The Enlightened Spartan

(12/31/04)--The Enlightened Spartan has just unveiled a new weekly podcast radio show. To add it to your ipod via IPodder, just link here and copy the URL into your aggregator. Or, to listen to it via an MP3, link here.

It's a 10 MB, 10 minute program, unregulated by the FCC, looking at MSU football and the athletics program in the past week. To learn more about podcasting, link here.

The full press release about the ES podcasting is available in the next column at right.

(12/27/04)--MSU added #20 to its committment list with a verbal from Allan-Michael Cash of Richmond (VA). Cash stands 6-1, weighs 277-lbs, runs a 4.9-40, and picked the Spartans over UNC and NC State. Rivals.com rates this guy as a two-star recruit; he had 63 tackles, 13 tackles-for-lss, six sacks, and four fumble recoveries last year. He was also first team All-State.

(12/24/04)--Spartan RB coach and lead recruiter Reggie Mitchell has accepted the same job with Ron Zook and Illinois. Mitchell has split town for the Blue and Orange.

Also, MSU did not land that loser of a QB from Jackson, Antonio Bass. That piece of crap headed to play for Meechigan, our arch enemy. Bass, we're gonna kick your ASS!

AP tells BCS to cease-and-desist, take a hike; Aircraft Carrier idea still in the works

(12/22/04)--Now things are really fouled up for the BCS. The Associated Press sent the Bowl Championship Series a cease-and-desist order, telling the BCS to stop using the AP Poll in its rankings. The AP stated that the BCS never requested permission to use the AP Poll in its rankings, and that the system is harming the reputation of the AP.

So, the BCS now will be made up of computer rankings and the coaches poll, with no input from the nations foremost national media source. Why bother with the BCS at this point? It would be better to go back to the old system before there was a BCS and continue to ensure bowl alliances – envision a USC-Michigan matchup in the Rose Bowl as opposed to Michigan-Texas.

With the Associated Press completely out of the BCS picture, you will continue to see split national champions for years to come. The BCS is pointless.

With Division I-AA, Division II and Division III schools already using the playoff system, Division I presidents and coaches should follow the lead and develop something similar. The ES would propose a 4-team playoff (two national semi-final games and a national title) and find a way to get the bowl system involved. Get it done.

Oh, and as reported in the LSJ yesterday, MSU Associate AD Mark Hollis is continuing to pursue the idea of playing a basketball game on an aircraft carrier. The ES first proposed the idea in a column on May 30, 2003, as far as a football game on a carrier (link here for column). MSU originally said that defense department nixed the idea at a port in Florida because of too many complexities. However, the ES says: why not a shipyard in San Diego? or even in the fall in Bremerton, Washington?

(12/17/04)--Now we have 19 recruits out of 28 scholarship offers. JLS received verbal committs today from a pair of offensive lineman, something MSU needs desperately for the long term. Kenny Shane (6-6, 320-lbs) out of Pima (AZ) Community College has committed to MSU; he runs a 5.05-40, and chose the Spartans over South Carolina, Oregon State, and Marshall. The other OL commit comes from Brendon Moss (6-6, 265-lbs) of Fork Union (VA). He has "raw talent" according to the LSJ, but needs some weight for Big Ten play. He chose MSU over Duke, NC State, Purdue, Bowling Green, Miami-OH, and Toledo. Neither of these JUCOs were ranked by Rivals.com.

Spartans add needed depth to secondary with JUCO recruit; Stanton has surgery

(12/16/04)--We're up to 17. That's how many recruits John L Smith has landed for the 2005 class with the addition yesterday of a verbal committment from Demond Williams, a 5-11, 185-lb DB from Pima (AZ) Community College. Williams runs a 4.35-40 yard dash and chose the Spartans ove Arizona, Oregon State, Utah and Marshall. JLS is expected to hand out 28 scholarships for the 2005 fall campaign.

Also, the Lansing State Journal reported today that QB Drew Stanton had a successful surgery on his right shoulder to mend the separation suffered vs. Michigan. He's expected to be 100% by spring ball.

Isn't it funny how Nick Saban is now toying with LSU with offers from the Miami Dolphins? The ES thinks Saban will take this gig at around $5 million a year and tell LSU to take a hike. At 53, Saban will give it a shot either now, or never.

(12/15/04)--With three new top-flight verbal committments yesterday, Spartan head coach John L Smith has to be pretty pleased early on with how his verbal committments for the 2005 recruiting class are taking shape: new committs are black-belt karate stud RB Javon Ringer of Dayton, Ohio (5-10, 205-lbs); 4.35-40 speedy DB Kendell Davis of Alliance, Ohio (6-0, 185); and, safety Aubrey Pleasant of Montrose, MI (5-11, 195).

Ringer is the most interesting recruit here; besides his black belt, Rivals.com rates him a three-star recruit, but the #18 RB in the nation, and the 11th best player overall in Ohio. He runs a 4.44-40 yard dash and chose the Spartans over Southern Cal, Ohio State, Iowa, Florida and Tennessee. Ringer is rehabbing from a knee injury suferred through mid-season, but his martial arts training has proved effective in improving his health ahead of schedule; he should be ready by March/April.

Davis is listed as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. He is the Ohio state track champion in the 100- and 200-meters. He chose MSU over Michigan, Iowa, W. Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. Davis also was injured in mid-season with a shoulder injury but should be 100% by next fall.

Pleasant also receives two-stars by Rivals.com, and is ranked as the 18th player overall in Michigan. He chose the Spartans over Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ball State, Bowling Green and Eastern Michgian. Pleasant played S, LB, CB and RB at Montrose last year.

Finally, as reported by LSJ, MSU is still in the running for stud QB Antonio Bass out of Jackson, MI. While the folks in Ann Arbor seem to have him wrapped up, Bass, Sr., said he is still considering MSU based upon position needs. JLS has told him that they want Bass to don the green and white as a QB; Michigan is recruiting him as a WR or DB. Bass wants to play QB. He is considered a 4-star recruit by Rivals.com and is ranked 5th nationally as an athlete, and 2nd out of Michigan. Jackson HS head coach Jack Fairly is quoted as saying "he is the best athlete I've coached in 20 years." This guy ran for 1,246 yards and 15 TDs last year and passed for another 528 yds. The 6-1, 194-lb phenom is also considering Va Tech, LSU, ND, Florida, JoePa, and Syracuse.

Before the most recent additions, MSU was ranked #30 overall by Rivals.com with 13 recruits. Ohio State is ranked #4 with 14 recruits, Michigan #9 (15 recruits), Iowa #17 (13 recruits), Purdue #22 (16 recruits), Wisconsin #28 (15 recruits), JoePa #35 (9 recruits), Notre Dame #37 (9 recruits), Northwestern #43 (11 recruits), Illinois #47 (9 recruits), Indiana #66 (14 recruits), and Minnesota #70 (6 recruits).

