Happy Holidays!

No posts/podcasts until after the New Year (sorry I didn't mention it before), but one quick mention of last night's GLI game for the icers. MSU destroyed Michigan Tech 10-1, while U-M lost to RPI 4-3. This sets up for a very winnable MSU/RPI final tonight at the Joe. Student tickets are $10 at the door, so whip out those old ID's!

Second All-America Honor for Greg Jones

Greg Jones has been named a first-team AP All-American today, a day after he was named an All-American by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Jones was the only Big Ten player named to the AP first-team, which is probably a reflection on the conference's recent bowl struggles. Pat Angerer, linebacker for Iowa, was the only other Big Ten player on the FWAA team with Jones.

Podcast Monday - 12/14

MSU sports rule the 'cast again this week, as I try to focus on the positive movement of the other programs after talking about the trials and tribulations of the football team. The Pistons and Tigers cause me to go about five minutes over, which results in one comprehensive podcast . . . so click it!

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Greg Jones: All-American

I know I'm going crazy with the posts this morning, but Greg Jones was named a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). This is a huge honor, and much deserved for the major bright spot on the defensive side of the ball for MSU this season. Going into the Alamo Bowl, Jones has totaled up an outstanding 140 tackles, and 9 sacks.

Ingram Wins Heisman

Flint's own Mark Ingram, Jr. won the Heisman Trophy last night, becoming the first Alabama Crimson Tide player to win the award. Ingram barely beat out Stanford's Toby Gerhart, in what became the closest 1st-to-2nd finish in Heisman voting history. Ingram, going into this year's National Championship, has 1,542 yards on 6.2 YPC (my favorite stat, and boy is that high!), as well as 18 touchdowns. The ceremony was attended by Ingram's mother and grandparents.

It stinks the Spartans couldn't suck him into East Lansing when we had the chance, but Saban used to be an assistant when Mark Ingram, Sr. played for MSU. Bobby Williams was also said to be instrumental in Ingram's recruitment to Tuscaloosa. On top of his Heisman accolades, Flint Mayor Dayne Walling named yesterday "Mark Ingram, Jr. Day" on behalf of the Flint Southwestern Academy alum.

Series Sweep Against BGSU for Icers

Hockey gets the series sweep this weekend, beating Bowling Green 4-1 Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena. As I mentioned in my hockey update a few days ago, I was hoping to see Corey Tropp put up some points this weekend to get the Spartans back going for the rest of the CCHA season, and he did just that with a hat trick Saturday night. The Falcons aren't exactly a conference giant, but a win is a win no matter how you get it.

MSU Football: Twelve Total Suspended

I noted yesterday that Myles White was number eleven in the suspension total, but he was really number twelve apparently. White was hit with Minor in Possession and Urinating in Public charges, which stemmed from the Small Planet incident, the one all the other suspensions are tied to, on November 22. I know this list has gotten kind of confusing (I know I'm confused), so I'll try to simplify things with this list:

Those kicked off the team from the Nov. 22 Small Planet/Rather Hall incident:

1. Glenn Winston (RB)
2. Roderick Jenrette (S)

Those initially suspended from the Nov. 22 Small Planet/Rather Hall incident:

3. B.J. Cunningham (WR)
4. Mark Dell (WR)
5. Ashton Leggett (RB)
6. Chris L. Rucker (CB)
7. Fred Smith (WR)
8. Brynden Trawick (S)
9. Ishmyl Johnson (DT)
10. Jamiihr Williams (LB)

Those suspended from the Nov. 22 Small Planet/Rather Hall incident following arraignment:

11. Chris D. Rucker (WR)
12. J'Michael Deane (OT)
13. Donald Spencer (WR)

Those suspended for charges only from Small Planet unrelated to the Rather Hall incident:

14. Myles White (WR)

As you see, the total is fourteen, but I'm not counting Winston or Jenrette when I say there are "Twelve Total Suspended" as they've been let go from the roster. You'll also notice that "WR" pops up SIX times total in that list. This means that Blair White, Keyshawn Martin and the tight end corp will be carrying the load for the Spartans in the receiving game against Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl on January 2.

