Wisconsin 24 - 25 Michigan State
Final
  for this game

Michigan State still relying on Ringer

Nov 1, 2008 - 10:53 AM Wisconsin (6-2) at (21) Michigan State (7-2), 12:00 pm EDT

EAST LANSING, Michigan (Ticker) -- Michigan State running back Javon Ringer is showing no signs of slowing down.

Back in the top 25, Ringer and the 21st-ranked Spartans seek their eighth win of the season Saturday when they host Wisconsin.

Michigan State is coming off a 35-21 victory at Michigan last week, its first at the Big House in 18 years. The victory also enabled the Spartans to clinch back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1989-90.

Tied for second in the Big Ten with Ohio State, Michigan State (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten) enters its final three games in contention for a New Year's Day bowl game.

The Spartans will go as far as Ringer will take them. Last week, he ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries and now leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in touchdowns with 16.

With 1,373 yards, Ringer also has passed Connecticut's Donald Brown for the rushing lead in the FBS. With four games left in the season, including a bowl, Ringer has a chance to rush for more than 2,000 yards this year.

In last season's 37-34 loss at Wisconsin, Ringer rushed for 145 yards and 10 carries, but he was upstaged by Wisconsin's P.J. Hill, who ran for 155 yards and two scores on 34 carries.

After rushing for more than 1,000 yards the previous two seasons, Hill is having a sub-par year with only 613 yards - less than half of Ringer's total.

Hill has not surpassed the century mark since gaining 112 yards in a 13-10 victory at Fresno State on September 13. He was benched at the start of last week's 27-17 victory over Illinois and finished with just nine yards on three carries.

The Badgers snapped a four-game losing streak and earned their first conference win of the season, but they lost tight end Travis Beckum, their top receiver.

Beckum, a senior who only caught two passes for 16 yards against Illinois, fractured his left fibula and will miss the remainder of the season.

Wisconsin quarterback Allan Evridge was benched last week in favor of Dustin Sherer, who threw the first two touchdown passes of his career.






Related News