Michigan State Football

The offensive woes continued for Michigan in a 14-10 defeat against Big Ten rivals Michigan State on a rain-soaked field at Michigan Stadium on Saturday night. 

With quarterback John O'Korn filling in for injured starter Wilton Speight (fractured vertebrae), the Wolverines managed just 300 total yards as they fell from the ranks of the unbeaten. Since scoring 36 points against Cincinnati on Sept. 9, Michigan has seen its point total decrease in each of its last three games and hit total of 67 during that span. 

The weather conditions were dreadful throughout the game, with a steady rainfall leaving both teams to operate with virtually no passing attack. Things got particularly ugly on the Michigan side with five turnovers, including three consecutive second-half possessions that ended with an O'Korn interception. 

The Spartans have rebounded nicely since losing to Notre Dame two weeks ago. Their four wins this season is more than their total from 2016 when they went 3-9. 

Even on the rare occasion Michigan's offense did something right, it ended up working against the team. 

O'Korn hit tight end Sean McKeon for a 36-yard gain at the end of the second quarter that would have put Michigan in field-goal position. McKeon fumbled as he was fighting for yardage, allowing Michigan State to recover and run out the clock with a 14-3 lead. 

Barstool Sports summed up McKeon's effort on that play in GIF form:

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/916835438706544640

Things got so bad for O'Korn that he even tried resorting to flopping:

https://twitter.com/BarstoolMSU/status/916855629981024256

John O'Korn flopping to try to draw a penalty after throwing a terrible interception is the most Michigan thing ever.

— Ryan McCrystal (@Ryan_McCrystal) October 8, 2017

The only thing that kept Michigan in it until the end was its defensive performance. The Wolverines actually outgained the Spartans, 300-252, and MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke had 94 yards on 11 of 22 passing. 

Despite those ugly numbers, Lewerke made a crucial play on 3rd-and-3 when he picked up a bad snap and found enough room to pick up the first down with 1:59 remaining. He was tackled onto one of his offensive linemen, allowing him to roll over the first-down marker. 

Make that 8 wins in the last 10 games for @MSU_Football vs. Michigan.

And this was the insane play by Brian Lewerke that helped seal it: pic.twitter.com/4b4ib5zpi2

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 8, 2017

Michigan got the ball back with 30 seconds remaining. O'Korn drove the Wolverines 43 yards to set up a Hail Mary as time expired, but the Spartans knocked it down and preserved the upset. 

Per Damon Kecman of Climb the Pocket, Michigan has been awful against its two biggest Big Ten rivals over the past nine seasons:

https://twitter.com/DownWithDamon/status/916865789365436416

Ben Axelrod of WKYC did note one key problem for Michigan under head coach Jim Harbaugh that has contributed to its lack of success against top programs such as Michigan State and Ohio State:

Harbaugh not having his own QB by Year 3 is odd. Has started three QBs (Rudock, Speight, O’Korn), not a single one he recruited out of HS.

— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) October 8, 2017

Saturday marked Michigan's third one-score defeat against Michigan State and Ohio State combined since Harbaugh took over as head coach in 2015. 

The Wolverines have a chance to catch their breath next week on the road against an Indiana team that is winless in Big Ten play this season at 0-2. Michigan's next big test will come Oct. 21 at Penn State, which is off to a 6-0 start. 

Michigan State is starting to make its case to get back in the Top 25 polls. The Spartans aren't winning pretty, scoring a combined 31 points against Iowa and Michigan, but the final result is all that matters for this team after everything went wrong for it last year. 

With games against Minnesota, Indiana and Northwestern to close out October, Michigan State has a realistic shot at heading into its back-to-back showdowns with Penn State and Ohio State 5-0 in conference play. 

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis released a statement Friday regarding general threats made against sporting events at the school.

"The safety and well-being of everyone who attends Michigan State athletic events, including fans, student-athletes, coaches and workers, always has been and always will be our first priority," Hollis wrote, according to the Lansing State Journal's Matt Mencarini. "While these threats are general in nature, it's important to be cautious in every situation.

