No. 8 Michigan State holds off No. 14 Ohio State 86-77
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Riding a seven-game winning streak, No. 8 Michigan State came to Columbus to play No. 14 Ohio State with captain and scoring machine Joshua Langford sidelined indefinitely with an ankle injury. The team's two other veterans had to pick up the slack.
WATCH: Ward scores 21, No. 8 Michigan State tops Northwestern 81-55
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Nick Ward was so dominant in the first half he didn't have to score after halftime to help No. 8 Michigan State stay undefeated in Big Ten play. Ward scored all 21 of his points in the first half to give the Spartans build a big lead and they went on to beat Northwestern 81-55 Wednesday night. The 6-foot-9 post player took full advantage of being defended by only...
Herbert sparks Oregon past Michigan State 7-6 in Redbox Bowl
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Justin Herbert did just enough to keep his streak intact for consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Make it an impressive 28 and counting for Oregon's quarterback, the longest active streak in the nation among FBS schools. That it turned out to be the Ducks lone score in their 7-6 win over Michigan State in the Redbox Bowl only emphasized why coach Mario...
Draft-bound Layne to miss Michigan State's bowl
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State cornerback Justin Layne will miss the team's bowl game after declaring his intention to leave for the NFL draft. Layne, a junior, said on Twitter last week that he would be entering the draft. Coach Mark Dantonio said Wednesday that Layne wouldn't be playing in the Redbox Bowl against Oregon on Dec. 31. Dantonio said the decision to miss the...
Dobbs, Barnett highlight Michigan State class
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State has signed offensive lineman Devontae Dobbs of Detroit as part of its 2019 recruiting class. Dobbs, a five-star recruit according to 247Sports, played for Belleville High School. He is part of what Mark Dantonio says might be the best class of offensive linemen he's signed in over a decade as Michigan State's coach. The NCAA's early signing...
Michigan State standout Nicholson arrested, charged with assault & battery
WASHINGTON (AP) - Redskins safety Montae Nicholson was arrested early Tuesday morning and charged with assault and battery and being drunk in public stemming from a fight at a restaurant and retail complex near the team's practice facility in Ashburn, Virginia. Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell confirmed Nicholson's arrest. He says Tuesday afternoon the...
No. 10 Michigan State holds off Florida late, wins 63-59
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Tom Izzo called Michigan State's last six games "one of the more incredible stretches" of his coaching career. He believes no one - "not even my mother" - would have expected the 10th-ranked Spartans to go 5-1 in those games, with the lone loss coming at Louisville in overtime.
Michigan State's LJ Scott says he'll enter NFL draft
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State running back LJ Scott says he will enter the NFL draft after this season. Scott, a senior, injured his ankle in September and has played in only four games this year. Coach Mark Dantonio said last month that Scott would redshirt . Scott said on social media Wednesday that he initially thought that was the best plan, but after discussing his options with...
No. 9 Michigan State edges Rutgers 78-69
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Last season, Tom Izzo wanted to leave Nick Ward in New Jersey after a poor game against Rutgers. Friday night, Michigan State's coach and the rest of the Spartans were singing Ward's praises. Cassius Winston scored 22 points and Ward added 20 to lead No. 9 Michigan State past Rutgers 78-69 in the Big Ten opener Friday night.
Louisville upsets No. 9 Michigan State 82-78 in overtime
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Ryan McMahon made two free throws with 7.1 seconds remaining in overtime before Jordan Nwora made another from the line with 3.1 seconds left to seal it as Louisville upset No. 9 Michigan State 82-78 on Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Michigan State scores late TD, beats Rutgers 14-10
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Down by three against lowly Rutgers in the last home game of the season, Michigan State pulled out all the stops. "I think we called every play out there on the sheet," Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. "Some more than once, but you've got to execute."
Spartans hope to give seniors good send-off against Rutgers
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - As a senior at Michigan State, Khari Willis has certainly experienced college football's ups and downs. His freshman season, the Spartans won the Big Ten and went to the College Football Playoff. Then the team collapsed to a 3-9 record the following year. Michigan State bounced back to win 10 games in 2017, but this season has been another disappointment - the...
No. 11 Michigan State easily beats No. 17 UCLA
Cassius Winston had 19 points and seven assists to help No. 11 Michigan State cruise past No. 17 UCLA 87-67 on Thursday night to reach the final of the Las Vegas Invitational.
Michigan State signs 6-foot-8 forward Malik Hall
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State has signed 6-foot-8 forward Malik Hall. The school announced Tuesday it received a letter of intent from Hall, who attends Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas and is from Aurora, Illinois. He is averaging 19 points, six rebounds and three assists this season. Spartans coach Tom Izzo says Hall is a versatile player who can play multiple positions. Izzo...
Michigan State ties biggest win, 101-33 over Tennessee Tech
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Nick Ward's status was uncertain for Michigan State heading into Sunday's game against Tennessee Tech. His play was anything but. The junior forward scored 23 points, including the first eight points for the No. 11 Spartans, in a 101-33 victory, tying the largest margin of victory in program history. "I was just working as hard as I can," Ward said....
3 FGs in 4th quarter carry Nebraska to 9-6 win over Spartans
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Conditions weren't optimal for Barret Pickering. The Nebraska freshman had never kicked in the snow before, and the intensity was picking up as he was getting set to try a season-long 47-yard field goal with a swirling north wind at his back and a feel-like temperature of 15 degrees.
Spartans to be big challenge for Huskers' prolific offense
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska's offense has generated more than 450 yards in seven straight games, something not even the powerhouse Tom Osborne teams of the 1990s did. If the Cornhuskers put up the same numbers Saturday against Michigan State's stout defense, it will be another sign first-year coach Scott Frost's up-tempo spread option is a force in the Big Ten just as it was when...
No. 11 Michigan State forward Nick Ward sprains ankle
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Nick Ward sprained his right ankle during an injury scare in the first half of No. 11 Michigan State's 80-59 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday night. Spartans coach Tom Izzo says he doesn't "think it's anything serious." Ward went down midway through the first half and pounded the court with both fists. He got up on his own and hobbled...
Injuries make it tough to evaluate Michigan State's woes
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Mark Dantonio often shies away from talking about injuries. This year, the topic is unavoidable. The question is whether Michigan State's offensive woes can be blamed mostly on poor health - or if there are deeper problems the Spartans need to resolve.
No. 10 Michigan State breezes past FGCU 106-82
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Two games into the season, Tom Izzo has already had it with how college basketball is being officiated. And he doesn't blame the referees. "I felt bad for our fans, I felt bad for their team, I felt a little bad for our team, and I felt really bad for the officials," Izzo said. "I've been here 24 years as a head coach and not sure I ever felt...