MSU offense slumps in 17-3 loss to Nebraska

(12/30/03)--Well, Michigan State just couldn't put together a complete offensive set against a rigid Nebraska defense all night long, and the Spartans dropped the Alamo Bowl contest, 17-3. Jeff Smoker was hurried all night long, sacked five times and threw three interceptions. He finished 21-of-39 for just 159 yards. The MSU offense managed just 178 total yards for the game -- MSU had just 19 yards rushing on 23 attempts. Nebraska had 229 yards rushing and 162 yards passing for 391 total yards. MSU converted on just 3 of 14 third down attempts.

Amazingly, MSU remained in the game in the fourth quarter. Nebraska completed a 16-play, 7-minute drive with a botched field goal attempt, and MSU drove to the Nebraska 20 with six minutes remaining. However, a poor decision and throw by Jeff Smoker from right-to-left across the field to Alexander was intercepted and drove the nail into the coffin.

MSU's defense played valiantly all game long (Seth Mitchell and Greg Taplin both played extremely well), holding Nebraska with its bend-but-dont-break Big Green defense. The Huskers had plenty of opportunities, but could not convert and MSU kept themselves in the game. However, the Spartans could not convert and had numerous three-and-outs as well as stalled drives as the game wore on. MSU only scored three points -- that's piss poor for its average of 30 per game; the Spartans may not have won, but should have at least made it into the end zone at some point in the game.

Unfortunately, as was discussed before the game even on the Spartan pre-game radio show, MSU would consider this a successful season even if they didn't win the Alamo Bowl. That translates into reality, although it would have been nice to defeat the farmhands from cow country.

Backup QB (and future leader) Drew Stanton suffered a knee injury on the game's first punt that will require surgery. That is a significant loss for the future of the Spartan offense.

Click here for stats

MSU stadium expansion set for January; Jaren Hayes ready to run over Huskers

(12/28/03)--Spartan Stadium is ready to undergo its $62 million expansion and press box/alumni office renovation beginning the first week of January. Watch for photos from the ES throughout the process.

Spartan RB Jaren Hayes, who has been bothered by turftoe and a sore knee this season, is at about 95% and should be ready to sprint through Nebraska on Monday.

MSU and Nebraska appeared in the Alamo Bowl kickoff luncheon on Saturday, with 1,000 in attendance. MSU followed lunch with its first practice in the Alamo Dome.

MSU lands DE recruit; Spartans at 50% of ticket sales

(12/22/03)--Spartan fans... so far, we have sold only 50% of our allotted tickets (10,800) for the Alamo Bowl... a reason why MSU was picked over Minny was because the Gophers don't travel well. Let's pick up the pace. As John L. said: "we are building the future now and need to show that we have a solid fan base!" The AlamoDome seats 65,000: last year's Colorado-Wisconsin matchup hosted 51,000 fans.

The Spartans landed DE Nick Smith (6-6, 255-lbs) of Glen Oak HS in Canton, OH. Smith was rated the #4 defensive lineman in Ohio. He runs a 4.8-40. Insider.com ranks him with 2-stars and as the #81 DL in the nation... Rivals.com ranks him with 3-stars and as the #50 DL in the land. Here's the skinny on Smith: "A three-year varsity starter. Was a defensive lineman as a sophomore. Moved to tight end as a junior and played both positions as a senior. Was named 1st team all-league, all-county and all-district in 2003." Link here for bio.

MSU's recruiting class is now ranked at #19 in the nation by Rivals.com, just ahead of Nebraska at #20.

MSU prepped for Huskers

(12/18/03)--The MSU Spartans have had three full days of practice this week, and will jump a plane for San Antonio on Saturday. Sophomore OT Stefon Wheeler will return and play in the Alamo Bowl; his strained neck may not be at 100%, but he should be well enough to play.

A few Spartan recruits have stood out on the scout team this week. Coach John L. was quoted: "(OL Mike) Gyetvai is going to be a player. Not that the other guys aren't, but we're going to have to rely on him, and that's a pleasant surprise at that offensive front position." Smith also gave kudos to OT Peter Clifford, RB Bobo Brown and WRs Terry Love and Irving Campbell.

Finally, RB Tyrell Dortch will undergo offseason surgery to remove the plate from his leg and return to the team next fall.

MSU still listed as FG dogs to Huskers

(12/16/03)--The Spartans are still listed as a 3-point underdog to Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl. The over/under for the game is at 50 points.... the ES definitely sees more than 50 combined points scored in San Antonio.

On a sad note, fomer Spartan center Brian Ottney, who died Sept. 1 in Long Beach, Calif, apparently committed suicide according to the coroner. This Spartan will be missed!

MSU at #15 in recruiting, adds DE/ LB recruits; John L finishes fifth for NCAA coach of the year

(12/12/03)--John L Smith finished fifth in the ballotting for NCAA football coach of the year; LSU's Nick Saban won it. Imagine where we'd be if Saban were still here.... hmmm...

