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.