Fields named First Team All-America; ND names Weis as coach

(12/14/04)--Spartan junior punter Brandon Fields was named as a First-Team All-American punter by both the Associated Press and the coaches via the Walter Camp team. Its the first Spartan All-American punter since Greg Montgomery donned the Green and White for our Rose Bowl team in 1987. Interestingly enough, JLS didn't help his cause, stating just last week that backup John Goss (JUCO recruit from AZ) may takeover the job next year in the search for more hang time on punts.

Also, New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator Chuck Weis has been named the new football coach at ND. In a domino effect, Ty Willingham moves over to Washington; and, Walt Harris leaves Pitt for Stanford. Now, will Weis do better than Willingham? Methinks ND screwed itself and the best fit is Willingham and Washington. No way will Weis do better than Willingham.

Hmmm, as Tom Waits says: "ain't nothing gonna help that Chuck E. Weis," or as Rickie Lee Jones says, "is Chuck E in Love?" (by the way, both refer to the same guy, Tom Waits' best friend, the legendary L.A. hipster and Viper Room regular, singer/songwriter Chuck E. Weiss.)

D'Imperio, Williams beat up a second victim - JLS should kick them off the team

(12/11/04)--The LSJ reported today that redshirt freshmen CB Miles Williams and future star stud LB Hugh D'Imperio beat up a second victim and stole his wallet early the same morning, Nov. 20. (for more on the story, link here). Williams remains in jail since Dec. 2, not being able to post a $100,000 bond. The extent of the injuries to the second victim was not reported.

This being the case, it brings no doubt to the ES that these two should be kicked off the team, let alone out of MSU. Beating up some kid and stealing his wallet is uncalled for as a fellow student, let alone a football player on scholarship. JLS has no choice but to get rid of these two bad pills and move on. Pieces of shit have no business being Spartans.

That being said, LSJ beat reporter Todd Schulz is still DEAD WRONG thinking that reporters are somehow more important than the rest of society and privy to inside information. Listen, JLS took care of the matter internally at the time and suspended the kids -- thats his job and he's done it. It's none of the public's business, nor LSJ's business to require the Spartan athletic program to air its dirty laundry while still under investigation. Give me a fucking break, Schulz, that is VERY uppity and gives the press a bad name. You aren't entitled to JACK SHIT, Mr. Media Man.

Spartan Redshirts Arrested, Suspended For Unarmed Robbery - Schultz is Wrong

(12/10/04)--The Lansing State Journal reports today that redshirt freshmen CB Miles Williams and future star stud Hugh D'Imperio were arrested two weeks ago for attempting to beat up an MSU student and take the student's wallet. The student refused to give up the wallet, was grazed by a punch from Williams, and skated to safety in Case Hall. The incident occured at 3 am on Nov. 20 outside Case Hall.

Williams and D'Imperio have been suspended from the team indefinitely, but remain on the team and will be punished by JLS. Both have been charged with "uarmed robbery and assault with itnent to rob while unarmed." After an investigation, D'Imperio was arrested on Nov. 22 and Williams on Dec. 2.

LSJ beat reporter Todd Schulz is calling out Smith as untrustworthy ("he needs to regain our trust," says Schulz) for withholding this information while holding up his team as model citizenry. While I agree that JLS was disingenuous with his comments, the other side of the story is that EVERY major college football program has its idiots every year and has its problems every year. A few bad apples can spoil the bunch, and what we have here, Todd, is a few bad apples on the team. Don't call out the coach for tying to finish the season on a high note by keeping a few bad apples from the press... we had enough problems not needed the press to pile on. JLS took disciplinary measures by suspending the kids from the team already, and they don't need to be tried by the court of public opinion until they arrive in court.

The ES ain't upset at JLS over this; gimme a break. Williams and D'Imperio are stupid, but at least they didn't have a gun, like whats-his-name-All-American-CB-from-Michigan. And, noone got hurt.

Gimme a break, Todd. Better yet, give JLS a break. The ES disagrees with you on this one.

(12/9/04)--At John L Smith's post mortem of the season yesterday, the wiley old coach was still peeved at the refereeing in Hawaii's game, as well as the 5-7 season overall. He called the referee who was out of position and threw a flag 35 yards away from the pay on Cobb's kickoff return "a total idiot," and brutalized the refereeing for the game.

That being said, JLS stated the Spartans need some JUCO help immediately to shore up the porous secondary, as well as some JUCO help on the defensive line to generate a pass rush. "We need some more maturity and talent on that side of the ball."

JLS is excited about the potential on offense, and stated it will be a strength next year. In regards to the reports about talking to backup QB Stephen Reaves, who is considering a transfer as reported in the LSJ, JLS stated: "I've already recruited him once."

JLS stated that the job at MSU was tougher and a bigger task to rebuild the program than he first anticipated.

Welcome to the club, John L! The ES thinks he'll get it done, but the growing pains ain't fun.

(12/5/04)--In the absoloutely WORST officiated game in the history of college football, Michigan State couldn't over come Hawaii QB Tommy Chang's 420 yards passing or stop WR Chad Owens 283 receiving yards and 4 TDs and eventually lost to Hawaii, 41-38. MSU managed to pile up over 600 yards of offense, but managed only 10 second half points (all fourth quarter). MSU led, 28-14, at the half.

MSU finishes the season at a very disappointing 5-7/4-4 - with five of those losses being a TD or less and dominated by the Spartan offense (Rutgers, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Hawaii); it is only the second losing season in John L. Smith's career, and the first since he posted a 4-7 overall record at Idaho in 1995 (read: 10 seasons).

However, the telling story of the game are the countless amount of phantom penalties that halted Spartan scoring drives and directly cost points. MSU committed 16 penalties in the game, arguably half were phantom holding calls on long plays that were called back. (Hawaii had 5 penalties, their first wasn't called against them until the fourth quarter!). A third quarter kick return for a TD by DeAndra Cobb was called back for an illegal block -- replays showed the call sketchy at best. And, a fourth down play in the second quarter by MSU which was a completed pass to Jerramy Scott in the right flat for a first down on the Hawaii 8 yard line was overruled as incomplete; replays showed Scott had not one, but two feet inbounds. But, what was most frustrating was that the referees did NOT call it both ways on clear holding time and time again by the Hawaii offensive line on Kevin Vickerson and the Spartan lineman. It was clearly a biased refereeing to the point where even the ES questions whether or not the referees were paid off.

MSU played well on offense, but couldn't overcome the poor refereeing calls at critical times. Stanton threw for 330 yards and a TD on 22-for-33 throws, The Spartan defense had its WORST outing of the season as well, not being able to put any pressure on Change (holding???) in the second half and absoloutely not stopping wideout Owens, who torched MSU all day with his speedy running.

John L has to be disappointed in a poor defensive effort, but furious at bad refereeing. Oh well, at least the season is over.