MSU Hockey Update

I haven't really mentioned the icers since before Thanksgiving, so I figured I'd give a brief update. They lost a couple bad ones to WCHA/Big Ten foes Wisconsin and Minnesota, 7-3 and 2-1 respectively. Since those weren't conference games, I didn't really feel the need to comment. However, they bounced back last weekend with a win and an overtime loss against Northern Michigan up in Marquette.

This coming week the Spartans play a home-and-home against a Bowling Green squad that has struggled to say the least so far this season. The Falcons have only two wins so far, both being in-conference. I'm not saying they're a puff team, but it would be nice to see Corey Tropp put a couple past Bowling Green's Nick Eno to get the scoring going. MSU currently sits second in the CCHA, behind the #1 ranked Miami Redhawks, with 23 points and a CCHA record of 7-3-2.

#24 MSU - 66, #8 Xavier- 53

Well, the women continue to confuse us all, as they upset #8 Xavier tonight 66-53 at the Breslin Center. I really can't get a read on this team, and their leaders in Aitch, DeHaan and Jefferson are just as inconsistent as the rest of the roster. MSU was in control most of the game, as the Spartans had a 9 point halftime lead. It was all DeHaan for the Spartans too, as she poured in 22 with 13 boards. Wins over two top 10 teams is great, but it's also weird they lost their Big Ten home opener to an average Indiana squad.

Podcast Monday - 12/7

Takin' over the game this week with MSU Alamo Bowl talk, BCS/Notre Dame complaints, and some basketball discussion to top it all off. Click above, click below, just click somewhere and listen!

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Izzo Angry About Roy Williams' Shot at Roe

Roy Williams took an indirect shot at MSU power forward Delvon Roe in his book "Hard Work: My Life On and Off the Court," and then a more direct one on Tuesday after the UNC/MSU game. In the book, Williams mentions a recruit that was going to be headed to Chapel Hill to play for his Tar Heels, but then "lied" to him by going to MSU instead. On Tuesday, Williams, speaking about Delvon Roe, stated that Roe "said he was coming, let's be honest."

Suffice it to say, Tom Izzo is not happy about Williams' comments relating to Roe, and about how it makes Izzo and the program look.  Roe didn't say anything in response to what Williams has claimed, which has made Izzo "very proud of how he handled it." Izzo was angry enough about the ordeal that he stated that "[t]he other thing I thought was wrong was the insinuation like, almost, that Michigan State did something wrong to get him. So he picked the wrong kid, he picked the wrong family and he picked the wrong program."

#21 MSU - 72, #4 UNC - 66

The men couldn't get it done against the Tar Heels, but the women sure could. Suzy Merchant's team beat UNC 72-66 at the Breslin Center last night in the MSU women's Big Ten/ACC challenge game. Lauren Aitch led the way with 15 points, and Alyssa DeHaan put in 14, all in the second half, to overcome 29 by UNC's leading scorer Italee Lucas. DeHaan was limited in the first half, playing only two minutes, due to foul troubles. The Spartans also won the battle on the boards, out rebounding the Tar Heels 42-39. This was the first time the North Carolina women ever visited the Breslin Center.

This is a nice win for MSU, as it helps you forget the opening loss to Dayton on the road, and the one-point heartbreaker to Notre Dame. These are the games top-10 preseason teams are supposed to win. Maybe Tom should've had the boys come in to watch this one so they could see what winning a marquee out-of-conference game looked like. In a weird scheduling quirk, MSU plays their first Big Ten game, their next being weeks away, on Sunday against Indiana at home.

Lying Led to Suspensions by Dantonio

It was revealed earlier this week that eight more Spartan football players, including starters Mark Dell, B.J. Cunningham, and Chris L. Rucker, were at least present during the Rather Hall fight from November 22. All those involved have been suspended indefinitely, but may not have participated in any violent acts.

MSU Board of Trustees Chairman Joel Ferguson states that the players recently suspended, those that aren't Roderick Jenerette or Glenn Winston, were suspended for lying to Head Coach Mark Dantonio about their whereabouts when the beating occurred. Dantonio has simply stated that there was a "violation of team rules," but has not specifically stated what that violation was. Ferguson has also stated that the claim players were wearing ski was not true.

