000 people, many of them Michigan State University students, roared as Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama took the stage at an outdoor rally in the middle of campus near Beaumont tower.

Shortly after taking the stage, the Illinois senator rallied the East Lansing crowd by yelling, "Go green!" and the audience roared back, "Go white!"

Obama also said he was excited to be at Magic Johnson's alma mater and to meet Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo. He held up a green-and-white basketball jersey with "Obama 08" on it.

The Michigan State stop followed a morning rally in Grand Rapids, where nearly 16,000 people turned out to see Obama.

Power rankings: Ringer takes over top spot

Steve Megargee : Rivals.com College Football Staff Writer
September 30, 2008
Associated Press

Michigan State's Javon Ringer has moved to the top of the running back rankings.
Ringer's ability to carry Michigan State's offense on his shoulders makes him the new No. 1 running back in the Rivals.com Power Rankings, which measure the nation's top players and coaches at each position.

"Ringer's strong," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "He'll just keep coming."

No kidding.

Ringer already has 187 carries – 41 more than anyone else in the nation. He has carried the ball at least 34 times in each of his past four games and has exceeded the 40-carry mark in two of his past three games.

Ringer, a senior from Dayton, Ohio, carried the ball a career-high 44 times against Indiana while reaching the 100-yard mark for the fourth consecutive game. Ringer has run for 681 yards in the past three games, which represents the third-highest three-game stretch in Michigan State history.

"They just continued to hit throughout the entire game," Ringer said. "They never got tired. They never just were ready to roll over. They played great. This is one of the toughest times I've had running the ball, but credit to my offensive line for providing the little creases I needed just to keep moving."

Ringer's heavy workload hasn't limited his effectiveness. He ranks second in the nation with 897 rushing yards and has an NCAA-leading 12 touchdown runs.

His 198-yard performance against Indiana ended a string of 200-yard games. Ringer rushed for 282 yards two weeks ago in a 17-0 victory over Florida Atlantic and ran for 201 yards last week in a 23-7 triumph over Notre Dame. The 282-yard outing represented the fourth-highest single-game total in Michigan State history.

"You can hit him and hit him and hit him, and he just keeps on coming," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said after his team's loss to Michigan State. "I think I learned a long time ago that one attribute that great players have is stamina, and he obviously has great stamina."

The only other changes

3's a Charm : Michigan State's Ringer Big Ten Player of the Week AGAIN

9/22/2008, 10:56 a.m. ET - The Associated Press

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State running back Javon Ringer has been named Big Ten offensive player of the week for the third straight week.

The Big Ten said Monday that Ringer is the first Big Ten offensive player to earn at least a share the honor for three straight weeks.

Ringer on Saturday became the first Spartan to run for 200 yards in consecutive games. His 201 yards were the most by a Spartan against Notre Dame, breaking a mark that stood for more than a half-century.

Michigan State beat the Fighting Irish 23-7.

8 Great Things About State : The Spartans Have Arisen

SpartyOn.com - Storming into week four of the football season on Javon Ringer's quadriceps, the 2008 Michigan State Football Team welcomes the Domers of Notre Dame into Spartan Stadium on Saturday with cautious eyes and an appetite for blood.

Here are eight things to know about The 2008 MSU Team that has everything to prove while washing away lingering demons from the last home game versus their piously positioned rivals from the banks of the Old Saint Joe :

1. State blanked a Florida Atlantic team 17-0 last Saturday that had scored a combined 101 points in their first two games.

2. Javon Ringer is the top running back in the NCAAs this year with 9 rushing touchdowns.

3. MSU traveled 2,328 miles to Cal for their first game of the season where Brian Hoyer passed for 320 yards, they scored 31 points and had the ball with an opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds. The end of the game was being played at 11:30PM Michigan time.

4. Many members of the current team played in the infamous Sept. 23, 2006 Typhoon Bowl. It started out a celebration of the 1966 infamous "Greatest Game Ever Played" and ended in a complete disaster in front of the entire country on TV. Memories of that game will be expunged on every snap, on every hit, on every tackle.

5. MSU has beaten ND in 8 of the last 11 games.

6. The State Receiving Corps of Deon Curry, BJ Cunningham and Mark Dell will finally be at full strength this weekend for the first time this year.