"As the police said, we urge everyone to remain aware of their surroundings at all times, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately. I have great confidence in the MSU Police Department and we will continue to work closely with them and other law enforcement agencies in their investigations."

On Friday, Michigan State University Police released a statement saying that both it and the East Lansing Police Department "received letters making general threats against MSU athletic events." Those letters, they wrote, "do not provide specific information in regards to the event or manner of the threat."

The Spartans will be on the road Saturday when they travel to Ann Arbor for an intrastate showdown with the No. 7 Michigan Wolverines at the Big House.

While there haven't been any reported threats against Michigan's campus, East Lansing Lt. Chad Connelly said he has been in contact with law enforcement in Ann Arbor.

"We have reached out to our friends in the Ann Arbor area and the University of Michigan to make them aware of this as well," Connelly said, per MLive.com's Matt Wenzel. "They were given the press release just so they're aware of what's going on. We're going to remain vigilant regardless of if a game is here or a game is not, for the safety of the public."

The Spartans will also be on the road next week for a Big Ten showdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Michigan State Spartans dismissed three players for violating the school's relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy, the Lansing State Journal's Matt Mencarini reported Wednesday.

Josh King, Donnie Corley and Demetric Vance—the three players dismissed by the school—are all still under criminal investigation following an alleged sexual assault in January. According to Mencarini, the three will have a hearing in September.

The three players were charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct in June, per MLive.com's Kyle Austin. King is also facing charges of capturing/distributing an image of an unclothed person and first-degree criminal sexual misconduct. 

The school suspended the three players in February and launched an investigation to determine whether university officials had followed Title IX guidelines after the allegations surfaced in January.

Michigan State also suspended a member of the football program's staff, Curtis Blackwell, in connection with the investigation. The school declined to renew his contract when it expired in May.

Jones Day, the law firm Michigan State commissioned to conduct the investigation, found Blackwell spoke with King, Corley and Vance upon hearing of the alleged sexual assault Jan. 16, according to the Detroit Free Press' Chris Solari. Blackwell failed to divulge the details of his conversations with the players when speaking to the school's compliance office and police department.

Former Michigan State director of college advancement and performance Curtis Blackwell interfered with an investigation into sexual assault allegations made against Spartans football players, according to university police.

Matt Mencarini of the Lansing State Journal reported police took Blackwell out of the Michigan State football building in handcuffs in February. No charges have been filed at this time.

According to police, Blackwell failed to report details of the Jan. 16 alleged sexual assault to them or university officials after discussing the matter with two players in the days after. He did not inform police of the talks with players until he was interviewed Feb. 8.

"I wasn't doing an investigation or anything," Blackwell told police. "I was just trying to find out exactly what happened."

Michigan State suspended three football players and Blackwell on Feb. 9. Head coach Mark Dantonio said the school would not renew Blackwell's contract in May.

Sexual assault charges were filed against Josh King, Donnie Corley and Demetric Vance last week. King, 19, was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, third-degree criminal sexual conduct and capturing an image of an unclothed person.

Corley and Vance face charges of third-degree criminal sexual assault. All three players have been dismissed from the program.

Michigan State football players Donnie Corley, Josh King and Demetric Vance were each charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct Tuesday.

According to Kyle Austin of MLive.com, "the charges stem from an alleged Jan. 16 incident in an on-campus apartment."

Warrants have been issued for the arrests of the players.

Per Matt Charboneau of the Detroit News, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio announced Tuesday that King, Corley and Vance were all dismissed from the program.

Dantonio later spoke to reporters, saying the players "did not live up to the standards we have outlined for this program." The head coach also said he was "angry" and felt betrayed by his players, noting he felt like "the education was there."

Prior to the their dismissal, all three players were suspended from the team after previously being ruled in violation of the relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy as part of a Title IX investigation, according to Austin.

