EAST LANSING -- Don Cousins trusts God and Michigan State's blockers to protect his son on the football field.

He never thought he would have to consider adding an attorney to the lineup.

However, that is a possibility amid a televised report by Detroit News columnist Rob Parker, who linked Spartans redshirt-freshman backup quarterback Kirk Cousins to an off-campus fight that resulted in the hospitalization of an MSU hockey player."There's not a straighter arrow on that team, I can tell you with confidence, than Kirk Cousins," Don Cousins said by phone Tuesday. "It deeply bothers us that someone would be so inaccurate with their reporting and go public with that without even knowing the facts."

East Lansing police are investigating an incident that occurred after midnight Oct. 19, just hours after Cousins, a Holland Christian graduate, put on his best performance as a Spartan in a 45-7 loss to Ohio State.

According to police, a group of MSU football players allegedly were involved in an altercation that resulted in hockey defenseman A.J. Sturges being treated for two days at Lansing's Sparrow Hospital.

In a news segment aired by WDIV-TV in Detroit on Sunday night, Parker said: "A lot of names being mentioned, but the one name being thrown out there big time is backup QB Kirk Cousins ... and uh ... he was a part of the big thing that happened."

Don Cousins said his son could not possibly have been involved because they were together the entire time after Kirk fulfilled his postgame responsibilities until the next afternoon.

The older Cousins had booked a room at the on-campus Kellogg Center hotel that Saturday night.

"Our family stayed in East Lansing after the Ohio State game," Don Cousins said. "We don't typically do that, but we did that week because of the late (3:30 p.m.) start. We stayed at the hotel, went to church with Kirk the following morning and out to lunch that afternoon.

"He was with us the whole time."

Don Cousins said MSU coach Mark Dantonio brought Parker's report to his attention Monday, and Dantonio didn't hold anything back while defending Kirk during his weekly news conference Tuesday at Spartan Stadium.

"I think what's not fair to do is to do what Rob Parker ... from The Detroit News did," Dantonio said. "I don't think I need to spell that name, Rob Parker, who went on TV and he made reference to Kirk Cousins being at the heart of this whole matter, which is totally inaccurate.

"I take offense to that, and Cousins' family takes offense to that, and I think that borders on slander. So here's a young man who does everything right, and he's thrown under the bus by somebody who has no credibility in my mind."

Parker said on other media that the Cousins report was made on a popular segment that deals with rumor, gossip and innuendo and he was citing information provided to him by three independent, anonymous sources.

When reached on the phone by Booth Newspapers on Tuesday, Parker said he had "no comment."

Ingham County prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III told the Lansing State Journal that Kirk Cousins' name does not appear in the police report.

Don Cousins said he would wait until he discusses the matter with management at the Detroit News and WDIV before deciding what legal options to exercise, if any.

"We will try to turn it and use it simply as a platform for the right causes," he said. "We believe God's protective hand is upon Kirk. I think, in this case, God protected us, because even if there's someone who might say, 'You don't know you're son, maybe he's really capable of doing this sort of thing,' I can say, 'No, he was in the hotel room with me.' "

Even if Don Cousins had no idea where his son was that night, he said his belief in him would be unshakable.

"I would have staked my life on the fact that my son wasn't involved," Don Cousins said. "I know who my son is, and I know what he's about as a person in terms of his academics, in terms of his belief in Jesus Christ and in terms of his life choices.

"This is just so ludicrous and so absurd, it's just unbelievable."

Dantonio has not identified any of those alleged by police to have been involved, nor will he disclose how they have been disciplined to this point.



"We discipline internally, and when things come to a head and (police) make charges and those type of things ... that's when I will talk about things and give names," Dantonio said. "But until then, I will protect our football team, and I think that's the way you would want your family protected, or your children or your brothers."



Need a ticket?

About 1,000 $46 tickets remain for MSU's game against Wisconsin on Saturday at Spartan Stadium (noon, ESPN). They are available through the ticket office at Jenison Field House, by calling (800) GO-STATE or (517) 355-1610 or online at msuspartans.com.

Purdue time set

Kickoff for the Nov. 8 home game against Purdue has been set for noon. The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.



Hoops after football

Michigan State's annual Green-White men's basketball scrimmage will be at the Breslin Center about 20 minutes after the conclusion of the MSU-Wisconsin football game. Admission is free.