EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's soccer defeated Butler 3-2 in its first exhibition of the season at Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis on Monday evening.

"This exhibition had a lot of everything," MSU head coach Damon Rensing said. "Butler came out, it was there second exhibition, and they were sharp and pressed us. They scored a couple early goals, and we weren't quite ready for it. To the guys credit, they re-grouped at half time and scored three great goals in the second half."

The Bulldogs jumped out early scoring two goals in the first half.

Michigan State came roaring back in the second half with three goals. Senior forward Efosa Emovon made it a 2-1 game in the second half. Junior midfielder Jonathan Stout and sophomore forward Richie Ludwig both found the back of the net to put the Spartans on top.

"We really picked up out intensity in the second half," Rensing said. "I think the other positive is that 21 field players and three goalkeepers played. We showed a lot of depth and interchangeable parts. There was a lot to take from it, and we will definitely take a look at the film and get better from this game."

The Spartans' final test will come against UIC on Friday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium. Admission is free for the exhibition.

Release courtesy of MSU Athletics.

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Todd Milewski of the Wisconsin State Journal reports that Michigan State is among potential Big Ten men's hockey teams under consideration for a joint Big Ten men's and women's outdoor hockey series at Wrigley Field for January 2025.

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Class of 2026 four-star running back Javian Osborne was offered a scholarship by Michigan State back in May.

Osborne was offered by Michigan State assistant head coach/co-special teams coordinator/running backs coach Keith Bhonapha. Now he is looking to continue to build relationships with Bhonapha, head coach Jonathan Smith and the rest of the MSU staff.

The Forney High School (Texas) standout currently ranks as the No. 12 running back, No. 18 player in the state of Texas and No. 162 player overall in the 2026 class.

Osborne recently spoke with Spartans Illustrated to provide his thoughts on Michigan State and update where his recruitment stands overall.

"I would say, with Michigan State, I was very happy when I got the offer," Osborne said. "Any offer that get is truly a blessing. I don't know too much about Michigan State (but I want to learn more). I know they're in the Big Ten, they play big-time teams and stuff like that. Just, referring back to (the offer), I was happy when I got the offer (from MSU)."

Could a visit potentially be next?

More here:

Michigan State lands a commitment from 2025 four-star cornerback LaRue Zamorano.

Zamorano is the first blue-chip prospect to commit to the Spartans in the 2025 class.

More:

1. Alabama
2. Michigan State
3. Georgia
4. Ohio State
5. Clemson
6. Oregon
7. LSU
8. Oklahoma
9. Southern Cal
10. Penn State

Obviously, this was BEFORE MSU built the new facilities. Coach Dantonio did a good job, and Mel Tucker had his year with K-9.

Sometimes, I hear that MSU should be compared to Iowa or Wisconsin in terms of pecking order.

I disagree. MSU has shown, in the 50s, 60s, and 2000s, that it can compete nationally if it has had competent coaches.

Biggie Munn, Duffy Daugherty, and Mark Dantonio were competent coaches. Nick Saban would have headed that way if he had stayed.

George Perles did not want to develop the passing attack, which hurt MSU, but even he had success.

Muddy Waters, Bobby Williams, John L., and Mel Tucker are self-evident in what they did. They were overwhelmed, which makes Tucker's 11-season a further sign of MSU's potential.

That's my story, and I am sticking to it. Go Green!


UPDATE: These are not rankings; they are just teams on the list in no particular order.

QUOTES FROM COACH SMITH, TE COACH WOZNIAK, TE JACK VELLING, and LB DARIUS SNOW

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COACH SMITH

ON OVERALL SCRIMMAGE:

Smith said they ran 100 plays in the scrimmage. He says he expected the defense to be ahead of the offense, and it's not that's not shocking. "It's been way better than the spring. We aren't there yet, but we have made much progress from the spring to now." "We definitely have some guys who are going to start, but not at every position. This team is competitive. We want to be a squad with multiple guys going into the game, and we can still be confident."

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Coach Smith said WR Montorie Foster will be out for a few days with a minor injury. And no long-term injury concerns from the scrimmage.