Rivals.com now lists MSU as having the 15th best recruiting class in the nation for 2004 (link here), behind only Penn State (#6), Michigan (#7), and Ohio State (#9) in the Big Ten. This ranking comes after MSU added two more recruits lately, bringing their total up to 18. LB Dwayne Holmes (6-2, 235-lbs) is the top-billing defensive recruit out of Detroit Henry Ford HS. Rivals.com gives him 4-stars at the "athlete" position, and is ranked #11 in the nation as an "athlete" and as the #5 gridder in the state overall. Insiders.com lists Holmes at #28 linebacker in the nation. Rushed for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior. Was named all-city in 2002. He runs a 4.8-40. Link here for bio. Holmes originally committed to Purdue, and also had offers from Wisconsin, Colorado, and Boston College.

Nii Adjei Oninku, a 6-3, 245-lb defensive end out of Clayton, Ohio has also committed to MSU. Oninku is ranked as the #29 strongside DE in the nation by Rivals.com. He has a 3-star rating and runs the 40 in 4.8 seconds. Insiders.com rates Oninku as the #50 DE in the nation. It states: "Nii-Adjei (pronounced nee-uh-jay) Oninku is a high-skill and high-motor player with great defensive lineman instincts. He is very quick off the ball and creates havoc for opposing linemen. He had 93 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks in 2002." Link here for bio.

Nebraska favored by a FG over Spartans; Two more recruits added

(12/9/03)--Nebraska has been listed as a 3 point favorite by Caesars-Hilton in Vegas over the Spartans for the Alamo Bowl. MSU will begin practice on Dec. 14 and will leave for San Antonio on Dec. 22. MSU is among eight Big Ten bowl teams, and only one is favored - Minnesota by 3 over Oregon in the Sun Bowl. Watch for the ES' Football Pool, due out by 5 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 10. It's free to sign up!

Two more recruits have agreed to don the Green and White in 2004. Eric Andino (6-4, 225-lbs) is a LB out of Arlington Heights, Ill. He runs a 4.8-40, and Rivals.com lists him as a 3-star recruit, ranked #18 in the nation as a stronside DE. Andino also received offers from BC, Bowling Green, Illinois, Indiana, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Toledo, and Kansas. And, as previously reported on the ES site, punter John Goss (pictured above right), out of Scottsdale, AZ. Goss is 6-4, 225. Stats on Goss are sketchy, but he did kick a "booming 61-yard punt" and punted another punt to the one yard line in a Sept. 29 game in a loss to Pima CC. Goss averaged 46 yards on punts and kicked 95% of kickoffs into, or out of the endzone. He hit 4 of 5 on FG's.Link here to Andino bio. Link here to Goss bio.

For what it's worth, through yesterday, Rivals.com had MSU ranked as the #30 recruiting class in the nation for 2004. Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois and Northwestern were the only teams in the Big Ten trailing the Spartans. Iowa #27, Wisconsin #22, Purdue #21, Ohio State #8, Michigan #7, and Penn State #6. LSU is ranked #1.

Spartans get Nebraska in Alamo Bowl

(12/7/03)--Michigan State has accepted a bid to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, TX on Dec. 29. The game will kickoff at 9 pm EST. The Alamobowl seats 65,000. More details on the teams' travel plans as they are made available.

Stay tuned: later this week, the ES will have his official bowling pool with prizes for top three finishes. It's free and you can test your armchair QB skills against the omniscient ES!

By the way, if you didn't hear, USC was ranked #1 in both the final AP and USA Today polls, but got the shaft from the BCS and will play Michigan in the Rose Bowl instead of LSU in the Sugar Bowl. The BCS title will take place between #2 LSU and #3 Oklahoma... the ES smells a split championship this year.

No line has been issued for the Alamo Bowl yet. Oklahoma is an early 6-pt favorite over LSU; USC is a 6.5-pt favorite over Michigan; Kansas State is a 6-pt favorite over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl; and Florida State is a 1-pt favorite over Miami-FL in the Orange Bowl.

Here's some info from MSUAA's Dave Brown:

The Michigan State University Alumni Association is sponsoring the exclusive pre-game Sparty Party. We are also sponsoring the official Bowl Tour and for alumni and friends traveling from Michigan, offering complete packages for folks traveling from the Lansing and Detroit areas. Land Only Packages are also available for folks making their own travel arrangements. For more information:
* Bowl Tour Packages Toll-free
877-373-5067 or www.msualum.com
* Sparty Party Registration Toll-free
877-373-5067  or www.msualum.com
* Student Tour Packages Student Alumni Foundation
(517) 355-6472
* Game Tickets Only Toll-free
(800) GO-STATE

Vote on the Alamo Bowl site.. MSU vs. Nebraska?

(12/5/03)--The Alamo Bowl is allowing visitors to vote on the site for who you'd like to see as the matchup. As was listed on the ES' poll earlier, an MSU-Nebraska showdown seems to be the top vote-getter... Link here to vote.

So far, the results out of 7,844 voting are:

MSU-Nebraska (39.8 %)
Minnesota-Nebraska (33.1 %)
Minnesota-Kansas St (14.5 %)
MSU-Kansas St (9.8 %)
Purdue-Kansas St (2.8 %)

Order your tickets for Texas bowling... today!

(12/5/03)--The MSU Athletics Ticket office is taking applications for tickets to both the Alamo Bowl and the Sun Bowl, even though an official selection has yet to be made. The ticket office will only process your app for the bowl to which MSU will travel. Tickets for the Alamo Bowl are $35.50 - $65.50; tickets for the Sun Bowl are $35 and $45. To order, visit www.msuspartans.com or 1-800-GO-STATE.