7. 312.2 Pounds. That is the AVERAGE weight of the Spartan Offensive line that has only given up one sack in three games.

8. Mark Dantonio embodies not only the Spartans, and the University but he truly embodies Sparty himself. Not the world's largest free-standing ceramic sculpture, but the old Sparty Mascot. Not just in his always furrowed brow, nor his dark, concerned eyes that cast upon foolish linemen (I was one in high school) that jump offside at the exact wrong moment, but in his demeanor and foreboding presence. It takes a lot to make Dani-boy smile, but then again, The Spartans are treading a precarious path of ice like a young lad on a frozen lake in wintertime. The boy wants to enjoy every step, but he knows he can't. He must stay alert, always aware, because every step could bring shocking misfortune. There is no cowboy-cussin' BS with Dantonio, just like the Spartans of Greece and The Spartans of East Lansing, Michigan. Wouldn't it be great to see him show up on Saturday with a 5 o'clock shadow? The team has taken on his personna, his drive and his hell bent focus on settling for nothing but delivering the very best for their team, fans and university.


Better paint an extra layer of gold paint on those Riddels and stock up the medicine chest with Advil, this is going to hurt.


( the author runs THE Michigan State University Tailgate Website www.SpartyOn.com and blog at www.SpartyOnBlog.com )

Spartans Pose Sans Clothes in Playboy's 'Girls of the Big Ten'

September 18, 2008
by Christian Czerwinski of The Lansing State Journal


Rob Halley isn't one to miss an opportunity. Even if he has to "drag" his friends along.

But when two local girls turned Playboy models are signing autographs, there's not much dragging involved.

Halley, 20, a junior at Michigan State University, joined about 20 other folks Wednesday afternoon at a Big Ten party store in East Lansing for an autograph session featuring Lynn Wisper and Elle Stamos.

They are two of seven girls from MSU featured in Playboy's Girls of the Big Ten issue that came out last week. The other five girls couldn't make it to the session because of scheduling conflicts, but no one seemed to mind.

Kris Brooks, 20, who came to the event with Halley, arrived with the magazine in hand.

"I really wanted an autograph. You can't really pass up MSU girls," he said.

And Heather Montie, 24, showed up for an autograph so she could surprise her boyfriend and her brother.

"I'm doing it for them. When I bought it, the guy at the counter was like, 'You're a cool girlfriend,' " she said.

500 copies in stock

The store stocked about 500 copies of the issue, and manager Rick Squires said he was confident it would sell out. He said lots of them flew off the counter over the weekend with the MSU football game.

Representatives from Playboy are holding autograph sessions in every Big Ten city followed by after- parties. Although only two of the models showed up for the autograph session, as many as five were scheduled to attend the after-party at Rick's American Cafe on Wednesday night.

'Go Spartans'

Wisper - who posed in the magazine with fellow student Ryan Lovette - said she felt a little like a celebrity signing autographs. A few times, she signed her name along with "Go MSU" or "Go Spartans."

A senior majoring in hospitality business, Wisper received nothing but accolades from her family and friends.

"They loved the pictures. They said that the girls from State looked the best," she said. "Much better than U of M."

She wasn't the only one taking the intrastate rivalry to the pages of the magazine.

Halley, who said Monica Walker from MSU was his favorite model, said all the girls were better looking than the competition.

"MSU girls are definitely the hottest because U of M has been keeping ugly girls out of State since 1865," he said.

Irish victory no sign of South Bend resurrection

Here's a peek at what ESPN thinks of Notre Dame and MSU this season :

By Pat Forde ESPN.com

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame traditionally produces a new "spirit shirt" every season, and tens of thousands of them can be seen on campus every football Saturday.

This year's version reads, in part: "Notre Dame will rise again."

As resurrections go, this is not exactly a Lazarus production. There is little here to inspire reverence.

The head coach is on crutches. The quarterback threw for 11 second-half yards Saturday. The longest running play of the season is 18 yards. The Fighting Irish have been outgained in both games. The new campus cult hero is a 5-foot-8¾, 175-pound former walk-on.

Yet after rallying past awful San Diego State in the opener and accepting a gift-wrapped 35-17 victory Saturday from self-destructing Michigan, the Irish are 2-0. Don't look now, folks, but they could be on their way to becoming the worst good team in recent college football history.