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -----
Michigan State...... 14 14 0 10 - 38
Hawai`i............. 0 14 13 14 - 41

MSU UH
FIRST DOWNS................... 26 23
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 49-268 23-120
PASSING YDS (NET)............. 330 416
Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 33-22-0 49-29-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 82-598 72-536
Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............ 3-27 2-18
Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 4-136 2-29
Interception Returns-Yards.... 0-0 0-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............ 4-43.0 4-40.2
Fumbles-Lost.................. 0-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards............... 16-119 5-35
Possession Time............... 33:09 26:51
Third-Down Conversions........ 5 of 12 7 of 14
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 0 of 2 1 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 5-6 4-4
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 0-0 1-5

(12/3/04)----As reported by ESPN.com, Urban Meyer is headed to Florida -- and NOT Notre Dame. The Gators will pay Meyer an annual salary of more than $1 million in addition to what the Irish offered. Link to the story here. Don't be surprised to see Ty Willingham coaching on the West Coast next year at either Washington or back to his previous job at Stanford. So, who will coach the Irish... Ron Zook?

What a disaster for Notre Dame, who thought they had Meyer in the bag. Maybe even Meyer has figured out that there are just more negatives than positives these days at ND... unless you win the national title, head honcho of the Irish is a no win situation. Notre Dame is a GODDAMN HYPOCRITICAL JOKE OF A SCHOOL!

(12/1/04)----MSU received a verbal commitment from highly touted DL Bobby Jones, a JUCO player out of North Dakota State College of Science. Jones (6-5, 280-lbs) runs a 4.71-40 yard dash and was rated a 4-star recruit by Rivals.com. He chose MSU over Kansas State, Wisconsin, Oregon, South Carolina, Cincinnati and Kansas. SpartansInsider.com rates him a 2-star recruit. That's 11 verbal committments so far for the Spartans.

(11/30/04)----The Duke Blue Devils are listed as a home 7-point favorite over the Spartans for tonight's men's basketball tilt at Cameron Indoor Arena. Joe Rexrode of the LSJ predicts an 81-870 Duke win. Go BIG GREEN! Need tickets? Link here

Caesars-Hilton in Las Vegas has listed the Spartans as a 6.5-pt favorite over Hawaii on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11:30 pm EST, and the game will be televised on ESPN2. As mentioned below, Hawaii has a bowl berth on the line...

(11/28/04)--That's right, folks. Our next opponent, Hawaii, defeated Northwestern last night, 49-41. Northwestern, which finished a strong fourth in the Big Ten season at 5-3, now has its season ruined and will stay home for the holidays at 6-6 overall. At 6-5, Hawaii is playing for bowl eligibility against MSU while the 5-6 Spartans are playing for a .500 season.

(11/27/04, Sparta, MI)----The Enlightened Spartan has been contacted to help raise awareness of a new effort to make Sparty huge. Seth Harris (MSU '92) is spearheading the effort to create Sparty as the largest statue in the world, larger than the 125-foot Statue of Liberty. The immense structure would be located on campus and encase the entire area of Demonstration Hall and Field, across from Jenison Field House and
near the current Sparty statue.
His organization, "Make Sparty the Ultimate" (or, M.S.U. for short), is a non-profit organization based in
Sparta, MI, working with the university and alumni association to raise the estimated $10 million in funds to create the behemoth statue.

"We've been approached by a significant donor who would match $5
million if the alumni association matched the rest of the cost," said Harris.

Possible revenue sources include adding $1 - $5 for annual alumni dues, adding $1 to student course fees,
seeking other donors, and asking local alumni associations to help contribute to the cost. Interestingly, the original Sparty is currently being removed due to its deterioation from weather
conditions and blue and gold paint from Michigan Wolverine fans over the years in a "Save Our Sparty" campaign. The old Sparty will be placed in the new stadium expansion, and the old site will be replaced by a new, bronze Sparty -- albeit a replica that is much smaller than Harris' effort. Nearly $500,000 was raised for Save Our Sparty.

"That's just not good enough,' said Harris. "I'm a die-hard Spartan and want to see my pride encased in a
statue so large that the folks can see it from Ann Arbor. If we can't beat them on the field, let's at least beat them with our pride!"

Contribution forms will soon be made available after review of the design and negotiations with MSU officials

(11/24/04)--The media have picked Spartan OT Sean Poole and P Brandon Fields first team All-Big Ten for 2004. The pair were selected to the second team by the coaches. Also garnering all league honors were: OG William Whitticker, named to the second team by the media, and PK Dave Rayner and TE Jason Randall, both named to the second team by the coaches. No Spartan was named to the all- conference defensive squads... that is where championships are won, and where MSU needs to make major strides.

Also of interest, the coaching staff has stated that top recruit Roland Martin has moved over from OT inside to the guard spot, where he is likely to stay for good.

Of interest: MSU is 2-5 in games decided by a touchdown or less during the John L Smith era; this year, the Spartans were 0-3 in those games. Oh, and as Scott Schultz of the LSJ stated on Sunday, "the most important game for MSU is the one after the big win." In its last nine tries, MSU is now 1-8 in games after defeating a Top 10 team. Good teams find ways to win, and the Spartans can use a nice long off-season to learn how to repair the psyche to become one of those teams.

(11/23/04)--As published in MSU Today (link here)--While the current plans for Spartan Stadium expansion continue on its timely schedule, the Board of Trustees recently approved a resolution to add additional features to the expansion.

Under the resolution approved by the board at its meeting on Nov. 21, seating in the stadium's west upper stands will undergo some renovations, including a new waterproof deck coating, repairing and painting of handrails, the replacing of expansion joints, and sand blasting and painting the underside of decks and structural members. " In 1999, the need for restoration of the west upper stands was identified in the Stadium Restoration Plan," said Greg Ianni, associate director of intercollegiate athletics. "We determined the restoration will be accomplished most efficiently in conjunction with the expansion."

In addition, the board-approved resolution calls for the preparation of an additional 4,650 square feet of space in the new stadium addition to house a branch of the university's Office of Career Services and Placement. The new offices, said Director Kelley Bishop, will allow for better service to students." This space will give us proximity to the colleges of Engineering and Communication Arts & Sciences, making it easier for us to work with students from those areas," Bishop said. "It also moves us closer to development and the Alumni Association, two units with whom we work very closely."

Last fall, the board approved a stadium plan that calls for the addition of nearly 3,000 seats, 24 new suites, a new press box, and upgraded public restrooms and concessions.
It also calls for a 200,000-gross-square-foot addition that will house the MSU Alumni Association, University Development, the MSU Foundation and the 4-H Foundation. The new addition will also house "The Spartan" statue.

Construction of the $61 million project began in Nov. 2003, with everything except office space expected to be completed by the 2005 football season. The MSU Alumni Association, University Development and the other units are expected to move in by Jan. 2006.

