Chris Solari

Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING – Mark Dantonio rarely talks about injuries, typically reserving comment unless it’s a season-ending situation.

Well, Michigan State’s season ended earlier than expected. And the Spartans’ final press release provided a glimpse into how banged up they were this fall.

MSU lost 13 of its 22 starters from the opening-week depth chart due to injury at some point during the season. A total of 20 players listed missed a combined 50 games. Five players were lost for the season, including Malik McDowell.

And Dantonio put injuries atop his 15 reasons the Spartans went 3-9.

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“We had a tremendous amount of injuries, which is No. 1 on my board here,” Dantonio said Thursday. “A lot of injuries, a lot of different players, a lot of youth playing. It's difficult. A lot of guys playing in and out of the lineups. ... That's difficult.”

Dantonio said departing linebacker Riley Bullough suffered a fractured scapula, which was why he wore an ice bag on his right shoulder after MSU’s win at Notre Dame on Sept. 17 and subsequently missed the next three games. Rising senior Jon Reschke suffered an ankle injury the next week against Wisconsin and missed the rest of the season, sitting for 10 games (including a hand injury that kept him out of the opener against Furman). He is expected to apply for a sixth-year medical exemption.

Vayante Copeland suffered a broken foot that cost the sophomore cornerback the final five games, his second straight season with a season-ending injury (neck in 2015). Quarterback Brian Lewerke’s promising season ended with a broken left tibia he suffered against Michigan, while fellow redshirt freshman left guard Tyler Higby missed the final two games after breaking his right ankle against Rutgers.

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Thirteen other Spartans missed a combined total of 24 games with “undisclosed” injuries, including 13 by departing players Evan Jones (4), McDowell (3), Darian Hicks (2), Demetrious Cox (1), Kodi Kieler (1), Prescott Line (1) and Monty Madaris (1). Graduating senior Tyler O’Connor (1) also missed the Maryland game with a lower-leg injury. Offensive lineman David Beedle missed one game with a knee injury.

Returning players who missed games with “undisclosed” injuries: cornerback Tyson Smith (4), safety Grayson Miller (2), safety Montae Nicholson (1), safety Khari Willis (1) and defensive tackle Raequan Williams (1).

That doesn’t include two other players, quarterback Damion Terry and defensive end Demetrius Cooper, who Dantonio admitted Thursday had been injured. Terry reportedly had minor knee surgery during preseason camp, and Dantonio said Friday on WVFN 730-AM that the rising senior had “minor” surgery on his left shoulder after the season. The coach did not disclose Cooper’s ailment.

Dantonio said “everybody is progressing, moving forward” from their injuries. That includes Lewerke, who Dantonio said is walking again and is expected to continue rehabbing his leg after he returns from MSU’s semester break.

“So you deal with all those things,” he said. “But at the end of the day, you are what you are and you gotta own what you got. It's just like stock – sometimes you're gaining, sometimes you're losing.”

Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.

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