Per Christopher Haxel, Matt Mencarini and Chris Solari of the Lansing State Journal, Michigan State University Police Department Detective Chad Davis said Tuesday that King is alleged to have lured a woman into a bathroom before forcing her into oral and vaginal sex, while Corley and Vance are alleged to have forced the woman into oral sex as well.

Davis also testified that "a search of King's cell phone revealed an alleged group text message" between the three players along with a "fourth member of the Michigan State football team" that had an exchange "indicating involvement in the assault by King, Corley and Vance," per Austin.

According to Solari, an external probe determined Monday that Dantonio did not violate the school's relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy in his handling of the allegations.

King appeared in nine games at defensive end as a true freshman last season, Corley was the team's second-leading receiver as a true freshman, and Vance redshirted as a freshman in 2016.

If convicted, King, Corley and Vance all face up to 15 years in prison.

The Ingham County prosecutor's office will bring sexual assault charges against three Michigan State football players stemming from a Jan. 16 incident, per Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press. 

Although the players have not yet been named, prosecutor Carol Siemon alleges the accused sexually assaulted a woman in an apartment on campus in East Lansing.

As Solari, Christopher Haxel and Matt Mencarini of the Detroit Free Press noted, three players and one staffer were suspended from the team in February. Charges were not brought against the employee, although the prosecutor did review that part of the case according to the statement.

"Regarding the ongoing investigations taking place within our program, the allegations are something we’re extremely concerned about and taking very seriously," head coach Mark Dantonio said of the situation in February, per Solari. "We took immediate action by suspending those involved as soon as we were notified of the situation."

Former player Auston Robertson was charged with sexual assault this offeason before being dismissed by the team. D'Antonio also suspended an unknown number of players after the spring game without going into the details of those suspensions.

Law firm Jones Day's independent investigation into two sexual assault allegations involving Michigan State football players found head coach Mark Dantonio and school administrators handled the matter properly.

Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press obtained the 14-page report, which was largely complimentary of Dantonio and his staff. The investigation followed two separate sexual assault allegations involving four Spartans football players. 

Per Solari, Jones Day found Dantonio followed the school's sexual misconduct policy. There was one unnamed staff member who did violate the policy, though his transgression was not detailed. 

“In both instances, we found that senior leaders within the football program and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (Athletic Department) complied with the RVSM policy by promptly and accurately reporting the information they learned about the underlying incidents to departments within the University that are tasked with investigating and responding to such incidents,” the report reads.

“We also found no evidence that senior leaders within the football program or Athletic Department attempted to impede, cover up, or obstruct the Office of Institutional Equity’s (OIE’s) investigation into the underlying incidents.”

Three unnamed members of the team are under investigation for an incident that took place on Jan. 16. A fourth player became involved in a separate sexual assault investigation in April. All four players were suspended indefinitely from the team pending the result of their cases. 

“I guess what I would say is what I always say: I do my very best to protect our community, protect our environment, protect my family,” Dantonio told reporters in March. “The message that I would send to everybody out there is that I’m going to do the right thing to the best of my abilities.”

Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon said Monday that the three players who were involved in the January assault will be charged with their roles, per Solari. 

Michigan State University will not extend the contract of Curtis Blackwell, the Spartans' director of college advancement and performance, when it ends Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Kyle Austin of MLive.com reported head football coach Mark Dantonio made the decision to let the current deal lapse. Blackwell has been suspended with pay since early February as the school looked into claims of sexual assault made against three members of the Michigan State football team.

The decision will end Blackwell's tenure with the Spartans after nearly four months of uncertainty regarding his status. The school never provided further information about how he was connected to the ongoing sexual assault probe.

A "criminal investigation into the incident" also remains active with the Ingham County Prosecutor, according to the MLive.com report.

CBS Sports passed along a statement MSU athletic director Mark Hollis made following the decision to suspend Blackwell and the players under investigation.