(11/20/04)--Whats more to say? MSU falls again, very predictably, and blows the season with a shitty performance at JoePa. Stanton played his worst game of the year and threw a Dowdell-like INT on his own 10 yard line; Dowdell came in and threw a Dowdell-like INT on his own 10 yard line, and JoePa did his own magic -- scoring 24 points all in the span of about 5 minutes in the third quarter -- to crush MSU just one week after the Spartans rolled over #4 Wisky. So, our bowl game is in two weeks at Hawaii.

Today was pathetic and it kept the old geeser JoePa one more year from the graveyard. JLS should be ashamed of hisself for becoming yet another shadow in a long strand of Spartan coaching disappointments. Same old Spartans.

(11/15/04)--Spartan senior OL Sean Poole was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Week after dominating All American Wisconsin DE Erasmus James in MSU’s 49-14 thumping of the Badgers on Saturday.

Poole is only the second offensive lineman to ever have received the award (Ohio State’s Korey Stringer is the only other offensive lineman to win Big Ten POW). According to Spartan coaches, he graded out at 98 percent (that means he completed 98 percent of his blocking assignments) and four pancake blocks… and had his best effort of the year. Expect Poole to be drafted highly in the NFL after this dominating performance. Poole, at 6-7, 290-lbs, helped pave the way for 430 yards on the ground against the Big Ten’s best defense.

Also of note, QB Drew Stanton will definitely start on Saturday at Penn State. His performance in the second half vs. Wisconsin was stellar; coaches did not plan on playing him so soon, but Damon Dowdell suffered the same injury as Stanton after his 60-yard run in the first half vs. Wisconsin. Dowdell, however, suffered it on his non-throwing shoulder and will suit up as the #2 field general on Saturday.

The game on Saturday is slated for a noon kickoff and will be televised nationally by ESPN2.

BCS UPDATE
The two at large berths look interesting right now; it is possible, if Auburn or Oklahoma slip up on their championship game, that a national title tilt could be all Pac-10 with a rematch of the fantastic USC-Cal game earlier this year (won by USC). Right now, the BCS looks as follows:
Pac-10: USC
Big Ten: Michigan or Wisconsin
ACC: Miami Florida or Florida State
Big East: Boston College or West Virginia
Big Twelve: Oklahoma
SEC: Auburn
At large (2 of 3): Utah, California, or Texas

(11/15/04)--According to Stardust in Vegas, the Spartans are favored by a measly FG at Penn State; Northwestern is a 13 pt fave at home over Illinois; Purdue is favored by 20 at home over Indy; Iowa is favored by 3 at home over Wisky; and Michigan is a 4.5 pt favorite at Ohio State.

Interestingly, MSU has the #10 ranked rushing attack in the nation, averaging 243.3 yards per game; the Spartan offense is ranked #11 nationally, averaging 458.4 total yards per game. Comparatively, JoePa's defense is giving up 126.1 yards per game on the ground (ranked #35 in the nation), and just 287 yards per game totally (ranked #9 in the country). JoePa is only giving up 15.5 points per game, 11th best in the land; MSU is scoring 30.2 points per game, #34 in the nation. The big problem with Penn State is their offense: JoePa is averaging 312 yards per game total offense, ranked #102 in the nation, and scoring just 15.8 points per game, 112th in the country. Link here for full NCAA stats.

(11/15/04)--Wow. JLS coached the best game of his career and gest straight As across the board for a remarkable effort in crushing the overrated and pathetic #4 Wisconsin Badgers, 49-14. Dowdell ends up a WINNER with a great first half performance (although his 5.5-speed on the 60-yard run left much to be desired), two goal line stands, two 99-yard drives, Stanton blows out Wisky in the second half, MSU runs wild for 430 yards on the nation's best defense, MSU blocks a punt for a TD, opens the second half with a successful onside kick, etc, etc. Wisky never knew what hit them as MSU opened up its can of whoop-ass and poured it all over the stinkin Badgers. Give kudos to the crowd for one of the most raucous environments at Spartan stadium in recent years, easily the wildest since the infamous last second Smoker-Duckett TD over Michigan in 2001.

Here is the official writeup from MSU Media Relations (www.msuspartans.com)... but don't be surprised if MSU runs the table with a healthy Stanton from here on out:

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Wisconsin's dream of an unbeaten season might have ended just before halftime Saturday at Michigan State.
That's when Anthony Davis went airborne toward the goal line on fourth-and-inches, expecting to score the game-tying touchdown against the upstart Spartans.
But two Michigan State players met him head-on to stop him just short -- a pivotal play in a game that wound up a lopsided 49-14 Spartan victory.
``That was a big momentum shift,'' Davis said. ``When something like that happens you really have to pull together as a team and get the momentum back, some how, some way. We didn't do that.''
Michigan State used a powerful rushing attack, a trick play and a key defensive stand to defeat No. 4 Wisconsin and knock the Badgers out of the national championship race.
The Spartans (5-5, 4-3 Big Ten) handed the Badgers their first loss and knocked Wisconsin (9-1, 6-1) into a second-place tie with Iowa in the Big Ten behind Michigan. The win keeps Michigan State's bowl hopes alive.

The Badgers entered the game ranked fifth in the Bowl Championship Series standings, primarily because of a dominating defense that had allowed 9.1 points a game -- lowest in the nation. But Michigan State rolled up 551 yards of total offense, including 430 on the ground.
It sent Michigan State seniors out in style in their final home game at Spartan Stadium.
``What a deal for our seniors, something they'll remember the rest of their lives,'' Michigan State coach John L. Smith said. ``Once we got the snowball rolling and got momentum, it was a good deal.''
Jehuu Caulcrick had 146 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries for the Spartans. Jason Teague had 112 yards and a TD on 17 carries. He also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass on a trick play in the first half, with the ball thrown by wide receiver Aaron Alexander.
Davis led Wisconsin with 128 yards on 21 carries, including a touchdown. But he and the Badgers were cascaded with chants of ``overrated'' early in the third quarter from more than 76,000 fans at Spartan Stadium.
When it was over, Badger quarterback John Stocco looked lost at midfield, as Michigan State players, fans and band members swarmed in clusters around him.
``You're not going to win them all,'' Stocco said. ``You either get worse or you get better. Personally, I feel I took a step back today.''
Stocco completed 20 of 38 passes for 178 yards. But the problem for Wisconsin was more so on defense.
The Badgers had given up a season-high in points by halftime and total yardage by early in the third quarter.
Michigan State grabbed a 28-14 lead on the first drive of the second half, sparked by the recovery of a surprise onside kick. It set up a 54-yard drive capped by Caulcrick's 1-yard touchdown run.
``The onside kick was a huge play,'' Wisconsin receiver Brandon Williams said.
The Spartans had preserved their halftime lead by stopping Wisconsin on four straight plays from inside the 1 late in the second quarter. Davis was stopped short of the goal line on fourth-and-inches by linebacker David Herron Jr. and cornerback Roderick Maples.
The play was reviewed by Big Ten officials, but the play stood as called on the field.
``You would like to score just before the end of the half and go in tied,'' Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said. ``I felt that our guys were in the ball game.''
Michigan State got a first-half touchdown on a blocked punt by Marshall Campbell, recovered by Travis Key in the end zone.
Damon Dowdell played the first half at quarterback for Michigan State. He was replaced by Drew Stanton because of a shoulder injury.
Both were effective running the ball out of Michigan State's spread offense, which kept Wisconsin off balance.
``They didn't do anything specific,'' Alvarez said. ``They didn't do anything we hadn't seen. We didn't play well in any phase of the game.''

