Thursday marked Michigan State’s first practice without senior tri-captain Max Bullough, who has been suspended for the remainder of the season due to a violation of team rules. Bullough had started 40 consecutive games at middle linebacker.
Fifth-year senior Kyler Elsworth (6-1, 225) and sophomore Darien Harris (6-0, 215) are listed behind Bullough on the depth chart at middle linebacker. In addition, sophomore Ed Davis (6-3, 230) also could see playing time at the position.
“Defensively, we’re going to do what we do,” Dantonio said. “Nothing changes with Max Bullough out of the lineup. Our depth at linebacker is certainly one of the strengths of our defense.”
Michigan State is making its school-record seventh consecutive postseason bowl appearance, including its first-ever Bowl Championship Series berth. The Spartans are making their 24th postseason bowl appearance overall, including its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1988. MSU has a 3-1 record in its four previous Rose Bowl appearances (defeated No. 5 UCLA, 28-20, in 1954; defeated No. 4 UCLA, 17-14, in 1956; lost to No. 5 UCLA, 14-12, in 1966; and defeated No. 16 USC, 20-17, in 1988).
“We’ve work so hard over the last seven years to get here (to the Rose Bowl),” Dantonio said. “Last year, we lost a lot of close games, but this season, we found those inches to change the outcome. We’ve won double-digit games for the third time in the last four years.
“This is our program’s first BCS appearance, so it’s important to handle success and shut out the distractions. We have to be focused and diligent in how we prepare for this game against Stanford. One thing for sure is that we must match Stanford’s toughness.”
The 100th Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO will be televised by ESPN, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. ET.
Related articles
- Max Bullough Suspended by Michigan State for Rose Bowl vs. Stanford (bleacherreport.com)
- Spartans suspend Max Bullough for Rose Bowl (collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
- MSU Football: Max Bullough suspended from Rose Bowl (isportsweb.com)
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