Either way, I do laud Dantonio for suspending those players for lying, but shouldn't they also be suspended for just standing by while Jenrette and Winston wailed on the victims? Ferguson is going a little too far by stating that "[t]hey told the coach they weren’t there. That’s what they’re suspended for. It’s nothing." It is something, Joel, when players watch their friends beat up someone, don't do anything, and then lie about it. I'm just not sure if keeping them from playing in a bowl game is enough of a punishment.

Any thoughts on this incident? Please comment!

Quick Hits - 12/2

MSU/UNC Debacle - That's how I'll describe this thing. Shot 43% from the field compared to the Tar Heels' 58%, that's not gonna get it done. It was certainly kinda nuts that they appeared to hit every shot, whether there was a hand in the face or not. What's really troubling was the ability for Ed Davis to take over in the post. He was dominating in there, and I'm really afraid that Big Ten 4's and 5's, like JaJuan Johnson of Purdue and Michigan's DeShawn Sims, will do the same during conference play. At least the play of Raymar Morgan has been encouraging so far, as he's got his scoring average back up to double digits, and led scorers on Tuesday with 18.

Notre Dame's Coaching Situation - Hard to figure this thing out. A report from IrishCentral.com this morning stated that Brian Kelly is set to become the Irish's next coach. However, a conflicting, albeit far fetched, report came out this afternoon that said Bob Stoops was the main man for the job. Whoever it is, they'll likely lose Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate, and just won't have the talent to make a quick rebound. The new coach better recruit, and quickly, if they want to avoid the short-term temper wrath of the ND fans.

Podcast Monday - 11/30

Sorry guys, I'm wayyyyyyyyyyy behind so far this week, but the holiday and catching up with stuff today has got me all off whack. 'Cast is live though, and I hit on the Spartans bowl situation, Charlie Weis, the Wings, and the basketball team playing Jekyll and Hyde so far this season.

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Football Players in Rather Hall Fight?

Quickly posting this as I've gotta get to dinner. The State News is reporting that a fight in Rather Hall that took place at 9:30 Sunday night could've involved MSU football players. The mob, apparently 15 to 20 people in size, stormed in to Rather and hit about 7 people, some of whom were females. Hopefully whoever was involved, athlete or not, will be punished accordingly. Mike Valenti on 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit stated today that sources told him swift and severe action was going to be taken by Head Coach Mark Dantonio and the staff. More on this as I find out about it.

Podcast Monday - 11/23

Lots of Spartan talk this week, including a quick verbal explanation of the bowl situation, b-ball, and hockey. Touch on the Pistons losing ways as well, but how can you possibly resist when there's Lions victory talk! Click that post title.

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Last Week/This Week

Last Week = W/40-37 over Purdue

Wow! Great win for the Spartans last Saturday against Purdue. According to all the statistics, especially total yards (524 - Purdue, 362 - MSU), the Boilers should've won that game. However, another great performance in the special teams arena by Keyshawn Martin, and some really clutch kicking from, in my mind the best kicker in the country, Brett Swenson, allowed the Spartans to get it done. One of my favorite points from the broadcast was the ESPN crew really pumping up Carson Wiggs' ability to hit from over 60 yards pre-game, and then missing a 49 yarder before the half. Then Swenson came out and nailed two 52 yarders in the third quarter to really put his mark on the game.

Holding Bolden to under 80 yards on 20 carries was huge as far as I'm concerned. However, I would've thought that'd result in some sloppy play by Joey Elliott, which it didn't, as he was brilliant. Going for 373 yards off 39/55 passing is phenomenal, and a QB with those stats doesn't usually lose games. Luckily, again, it was the special teams that stepped up, especially with the blocked FG late, to give MSU the upper hand.

This Week = vs. Penn State, @ 3:30pm – ABC

Two things I was surprised about regarding this game off the bat: 1) It was at 3:30, 2) Not only is it on ABC, it's basically being broadcast nationwide. The other game on at that time is Virginia @ Clemson, and that broadcast isn't even covering all of ACC country. I believe Ohio State @ Michigan is covering the entire country on ABC at Noon, but it's really strange to me that we seemingly get the more prime, late afternoon slot, and are going to have such a large viewing area.

