EAST LANSING -- Week after week in the 2012 season, Tuesday after Tuesday, Andrew Maxwell was sent to the podium to meet the press on the fourth floor of Spartan Stadium.

The idea was to allow the team's quarterback -- universally the position player most in demand -- to address the media all at one time, with all television cameras present.

Maxwell was the only player who talked at the podium at the stadium. The rest of the players' interviews were conducted after Tuesday's practices.

Who better to be the face of a top 10-ranked team than Maxwell, an intelligent, good-looking savvy young man who had patiently waited his turn behind future NFL QB Kirk Cousins?

But then the losing started, the Spartans were dropped from the polls, and the audience at the weekly press gathering grew tougher.

Suddenly, Maxwell was being asked more difficult questions than the head coach who proceeded him at the podium, Mark Dantonio.

Maxwell hasn't had to answer many questions this season. The fifth-year senior heads into Saturday's Senior Day game against Minnesota (TV: Noon, BTN) having not started a game since the opener against Western Michigan and not having played a meaningful snap since the Sept. 21 loss at Notre Dame.

But the way Maxwell has handled the adversity of being benched has inspired his teammates and coaches as the 11th-ranked Spartans (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten) have cruised to a spot in the Big Ten championship game regardless of the outcome against the Golden Gophers (8-3, 4-4).

A year ago, Maxwell was on the spot taking a 5-6 Michigan State team to play Minnesota with the season on the line.

Maxwell got through it, just like he did all of those interviews last season -- when he'd answer every question, not blinking an eye at the most insulting of them nor taking the bait to blame teammates when opportunities were dangled.

"There were never excuses, he never blamed his injuries, the receivers or the offensive line,'' said Michigan State associate athletic director of communications John Lewandowski, a 33-year veteran of the collegiate football public relations business. "Andrew always felt like he had a responsibility in every loss, and he never asked to tag out of doing that interview every week.

"Andrew is as mature of a player as I've ever been around. I'd say in all the years I've been doing this, he'll go down as one of my all-time favorite players, and I'll be his life-time friend because of the young man that he is.''

Michigan State's receivers dropped 66 passes last season, and the offensive line was forced to start six different combinations through the first seven games.

Five of the team's six losses were painstakingly close, determined by a combined 13 points. In a 20-3 loss to Notre Dame, with the game still in the balance, a receiver dropped a pass in the end zone.

Michigan State football fans, who had been all but promised a Rose Bowl season, and the national media, who projected the Spartans as a Big Ten favorite, needed a scapegoat.

There were rumblings about the dropped passes, the incorrect routes run, the shaky offensive line play, the difficult schedule and the normally reliable kicker who had suddenly gone south by missing field goals in three games decided by three points or less.

But it was Maxwell, as the quarterback, who was in the position to shoulder the blame.

As a team captain, he did just that, hearing boos at games and taking negative hits on Twitter.

Maxwell tried to engage and encourage the negative fans on Twitter, but eventually, he had to shut down the account.

Maxwell's clutch performance in a 16-13 overtime win at Wisconsin, which snapped the Badgers' home win streak at 21 games, did little to quell the critics.

Maxwell was 8-of-9 passing on the pivotal drive in the final minutes of regulation of what would be his second win over a ranked opponent (Michigan State has beaten one ranked opponent this season). His receivers didn't drop passes, his line protected, and the Spartans' bowl hopes were kept alive.

An elbow injury suffered against Northwestern two weeks later, however, hampered Maxwell throughout the rest of the 2012 season. This, in addition to the knee brace he wore throughout the year on account of former Spartan Will Gholston injuring his leg in a 2012 spring scrimmage.

Maxwell was ineffective in the bowl game against TCU, and Connor Cook was granted opportunities to play. With the game on the line, Dantonio made the gut decision to go with Cook after alternating the two QBs.

Cook, along with departed tailback Le'Veon Bell, worked to get the Spartans in position for a game-winning field goal in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

This time, the field goal was good, and Michigan State had a 17-16 victory.

Dantonio, one of Maxwell's biggest admirers, declared the quarterback job open as the Spartans headed into the offseason.

There was just one hitch: there would be live, full-contact scrimmages, and all of the quarterbacks would be hit, full speed.