(11/11/04)--JLS will have the Spartans ready to play on Saturday vs Wisconsin. But, with Dowdell at the helm, the only way for MSU to win is if he has a mistake-free (no INTs) perfect game. The ES doesn't see it happening. Link here for complete game day preview.

(11/10/04)--JLS should suspend these kids for having too much time on their hands, if not for anything else. According to the State News, MSU wide receivers Terry Love and Irving Campbell were arrested early Tuesday morning and jailed for planting three "MacGyver" style bombs outside a Spartan Village apartment. The first bomb exploded, and a neighbor called police. The cops showed up, and Love was walking away while Campbell was running from the scene like he was on a post route. The second bomb blew up when they were arresting Campbell. No property was damaged and noone was injured, but the two were arraigned on Tuesday afternoon for "possessing a dangerous chemical compound." They were released on $500 bond and will appear before the judge on Dec. 8. The sentence is light -- either a $100 fine or up to 90 days in jail. JLS will not discipline until after the legal process runs its course. Link here for the full article.

(11/9/04)--John L Smith surprisingly announced that Spartan QB Drew Stanton is healing faster than expected and could be available before the end of the season. Stanton has been throwing in practice and his return to the team this year is "90%." While JLS said Stanton was doubtful for the Wisconsin game, he wouldn't entirely rule it out. But, he may be probable for JoePa and Hawaii... that greatly improves MSU's prospects to finish at 6-6 or better if they find a way to beat Wisky. JLS also apologized for his outburst at Saturday's press conference and stated that if he stuck around, it would have been much worse and he would have said things he regretted. Whatever, grow up and get the Spartans focused, JLS!

MSU at JoePa on Nov. 20 will kickoff at noon and be televised nationally on ESPN or ESPN2.

AJ Jimmerson, a 5-10, 195-lb running back from Florissant, Missouri, has verbally committed to play at MSU. Rivals.com rates Jimmerson with 3-stars and lists him as the #27 RB in the country, and the #8 player overall from Missouri. He also considered Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Tulsa. Jimmerson runs a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash. SpartansInsider.com ranks Jimmerson #16 nationally and as a 4-star recruit. The bio on Jimmerson: "One of the top prospects in Missouri in 2004. Started varsity since freshman year. Rushed for over 1,500 yds and recorded over 600 yards receiving as a junior. Scouting Report: An all-purpose back that plays a complete game. Can block effectively and will be one of the nation's best receiving backs. Shows ability to catch both deep and short and possesses game-breaking speed." For more on Jimmerson, link here.

MSU is also in the hunt for Terrance Jamison (6-4, 225-lbs), a 3-star DE out of Harvey, IL. Jamison is ranked the #21 weakside DE in the nation by Rivals.com, and he is also considering Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. That moron of a recruiting service, Tom Lemming, stated that Jamison committed to MSU, but when WKAR's Earle Robinson asked, Jamison stated "I haven't even talked with him." Thanks for nothing, Lemming.

Jimmerson is the Spartans' seventh 3-star recruit to go along with two 2-star recruits; Rivals.com currently ranks MSU's class at #34 nationally. According to Rivals.com, ahead of MSU are: Ohio State is #4 (11 commits), Michigan is #11 (12 commits), Iowa is #14 (11 commits), Purdue is #22 (11 commits), Notre Dame is at #26 (10 commits), Behind MSU in recruiting is: Wisconsin is at #36 (9 commits), Illinois at #43 (9 commits), Northwestern at #55 (5 commits), Indiana at #60 (13 commits), Minnesota #62 (6 commits), JoePa #70 (5 commits).

Other than Stanton, DE Clifford Dukes has been dropped to #2 on the depth chart due to his slow recovering quadriceps injury. RB DeAndra Cobb is probable but suffers from a hip injury (that is why he did not return kicks vs Ohio St) and Eric Smith's hip injury suffered vs Ohio State makes him probable.

(11/8/04)--Wisconsin is listed as a touchdown favorited at MSU this weekend by Stardust in Vegas; Minnesota is favored by 3.5 at home over Iowa; Michigan is favored by 13.5 at home over Northwestern; the JoePa-Indiana game is not listed due to injury to Hoosier QB LoVecchio; similarly, Ohio State-Purdue is also not listed due to Boiler QB Orton's questionable status.

On the Landau & Chase morning show, both guys jumped to the defense of Damon Dowdell, instead putting the blame only on the coaching staff for MSU's last minute implosion against Ohio State. The ES disagrees; Dowdell and the players are just as responsible for the loss (coaching mistakes listed in following column)-- listen, Dowdell had many opportunities to move the team to score more points, and he BLEW IT with poor decision making when it counted. The guy can't get it done when the team needs him most. Dowdell is a loser. Prove me wrong, Dowdell, and beat Wisconsin. But facts are on my side; the rest of the game vs Ohio State, Dowdell did not make a mistake... but his INTs in the first quarter and last quarter cost MSU the game. MSU could not overcome those mistakes. The defense should have stopped Ohio State's game winning pass, but Dowdell should have led the team to more points so it didn't come down to that; and, he still had an opportunity at game's end, but his pass was ill-advised. Sorry, Dowdell is a loser... read more:

(11/7/04)--Damon Dowdell is a LOSER. He has played to the best of his ability, and he has worked hard as a Spartan. He deserved the opportunity to start against Ohio State. He asked and wanted the opportunity to prove something. But, Dowdell played very... well, Dowdell-like in MSU's 32-19 loss to Ohio State... not to the same level as he played at Michigan. Also, coach JLS uncharacteristically cut his post-game press conference short and was seething with anger after watching his team once again blow a lead late in the game. Said JLS: "...coaches deserve the credit for the loss, not the kids. Because I said it was like that! Any other questions, thank you."

Welcome to the reality of Spartan football history, JLS. You may not like it -- but we're used to it and have suffered through this for 35 years! You are adding more salt in our very old, sore wounds. Wake up and grow up, JLS! Also, thanks for taking the blame, but sorry -- the players do need to own up for the loss as well. That's just pure bullshit, JLS, and YOU KNOW IT.

Dowdell cost the game with an INT early in the game, couldn't move the team repeatedly and settled for 4-of-5 FGs instead of TDs, and threw another poor INT late in the game with MSU driving to pull the game out. He just lacks the leadership and intangibles to win. Dowdell is a loser.

