Tag: msu

MSU vs. Michigan: Three Things To Watch

Michigan State faces off against interstate rival the Michigan Wolverines this weekend. Here are three things to watch in this game.

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The most intense week in the Michigan State football season is here. The Spartan Dawgs face off against interstate rival, the Michigan Wolverines at the Big House on Saturday, Nov. 16. Michigan is playing its best football so far and Michigan State is at an all-time low in the Mark Dantonio era.

Here are three things to watch in this game:

Gridiron Warfare

This game is going to be gritty and grimy. Both teams absolutely loathe one another. Mark Dantonio referred to Jim Harbaugh as “intense” earlier this week. Michigan DB Ambry Thomas said this game decides who is the big brother and who is the little sister. Personally, I’m not a fan of his rhetoric, but, it points to the intensity of this rivalry game.

Both the players and fans are heavily invested in this game’s outcome. Both teams are going to lay it all on the line. What else does MSU have to play for this year? The Michigan rivalry game is the last chance for the Spartans to salvage any positive sentiments for this season. On the other hand, the Wolverines want to make a statement against Michigan State.

The QB Battle

Shea Patterson and Brian Lewerke are the Spiderman meme in which two Spidermen point at one another. They are one in the same. Both are athletic QB’s that put their heads down and run while also having a pretty strong throwing arm. Note, both QB’s suffer from the same issue: inaccuracy.

Through nine games, Lewerke has thrown for 2,102 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 55.7 completion percentage. On the other hand, Patterson has thrown for 1,773 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 57.2 completion percentage. What’s the difference? Lewerke has thrown three more interceptions than Patterson. The QB matchup is pretty even. Whoever plays better will lead their team to victory.

Michigan State’s Receiver Core

Mark Dantonio recently revealed that TE Matt Dotson is out for the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles. Michigan State is still without WR Darrell Stewart as well. These are two huge holes in their receiver core. So far, Stewart has tallied up 694 yards on only 47 receptions along with four touchdowns to boot. He has been a quintessential part of the Spartan’s offense.

Note, Michigan State sees the return of sophomore WR CJ Hayes. Hayes is back after an injury kept him out for a few weeks. Luckily, I think Hayes can easily replace Stewart. All the while, Cody White has stepped up big time in the past few games. Look for both White & Hayes to have a big game if MSU has a chance to win.

Tune in at 12 P.M. this Saturday on Fox to catch this game. Cheer on the Spartans, they certainly need it.

Stay locked on SpartansWire for more coverage to come.

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Michigan State Basketball’s Joey Hauser to meet with NCAA to discuss appeal after Nov. 18

In the next step of his appeal process, Michigan State Power Forward Joey Hauser will meet with the NCAA after November 18.

This week in, ‘NCAA Transfer Portal Drama: Will Joey Hauser play this year?’, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo told the media after practice that transfer Joey Hauser from Marquette will be meeting with NCAA representatives to discuss his appeal process to play this season after November 18th.

This continues a saga that has become something of a joke and has led Izzo to speak out against the transfer portal rules. It’s remarkably unclear on what the NCAA will approve and what their process is.

One thing is for sure though: this basketball team would be insane with Hauser in the starting lineup. If Langford is able to come back before March, the power forward position is really the only real question mark in the starting lineup. Bingham, Brown, Marble, and Hall have all shown good things shuffling in on the wing and in the forward position but Hauser would bring this team to a whole other level.

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Michigan State HC Mark Dantonio says Brian Lewerke did not have concussion against Illinois

In his press conference on Tuesday, Mark Dantonio said that his staff agreed that Brian Lewerke did not get concussed on Saturday.

In his press conference Tuesday, Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio said that Brian Lewerke, while not assessed fully during Saturday’s loss to Illinois, did not suffer a concussion after a helmet to helmet hit he endured. Some fans wondered if he did suffer an injury as he threw a bad pick-six on the following play.

“No, we didn’t go through any protocol. We looked at him very quickly,” Dantonio said Tuesday. “Just I asked him and he said he’s good, and he motioned that to our trainers as well, so he just went on with it.”

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“The safety of student-athletes at Michigan State University is our No. 1 priority. Decisions on whether a player returns to competition after potentially suffering an injury are made by our medical staff, which does not report to our coaching staff or through the Athletics Department,” Anthony Avellino, assistant provost for student wellness, health and safety said in a statement released today.

“Upon returning to the sideline late in the fourth quarter with under five minutes remaining in the game, Brian Lewerke was given a symptom assessment by our medical staff. After not showing signs of a concussion, he was cleared to play. As a precautionary measure, Brian was given further testing the following day, and was once again determined not to have a concussion.”

