V-Cast: Michigan State-Penn State game at Ford Field a strong event, latest on coaching search

Detroit, Mich. – Effort on the part of Michigan State was not lacking in a 42-0 loss to Penn State at Ford Field on Friday night in the final game of the season, which interim coach Harlon Barnett described as a season of adversity during his final post-game press conference. During that press conference, Barnett expressed his desire to continue at the helm of the Spartan program, the prospect of which is unlikely given that Michigan State finished 4-8 overall and 2-8 while he served as interim head coach.

Despite the poor overall record, Barnett deserves credit for keeping this team from fracturing in the face adversity from a scandal that cost Mel Tucker his job as head coach of the Spartans, as well as additional in-season adversity created by injuries and attrition.

After post-game interviews SpartanMag staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk checked in from the sideline at Ford Field for post-game V-Cast .

V-CAST TOPICS

Ford Field: Athletic director Alan Haller deserves credit for putting this game together. An indoor game at Ford Field on Thanksgiving Weekend made this enough of an event to bring out a strong crowd of 50,000 plus to watch the Spartans and Nittany Lions play for the Land Grant Trophy. This game spiraled out of control after halftime, but the crowd was vocal, and Michigan State fans represented their program well in this game. A Saturday game at Spartan Stadium would have drawn far less interest given the mediocrity of the Spartans this season and temperatures in the mid 20’s. Penn State is a Top 10 caliber ballclub and this would have been a fantastic spectacle if the Spartans were as good as the were in 2021. They had zero chance tonight.

No Quit in the Spartans: Michigan State was terrible on offense against a very good Nittany Lion defense. And in the second half, the Spartan defense simply did not have enough available bodies to compete at the level they did in the first half. Be that as it may, Michigan State played hard in this game and deserves credit for doing so during a disappointing season where almost nothing seemed to go right.

Smith emerges as top candidate: SpartanMag has consistently touted Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith as one of the frontrunners for the head coaching vacancy along with Mike Elko (Duke) and Jason Candle (Toledo). Prior to Oregon State’s game with Oregon on Friday night, there was a great deal of national speculation about Michigan State having made Smith it’s primary target to be its next football coach. Comparoni weighs in the on the latest with Smith, and we chat about how Smith would fit in East Lansing.