Dowdell had a very poor pass intercepted early in the first quarter on the MSU 17-yard line (which led to an OSU touchdown), and with MSU unable to hold its lead and trailing 25-19 with 1:15 remaining late in the game, he couldn't move the ball and threw a poor pass on 2nd down that was intercepted and iced the game for OSU. Dowdell threw for 270 yards and ran for another 30, but when it counted, he couldn't get it done. Dowdell is a loser.

Dowdell is not a play-maker. That is a fact. He is 1-7 as a starter in his career. I don't like calling him a loser, but until he proves the ES wrong on the field, the reality is he can't win. Dowdell is a loser.

It is time to once again start Reaves, as the season is lost. Lets give the young kid some experience. Can't hurt, because with Dowdell you know MSU will lose. Dowdell is a loser.

Much of the blame goes to coach John L Smith for having a poor game plan and for not having his team prepared. MSU sleep walked through the first quarter, giving up 17 points before they knew what hit them. The rolling punt by Rayner was STUPID -- Ohio State knew it was coming and practiced against it all week. And, JLS should know by now that he can't settle for FGs and win (remember the Michigan game). It is time to pull a fake FG or just go for it on 4th downs... we need more points. The ES is disappointed that JLS is not opening up the playbook with gadget plays -- that has cost us games.

Taking nothing away from OSU -- they aren't stupid -- the game was theirs for the taking and they took advantage of MSU gifts. JLS has to get his team and his coaches in gear and act like a champion. He needs to have his team focus for 60 full minutes.

Finally, the ES' favorite player -- Eric Smith -- gave up the winning TD to OSU receiver Ted Ginn with two minutes left. Smith was hurt on the earlier play, and it cost him as he couldn't get in position to make the tackle on the game winning play. That is selfish play for Smith to not have a capable player on the field to get the job done. This is indicative of JLS not making the impression on his team to finish games out. Smith should be suspended for the next game for sacrificing the team for his individual selfishness.

There is no need for the official write up. MSU outgained OSU 407 - 307 in total yards, outpassed OSU 262-138 on Dowdell's 29-46-3 passing, and Teague led MSU with 11-69 rushing. Six different MSU receivers caught four passes each. OSU's Ginn caught the game winning pass, scored on a reverse, and returned a punt for a score to make MSU look silly. OSU led 17-0 after the first quarter, 17-13 at the half, and 17-16 after the third quarter. But, MSU led 19-17 with 2 minutes left and couldn't close the door.

Next up: #4 ranked Wisconsin visits Spartan stadium for a 3:30 tilt next Saturday on ABC Sports. MSU has proven it has the potential to roll over teams, but coaches and Dowdell have tied the team's hands at crunch time. It's pathetic. Don't be surprised to see MSU lose vs. Wisconsin, at Penn State... and pull out a win at Hawaii to limp out 5-7. JLS has NEVER had a losing record in conference, but he is in jeopardy right now.

(11/4/04)--Last week, the ES came close: picking MSU to squeak past Michigan, 27-26. Unfortunately, the Wolvies kicked that extra point to tie the game at 27, where it ended in regulation. Will the ES come as close this week? Watch the Spartans come out angry and blast Ohio State, 31-20 this weekend. Full game day preview with two-deeps, scenario, injury report, weather, position matchups, history, and more: link here.

(11/4/04)--The ES was wrong. After reviewing the website for the State Election Results at www.michigan.gov, the ES came to the conclusion, per below, that Ferguson came in third. However, unfortunately, it looks like we have four more years of this guy. The state didn't update its statewide results until late Wednesday. Ferguson ended up finishing FIRST, with 2,049,353 votes. Foster was second, 1,924,131, Thompson third at 1,906,593, and Pittman fourth with 1,826,601. And, over 8.1 million votes were cast. Bummer -- and sorry for the misreporting, folks. This is a tough week for MSU.

Hotheaded, loudmouth Joel Ferguson did NOT win reelection to the MSU Board of Trustees yesterday. Thankfully, he won't put his mits all over Spartan athletics for the next four years and allow the A.D. (Ron Mason) to do his job. Results were (top two candidates win slots on the trustee): Melanie Foster 25.7%, Randall Pittman 24.3%, Fergy 22.9%, Phil Thompson 21.2%, Others 5.9%. Total Ballots cast: 5,442,862.

The ES says THANKS! to all of you who supported Spartan athletics by voting to REVOKE JOEL

Stanton likely out for season; 3:30 kickoff slated for Wisky; JLS hates Michigan, finally... More game notes

MSU QB Damon Dowdell will likely be the starter for the remainder of the season; he is slated to start against Ohio State. Drew Stanton may be out for the season; trainers and coaching staff are giving him one week to see if he improves; if not, surgery is likely which will end his season; if he doesn't need surgery, he may return for Hawaii or a bowl game. JLS stated he "doesn't have good vibes" about the status of Stanton.

The MSU-Wisconsin game on Nov. 13 is slated for a 3:30 pm kickoff, to be televised on ABC... ESPN commentator Lee Corso predicted an MSU victory over Wisky last week.

There may have been no more single event to finally get JLS to understand the magnitude of the rivalry than the loss to UM on Saturday. The ES has received dozens of e-mails from irate Spartans who are proud of the team, but upset at JLS's lack of comprehension of the importance of the rivalry. At yesterday's news conference, a very down coach stated "this is a very bitter pill for us to swallow... Yeah, the bitter taste and the disdain is growing. The dislike is growing as we speak." FINALLY.

JLS spoke about some of the errors at the end of the game, and though minor they added up to an MSU loss. JLS defended taking the ball instead of taking the wind in the second half. Giving UM the ball would have given it to the Wolvies twice -- once in each half. Although it cost MSU against the wind at the end of regulation (Rayner couldn't kick it far enough), the ES agrees it was the right decision. Another play that harmed MSU was that JLS couldn't get Teague into the game for the 3rd-and-1 in the first OT; instead, the ball was given to Cobb, who lost three yards. The play was meant for the grittier Teague; but JLS took the blame for the inability to substitute. JLS defended Jerramy Scott's angle at the onside kick, but -- as the ES agrees -- "he's gotta catch that ball." JLS stated it was the play of the game. Also, Knott made two crucial errors in the 3rd OT: the pass interference call, and turning out instead of in on 3rd and 8. The ES has to wonder... why was Knott in the game after taking a stupid interference penalty?

(11/1/04)--When was the last time that MSU was favored over Ohio State? Well, this week, the Spartans are 1-pt favorites at home over the Buckeyes. This is where we see if JLS can take the last second loss to Michigan and make OSU pay dearly, or if the team just collapses.

Wisconsin is favored by 6.5 at home over Minnesota; Illinois is favored by 2 at home over Indiana; Penn State is favored by 3.5 at home over Northwestern; and, the Purdue-Iowa game is off the board due to QB Orton's questionable status.