ON DEFENSIVE BACKS:

"It's been competitive. Those guys are pushing. They are unified."
Added that the new additions have helped make the room more competitive.

COACH SMITH ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE:

"Brandon Baldwin and Stanton Ramil are getting work at left tackle."
Luke Newman has helped. He added that true freshman Rakeem Johnson is standing out.

ON RAKEEM JOHNSON:

"He's picked up the scheme. He's playing a couple of spots. He has done a really nice job."


ON NICK MARSH:

"Nick Marsh made some plays, which I guess you can come to expect out of him."

ON FRESHMAN DB ANDREW BRINSON:

"He made some nice plays."


============

TE COACH BRIAN WOZNIAK:

"The offense would like to start faster, but they did a strong job keeping the defense off-balance in the scrimmage."

"I think Michael Masunas has had as solid camp as anyone on offense. "He surprised the heck out of me in the spring, and he's continued that. He's just so solid. Everything he does, he just gets it."

Says Ademola Faleye is also "standing out each day."


ON DEFENSIVE ENDS:

"I think Bogle has taken a step. He's just so long and athletic, not afraid to be physical." He added that Quindarius Dunnigan is standing out. Freshmen Kekai Burnett and MikeShun Beeler have been standing out as well.


====================

TIGHT END JACK VELLING:

"It's been good helping guys out. Whether that's on the field or with the playbook, just helping out wherever I am needed."

ON LINEBACKERS:

"Wayne (Mathews) and I went at it in the last scrimmage." He also mentions Cal Haladay, Jordan Turner, and Jordan Hall.
He says Brady Preztlaff had a 'nice' interception and Darius Snow. Iron sharpens iron. (Note-Interception was thrown by true freshman Allessio Milivojevic)


ON BRENNAN PARACHEK: "Brennan is going to be really fun to watch. He's looking great. He flies off the ball. A physically strong and powerful dude with great hands. I think the sky is the limit with Brennan."


ON TOMMY SHUSTER:

"We call him Tommy Toughness. He's smart and throws an awesome ball. I haven't seen anyone throw like him with the anticipation. He is a gamer and a winner."
==========================

DARIUS SNOW:


ON COMPETITION:

"We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. Competition makes you better."

ON HIS HEALTH:

"I've got some room to grow, but feeling better. I am able to run around and cover better. Still working on top speed."


ON HIS POSITION:

"I will be playing SAM/Nickel linebacker."


ON THE NEW GUYS MAKING NOISE:

"All the new guys have flashed, but I would say Brady (Pretzlaff), he had a great day." On overall depth, "JT, Cal, Jordan, Wayne, and myself."

ON THE SECONDARY:

"Angelo (Grose) and Nikai (Martinez) are playing well, but really, all the guys have flashed."


ON THE TEAM:

"It's about the voices in the room if we want to achieve, and it comes down to effort and execution."


ON GETTING THROUGH PERSONAL ADVERSITY:

"I draw on my faith, getting the word and studying, and realizing what happens is the way it's supposed to happen, and relying on the Lord, and he has a plan for you."


ON TIGHT ENDS:

"We have great tight ends; Jack is the best tight end in the country."

Michigan State football held its first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday. Spartans Illustrated has reached out to various sources for feedback and interesting nuggets on how it went. Now, please keep in mind, this is just the first scrimmage of preseason camp. Things can and likely will change, so don't take any of this information as absolutes as things are always fluid and at this point, the coaches may want to see extra reps from certain guys to see where they're at. This is also information passed along to us and not a first-hand acocunt, since media was not permitted, so keep that in mind. Now with that caveat out of the way, here is what we learned:

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Jonathan Smith: “I feel good about where we’re at and really the progress we’re making."

More of his thoughts on the competitiveness in fall camp, scrimmage No. 1 and more:

Smith:

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Wozniak:

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Velling:

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Snow:

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The preseason AP Top 25 poll was released today, and MSU has a four-game stretch of ranked opponents (as they currently stand).

No. 2 Ohio State
@ No. 3 Oregon
No. 25 Iowa
@ No. 9 Michigan

This is obviously just the preseason rankings, and a lot can change between now and October, but as it stands that is a brutal stretch for that middle third of the season.