Oregon to Sun Bowl; MSU still in running for Alamo Bowl

(12/3/03)--First off, the ES will be rooting for the Big Green Machine to take out the Dukies tonight... can't stand those Blue Meany Bastards from Carolina..

Oregon has officially accepted an invitation from the Sun Bowl. There's been lots of talk on MSU radio and in the press about the Spartans having an equal shot as Minnesota for both the Alamo and Sun Bowl. Officials from both bowls have been quoted as supporting both schools... it will be close. Alamo will get first dibs, and Ron Mason made the case yesterday to Bowl officials. MSU has a strong following and has always been represented by its fans well in bowl games (the Big Green sells plenty of tickets); and, the fact MSU has an opportunity for men's bball to be in San Antonio for the final four also helps... however, Minnesota is higher ranked and has a better overall record. We shall see.

Surprisingly, Boise State has accepted an invitation to play TCU in the Fort Worth bowl... Tulsa will play Ga Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl... UCLA will play Fresno St in the Silicon Valley Bowl...

MSU to Sun Bowl??; Texas Christians select bid to Fort Worth Bowl; Coaching Carousel

(12/2/03)--TCU has turned down an offer to play in the GMAC bowl because it conflicts with exams. However, TCU has accepted a bid to play in the Fort Worth Bowl, while Louisville plays in the GMAC bowl. The Texas Christians originally gave a hypocritical statement that it would forgo the GMAC bowl "due to exams," but was willing to enjoy the waves in Hawaii and play on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, Ohio State remains at 7/8 in the polls and 5th in the BCS. The Buckeys are virtually assured of a BCS bid -- this would ensure MSU's selection in the Sun Bowl... although WKAR's Earl Robinson tells the ES that the Alamo Bowl is making a push for MSU because of the potential mens' hoop team in San Antonio for the Final Four. Oregon (5-3/8-4) would be MSU's opponent in the Sun Bowl (Cal is already at the Insight bowl, WSU is at the Holiday bowl, USC is in the Sugar bowl, and Oregon St is in the Vegas bowl); or, in the Alamo Bowl, the likely opponent would be either Missouri or Texas Tech with both Oklahoma and Texas wrapping up BCS bids, KSU going to the Cotton Bowl as Big12 #2, Nebraska going to the Holiday Bowl as #3 and Oklahoma State to the Houston Bowl as #3. Missouri is 4-4/8-4 and Texas Tech is 4-4/7-5.

Mike Stoops, Oklahoma defensive coordinator, has been named the new coach of Univ. of Arizona. Stoops was a popular choice on the ES site last year for the MSU top job. Packer assistant Sylvester Croon has been offered the job at Mississippi State after the retirement of Jackie Sherill. Q: Will Croon keep Mo Watts as O-coordinator? Ha! The ES doubts it... Nebraska coach Frank Solich was canned after a 9-3 regular season... Cincy coach Rick Minter was canned... Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville decided to remain at Auburn, despite the top brass trying to get him canned before its meeting with Auburn.

For all you gamblers: #1 Oklahoma is favored by 14 over #13 Kansas State in the Big12 Championship; #3 LSU is favored by 2.5 over #5 Georgia in the SEC title game; #14 Miami-Ohio is favored by 7 points over #20 Bowling Green in the MAC title; #2 USC is favored by 21 over Oregon State; #18 Boise State is favored by 11 over Hawaii; Notre Dame is favored by 2.5 at Syracuse, but cannot go bowling this year even if the Golden Dome wins; and, Navy is favored by 22 over Army.

Spartans appear Sun Bowl bound

(11/26/03)--Both WILX-TV sportscaster Tim Staudt and WLNS-TV sportscaster Fred Heumann confirmed that if both Michigan AND Ohio State receive BCS bids, MSU will likely land a spot in the Sun Bowl. The Sun Bowl would likely pair MSU against the Oregon Ducks. With Michigan at #4 and OSU at #5 in the BCS, it is highly unlikely that either would fall to the #9 spot and out of the BCS picture. Wisconsin has formally accepted a bid to the Music City Bowl. The Alamo Bowl desires Minnesota, and if the Alamo does not get the opportunity because of OSU falling out of the BCS, the Sun Bowl would likely pick Minnesota over MSU and thus, MSU would have to settle for the Motor City Bowl. Iowa is a lock for the Outback Bowl and Purdue is a lock for the Capitol One Bowl.

John L. named Big Ten Coach of the Year; Fields only Spartan to make first team

(11/25/03)--John L. Smith was named Big Ten Coach of The Year by the media and coaches on Tuesday. When asked about it, John L stated: "we won the award. Give it to all these other coaches who've worked all these hours all year long. And the players had to make the effort. I'm the least person who deserves it." Freshman punter Brandon Fields was the only Spartan named to the Big Ten first team by the media. The media selected DE Greg Taplin and QB Jeff Smoker to the second team. Coaches selected Fields to the second team along with Smoker, guard Joe Tate, tackle Steve Stewart, and defensive lineman Clifford Dukes.

Spartan notes; Two Big10 teams in BCS; Fields POW; Injury update

(11/25/03)--John L. will be hitting the recruiting circuit soon after Thanksgiving. NCAA rules give football coaches the open "recruiting window" between the T-giving and X-mas holidays beginning on Nov. 31. "We've got to be through Ohio, Chicago, Pennsylvania and everyplace in Florida in two weeks," said coach Smith.