MSU loses Stanton, heartbreaker of a game to those piss-ant Wolverines in 3-OT.

(11/1/04)--After a day of mourning, the ES is back on his feet ready to preach the praises of MSU. Stanton is out for at least 3 weeks with likely a separated shoulder... more from JLS on Stanton is his press conference this afternoon.

The Spartans played valiantly for 54 minutes, but the final six minutes was a recipe of disaster, typical Spartan football. We kicked their ass up and down the field for 85% of the game, but lost it in the final 15%. John L Smith should be comended for an outstanding game plan, but the players and coaching staff just couldn't make it stick as the game wound to a conclusion. Damon Dowdell played his best game as a Spartan and filled in well for Stanton, not committing the "stupid mistake" that has plagued Dowdell's career. Alas, losing Stanton was too much for the Spartan offense to overcome and while Cobb ran his tail off, and the OL blew out Michigan's vaunted defense, the Spartan defense just ran out of gas and couldn't get to Henne when we needed to in the last stanzas of regulation.

Bottom line is that MSU is improving, but John L is being paid to win these games. We aren't paying him $1.6 million to come close. Next year, MSU better whip Michigan's rear or JLS will be on the firing line. The team is improving, but we can be 1-11 so long as we beat Michigan every year. No more slack for JLS. Can we win 3 or 4 of our remaining games with Stanton out (Ohio State, Wisky, Penn St, Hawaii) -- the ES says yes, but Dowdell must continue to play mistake free, the DL must continue to tee off after opposing QBs, the OL must continue to dominate... and the special teams need to be overhauled after another mediocre performance...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Two for the comeback. One for the win.
Braylon Edwards caught two touchdown passes to help Michigan erase a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit in just 5:44 and grabbed a third TD in triple overtime to lift the Wolverines to a 45-37 win over Michigan State on Saturday.
After the Spartans gained just 2 yards on their final possession, the game ended with an incomplete pass to the end zone.
No. 12 Michigan (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten) moved a half-game ahead of idle Wisconsin in the conference and kept its hopes alive for a Bowl Championship Series bid.
The Spartans (4-4, 3-2) had a chance to win at Michigan Stadium for the first time since 1990, but could not hold onto a 27-10 lead with 8:43 left.

Edwards caught 11 passes for 189 yards and three TDs. Freshman Chad Henne was 24-of-35 for 273 yards with four TDs.
Michigan's Michael Hart had 33 carries for 224 yards - his third straight 200-yard game - and a TD, but limped off the field during the first overtime.
The Spartans were without their standout quarterback, Drew Stanton, after he hurt his shoulder late in the first half.
Michigan State's DeAndra Cobb scored on a 72-yard run early in the first quarter and again on 64-yard run to put the Spartans ahead by 17 midway through the fourth quarter. Cobb finished with 205 yards on 22 carries.
Damon Dowdell, who replaced Stanton, was 8-of-13 for 72 yards. Stanton accounted for 80 yards rushing and a TD and 95 yards passing.
The Spartans had a chance to win the game in regulation - after pass interference was called with no time left - but Dave Rayner's 50-yard kick into a stiff wind was short.
After both teams kicked field goals in the first overtime, Michigan State's Jason Teague scored on a 3-yard run and Michigan answered with a 5-yard pass to a leaping Jason Avant in the back corner of the end zone.
Michigan State started strong and had its way against the Wolverines for the most part before collapsing late in regulation.
After Cobb's second TD, Michigan stalled at Michigan State's 7 and had to settle for a field goal.
When Michigan's Brian Thompson recovered an onside kick, a comeback seemed possible.
Two plays later, Henne heaved a pass to the end zone and Edwards snatched it away from Jaren Hayes to pull the Wolverines within a TD. On the second play of Michigan's next drive, Henne lofted a 21-yard pass to the end zone and Edwards outjumped Hayes for it to tie the game at 27 with 2:59 to go.
When the comeback was completed, Michigan won its 12th straight game at home dating to its loss against Iowa on Oct. 4, 2003.
The game was nothing like the previous six in the rivalry at Michigan Stadium.
Michigan won those matchups by an average of more than three touchdowns, including a 49-3 rout two years ago that led to the firing of Spartans coach Bobby Williams and the hiring of John L. Smith.

Spartans add LB commit; Florida Atlantic on future docket; Texas A&M to have largest stadium; Injury update

(10/27/04)--The Spartans added their eighth recruit for the class of 2005 with a verbal commitment from Brandon Long of Canton, Ohio. Long, 6-3, 240-lbs, is a projected LB or TE for the Spartans. He runs a 4.56-40 yard dash. Long picked the Spartans over Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Akron, Bowling Green, and Kent State. Rivals.com rates Long with 3-stars, as the #45 LB in the country, and as the #32 player in Ohio. Link here to his bio.

For those of you who failed to pick up your edition of Phil Steele's preseason magazine, Florida Atlantic University has recently gone D1-A, and their head coach is none other than former Louisville, and former Miami-Fla head honcho Howard Schnellenberger. Well, the FAU Owls have turned in a 5-0 season so far, including a season opening 35-28 win at Hawaii. Anyhow, John L Smith knows Schnellenberger very well, and the two are making plans for having a MSU-FAU home and home series. FAU is in the midst of a new stadium in Boca Raton in 3-5 years (by 2007-2009). The stadium would be a domed stadium, and would be a soccer draw in the south florida region (link here for some info on this new stadium, with some beautiful message board responses...). JLS is interested in getting MSU to play in Florida for recruiting purposes... Anyhow, if this report has any credence 2007 is already filled with WMU, Pitt, ND and Hawaii. 2008 has an opening, with non-conference slate vs. Cal and ND. 2009 only has ND at this point. Look for a 2008 or 2009 trip to FAU.

Texas A&M University officials on Friday detailed long-term expansion plans at Kyle Field that would create more than 30,000 additional seats at the football stadium. Six new decks in the south end zone seating would help boost the stadium’s capacity from 82,000 to 115,000, according to plans presented to the A&M System Board of Regents. But constructing the south end zone and additional seating that wraps around the structure — creating a bowl stadium — likely will not happen for 20 years, regents said. Here's an artist's rendering, courtesy The Bryan-College Station Eagle:

Looks like the Spartans are as healthy as they ever are going to be this season entering the Meeechigan game. WR Agim Shabaj's ankle is near 100%, DE Clifton Ryan is near 100%, and Stefon Wheele's ankle is all set. Clifford Duke's quadricep is as good as it is going to get, and he will see limited time but will suit up this weekend. The ES says... watch for some big plays by Shabaj out of the slot against Michigan.