Maxwell had to earn the position once again.

Dave Warner, promoted from quarterbacks coach to co-offensive coordinator, summed up his thoughts on Maxwell entering spring drills.

"I think he's got all the tools that Kirk Cousins had as far as arm strength and intelligence and knowledge of the game, decision-making,'' Warner said. "I think he was in a tough situation last year with losing our top three receivers along with a tight end and a running back.''

Maxwell held the No. 1 spot through spring drills, with Dantonio describing his performance as "outstanding.''

Maxwell was No. 1 through fall drills and into the beginning of the season, starting the first game and completing 11-of-21 passes for 74 yards with no interceptions or TD passes against Western Michigan.

Cook was 6-of-16 passing against the Broncos for 42 yards with no interceptions or TD passes.

But it was Cook starting against South Florida, and he was 6-of-11 passing for 32 yards with no TDs or interceptions, while Maxwell was 4-of-9 passing for 40 yards.

Through two games, Maxwell had the better numbers: 15-of-30 passing, 114 yards to Cook's 12-of-27 passing for 74 yards.

Neither QB had an interception or a TD pass.

But Cook had 29 yards rushing, including a key first-down run against the Bulls, and that seemed to be the play Dantonio noticed most.

Further, Dantonio indicated after the win over South Florida that he needed to see more from Maxwell than the underclassmen.

"(Maxwell) is still in the mix, but there's some other things, he has a bigger history here in terms of what's gone on and because of that history, the expectations are quite high, to be frank, with everybody,'' Dantonio said after the South Florida game. "I think Cook created, and it was great to see him take the ball on fourth and one and get the first down. And that was all him in terms of, he ran through a tackle and got the first down and that was a positive thing.''

And that was the separator.

Warner said the Spartans took a different approach to the QB competition entering the game with Youngstown State the following week, and Cook seized the moment with an impressive first half and first series of the second half before Dantonio allowed redshirt freshman Tyler O'Connor to finish the game. Maxwell did not get a chance to play against the Penguins.

"We went into this football game telling Connor that this is his game,'' Warner said. "We definitely went into this game different then we have in the previous couple of games, so I think that helped him from a confidence standpoint, and he seemed to settle in and make plays.''

Freshman QB Damion Terry had been getting work with the first team in practices, but strep throat and a debilitating thumb injury removed him from the competition. O'Connor, who has the same sort of mobility as Cook, was essentially ruled out after he had an issue with play calling near the goal line.

The competition was over.

Maxwell was relegated to the bench, not so much having lost the position as having not done enough to keep it.

Dantonio, concerned with Michigan State's lack of a proven tailback entering the season, felt a mobile QB was the direction the program had to go, and Cook's performance in the Youngstown State game clinched it.

"(Maxwell) had to take a step back because we had to change in some areas because we didn't have a proven tailback when we came into the season, so we had to create some different things for our quarterback in terms of quarterback runs,'' Dantonio said at Tuesday's press conference. "We had to do that in order to be successful. I felt very strongly about that.

"I love Andrew Maxwell and always will, and I have a tremendous respect for him because of what he has endured.''

Michigan State senior team captain Max Bullough believes the dignity with which Maxwell has carried himself this season has played a role in the Spartans' team chemistry, which most associated with the program believe has enabled the 2013 team to achieve at a higher level than most outsiders expected.

"He's set an example, he's a role model, it's something young players can look to,'' Bullough said. "He and Kirk (Cousins) are probably the best two guys I know, they handle themselves correctly and deal with situations much more maturely than I could.

"Andrew has been strong through it and shown character. It's something to be admired. Even though he had to step back, as a person it was a great example. To see a person handle a situation so gracefully and so well, it's impressive.''

Cook, a redshirt sophomore, waited patiently for his opportunity and can't be blamed for making the most of it. Of late, Cook has proven the value of Dantonio's decision, making NFL-like throws and making good decisions.

Cook said he learned a great deal from Maxwell in his quest to become the starting quarterback, and the two have remained friendly during and even after Dantonio settled the quarterback competition.

"I learned to be a student of the game from him,'' Cook said. "Ever since I've been a freshman, he's constantly in the film room, constantly breaking things down. He has the game down to a science. Things I try to emulate with him is his work in the film room, go in, watching extra film of games, extra film of practice.''