Things look good for the Spartans' bowl chances in Texas at either the Sun Bowl (El Paso) or the Alamo Bowl. Michigan is ranked #4 in the latest BCS, and Ohio State is ranked #5. Don't expect that to change too much, and that means with the Big Ten taking two BCS slots, every other conference squad moves up a tier... that should ensure MSU will go bowling in Texas and not in Nashville or Detroit.

Spartan punter Brandon Fields was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week again following his performance vs. Penn State. Fields booted four kicks with a 52.5 yard average. It's the third time he's won the award this year... pretty good for a freshman, no? Fields is ranked third in the nation with a 46.3 yard average per punt... the ghost of former Spartan All-American Greg Montgomery is in the house.

Junior DT Brandon McKinney is not likely to return for the bowl game. His fractured ankle "is not even 50-50" said coach Smith. However, sophomore LT Stefon Wheeler -- who is nursing a neck injury -- could return. Sophomore RB Jaren Hayes, who has turf toe and a bruised knee, is expected back.

Oh, and it looks like George O'Leary -- yes, the same George O'Leary who faked his resume and was kicked out of the ND job -- will land the head stint at Central Florida. Mike Stoops, who was the people's choice for the MSU job, is in the running for the Illinois job. The Illini have not stated that Ron Turner is out... but the alumni are grumbling.

MSU kicks JoePa's ass, 41-10

(11/21/03)--Paybacks are hell. MSU rebounded from arguably its most embarassing season from a year ago, and its most embarassing game since joining the Big Ten with a 61-7 whipping at Penn State last year, to put a 41-10 licking of its own on JoePa and flip its record 180 degrees to 8-4 overall from a 4-8 record last season. Wow, what a difference a year makes. John L. gets a B+ for the season (he would have received an A- if not for mistakes vs. LaTech and Wisconsin).

MSU looked solid all game and literally kicked the shit out of Joe Paterno's boys. Penn State didn't know what hit them, as MSU moved the ball at will over the Nittany Lions all game long. It was sweet redemption after last week's loss at Wisconsin, and shows that John L. does have what it takes to keep this program on track.

Smoker was brilliant again, as he has been all season, hitting 29-of-50 passes for 357 yards and four TDs. The Spartan defense looked sensational -- especially the unrelenting pass rush from Greg Taplin, who had three sacks and another negated by a penalty. MSU held Penn State to 238 total yards (80 of which were on the last, meaningless drive of the game), and just 55 yards rushing. Meanwhile, MSU piled up 476 yards -- exactly twice that of the Lions -- with 119 yards on the ground. Tyrell Dortch ran for 50 yards on 11 carries including a TD. Drew Stanton ran for 29 yards on a great play call -- a fake punt which helped continue a drive to propel MSU to a 28-3 lead. MSU also blocked a punt while Brandon Fields booted four punts for a 52.5 yard average.

Jeff Smoker finished the regular season with 3,239 yards, 21 TDs, on 281 completions and 449 attempts. All are single season MSU records. Smoker finished his career with 8,776 passing yards -- fifth best in Big Ten history and best in MSU history.

Jaren Hayes did not play as he was nursing a turf toe. Agim Shabaj was held out of the offense for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, but he did return punts. Matt Trannon was also limited for disciplinary reasons and stated "I am not to talk to the press."

MSU finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten along with an 8-4/5-3 record. Also in fourth place are Minnesota at 9-3/5-3 and Iowa at 9-3/5-3. Incidentally, MSU defeated both Iowa and Minnesota. In the bowl picture, however, Iowa is higher ranked (at #17 heading into the weekend) and also travels better than any other Big Ten team. MSU and Iowa will either go to the Sun (#5 seed) or Alamo (#4 seed) bowls, depending upon how the BCS picture stacks up and who the bowls select. Minnesota is a virtual lock for the Music City Bowl (#6 seed). If the Big Ten gets both Ohio State and Michigan (which won the Big Ten with its disastrous victory over OSU) into the BCS, then that moves all the other bowls up a slot. Michigan will go to the Rose Bowl, OSU could land a BCS bowl or go to the Capital One Bowl as the #2 team. Purdue, which tied OSU for second place at 9-3/6-2, will go to the Outback bowl as the #3 team. Wisconsin (7-5/4-4), which lost to Iowa and sits alone in 7th place, will likely face Miami-Ohio in the Motor City Bowl. Incidentally, Northwestern became the 8th bowl eligible team from the Big Ten with its win over Illinois. Northwestern is tied for 7th in the conference with a 6-6/4-4 record.

REVIEWING PRESEASON PREDICTIONS:
Sloth came the closest in predictions gathered before the season, stating MSU would finish 7-5/4-4. The ES and Chock both stated 6-6/4-4. John L. beat the odds of everyone and all the pundits. Congrats, John L! Great season!

Here's the official release from MSU Media Relations (www.msuspartans.com):

Jeff Smoker threw for 357 yards and four touchdowns, leading Michigan State to a 41-10 victory over Penn State on Saturday and ending the worst season in Joe Paterno's 38 years as coach of the Nittany Lions.

