In-state rivalry grows a bit uglier
Harbaugh seething, Dantonio unhappy
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The pregame spat between Michigan and Michigan State is showing no signs of going away.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday the athletic directors for both schools should probably talk about what happened on Saturday before the game at Michigan State. The Spartans walked from one end zone to the other with their arms locked, as they do before each game, but it happened while some of the Wolverines were stretching near the middle of the field.
Contact was made, words were exchanged and Michigan went on to beat Michigan State 21-7 .
Harbaugh called it “bush league,” after the game and clearly wanted to talk more about it two days later. He said the Spartans were on the field for their traditional walk later than scheduled and were led by the strength staff onto the field with coach Mark Dantonio just behind the sideline-to-sideline string of players.
“That had all the earmarkings and evidence of an orchestrated Stormtroopers march,” Harbaugh said . He later confirmed in a text message he was referring to troops in the “Star Wars” film series.
Dantonio called the incident “B.S.” after the game and addressed the situation again Sunday night.
“The whole thing to me was sort of juvenile,” Dantonio said. “Things are going to happen in rivalry games, but I sort of stand by what I said.”
Michigan State said Monday the two schools were communicating about the school’s pregame ritual and said it has not been a problem in Dantonio’s 12 years.
PURDUE: Six weeks ago, the notion of Purdue fans swarming the field seemed about as far-fetched as beating Ohio State.
After losing to Eastern Michigan on a last-second field goal, the season appeared lost, their bowl hopes shattered and the troubling turnovers, mounting mistakes and persistent penalties continued to pile up. Then the Boilermakers dug down, fought back and turned things around.
Purdue is just one-half game out of the Big Ten West lead.
“It’s amazing how you can be sitting at 0-3 with some hard losses and find a way to do this,” coach Jeff Brohm said after Saturday’s stunning 49-20 rout over the Buckeyes set off a raucous celebration at Ross-Ade Stadium. “It is a huge moment.
Grant Hermanns, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound sophomore from Rio Rancho, is the Boilermakers’ starting offensive left tackle.
TCU: There will be no quarterback controversy for TCU: Starter Shawn Robinson is facing surgery that is expected to end his season.
Two days after a midgame switch, coach Gary Patterson said Monday his sophomore quarterback will have surgery and that former Penn transfer Michael Collins will get his first start Saturday at Kansas.
Patterson did not say what surgery Robinson would have, but the decision comes more than three weeks after the quarterback took a direct shot on his non-throwing left shoulder and had to be helped off the field in the closing seconds of a 17-14 win over Iowa State on Sept. 29.
Meanwhile, TCU receiver and standout returner KaVontae Turpin was suspended from the team Monday after his arrest over the weekend on an assault charge for an alleged altercation with his girlfriend.
Coach Gary Patterson said he was still gathering information and that Turpin probably won’t play Saturday at Kansas. The senior receiver is suspended indefinitely.