San Diego State and (to hell with) Michigan were not ranked coming into South Bend. Nine more currently unranked opponents stand between Notre Dame and USC on Nov. 29. If those teams remain outside the polls, it would be a school record for most unranked opponents played in one season.

Against that motley lineup, the highly average Irish conceivably could win enough to return to a big-time bowl game. Where they'd get crushed once again.

Put it this way: This Notre Dame team bears no resemblance to the 1988 national champions who were honored here this weekend.

But after the 3-9 fiasco of 2007, you won't find anyone at Notre Dame soft-selling 2-0. Not after beating a school that humiliated the Irish the past two years.

Shouldn't it be enough that Michigan gave Notre Dame the ball all day Saturday? Now the Irish want respect on a platter, too?

"They wanted to make a statement that Notre Dame is not some garbage school out there that everyone can crap on all the time," said Charlie Weis, who had his first-ever college football injury in the second quarter when Notre Dame linebacker John Ryan was pushed out of bounds on punt coverage, rolled into the back of Weis' legs and blew out the coach's left knee -- torn ACL and MCL, according to Weis.
"Tommy Brady's got nothing on me," he said. "... How do you like that? I feel like an athlete. First time in my life."

Weis sucked it up and coached through the pain and the rain. You can't blame him for not wanting to miss a play of this game, perhaps just to see how Michigan was going to give his team the ball next.

The young Wolverines turned it over six times, their most in a game in 16 years, which is how you outgain an opponent by 128 yards and still lose by 18 points. One of those turnovers was forced by Notre Dame and the other five were giveaways.

"Turnovers will hurt you anytime," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said, "but the ones that are really discouraging are the unforced errors. I mean, it wasn't anybody knocking the ball out or stripping the ball out. It's just dropping the ball."

There was one strip, by excellent Notre Dame safety David Bruton (who originally committed to Ty Willingham). The rest were a succession of gaffes most self-respecting high school teams would avoid.

Especially the first two, which just about sealed Michigan's fate.

Its first possession started with freshman Boubacar Cissoko fumbling the opening kickoff, retrieving it and being tackled at the 9-yard line. It ended with quarterback Steven Threet throwing a backward pass to running back Brandon Minor, who dropped it. The Irish recovered at the 11.

Aided by a pass interference penalty, Notre Dame scored in three plays.

Michigan freshman Michael Shaw fumbled the ensuing kickoff -- straight through the hands, and then between the legs and behind him. That one was recovered on the Michigan 14 by Irish special-teams star Mike Anello, the tiny former walk-on whose bio isn't even in the media guide but whose kick coverage is now the stuff of legend after two bang-up games to start the year.

"I couldn't have dreamed this up," Anello said. "If you told me I'd be playing for Notre Dame, let alone getting on the field and earning a scholarship, I'd have laughed at you."

On Saturday, the laughter you could hear seemed to be coming from Morgantown, W.Va., where there's nothing more enjoyable than seeing the Mountaineers' former coach flail to an error-ridden 1-2 start at Michigan.

"I'm not going to have outside influences affecting the way we're running our program," Rodriguez said, an odd answer to a question about whether he planned to build his players up or tear them down in the wake of this defeat. "We're going to keep doing what we're doing. ... Michigan football will be back. All the naysayers out there -- whatever. I'm disappointed but I'm not discouraged. Michigan football will be back, hopefully sooner rather than later."

When the Wolverines were not dropping the ball or hitting Irish defenders in the chest with passes, they did some decent things offensively. Freshman running back Sam McGuffie is more than just a YouTube phenomenon; he's a legit talent who ran for 131 yards and caught four passes for 47 more yards.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, is still looking for a running game that it can count on. The Irish wheezed to 105 rushing yards against San Diego State and had 113 against the Wolverines. Averaging 3.2 yards per carry is well short of dazzling.

But the one thing the Irish are doing much better this year than last is keeping their quarterback upright. Last season Notre Dame surrendered a school-record 58 sacks. So far this year? Zero.

That left Weis knocking on the wooden podium he stood behind in the postgame news conference. So far, the bewildered blockers of '07 are now a pretty solid unit in '08.

"[The offensive line] is much better in two facets in particular," Weis said. "Much better in pass protection -- although Jimmy [Clausen] did get us out of a couple. He rolled out, and he's learned now, growing up, throwing the ball away, instead of doing something stupid, which we might have done last year.