Penn State (3-9, 1-7 Big Ten) lost nine games for the first time in school history and is only the fourth losing team in Paterno's career.

Smoker, in his final home game, received a loud ovation before the kickoff and then picked apart the No. 2 pass defense in the nation.

Smoker completed 29-of-50 passes with one interception, and became the first Michigan State quarterback to top 3,000 yards passing in a season.

The Spartans (8-4, 5-3) snapped a three-game losing streak and clinched a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten.

The loss will do nothing to dissuade those who have called for Paterno's departure this season. Some Penn State fans believe it's time for the 76-year-old coach to retire.

That, Paterno again said this week, is out of the question.

The Spartans, who won just four games in 2002, completed their turnaround under new coach John L. Smith, whose spread offense confused the Nittany Lions.

Smoker's fourth scoring pass, a 5-yarder to Jason Randall in the back of the end zone, made it 35-3 with 13 minutes to go.

Michigan State went ahead 28-3 seven minutes earlier on a 17-yard TD pass from Smoker to Jerramy Scott.

Kyle Brown breaks away from Penn State's Chris Harrell (27) and Anwar Phillips for an 80-yard first-quarter touchdown reception Saturday.

The drive that resulted in the Scott TD was kept alive when backup quarterback Drew Stanton ran 29 yards on a fake punt on fourth-and-4 from the Spartans 43.

Penn State quarterback Zack Mills was benched in favor of Michael Robinson at the beginning of the fourth quarter after completing 11-of-24 for 114 yards.

Robinson threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Phillips late in the game.

By halftime, Smoker - a Pennsylvania native and one-time focus of Paterno's recruiting efforts - had 267 yards passing and two TDs.

Smoker's second scoring pass, a 14-yard strike to Eric Knott with three minutes to go in the second quarter, made it 21-3.

Michigan State took a 14-3 lead at 9:39 of the second when Tyrell Dortch scored on a 14-yard run. Dortch raced through a hole on the right side of the Nittany Lion defense on a counter draw on third-and-3.

Smoker's 80-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Brown gave the Spartans a 7-3 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Brown made the catch only 5 yards from scrimmage on a comeback route, eluded cornerback Rich Gardner, ran through the arms of cornerback Anwar Phillips and raced down the sideline for Michigan State's longest play from scrimmage this season.

Spartans nab TE recruit

(11/21/03)--The ES predicts MSU will defeat JoePa, 27-17, on Saturday and punch its ticket to the Alamo bowl. Link here for more!

TE recruit Tom Kaczmarek (6-5, 255-lbs) out of London, Ontario, has verbally committed to MSU. He also plays DE and has been clocked at a 4.8-40 yard dash. As a Canadian recruit, he isn't given any ranking. Check out his bio here. He is the 14th recruit for MSU for 2004.

Injury Update; JLS - "players surrendered"; Big Least raids C-USA for five schools; C-USA raids WAC & MAC; WAC raids SunBelt; Mountain West to rain WAC; yada yada yada

(11/18/03)--Backup OL Gordon Nybielski is questionable to return to the lineup vs. Penn State after spraining his knee at Wisconsin; Sean Poole filled the slot for Nybielski. And, Nybielski was subbing for OL Stefon Wheeler, who suffered a strained neck vs. Ohio State. Wheeler is "50-50" for Penn State, according to head coach John L. Smith. Also, sophomore safety Eric Smith faces surgery on both his knee and shoulder; consider him out for the year.

Coach John L. acknowledged at his weekly press conference that 'several players surrendered" against Wisconsin, and that if three or four players don't give their full effort, it reflects on the whole team. He also accepted the fact that the coaching staff did not adequately prepare the team in case of injuries and miscommunication. That would be addressed this week... we shall see.

On November 3, following a meeting of the Big East representatives in New York, the Big East Confernece announced that Louisville, along with the University of Cincinnati, DePaul University, Marquette University and the University of South Florida were offered invitations to join the Big East. Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida will join the league as all-sports members, while DePaul and Marquette will join as members playing all sports except football.

It's dominoes... Rice, SMU and Tulsa have agreed to leave the WAC to join Conference USA, and Marshall and Central Florida will bolt from the MAC to join C-USA in 2005. The WAC needed eight schools to remain certified by the NCAA, and with these defections was down to seven. So, the WAC added added New Mexico State and Utah State of the Sun Belt conference. And, it still is looking at Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, La-Lafayette and La-Monroe for additional members. There has been speculation that Louisiana Tech would be courted by Conference USA or the Sun Belt. If it were to leave, the WAC would have only Western teams. The newest potential defector is Boise State, which, along with WAC members Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada, is lobbying to join the Mountain West Conference. So, what about the Sun Belt? It may add UTEP from the WAC.

From a competitive standpoint, WAC football shouldn't be hurt too badly by the losses of SMU, Rice and Tulsa. SMU is winless this season, Rice is 1-5 and Tulsa is 3-4 under Kragthorpe after winning one game in 2001 and '02. None of the three defecting teams has appeared in a bowl since Tulsa in 1991.

So, when does the Big Ten expand? The possible options for the Big Ten (in order of likelihood): 1. Notre Dame (which has repeatedly said no but whose football program is reeling from reduced scholarships and lack of conference affiliation), 2. Pittsburgh (which has seen a sharp improvement in football and basketball), 3. West Virginia (great football progam, closer than Penn State, but other sports programs lacking), 4. Louisville (just moved to C-USA), 5. Iowa State (competitive football in Big12, great basketball program... but why leave the Big12?), 6. Cincinnati/Memphis (competitive basketball, but poor football school in C-USA).

