Michigan State DB Malik Spencer ejected for targeting in season opener

Less than 10 seconds into the second quarter of Michigan State‘s season-opening showdown against FAU, defensive back Malik Spencer was ejected for committing targeting. The referees called the penalty after Spencer made helmet-to-helmet contact with FAU quarterback Cam Fancher while he was attempting to slide.

It’s a massive loss for the Spartans so early in the game. Spencer is entering his junior season at Michigan State and a team leader on defense. In the 2023 campaign, Spencer played in all 12 of MSU’s games and made eight starts at safety.

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He tallied 72 tackles, tied for the second-most on the team. Additionally, Spencer notched six pass breakups, which was the 15th-most in the Big Ten. Now, MSU must find its footing on defense without Malik Spencer in the secondary.

Spencer is disqualified from the game for targeting after this hit pic.twitter.com/8UQeMS1zSK

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Michigan State to induct Mark Dantonio into ring of honor

Few coaches have seen sustained success on the gridiron at Michigan State like Mark Dantonio — and none in the modern age have been his peer there. Thus, it likely wasn’t a hard call for the Spartans to honor the former head coach during the 2024 season.

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Dantonio will be inducted in the ring of honor at Spartan Stadium ahead of Michigan State’s Sept. 28 contest against Ohio State in East Lansing. This ceremony is happening a few months before Dantonio is official inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.

Athletic director Alan Haller announced the ceremony in a campus-wide letter on Tuesday, as the new athletic season gets rolling.

“Players from throughout his era will gather with the Spartan faithful to recognize a Coach whose impact goes far beyond the games he won and titles he captured,” Haller said in the letter. “Through their on-field excellence, those Spartan teams created a lifetime of memories for our community.”

Dantonio went 132-74 as a head coach, and saw the highest heights of his success during his final stop in East Lansing.

In 13 years coaching at MSU, Dantonio had just two losing seasons, including one where the Spartans went 6-7. He posted a 114-57 overall record with Michigan State and won a trio of Big Ten titles and guided the Spartans to a berth in the College Football Playoff. Michigan State posted five seasons with 10 or more wins during his tenure

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this article.