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MICHIGAN STATE NOTES
Spartans try to shake reputation
Saturday, October 20, 2007
COLUMBUS — When the Michigan State football team lost two straight games after a 4-0 start, fans in East Lansing were bracing for another Spartan swan dive.
But Mark Dantonio's team responded with a rousing 52-27 win over Indiana last week and needs just one more victory to become bowl eligible after missing the postseason the past three years.
Extras
"The biggest difference between last year and now is an attitude adjustment," junior running back Javon Ringer said. "Coach Dantonio is a very straightforward and serious-type coach. We all wanted a change from the way things were, and he's a perfect fit.
"People were saying we were the same old Spartans after we lost two in a row, but we knew we weren't the same team. That's what the coaches made us realize — the season was not over."
Ringer, a Dayton native, is just 68 yards short of reaching 1,000 for the season.
'98 upset recalled
Ringer is relishing a chance to foil another Buckeye dream season.
The Spartans are 3-13-1 all-time against No. 1 teams, the last win coming at Ohio State in 1998.
"We are all — and I think I can speak for the team — really excited for this one," Ringer said. "We were really hoping they'd be No. 1. And now that they are, pulling this off will be a really big accomplishment for us."
MSU raids Ohio
The Spartans have 17 players from Ohio, including five other starters besides Ringer.
Junior quarterback Brian Hoyer (Cleveland St. Ignatius High School) is third in the Big Ten in passing efficiency behind OSU's Todd Boeckman and Indiana's Kellen Lewis. Junior defensive tackle Justin Kershaw (Reynoldsburg), junior cornerback Kendell Davis-Clark (Alliance), freshman corner Chris Rucker (Warren Harding) and freshman punter Aaron Bates (New Concord John Glenn) also hail from the Buckeye State.
Sophomore Dan Fortener (Alter) is a reserve safety.
Dantonio said Ohio is "always very talent rich. Certainly Ohio State is the team to beat in that state (for recruits), but there are other very, very good players."
By Dantonio's calculations, Ohio sends roughly 45 players to the Big Ten every year.
Tidbits
• MSU defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic tied the Big Ten record with his seventh forced fumble against Indiana last week. Penn State's Michael Haynes had seven in 13 games in 2002.
• The Spartans' last five foes have a 23-9 record, giving the team the third-toughest remaining schedule in the nation. Texas A&M's opponents have a 24-7 record, and Iowa's foes have a 22-7 mark.
• MSU leads the Big Ten in scoring (36.9 points per game) and total offense (467.0 yards per game).
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