"And in the running game, you're running against a team that's giving up a yard a carry. This is a stout defensive front four, and they will continue to be a stout defensive front four all year long. But when they knew we were running it, and it turned into a slugfest, it showed that our guys are willing to go toe-to-toe with them."

Notre Dame next will go toe-to-toe with a Michigan State team that shut out Florida Atlantic on Saturday. But before then, the Irish would like some props.

"Sooner or later," cornerback Raeshon McNeil said, "everyone's going to have to start giving us some respect."

Shouldn't it be enough that Michigan gave Notre Dame the ball all day Saturday? Now the Irish want respect on a platter, too?

Respect will have to be earned, and it will take more than Notre Dame showed in this game for that to happen.

Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at ESPN4D@aol.com.

Ringer Earns Second Straight Big Ten Football Player of The Week Accolade Following 282-Yard Performance

From BigTen.org Sept. 15, 2008

With a driving rain limiting the passing offense, Ringer carried the load in a win over Florida Atlantic by racking up career highs with 43 rushing attempts and 282 yards on the ground to earn his second straight Big Ten Player of the Week award. The senior running back averaged 6.6 yards per carry and scored a pair of touchdowns from 21 and 11 yards out to provide nearly all of the offense in the 17-0 victory. His 282-yard performance represents the fourth-best single-game effort in Michigan State history and the most ground yardage since Lorenzo White broke loose for 292 yards against Indiana in 1987. The last Big Ten rusher to crack the 280-mark in a game was Wisconsin’s Anthony Davis, who collected 301 yards against Minnesota on Nov. 23, 2002. Ringer becomes the first Spartan to nab consecutive Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week laurels since quarterback Drew Stanton was honored on Sept. 19 and 26 of 2005. Ringer now boasts three weekly awards, as he was also honored on Oct. 15, 2007.
LAST MSU OFFENSIVE POW: RB Javon Ringer on Sept. 8, 2008

A Great Day in Spartan History

We put my 2-year-old daughter, Summer "Bubbles" Yore to sleep last night at her normal bedtime, about 7:30pm, then enjoyed a night of mediocre TV. Then, at about 11:30, my wife and I heard the baby rustling in her bed upstairs. My wife, Bucko, turned to me and said, "it's your turn, just go rub her back so she can fall back to sleep."

I hauled my carcass out of my chair and went upstairs to check on my littlest one. The next minute was the proudest I've ever had as a dad. She rolled over in her crib emerging from her deep sleep, and whined loudly, "I wan do watch football... I wan do watch football..." - how sweet is that? Go Green.

Spartan Ringer Named Big Ten Player of the Week

Associated Press - 2:05 PM CDT, September 8, 2008

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State running back Javon Ringer has been named one of the Big Ten's offensive players of the week.

Ringer scored a career-high five rushing touchdowns Saturday in a 42-10 win over Eastern Michigan. The senior rushed 34 times for 135 yards. He was last recognized as an offensive player of the week in October 2007.

Minnesota's sophomore quarterback Adam Weber and Penn State's sophomore running back Evan Royster share the offensive honor with Ringer.

Javon Goes Off : UM Barely Wins

After spending a great day in Berkeley last weekend with some Spartan faithful that ended in another frustrating near-win, today's game against Eastern Michigan was a treat. Javon Ringer scored 5 rushing TDs (yes that's five) in a dominant 42-10 victory over a team that won 52-0 last weekend. The Spartans looked strong, collected and smart - both the Defense and Offense showed flashes of greatness. Overshadowed by Ringer's breakout performance, receivers BJ Cunningham and Mark Dell proved to be big play makers that should have the rest of the Big Ten taking note.

On a sadistic note, I watched ND look tepid in their game, and I'm now watching a replay of the UM Miami U game with a smile on my face. That perennial powerhouse of the Mid-American East Conference was trailing UM 10 to 6 with 8 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Let me reiterate that, DickRod's (RichRod's?) new high-power spread offense rang up a simp-ly 16 points against Miami of Ohio in the "Big House". The game could have easily gone either way with a couple of missed catches and blown opportunities by Miami who ran and threw with confidence and surprising ease.

Week three has The Spartans playing Florida Atlantic (1-1) at home plus it will be fun to see which team prevails in the showdown of mediocracy in South Bend betweeen the Golden Domers and Wolverines.