The ES says if Notre Dame has another losing season or 8-4/7-5 seasons, it will become painfully obvious that they need to join the Big Ten. ND turned down offers from the ACC and the Big East earlier this year for football affiliation, and it is just a matter of time before they join the Big Ten. It would have no ripple effect because of ND's independent status in football, and the Big East has already reloaded for basketball with the additions of Marquette, Louisville and DePaul. The Big Ten should give a serious look to Pittsburgh -- that would have an effect on the Big East -- but will likely hold out until ND is ready. Another possibility: Pitt joins the Big Ten within the next five years, and AFTER Pitt joins, ND wants in and leads to the Big 13. Don't be suprised... funnier things have happened.

MSU falls out of rankings; favored by 5 1/2 over JoePa

(11/17/03)--No surprise, but MSU has fallen out of the Top 25 after playing its worst game of the season, falling on its face, 56-21, at Wisconsin. With a solid win vs. Penn State and a bowl win, MSU would end up 9-4/5-3, and probably finish the season somewhere between #20 and #25. MSU received 19 points in the AP poll and 22 in the USA Today/ESPN Poll. MSU is a 5.5-pt fave in their season finale vs. Penn State's JoePas on Saturday. Michigan is favored by 6.5 at home over Ohio State. Wisconsin is favored at home by 1.5 over Iowa. Purdue is favored by 24.5 at Indiana and Northwestern is favored by 3.5 at Illinois.

Ticker: Wisky 56, MSU 21

Here's the official writeup from the ticker... if you saw the game, it really is not worth reading:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The only thing Lee Evans loves more than facing Michigan State is seeing the Spartans in man-to-man coverage.

``If you beat your man, then you can have a lot of success,'' Evans said after tying a Big Ten record with five touchdown catches in Wisconsin's 56-21 rout of No. 21 Michigan State on Saturday.

The Spartans never adjusted, doubling Evans only when he lined up in the slot but usually leaving sophomore cornerback Darren Barnett to fend for himself whenever Wisconsin's career receiving leader lined up outside.

``He's the best receiver I've ever faced,'' Barnett said. ``I've never seen anyone want the ball so much. He's so fluid and talented. But we didn't come out ready to play him.''

Which was surprising, considering that Evans had burned the Spartans twice before, with a game-winning touchdown in 2000 and a three-TD, 228-yard performance in 2001.

``Going into the game, we knew what they were going to come out and do,'' Evans said. ``All week we stressed, 'Beat man-to-man.'''


But who knew they'd never adjust? ``We probably should have doubled him more,'' Barnett said.

Evans, who missed all of last season following two knee surgeries, established several school records on a cold, misty afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium, after which both teams were 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten.

His five TD receptions tied the Big Ten mark set in 1993 by Minnesota's Omar Douglas and he caught a career-best 10 passes for a school-record 258 yards.

He teamed with Jim Sorgi on TD plays of 9, 75, 18, 70 and 18 yards. ``It was vintage Lee Evans. He put on a show,'' Badgers coach Barry Alvarez said.

Sorgi, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 380 yards, became the first Wisconsin quarterback to throw for four or more touchdowns in consecutive weeks.

Dwayne Smith, who replaced Booker Stanley (knee) on the first series, ran 21 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns, giving the Badgers a 200-yard receiver and 200-yard runner in the same game for just the second time in school history -- the first time was against Akron on Sept. 6.

Evans' 258 yards receiving topped Al Toon's record of 252 set against Purdue in 1983. His 12 TDs this season and 26 for his career are both school records, too. Tony Simmons held the previous career mark of 23 TDs from 1994-97 and Evans shared the mark for nine TDs in a season with Toon.

The Spartans have always been Evans' favorite team to face.

In 2000, he caught just one pass against them, but it was a 45-yard game-winning touchdown with 29 seconds left.

Against Michigan State the following year, his three TDs tied the school record set by Dave Howard in 1955 and tied by Pat Richter in 1961.

Evans tied that touchdown total in the first half Saturday, scoring on passes of 9, 75 and 18 yards as the Badgers rolled to a 28-7 halftime lead.

After his 75-yard reception made it 21-0, Chad Simon returned the kickoff 59 yards to the Badgers 25, and Jeff Smoker hit Kyle Brown in stride for a 21-yard touchdown with 2:51 left before halftime.

Evans wasn't done, however.

Smith reeled off a 60-yard run to the Spartans' 21, setting up Evans' 18-yard TD catch with 1:39 left in the half that made it 28-7.

In the third quarter, Evans caught a 6-yard pass in the right flat and blew past Barnett for a 70-yard score and a 35-7 lead.

``It was like everything he caught he was going to take to the end zone,'' teammate Brandon Williams said.

Evans' final TD came on a diving, fingertips catch that made it 42-14 with 4:05 left in the third quarter.

``It was his show today,'' Spartans cornerback Ashton Watson said. ``Every time he caught the ball, you had to hold your breath. You didn't know what was going to happen.''

Except that he usually ended up in the end zone.