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Michigan State vs. Michigan: Five most important Spartan players

Michigan State and Michigan face off yet again this weekend. Here are the five most important Spartan players in this interstate game.

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Michigan week is here. The Spartans travel to Michigan Stadium this Saturday (Noon, FOX) to play against the No. 14 Wolverines. As always, there is so much riding on this game. Most importantly, Michigan State football fans’ pride. Michigan comes into this game on a hot streak. The Spartans need to execute perfectly to win.

Here are the five most important players for MSU in this game:

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Michigan State lands 2020 3-Star WR Montorie Foster Jr.

MSU has landed a unique wide receiver prospect for their 2020 recruiting class.

We reported last week that Michigan State had offered a scholarship to 3-star wideout Montorie Foster Jr. Well, he was in town this weekend, and despite taking in a pretty terrible loss by the Spartans to Illinois he still committed play football in East Lansing in 2020.

Foster is a very intriguing, unique prospect in that he stopped playing football in middle school, but decided to return to the sport just before this season and has already become a 3-star in that short period of time.

Michigan State may be getting a steal here who slipped by other teams due to his lack of experience. If the Spartans can get him polished up he could be a huge weapon for Noah Kim down the road.

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Twitter reacts to the tragic passing of Michigan State legend Charles Rogers

It has been an unbelievably difficult couple of days for the family that is Michigan State athletics. First, news broke that Cassius Winston lost his brother Zachary on Saturday. This morning, we lost another member of the Spartan family as MSU …

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It has been an unbelievably difficult couple of days for the family that is Michigan State athletics. First, news broke that Cassius Winston lost his brother Zachary on Saturday. This morning, we lost another member of the Spartan family as MSU legend Charles Rogers passed away at the age of 38. Rogers’ friends, fans, alumni, teammates, and more all took to Twitter to remember the former wide receiver for MSU and the Detroit Lions.

RIP Chuck.

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Michigan State Football opens week as 14.5-point underdogs to Michigan

MSU will be a notable underdog to Michigan in their match-up on the road this weekend.

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This is not where we wanted to be at this point in the season. Michigan State continues its worst-case nightmare scenario football with a big matchup on the road against a Michigan team that is currently a huge favorite over the Spartans at 14.5-points. Not much of a surprise, Michigan State will be on the road against a seemingly much better team and will thus be big-time underdogs in this one.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated 11/11/2019 at 10:30 p.m. ET. 

I’m going into this one with an open mind and if Michigan State can pull it off it’ll make the season much more bearable for me but I’m not exactly getting my hopes up here.

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“Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.”

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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MSU vs. Michigan: Scouting Report

Michigan State football travels to The Big House to face off against interstate rival, the Michigan Wolverines. Here is a scouting report.

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Michigan State football travels to Michigan Stadium or “The Big House” this weekend to take on their interstate rival, the Michigan Wolverines. This is the biggest game of both team’s seasons thus far. Michigan aims to add another win to their season and Michigan State aims to add some sort of satisfaction to their season.

Here is a scouting report of the Michigan Wolverines:

Shea Patterson

Michigan QB Shea Patterson is quite the enigma. Many wrote him off due to a poor start to the season. Now, some are skeptical even though Michigan boasts a winning record. Note, the numbers are rather favorable for Patterson. He is actually quite similar to a QB that you know all too well.

Through nine games, Patterson has tallied up 1,773 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. For comparison, MSU QB Brian Lewerke has put up 2,012 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Interestingly enough, Lewerke does indeed boast a higher QBR rating than Patterson. In my opinion, the QB matchup is dead even.

RB & WR Options

Michigan primarily relies on freshman Zach Charbonnet and sophomore Hassan Haskins. Through nine games, Charbonnet boasts 117 carries for 559 yards and 11 touchdowns. On the other hand, Haskins has rushed for 426 yards and two touchdowns on just 72 carries.

There are a few other RB options that eat on this team, but, Charbonnet and Haskins stand tall above all. Michigan may not always be able to rely on their passing game. Their running game is always a viable option though. So Michigan State must prepare themselves for a battle in the trenches.

Five different Michigan players have 20 receptions or more on the year. This includes WR’s Ronnie Bell, Nico Collins, Tarik Black, and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Nick Eubanks is the lone TE on this list with exactly 20 receptions on the year. Everyone but Bell has tallied up a touchdown. Note, Collins and Peoples-Jones have both recorded three touchdowns thus far. MSU’s secondary has been shaky, to say the least. Michigan may stretch the Spartan secondary thin this game.