Spartans' renovated football building is 'ridiculous'

MSU creates a recruiter's dream

$15.5M football facility includes museum, latest technology

Joe Rexrode - Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING - Mark Dantonio stood in his new staff meeting room Thursday, tinkering with the remote control for the five flat-screen TVs on the wall, with the door to a massive "recruiting patio" to his right and his plush office and full bathroom with marble counters to his left.

Downstairs, gawking onlookers toured a football museum and the Michigan State University football team's high-tech meeting rooms.

Opulent from start to finish, the $15.5 million, 25,000-square-foot Skandalaris Football Center opened Thursday with a formal dedication.

Dantonio and his staff have been there a month. His initial reaction in July was the same as many who saw the facility for the first time Thursday.

"I was pretty taken aback," Dantonio said. "I've not been in a facility like this, and I've been coaching 30 years."

Dantonio echoed that thought moments later at the dedication ceremony. It took place on the Perles Plaza, named for MSU trustee and former coach George Perles and his wife, Sally.

Perles donated $500,000 toward the $1 million cost of the plaza. The entire project was funded by private donations.

Robert Skandalaris, an MSU alum who along with his wife, Julie, gave the $5 million lead gift for the facility, also spoke at the event, along with MSU officials and Justin Kershaw, one of the team's newly elected captains.

NFL a focal point

"Today is indeed a special day for Michigan State University," said President Lou Anna Simon, who then helped long-time MSU supporter John Demmer of Lansing cut the ribbon on the downstairs museum - The Demmer Family Hall of History.

It features four displays of about 13 feet by 12 feet celebrating the program's history and titled Great Teams, Great Players, Great Moments and Great Future.

Plaques hang on the wall honoring the program's six claimed national titles, with banners above them honoring MSU's four retired jerseys - Don Coleman's No. 78, Bubba Smith's No. 95, George Webster's No. 90 and No. 46 for former President John Hannah.

The NFL is a focal point. Helmets of every NFL team rest on a wall with the names of every former Spartan who has played for each team. Video highlights of MSU's current pros loop on a display television.

A giant mural shows former Spartan Plaxico Burress catching the winning touchdown in last year's Super Bowl for the New York Giants.

All of MSU's former coaches, All-Americans and College Football Hall of Fame members are on display as well.

"It does exactly what we've talked about," Dantonio said. "It connects the past to the present."

And it is geared toward recruiting top players.

"The recruiting that this building will allow us to do - it's already started," Dantonio said at the ceremony, mentioning that MSU has 15 players verbally committed for 2009, in a class ranked in the top 10 nationally by analysts.

Latest technology

The meeting rooms are equipped with technology that aids with game preparation. The center houses one of the largest computer servers on campus.

Coaches can access footage from every practice, MSU game video from the past five seasons, opponents' game video and footage of nearly 1,000 recruits.

Out with the old

The Skandalaris Center is an addition to the Duffy Daugherty Football Building, which was built in 1979.

The building became outdated in the high-spending environment of college athletics, and a massive renovation had been discussed for years.

Skandalaris, a college friend of MSU Senior Associate Athletic Director Greg Ianni, initially got involved with the idea in 2002.

In 2006, his $5 million donation got the ball rolling. Ianni, who is in charge of MSU's athletic facilities, directed the project, which took 14 months to complete.

"It's great to see six years later," Skandalaris said, "that the concept is a reality."

Michigan's #1 Fan

This YouTube video was actually sent to me from a UM fan. Thanks Steve! Hilarious...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYyiTI4MH2E

Michigan State, Duke surprise in football recruiting

By Jeremy Crabtree, Rivals.com

There's another recruiting beast brewing in the Big Ten.

Sure, traditional powers like Ohio State and Michigan are still going to get their share of blue-chip players and end up near the top of the team recruiting rankings come signing day. But the recruiting job Mark Dantonio is doing at Michigan State is impressive.

The Spartans have 14 commitments at this point, rank in the top 10 nationally in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings and have eight four-star pledges. Two of those four-star commitments — running back Edwin Baker of Oak Park, Mich., and quarterback Andrew Maxwell of Midland, Mich. — recently impressed at the Football University Top Gun Camp and the EA Sports Elite 11.