(10/25/04)--Michigan State is a two-TD underdog to the Wolverines this weekend; specifically, a 12.5-pt underdog. The ES will take those odds and John L Smith any day over Michigan... folks, it'll be a lot closer than that. In other Big Ten matchups: Iowa is favored by 10 at Illinois, Minnesota is favored by 17 at Indiana, Purdue is favored by 10 at Northwestern, there is no line for Penn State and Ohio State.

Stanton & Rayner named Big Ten POW; Spartans bye week assures win over Michigan; BCS rankings & notes

(10/19/04)--MSU v UM is set for 3:30 pm kickoff on October 30, and will be televised on ABC-TV.

Not surprisingly, Drew Stanton was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week following Saturday's massacre of Minnesota. His stats made national headlines -- even topping the charts in the San Francisco Chronicle as "Top Stars" in their Sports section. Stanton accounted for a school-record 410 total yards against Minnesota. He became the first quarterback in Spartan history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game. His 410 total yards broke the single-game mark previously held by Jeff Smoker, who produced 393 total yards vs. Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic. Stanton completed 20-of-31 throws for a career-best 308 yards and three touchdowns. Rayner was named Big Ten Special Teams POW after he scored 15 points against the Golden Gophers, matching his career high. He was perfect on three field-goal attempts - converting from 22, 23 and 37 yards - and six extra-point tries. Rayner moved into second place on MSU's all-time list in field goals (52 made) and scoring (286 career points). Four of his nine kickoffs against Minnesota resulted in touchbacks.

Well, after the Spartans whooped up on Minnesota last week, the one thing we could have hoped for was a bye week heading into the Michigan game. Sure enough, that's what we've got. With MSU on the upswing, and an overrated Michigan squad squeaking out win after win, the ES figures the Spartans are basically assured a win over them ugly Wolvies if JLS can keep the boys' heads on straight. This should be a fun two weeks. Take a look at common opponents, MSU stacks up pretty well:

When you look at Michigan's offense struggling against San Diego State, Miami Ohio and Illinois, you're thinking the Spartans are looking pretty good. The ES agrees with Chock that we should beat up on the Wolvies in Ann Arbor this year.

The new BCS rankings are out, and Oklahoma has been given the shaft at the #2 spot in favor of Miami-Florida. The Sooners are ranked #2 in both major polls, and the overrated Hurricanes get the jump? Huh? Once again, the flaws in the BCS rear their ugly head. But, there's time for teams to work their kinks out with a loss here and a loss there.

The interesting thing is looking at the at-large BCS bids. With current projected bids for conference winners going to USC (Pac Ten), Miami (ACC), Oklahoma (Big 12), Auburn (SEC), Wisconsin (Big Ten), W. Virginia (Big East), two at-large bids remain: Florida State likely the #2 pick from the ACC against either: Utah (Mtn West), Cal (Pac Ten), Tennessee (SEC), or Georgia (SEC). The final two slots remain interesting, with the schedule in favor of Utah and Cal running the table and possibly BOTH meeting if Florida State slips up. Here is the BCS rankings as of Oct. 18:

BCS
1. USC
2. Miami (FL)
3. Oklahoma
4. Auburn
5. Florida State
6. Wisconsin
7. Utah
8. California
9. Tennessee
10. Georgia
11. Texas
12. Purdue
13. Michigan
14. Boise State
15. Virginia
16. Texas A&M
17. Louisville
18. Arizona State
19. LSU
20. West Virginia
21. Oklahoma State
22. Florida
23. Notre Dame
24. UAB
25. Virginia Tech

(10/17/04)--Maybe the ES needs to make more trips out of state and miss Spartan home games... while enjoying the beach at Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, MSU was crushing the Gophers to a 51-17 victory. Kudos to Chock for picking a Spartan victory -- and more importantly, major kudos to John L Smith for getting this team on track offensively. Now, we get two weeks to perfect a game plan against an overrated Michigan team which has struggled all year long.

Chock's view of the game: "our offensive line just dominated them all day long and pushed them over. Our defense played outstanding and stopped their running attack cold."

The Spartans' Drew Stanton passed for 308 yards and ran for 102 more to set a school record with 410 yards of total offense. MSU gained 407 yards in the first half, a school record, while taking a 31-10 lead. MSU finished with 636 yards of total offense to Minnesota's 313.

MSU now sits at a surprising 3-1 in the Big Ten, and 4-3 overall. JLS is working his magic again... with overrated Michigan, a slumping Ohio State, a pathetic JoePa, and at Hawaii -- all look winnable. The only major hurdle looks to be the 7-0/4-0 Wisconsin Badgers... who the ES predicted would with the Big Ten before the season started.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton is facing a hefty dinner tab.
Stanton owes his offensive linemen a meal after setting a school record with 410 yards of total offense in Saturday's 51-17 victory over No. 19 Minnesota.

Stanton credited the big guys up front for the honor. ``That's already planned,'' Stanton said of the upcoming dinner. ``I'll get my piggy bank out, because I've got six hungry guys here.''

The win kept bowl hopes alive for the resurgent Spartans (4-3, 3-1 Big Ten). The Gophers (5-2, 2-2) have lost two straight.

Stanton passed for 308 yards and ran for 102 more. He also had a 4-yard reception. Stanton's yardage tops the previous school record of 393 set by quarterback Jeff Smoker against Fresno State in 2001. Michigan State gained 407 yards in the first half, a school record, while taking a 31-10 lead. The Spartans finished with 636 yards of offense.

``We're putting up a lot of yards, and we've got good balance with the run and the pass,'' said offensive guard William Whitticker.

The offense has clicked since Stanton entered the starting lineup four games ago. Stanton, a sophomore, was slowed early in the season because of a lingering injury to his right knee.

``He has all the confidence in the world, and we have the same in him on the field,'' center Chris Morris said.
The offensive production came despite cold, rainy conditions with temperatures in the low 40s at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans are now 9-3 against ranked teams at home since 1998.

The Spartans rolled up 324 rushing yards. Jehuu Caulcrick had 94 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries for Michigan State. Stanton was 20-of-31 with three touchdowns through the air, including two to tight end Eric Knott. Terry Love also caught a touchdown pass. Stanton threw two interceptions.

Minnesota coach Glen Mason said it was the worst loss he's suffered in his seven-plus years with the Gophers.
``The big question is why?'' Mason said. ``I'm really not sure. I don't have the answers and really didn't see it coming.''

Minnesota couldn't get its vaunted running attack untracked, finishing with 102 yards. Laurence Maroney had 54 yards on 13 carries for the Gophers. Marion Barber III had 36 yards on eight carries. Both Maroney and Barber entered the game among the nation's Top 20 rushers. Minnesota entered the game averaging 301 yards rushing per game, third best in the nation behind only Rice and Texas.
Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito was 11-of-33 for 211 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

``They took it to us, and it kind of turned into an embarrassment,'' Cupito said. Ernest Wheelwright was a bright spot for the Gophers, with three catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

The Spartans jumped on Minnesota early, scoring on their first two possessions to take a