Here’s the full AP Poll: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

Evening all,

Michigan State will continue preseason camp on Monday morning.

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With the first class of 2025 official visit announced with three-star offensive lineman/center Houston Kaahaaina-Torres, we will begin tracking official visits for this cycle here.

This list will continue to be updated as more news comes out.

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In today's installment of my math-driven preview, I take a detailed look at MSU's schedule.

I go through the preseason rankings, including where the experts see MSU and how strong each opponent is supposed to be. This leads to some predictions for the point spreads for each game. Finally, I go through what that means regarding total wins.

As we know, the season can take several paths, some of which are brighter than others. I explore the ways that MSU could make a bowl game and a few paths where the Spartans overachieve significantly. I even give you the odds for a Big Ten title and a playoff appearance, both of which are greater than zero.

But more importantly, I have a new graphic! Thanks to Jay, one of the newest members of our team.

As always, enjoy.

Matt Forbes is this years USTA Open Boys 18 and under national champion. Automatic entry to US Open. Wow! Harry has this train rolling!

Ethan Boyd, Former Michigan State Transfer O-Lineman Not Expected To Join The Colorado Buffaloes

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Michigan State’s rush end room has undergone some significant changes since the team took the field in the spring.

Chad Wilt addresses some of those changes including the new transfers and Jalen Thompson moving to defensive end:

MSU specialists Jonathan Kim and Ryan Eckley discuss their goals and expectations ahead of the 2024 season.

“I go out there knowing that this staff has confidence in me.”

It was been a busy spring and summer for me. I got married, moved two kids and two cats into my new wife's house, listed my old house, and went on a pseudo honeymoon cruise (with the kids and new in-laws). So I have not been around these parts as much as I would have liked.

But with college football just a few weeks away, it is time to dust off the spreadsheet and start cranking out some data for the 2024 season. As usual, I will be issuing a six-part series breaking down MSU's season, the Big Ten race, and beyond. I like to use math to reveal some of the hidden truths about our favorite sport (at least in the fall).

To kick things off, I take a look back at 2023. Over the years, I have figured out how to deconstruct a team's performance into the impact on raw ability, schedule, and luck. I believe that this analysis can give us some hints about the season to come. Check out the full article here:

Coaches Poll​

Others Receiving Votes​

Washington 123; Louisville 95; Virginia Tech 64; SMU 47; Memphis 44; Boise State 30; Auburn 25; West Virginia 22; Wisconsin 17; Liberty 15; Iowa State 15; Kentucky 12; Florida 11; South Carolina 10; North Carolina 6; UNLV 5; Maryland 5; UCF 4; Texas Tech 4; UTSA 3; Tulane 2; Texas State 2; Nebraska 2; Colorado 2; Appalachian State 2; Troy 1; Syracuse 1; Miami (OH) 1; James Madison 1; Air Force 1.

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Takes some effort making sure to catch those new schools... six Big Ten teams are ranked in the coaches preseason poll with another four receiving votes. MSU plays four ranked teams this season and one who received votes, including two top-3 programs.

I will have a full post for our readers this weekend on the latest two commitments to MSU Hockey, but wanted to pass along info that MSU has added their first PuckPreps 5 star player of the class with the commitment of Rolling Meadows, Illinois forward Jack Hextall. Hextall is ranked 11th in North America overall, 8th among players going the NCAA route by PuckPreps. Hextall scored 88 points (29 goals, 59 assists) in 64 games played last season skating with the Chicago Mission (2024 USAHockey National Champions). Hextall will be playing with the Youngstown Phantoms next season in the USHL, as they locked him down to a tender on January 5th, 2024. What this means is he took himself out of the NTDP running months in advance, had he pursued the NTDP I believe Hextall would have made the roster (NTDP isn't just cleanly the top 22-24 players in the country). I will have more breakdown on his game in the story but wanted to pass this news along. The commitment of Hextall vaulted MSU to 4th overall with 4 2008 born commits, and this August 2024 class in total has 5 commits including 2007 born defensemen Chase Reid.

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I was listening back to Chad Wilt's press conference from yesterday. He is the rush ends coach and co-special teams coordinator.

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