With that in mind, the Spartans may have more TV viewers this week than any other game this season, and they need to step it up for the bowl committees. Last week's gutsy (I love using that word for the PU game) win over the Boilers gave us the needed win, but another W this week could possibly bring the Alamo Bowl to the forefront. I digress though, and I'll get back on the topic of this week's game by saying that the running games between these two teams are drastically different. Evan Royster is averaging 5.7 YPC on the season, and even backup RB Stephfon Green is averaging 4.7, more YPC than either Larry Caper or Edwin Baker. I know I tend to focus on yards per carry as a stat way to often, but I think it's important in terms of making it difficult for an opposing defense to gameplan.

The Nittany Lions didn't play well against the other two Big Ten heavyweights, Ohio State and Iowa, and Daryll Clark threw one and three interceptions in those games respectively. Keeping Clark on his toes with pressure from the front four of MSU is vital, and should happen at least a handful of times as linemen such as Colin Neely have stepped up in recent weeks. The Spartans also hold an advantage in special teams, where Penn State is one of the worst teams in the nation in punt return (107th) and kick return (113th) averages. Kicker Collin Wagner is also only 1/4 from beyond 40 yards so far this season.

MSU Hockey Gets the Sweep

In what was a huge night for the Spartan hockey team already this season, the hockey team swept U-M, and claimed first place in the CCHA. Merrifield and Rowe got the goals for MSU, and Corey Tropp and Steve Kampfer appeared to put last year's fiasco at Yost Ice Arena behind them last night with a post-game handshake and chest taps.

Last Week/This Week

Last Week = W/49-14 over Western Michigan

WHOOOOOOOOOOOO! Celebrate good times!

Well, not quite. Even though the Spartans actually looked somewhat impressive, especially Captain Kirk and his 353 yards through the air, this was, as I mentioned last week, a Bronco team that was practically running on empty. They had just lost to Kent State the week before, and Tim Hiller’s stats this season, particularly in their loss to Central Michigan, make it clear that team has zero running game. Against the Chips, Hiller fired for 410 yards off 66 attempts! West actually ran for 96 yards with a 4.6 YPC average, but that still puts a crazy load on your QB.

Ashton Leggett (right) was the big story that everyone liked to talk about for the Spartans this weekend, as he went for 110, including a 71 yard TD run early in the game, as the team’s primary runner. Leggett got the playing time coming off the news of Caulton Ray and Andre Anderson’s dismissals from the team for “unspecified reasons.” It’s great that MSU has a lot of depth at the running back position, but it makes it difficult when it’s clear that the freshman, especially Edwin Baker, may be talented, but aren’t quite ready for the spotlight. Baker had a solid 5.2 YPC average against Western, but runs of 37 and 39 yards helped his average drastically in games against Iowa and Western Michigan respectively.

This Week = at Purdue, @ 12pm – ESPN

Can the Spartans go bowling? This week will probably be the key. Bruce Feldman’s bowl projections for ESPN have MSU heading to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl, a game that is affiliating itself for one of the last times with the Big Ten. But, I digress, especially since the Spartans actually have to win to be eligible. MSU’s 5-5 right now, needing 6 wins to become eligible. Even though the Penn State game is at home, and they didn’t look all that great last week against the Buckeyes, most would still agree that the Purdue game is the more winnable of the two.

The key to beating the Boilers is stopping Ralph Bolden. Joey Elliott went buck wild against Michigan last week for 367 yards, but that’s because Bolden opened him up, going for 98 on 16 carries. Against Wisconsin, where Elliott threw for only 5 completions, 59 yards and a pick, Bolden ran for only 37 yards on 10 carries. That’s a 2.4 YPC difference folks, and 3.7 YPC isn’t going to open up the passing lanes quite like 6.1 will. Greg Jones and Co. will have to be on their game to make sure they keep Bolden between the tackles and don’t let him outside, where he can be dangerous for the big gain.