Baker was one of the most complete players at the three-day Top Gun camp. Baker arrived at meetings early and asked coaches several questions, showing he's a real student of the game. He's quick and built like a body-builder. He should be a great every-down back for Michigan State.

Maxwell definitely caught the eye of Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barry Every with his strong week of work at the Elite 11.

"He is someone Michigan State can build a solid team around," Every said. "I think he could be the top quarterback in the Big Ten territory."

Michigan State got more good news Monday when four-star offensive lineman David Barrent revealed he was switching his commitment from Iowa to the Spartans. The top-ranked player in Iowa and the nation's No. 2 pass blocker, Barrent was a huge addition for the Spartans.

"After I committed, about a month or so ago, I started to have some reservations," Barrent said. "Then I opened up to my parents that I was thinking about changing my mind. After lots of talking and thinking, I just decided Michigan State was the better fit for me in the long run.

"I just remember when I went up there on my visit after the Rivals.com Five-Star academy, that I really liked everything about the school. The campus, the engineering school, the coaches, the players were all great.

"I think the recruiting class they have coming in played a little factor. It's a lot more secure to know when you have guys that are really talented on track to go there. But for me it was just having a good feeling about Michigan State and how I would fit in there in the long run."

The change of heart was well-received in East Lansing, but in Iowa the pain of losing an in-state star — and a player that grew up loving the Hawkeyes — was like a punch to the gut.

"Obviously, it stings," Tom Kakert, publisher of HawkeyeReport.com, said. "They're graduating several linemen and it was a focus of a smaller class. When you lose the top-ranked lineman in the state to a Big Ten rival, it's going to hurt. Absolutely, this was a shock to people in Iowa."

Box Art Reviews: ‘NCAA Football 09'

Posted by Tracey John on 7/22/08 at 5:27 pm.
No cover art is safe from our hasty judgment. Really, box art designers… it’s for your own good:

“NCAA Football 09 All-Play” (Wii)

What the Box Tells Us: Forget beefy cover athletes in mid-run with pigskin clutched tightly in hand; it’s time for the mascots to rule. For the Wii version of “NCAA Football 09,” a cartoony Spartan (Michigan State’s Sparty) graces the cover with finger triumphantly pointed upward. Will I get to play as mascots? Either way,this particular sports cover stands out among the rest.
Pros: A nice change from the typical cover athlete.
Cons: At first, I thought it was a Mii.

Love It or Leave It: Love it.

Baker's pledge to Spartans is solid as a rock

Jeremy Crabtree : Recruiting Editor : Rivals.com

PAISLEY, Fla. – Edwin Baker goes by the nickname of "The Rock." It's appropriate, because when he's running with the football, he's definitely like a rolling stone.

The four-star running back from Oak Park, Mich., was one of the most impressive looking players on Saturday at the first session of the FBU Top Gun Showcase Camp at the All-Star Sports Training Complex. Arriving much earlier than most of the other players, Baker could have come out flat after sitting around all day. Instead, the Michigan State commit had a strong evening workout and showed why he's one of the nation's best running backs.

Edwin Baker says he just wants to have fun at the FBU Top Gun showcase camp.

"Coming all the way down here was basically about having fun," Baker said after weighing in at 195 pounds. "I want to do what got me here in the first place. I'm not going to overdo it or try to prove anything to anybody but myself. I just want to go out there and have fun."

And if Sunday and Monday are much like his effort on Saturday, then he'll have plenty of fun.

"Edwin Baker was one of the most impressive looking guys, in my opinion," Rivals.com analyst Barry Every said. "From the eyeball standpoint, there aren't too many backs in the nation that look like him. He's got a great compact frame that's really built for the rigors of college football, plus he's got good speed and shows nice explosion."

Baker said the "Rock" nickname has stuck with him for a number of reasons.

"There goes a lot into it how I got the nickname," he said. "My structure and my body size is built kind of like a rock. I'm really tough, strong and everybody says I'm as strong as a rock. I'm hard to move like a rock, too. I'm also like a rock because I'm solid and steady. I'm not going to crumble or break when the pressure is on."

There will be plenty of pressure placed on him this fall.

As one of the top returning players in Michigan, Baker will be the focal point of defenses trying to stop him and possibly bang him up like he was part of his junior season. He was able to rush for 1,295 yards in only six games last year, but he plans on being steady force this fall for Oak Park.