``We were thinking there was something we could do,'' safety Greg Cooper said. ``But we never found an answer.''

The only one who stopped Evans from having an even bigger day was Alvarez, who called him over to the sideline after his final catch, a 9-yarder that allowed him to surpass Toon's single-game yardage record with 13 1/2 minutes remaining.

Evans watched from the sideline as Smith capped the Badgers' big day with scoring runs of 14 and 26 yards.

The Badgers snapped a three-game losing streak in sending the Spartans to their third straight loss and their worst defeat in John L. Smith's first season as coach.

``We got our tails kicked up between our shoulders today,'' he said. ``Our kids didn't play with abandon. They didn't play with emotion. That's on our shoulders as coaches. We were embarrassed.''

As for Evans' performance, Smith said: ``They just threw it up in the air and our DBs were on an island.''

Stranded, all afternoon.

Eric Smith out for season

(11/15/03)--Sophomore safety Eric Smith injured his knee in practice late this week and is out for the remainder of the season. It's a twisted knee... he could be back for the bowl game. Smith, who was noticeably absent from the OSU game, has been a pleasant surprise for the Spartans thios season. There may be a few more missed assignments in the defensive backfield in today's game vs Wisconsin.

ES predicts MSU to take out the Badgers in OT, 34-31

(11/14/03)--The ES figures MSU will eek out a tough offensive battle in Madison, 34-31 in OT. Link here to Game Day for all the coverage, stats, injury reports, two deeps, and insight...

Ohio DB/S commits; PK to visit for Penn St game; MSU ranked #25 recruiting class

(11/13/03)--On today's Tim Staudt radio show, Staudt mentioned that the nephew of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has committed to Michigan State. Ron Stoops, Jr. (6-3, 190) of Youngstown, OH, is listed as a 3-star recruit and rated the #43 safety in the nation. He has 4.5 speed and was an All-Conference, All-Area and All-State selection as a junior. Other schools who were in the running included Akron, Bowling Green, Indiana, Toledo, Kent State, and Cincinnati. Link here for bio.

Another recruit will be coming for a visit at the Penn State game: John Goss (pictured at right; photo courtesy Insiders.com) a Juco recruit out of the Scottsdale Community College Artichokes in Arizona. According to Staudt, his sources told him "this kid can kick the ball to the moon." Here is what the Insider had to say about John Goss: "A good deal of the chatter after the JCFootball.com combines centers around 'the fastest forties' and the 'highest vertical jumps.' This year there were several kickers who generated buzz, too. Perhaps the one that jumped out most was John Goss of Scottsdale Community College. At 6-4, 225, Goss is cut from a different cloth." Stats on Goss are sketchy, but he did kick a "booming 61-yard punt" and punted another punt to the one yard line in a Sept. 29 game in a loss to Pima CC

As of Nov. 11, Rivals.com lists MSU as having the #25 recruiting class in the nation (link here) -- this does not include this weeks committments. Rivals gives MSU 263 total points and lists "11 total committs, 8 three star committs, 0 four stars, 0 five stars." By comparison, Penn State is listed #3 (18 recruits - 1,117 pts), Michigan #4 (12 - 1,071), Ohio State #7 (13 - 894), Wisconsin #17 (12 - 410), Purdue #18 (14 - 409), Iowa #21 (10 - 330), Illinois #21 (13- 330).

Wisky a 2-pt fave at home over MSU; MSU falls to #21/#22 -- #24 in BCS; Florida RB committs

(11/11/03)--Wisconsin is a 2-point favorite over MSU this Saturday. Michigan is favored by 19 at Northwestern; the Minny at Iowa game is not listed due to questionable status of Gopher QB Khaliq; the Buckeyes are favored at home by 3 over the Boilermakers; and, Penn State is favored by 18 at home over Indiana. MSU has now fallen to #21/#22 in the polls.

At his press conference, John L. Smith stated that he told the players following the Ohio State game that "they were officially out of the race for the Big Ten title." The ES is thinking John L is trying to give the Spartans a dose of reality as well as to keep them focused on the job at hand -- namely Wisconsin on Saturday.

MSU received a verbal committment from Leon Pennington (6-2, 230-lbs) of Hallandale HS out of Florida. He has 895 yards rushing and 11 TDs with a 4.8 yard rushing average. He's also caught five passes for 92 yards and was named Small Schools Offensive Player of the Year by the Miami Herald. He received two stars and is ranked the #83 RB nationally by Insiders.com.

OFFICIAL BCS STANDINGS
(as of Nov. 9, 2003)

Key: PA = Poll Average, CA = Computer Average, Scd = Schedule Strength, L = Losses, QW = Quality Wins, Tot = Total

MSU beats itself with penalties, falls to Ohio State 33-23

(11/11/03)--The Spartans committed 12 penalties against the Buckeyes -- many in crucial situations; that 's no way you're gonna win. MSU played their balls off, and really were able to move the ball up and down the field fairly well, until penalties killed their momentum. Jeff Smoker had another brilliant day, although one INT early in the game was untimely as MSU was driving for a score. Smoker still finished 35-of-55 for 351 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. The special teams again played great, with another kickoff TD from DeAndra Cobb... but, MSU's defense just couldn't get off the field in the third quarter and was worn down by games end.

Here's the ticker report: COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Craig Krenzel was more worried about losing the game than his starting job.