Cook was asked how he would have handled the situation were the roles reversed -- what if he was the fifth-year senior who had just lost his starting position because of a change in the team's philosophy?

"You really never want to envision yourself being in those shoes,'' Cook said. "I think he's done a great job handling it, he brings a great attitude to practice and meetings. He's a funny guy, he cracks jokes all the time, even since I took over as quarterback. He has not lost his humor. He's a fun-loving guy.''

Dantonio inserted Maxwell to take the final QB snaps in the Spartans' 29-6 victory over Michigan in the ninth game of the season.

But Maxwell's last meaningful snap came when he entered into the fourth game of the season, at Notre Dame, with 2:11 left and Michigan State trailing 17-13 at its own 33-yard line.

There would be no heroics. Receivers struggled to get open, Maxwell was not in sync with the depth of their routes, a pass went off of a receivers' hands, a lineman committed a motion penalty and suddenly it was fourth-and-20. And Maxwell was forced from the pocket by the Notre Dame pass rush.

With none of his receivers open, all Maxwell could do was run -- which he did, falling woefully short.

Again, the fan narrative was about Maxwell's failure -- never mind that the head coach pointed out Cook had been ineffective moving the ball through the game's first 58 minutes. Cook finished 16-of-32 passing for 135 yards and a touchdown on a drive aided by three Notre Dame penalties.

It wasn't until Cook settled in the following game against Iowa and the offense starting moving forward that the uncertainty of the quarterback situation was put behind the team.

All the while, Maxwell stayed ready and positive.

Maxwell has been requested for interviews several times this season, but none have been granted by the athletic department.

Lewandowski said Maxwell recently did an interview with a writer employed by the school for the Minnesota game program.

"There's nothing in that article that will surprise anyone who knows Andrew Maxwell,'' Lewandowski said. "It's exactly the type of interview you would expect from him.''

It might, however, surprise some of Maxwell's critics that an NFL scout told MLive two weeks ago that Maxwell is among the list of free agents his team is hoping to sign and bring into camp after his college days are over.

"We liked his arm and his football knowledge,'' the scout said. "Just because he doesn't fit into what Michigan State is trying to do doesn't mean he couldn't be a good NFL backup. Everything we've heard is he's a character guy, and he's got a great arm.''

Maxwell has fans, though it's largely still a divided fan base where his quarterback play is concerned.

By consensus, however, he's admired by his coaches and teammates, even if he wasn't one of the three players voted a team captain.

Terry, who will compete for the starting quarterback job with Cook this spring, heaped praise on Maxwell for his willingness to work with him when the two roomed together during fall camp.

"I'm glad I room with Maxwell, he helps me, every night we ask each other questions, he asks me what do you think you need to work on and what didn't you get out there today at practice,'' Terry said in an early August interview. "We talk about that every night, and whatever I tell him he's there to help me and guide me, because he's so smart. His knowledge for the game is crazy and he has really helped me a lot.''

The older players have learned from Maxwell, too -- even 23-year-old senior warhorse offensive lineman Blake Treadwell.

"One thing I'll always remember about him is how he handled the adversity,'' Treadwell said. "A fifth-year senior who started last year, was a captain, and he still stayed strong. It's a testament of his character that has really shown this year

"I know Coach D and us seniors will never forget what he's done. It's amazing what he's endured and he's still such a positive person. I'll always remember Andrew Maxwell when I'm done playing football here.''

Dantonio was asked if he has any plans to honor Maxwell with playing time against the Golden Gophers.

"What I'll probably do is let the game play out as we go, and I obviously have a lot of empathy I guess I would say -- I don't have sympathy, I have empathy for what he's gone through, and the way he's handled it has been very, very positive,'' Dantonio said. "But aside from that, I don't think Andrew, he's not looking for cookies. I don't think that's his makeup.''

No doubt, in Maxwell's final media interview -- conducted in the late-night hours after the Western Michigan game -- he shared a philosophy that he likely applied to his plight this season.

"There's an old saying,'' Maxwell said, "that you can learn a line from a win and a book from defeat.''

Maxwell, a student of the game throughout his career at Michigan State, is the sort who will always be a student of life.

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