"The biggest thing I want to accomplish is having more yards than I did last year, since I didn't finish the year out right," he said. "I want to finish the whole season out, stay healthy. We're going to be young, so I have to lead my team. On the field, I'm not the type that will be a yeller. I'm going to take what you're doing wrong and help correct you and make it better."

Baker ended the recruiting process in late February when he committed to Michigan State over scholarship offers from Purdue, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan and others. Spartans fans don't have to worry about him changing his mind.

STAR-STUDDED

Seven of Michigan State's 12 commitments for the class of 2009 are four-star prospects. Here's a look at them:

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown
Edwin Baker RB 5-10 195 Oak Park, MI
Chris Norman LB 6-2 207 Detroit, MI
Larry Caper RB 5-10 215 Battle Creek, MI
Nate Klatt OL 6-4 286 Canal Fulton, OH
Andrew Maxwell QB 6-3 192 Midland, MI
Donald Spencer WR 6-4 197 Ypsilanti, MI
Blake Treadwell OL 6-2 270 East Lansing, MI


"I've had no second doubts at all," he said.

"The biggest reason why I picked Michigan State was because it feels like a big family. When you walk in everybody gives you tremendous respect. Coach Dan Enos, the running back coach, is a great guy.

"Everybody was calling me Rock. He didn't want to come out and call me Rock. He actually asked me, 'Is it OK if I call you Rock?' I felt that was so much respect there."

Baker's pledge was the first piece of what has become one of the nation's best classes early on. Seven of Michigan State's 12 commitments are four-star prospects. Baker is pumped about the Spartans' start.

"They're doing a great job," he said. "I throw my little part into it here and there to help them recruit, but mainly it's the coaches really. I am a little surprised by the success we're having. I didn't think it would be as big of a turnout as it's been so far, at least not this quickly.

"I knew we were going to be great. But I didn't know it was going to be this great. The recruits we're getting, the type of class we have, everything is great for the Spartans."

Michigan State pledge named to Elite 11

Eric Lacy : The Detroit News

Midland native Andrew Maxwell, a Michigan State football pledge for 2009, was named Tuesday by ESPN as one of the Elite 11 quarterbacks in the country.

The Elite 11 is an event providing the nation's top signal callers high-level instruction from various experts in the game. It will be held July 21-24 in Southern California.

Maxwell was notified Sunday of his Elite 11 status and said camp organziers said they were impressed with his quick release and footwork in his high school's pro-style offense.

"It's an opportunity of a lifetime," Maxwell said. "I'll get to measure myself against some of the country's best."

Maxwell takes pride in being one of the only elite level throwers to ever come out of Midland.

"I feel lucky," Maxwell said. "It's a testament to our state, my city, our league and shows the kind of players we are capable of putting out there.

"It's not all about me, there's a ton of great players and I hope this opens some eys and shows there are a lot of players here that are pretty fierce about football."

More than 1,000 high school quarterbacks are evaluated by ESPN RISE's Nike Camp and EA Sports' Elite 11 regional camp to earn the honor, according to an ESPN press release.

During the 2007 season, Maxwell (6-foot-3, 193 pounds) led Midland High with 2,024 yards passing, 18 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 14 games.

Maxwell is ranked a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and ranked No. 11 at his position nationally by the recruiting service.

Midland coach Eric Methner is happy for Maxwell becasue he's "a team first guy" who isn't afraid to give maximum effort.

"I'm just tickled to death that he's being recognized for all the hard work he's put in," Methner said. "He's a workaholic, those 6:30 in the morning workouts with me, him and the other quarterbacks have really paid off."

Notable Elite 11 alumni include the Tennessee Titans' Vince Young, the Arizona Cardinals' Matt Leinart and the Oakland Raiders' JaMarcus Russell.

All quarterbacks selected from the camp will compete against each other and receive teaching from counselors including college players Colt McCoy (Texas), Curtis Painter (Purdue) and Mark Sanchez (Southern California).

Former Spartans player Drew Stanton, now with the Lions, is an Elite 11 alumnus along with Keith Nichol, a current MSU player from Lowell, Mich., who transferred last spring from Oklahoma.

Cal vs. MSU Ticket Info

MSU to open in prime time...