"Sexual assault is unacceptable, and members of MSU Athletics who fail to uphold our standards for creating a culture that is safe, supportive, and responsive to those affected by it will be held accountable," Hollis said. "My expectation of all members of the department is full and complete cooperation with all investigations."

In March, Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press noted Dantonio was asked about Blackwell after a school spokesman confirmed the staffer, who was heavily involved in the recruiting process, received a one-month extension. The head coach wouldn't provide any additional details.

"I can't comment on an investigative matter," Dantonio said. "I'm not gonna get into any specifics about any individual."

Blackwell joined the Michigan State staff in 2013. His official biography noted one of his main tasks was to "mentor current student-athletes, with a focus on leadership, graduation and career objectives."

Highly rated safety recruit Michael Dowell announced his college decision Monday by committing to play at Michigan State. 

He made the announcement on Twitter:

I will be committing to.... pic.twitter.com/hm2WefsjJW

— Michael J Dowell (@10MDowell) May 29, 2017

According to Scout.com, Dowell is a 4-star prospect who ranks as the No. 31 safety overall and No. 1 player at his position from the state of Ohio.

Dowell stars at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. His brothers, Andrew and David Dowell, are St. Edward alumni who currently play at Michigan State.

When asked about his desire to join them at MSU in February by Scout.com's Bill Greene, Dowell offered an endorsement of the school:

"I'm definitely open to all schools, and I want to learn about all of them. With Michigan State, I really do like the program a lot. I'm going to get back up there again soon for a visit. Not just for the football stuff, but I do want to see Coach [Mark] Dantonio and the coaches.

"I definitely have them high on my list, but before I make any decision I want to investigate every option I have, and visit every school that I'm interested in. I don't have a certain time to make my choice, and that will come when I know I've found the right school."

Michigan State was one of several top programs in pursuit of Dowell, as Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa and Michigan were also among those that showed interest, per Scout.com.

Dowell has shown versatility in high school and an ability to play multiple positions, but he believes his skill set is well-suited for the secondary, according to Greene: "My best position is a defensive back, either safety or cornerback. I have good ball skills, and I can come down and make hits on ball-carriers."

At 6'0" and 195 pounds, Dowell could benefit from adding some muscle to become even stronger against the run, but he is already solid in that regard.

He is also quick and agile enough to excel in pass coverage and to develop into a potential ball hawk at the collegiate level.

Dowell possesses an elite skill set that schools are constantly looking for out of a safety, and he has the potential to be a defense-changing player as he continues to progress.

Since his ties to Michigan State run so deeply, Dowell's decision to play for the Spartans didn't come as much of a surprise. 

Even so, it represents a major coup for MSU as it attempts to return to the elite ranks after a disappointing 2016 campaign. 

Michigan State went just went just 3-9, but it won at least 11 games in five of the six seasons prior to that.

The foundation is in place for the Spartans to be national title contenders again in the near future, and bringing in a do-everything safety like Dowell will help immensely in that regard. 

The three unnamed Michigan State football players accused in February of sexual assault "were found to have violated university policy, according to an attorney who represents the alleged victim," per Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press.

"They have not been expelled or dismissed from the school at this point because it has not gotten to that stage yet," Lansing attorney Karen Truszkowski said, according to Solari.

Because of federal laws, Michigan State could not reveal more details from the Title IX investigation.

According to Kyle Austin of MLive.com, "The case will now go through the school's student conduct process, where a panel that includes one student, one faculty member and one staff member can levy sanctions on the players that range from a warning to suspension or expulsion from school."

The alleged Jan. 16 rape is being reviewed by Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon, though no charges have yet been filed. Michigan State police are requesting four warrants, per Solari.

In February, the university issued a statement in which it said the three unnamed players were "suspended from team activities and removed from on-campus housing pending the conclusion of the police and Title IX investigations."

The university also announced it was working with the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office and was interviewing MSU coaches and other relevant figures as a part of its investigation.

Additionally, Michigan State hired "an external law firm to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into football program staff members' compliance with university policy in connection with the allegations."