Krenzel threw three touchdown passes and Lydell Ross ran for 125 yards to lead No. 7 Ohio State to a 33-23 victory over No. 14 Michigan State on Saturday.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said on Tuesday that he hoped to get backup Scott McMullen into the game early because of the way McMullen had played last week. It was McMullen's 5-yard pass to Michael Jenkins with 1:35 left that gave the Buckeyes a 21-20 win at Penn State while Krenzel watched from the sidelines with a mild concussion.

``I wasn't motivated by being replaced; I was motivated by offensively we haven't done as well as we should have all year long,'' Krenzel said. ``Coming down the stretch of this season we're going to need to put some points on the board to help our defense.'

Ohio State moved into a tie for the top spot in the conference heading into season-ending games against No. 16 Purdue and No. 8 Michigan.
The Buckeyes (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten) turned the game around on Tyler Everett's second-quarter interception and 66-yard return.

Jeff Smoker passed for 351 yards for the Spartans (7-3, 4-2), but 265 yards came in the opening half. Smoker was 35-of-55 for two touchdowns with two interceptions. The 55 attempts were one more than John Leister's 1980 school mark and Smoker's 35 completions were three more than the MSU mark he shared with Leister.

``They were coming hard,'' Smoker said of Ohio State's front line. ``It's one of the best defenses in the country. It's definitely the best defense we've seen all year.''
Ben Hartsock, Santonio Holmes and Ryan Hamby caught touchdown passes from Krenzel.

``It was a textbook Krenzel performance,'' Hartsock said. ``He was checking at the line, firing the ball in there and he took some risks today. He wasn't worried about losing his starting position. He was only concerned with beating Michigan State.''

Krenzel, 22-2 as a starter, completed 12 of 23 passes for 213 yards with one interception and added 33 yards rushing on 14 attempts. He entered the game with only six TD passes this season, two in the last four games.

``This time of year in the Big Ten, wins are tough to come by,'' Krenzel said. ``I'm just happy we walked away from this game with a win against a great team. We've got two more great football teams coming up.''

The Buckeyes won their 15th consecutive home game before a crowd of 105,194, the second largest ever at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State took the second-half kickoff and needed just eight plays to cover 80 yards, with Krenzel hitting tight end Hamby on a 2-yard play-action pass for a 24-10 lead.

On the kickoff, however, the Spartans' DeAndra Cobb sped up the middle and then cut to the right sideline untouched for a 93-yard touchdown return -- his third TD return of the season. It was the first kickoff return for a score against Ohio State since Michigan State's Larry Jackson also went 93 yards against the Buckeyes in 1984.
``I was just trying to get the momentum changed,'' Cobb said. ``We needed it. That was the only thing that was running through my mind.''

Ohio State's defense all but slammed the door shut the rest of the way, limiting the Spartans to Smoker's 19-yard scoring pass to Aaron Alexander with 3:21 remaining.
Mike Nugent kicked field goals of 44, 24, 42 and 18 for the Buckeyes, the latter three stretching the lead to 33-17 before the Spartans' final score.
Michigan State led 7-3 and was moving downfield early in the second period. On second down at the Ohio State 18, Smoker was pressured, underthrowing the ball down the left sideline. Everett picked off the pass at the 6 and streaked past the Buckeyes bench while teammates and coaches cheered him on and waved towels. He brought the ball back 66 yards to the Michigan State 28.

The momentum had abruptly changed.

``That was big. Was it crucial? It really would have given us a boost,'' Michigan State coach John L. Smith said. ``Anytime you make a mistake, it's vital -- especially against a team like that.''

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel added, ``Turnovers are the key to everything. When there's a 70-yard flop on a turnover like that, that's huge.''

Ohio State picked up one yard on the next two plays but then benefited from an offsides and a dead-ball personal-foul penalty to get a first down at the 11.

Michigan State -- the most penalized team in the Big Ten -- had 12 penalties for 89 yards, many killing drives or extending Ohio State possessions.

Krenzel then tossed a 17-yard strike to Hartsock for a 10-7 lead.
Michigan State punted on its next possession and Ohio State wasted no time in making it 17-7 on Krenzel's 37-yard TD pass to Holmes.

Michigan State had its fewest rushes ever -- 17 for 5 net yards -- against the nation's second stingiest defense against the run.

``We knew coming into the game we had to get after Smoker,'' defensive end Will Smith said. ``Any time we can make a team one-dimensional -- just throwing the ball -- it's in favor of the defense.''

OSU's Krenzel to start vs MSU, share time with McMullin

(11/5/03)--OSU Coach Jim Tressell announced at his press conference yesterday that quarterback Craig Krenzel will start on Saturday vs. MSU. Krenzel suffered a concussion against Penn State, and backup Scott McMullin took his place. However, McMullin excelled behind center (12-of-17, 112 yds, 2 TDs vs. Penn State) and because of his performance, coach Tressell stated McMullin will see plenty of playing time on Saturday. It is believed this is the first time in Tressell's career that he will switch between two quarterbacks during a game.

MSU falls to #20 in BCS

OFFICIAL BCS STANDINGS
(as of Nov. 3, 2003)

Key: PA = Poll Average, CA = Computer Average, Scd = Schedule Strength, L = Losses, QW = Quality Wins, Tot = Total