Michigan State's football opener, Aug. 30 at California, will be televised on a regional basis by ABC, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. EDT. The Spartans will play their first game in Berkeley since 1957. It marks the fourth meeting between the Spartans and Golden Bears. Michigan State leads the series 2-1. Cal won the most recent meeting, 46-22, at Spartan Stadium in 2002.

So if you want to go, call 1-800-Go-State to get the lowdown. I was told that Season Ticket Holders and Donors to the Athletic Fund can reserve and pay for tickets at $51 right now while the general public will be able to buy tickets on August 1st.

Does anybody know any season ticket holders that can reserve us west-coasters some tickets?


See : http://msuspartans.cstv.com/marketplace/tickets/tickets-body.html

Bears select MSU TE Kellen Davis, DE Ervin Baldwin

BY SHANNON SHELTON • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 28, 2008

Two Spartans will be teammates again.

On the second day of the NFL draft, the Chicago Bears selected Michigan State tight end Kellen Davis with the 23rd pick of the fifth round (158th overall) and defensive end Ervin Baldwin with the first pick of the seventh round (208th overall).

Davis waited longer than expected to hear his name called. Draft analysts had pegged him as an early second-day pick.

"I was surprised, before I was hearing that I was supposed to be a second- or third-round pick," Davis said in an interview with Chicago writers. "For me, I was up there for a while and it made it a little tense for me, but I ended up going to a good place and somewhere where I can feel that I can learn at the next level."

During those interviews, reporters asked Davis and Bears executives if Davis' involvement in a 2006 altercation after a party caused his stock to drop.

"I think I just explained it to teams by just telling them what happened and where I was at and that it is really just all the way behind me," Davis said. "I got off probation last month and just ready to play football and maturing as a person and hopefully have a great career."

Greg Gabriel, the Bears' director of college scouting, said MSU's previous coaching staff hadn't been high on Davis.

"The old staff that was there had some questions," Gabriel said. "(Bears offensive line coach) Harry (Hiestand) was at a workout and the new line coach at Michigan State just happened to be there and they started talking about this guy and he said, 'I don't know why they didn't like him. This guy is a heck of a football player. He does everything I ask of him.' We got good reviews on him."

The 6-feet-7, 262-pound Davis set career highs for receptions (32), receiving yards (513) and touchdowns (six) in 2007.

Baldwin's name appeared on some boards, but he was not considered as a definite draft selection. The 6-2, 270-pound Baldwin had 18 1/2 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks last season.

U-M not top-25 football team; MSU 'on the cusp,' ahead of Wolverines

FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES • May 2, 2008

SI.com's Stewart Mandel recently released his post-spring Top 25. Neither Michigan or Michigan State was in it, but Mandel had the Spartans closer to breaking into the rankings than the Wolverines. The Big Ten had four teams in his top 25: Ohio State (2), Wisconsin (10), Illinois (19) and Penn State (21). Michigan State joined four other schools as teams that were "on the cusp" of the top 25.

Kiper: MSU’s Devin Thomas top WR in draft, Javon Ringer top ’09 RB

DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES • April 8, 2008

MSU junior wideout Devin Thomas isn’t just ranked higher than in-state college rival Mario Manningham, he has bested all other members of the 2008 wide receiver class heading into this month’s NFL Draft. That’s according to ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, who released his top five rankings for each position as this month’s draft inches closer and closer.

Thomas, who left college a year early to make the jump to the NFL, edged out other early entries DeSean Jackson (Cal) and Malcom Jenkins (Oklahoma) for the top spot in Kiper’s list. Indiana’s James Hardy and Texas’ Limas Sweed rounded out the top 5.

U-M’s Manningham, a first-team All American who also left school a year early for the draft, failed to make it in the top 5 of the same list.

MSU tight end Kellen Davis snuck in at No. 5 in the 2008 tight end class.

Another Spartan may be making similar headlines this time next season. Senior-to-be running back Javon Ringer topped Kiper’s best backs of the ’09 class list. He beat out decorated runners like James Davis (Clemson) and Arian Foster (Tennessee) for top honors.

Four Wolverines made Kiper’s lists: Jake Long was listed as ‘08’s top offensive tackle, while Chad Henne came in as the No. 4 quarterback. Tim Jamison (No. 5 defensive end) and Terrance Taylor (No. 3 defensive tackle) were mentioned in 2009 class listings.