Reliable Defense

The Michigan defense is not necessarily outstanding but they are certainly reliable. No team has scored more than 35 points against the Wolverine’s defense. All the while, Michigan shutout Rutgers in week 4. So Michigan State’s offense must execute well without errors. Lewerke and the company cannot cough up unforced errors that lead to turnovers in this game.

Remember, this Wolverine’s defense is not overwhelming. So the Spartans can definitely put numbers on the board. Especially if they run the ball well. Army ran the ball all over Michigan earlier on in the season. MSU must dominate the run game to open up the passing game for Lewerke and company.

The Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry is still incredibly strong. Both teams want to show one another up. The fan sentiment towards MSU’s coaching staff is already pretty negative. If they lose to Michigan, it will be out of control.

Cheer on the Spartans this weekend. Kick-off is at 12 P.M. and the game is on Fox. Stay locked on SpartansWire for coverage all throughout the weekend.

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MSU basketball steamrolls Binghamton: Three Key Takeaways

Michigan State basketball absolutely steamrolled the Binghamton Bearcats last night. Here are three key takeaways from this game.

Michigan State basketball steamrolled the Binghamton Bearcats yesterday 100-47. This game was fresh on the heels of the emotional passing of Zachary Winston, brother of Cassius Winston. Cassius had an absolutely impressive showing as did a few other Spartans.

Here are three key takeaways from this game:

Cassius Winston Is Truly Special

You really cannot say enough about the talent of Cassius Winston. Excellent ball-handling abilities, premier court vision, and a high basketball IQ. Now, you truly cannot say enough about Cassius Winston the human being. Winston played with his teammates less than 24 hours after Zachary’s passing. All the while, his family was in attendance cheering him on.

Not only did Winston play but he did so exceptionally well. He ended the game with 17 points and 11 assists. Not to mention he had a few highlight-reel moves out on the court. This reminded me of NBA player Isaiah Thomas in the 2017 playoffs. Isaiah’s sister tragically passed away in a car accident. Thomas responded with 33 points and nine assists.

I cannot even speak to the strength Winston showed yesterday. The internal fortitude on display was absolutely impressive. Best of all, the Spartans rallied around Winston. I’ll be honest, I was misty all throughout the pregame ceremony.

Marcus Bingham Jr. Is Here

Marcus Bingham ended last year’s season with 23 total points. Through two games, Bingham has tallied up 20 points. Last year, he ended the season with 21 total shots. Through two games, Bingham has totaled 15 shots. So Bingham’s role has clearly grown from one year to the next.

Bingham is certainly taking advantage of his playing time and opportunities. He already has four blocked shots, 12 rebounds, and one assist to boot. Best of all, he brings so much energy to the game. Hustle points near the rim are absolutely invaluable in modern basketball games. He put up 13 points off of the bench and this type of contribution is huge for MSU. Glad to see Bingham thriving in a more prominent role.

Players Finding Their Groove

Three players stood out in this game beyond Cassius and Bingham. This includes Gabe Brown, Rocket Watts, and Thomas Kithier. Kithier was near the rim at all of the right times. This lead to 10 total points for sophomore Forward from Clarkston, MI. Likewise, Gabe Brown looked formidable and made the most out of his 13 minutes of game time.

Now, I know I’m all on the Rocket Watts hype train but I’m here for a reason. Watts only shot 2-9 from the floor, however, taking more shots is the best game plan. Rocket was definitely intimidated by Kentucky’s strong guard rotation. Against Binghamton, he was smooth and calm. His shot will fall as time goes on. The best thing he can do is to just keep shooting.

The most notable player finding his groove was Aaron Henry. Henry ended the night with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. Meanwhile, he was guarding almost every position on the other team. Henry needs to do a lot for MSU to go far this year and that is not to discredit the team. Instead, it highlights his importance on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Michigan State plays next on Thursday, Nov. 14 against Seton Hall. The game starts at 8:30 P.M. and you can watch the action on FS1.

As always, stay locked on SpartansWire for more coverage to come.

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Michigan State Spartan legend Charles Rogers dies at 38

One of the greatest to ever play for MSU has died.

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One of the greatest to ever don the Michigan State green and white, Charles Rogers has died.

The former All-American was only 38.

Former Michigan State tight end Chris Baker confirmed the news on Twitter this morning.

Rogers starred at MSU from 2000-02. He finished his MSU career with 2,821 yards on 135 catches to go with 27 touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown in 13 straight games. Rogers entered the NFL draft early and was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 draft.

Injuries and drug problems kept his NFL career from ever amounting to what it could have been.

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