Harlon Barnett hopes to send MSU seniors out with a win over Nebraska

Believe it or not, the Michigan State football team only has one home game remaining at Spartan Stadium in 2023. That will come this Saturday versus Nebraska at noon Eastern Time (FS1).

The Spartans' regular-season finale versus Penn State was moved from East Lansing to Ford Field in Detroit, and will be played on Black Friday (Nov. 24).

For MSU interim head coach Harlon Barnett, the focus is on the seniors who be playing at Spartan Stadium one final time on Saturday. The goal, of course, is to send them out with a victory.

Perhaps that is easier said than done, though. Michigan State has lost six-straight games, and currently sits at 2-6 overall and 0-5 in Big Ten play. Meanwhile, Nebraska has improved after a slow start, winning three games in a row. The Cornhuskers come into Saturday's game with a 5-3 record, and a 3-2 mark in conference play.

"We have senior day this week, and (we're) looking forward to our seniors having their last game here in Spartan Stadium," Barnett said on Monday. "And we're going out with a victory, that's the goal, and we just want to see them, everybody play well in our last home game here at Spartan Stadium."

Michigan State is looking to find a way to win and break the current six-game skid, and getting the seniors a victory in their final true home game would be the preferred time to it for Barnett and the Spartans.

"It would be awesome, very, very special" Barnett said about getting the seniors a win on senior day. "To send them out the right way, last home game at Spartan Stadium, they'll never forget it. I still remember mine. It will be great. We definitely want to ... send them out of Spartan Stadium as winners in their last home game."

While Michigan State certainly won't be competing for a championship this season, and bowl game hopes are slim at this point, Barnett doesn't want his team to be called "spoilers." Despite the struggles, the goal is still to win every game.

"I never think spoiler personally, I just think win," Barnett said. "I'm thinking win, let's win. We have four more opportunities to go out there and win. I told the team also, that Michigan State hasn't gone 4-0 in November, or undefeated in November, since 2013. That's 10 years ago. Even in the year we went to the playoffs (2015), we didn't go undefeated in November. (We) lost at Nebraska actually, believe it or not.

"So, I just try to give them motivation and things. First of all, I'm a very positive person, and I said this the other day, I'm an encourager. So, my mind goes to positive, win. I never think lose or be a spoiler. Saying I'm a spoiler means I'm a scrub, and I ain't a scrub, so I don't think spoiler. I think go win."

Concerns remain at the quarterback position, so, unsurprisingly, the first question Barnett was asked at his weekly press conference on Monday was about the signal-callers.

The Spartans pulled starting redshirt freshman quarterback Katin Houser in favor of true freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt in Saturday's 27-12 loss to Minnesota.

Leavitt led MSU's only touchdown drive and finished the game 8-for-12 passing for 73 yards and a touchdown, to go along with a team-leading 52 rushing yards. However, he also had turned the ball over twice with a fumble and interception. Meanwhile, Houser struggled to get the offense moving, and the Spartans had just six points through three quarters. He went 12-for-22 passing for a mere 117 yards, with no touchdowns or turnovers.

According to Barnett, the position is still being evaluated and the competition is ongoing in terms of who is going to start at Nebraska this week.

"So it's still (in) competition mode," Barnett said about the quarterbacks. "So, this is something that you saw (from) Katin (Houser) — he didn't turn the ball over, he ran the offense efficiently, and did a good job. Then you saw Sam (Leavitt) come in and move us down the field and we actually scored a touchdown, but we did have two turnovers. So, it's still a competition, like I say every week, between everybody. It's not just the quarterbacks. I know that's sort of where the main focus is now, but, everybody's still competing, and the best players will play."

Barnett further broke down how the coaching staff plans to assess the two young quarterbacks and make a decision about the position moving forward.

"They're young, and any young player can be a fragile player, so to speak," Barnett explained about about Houser and Leavitt. "You don't want to mess them up. You want to see them continue to grow every time they get a chance to play and show what they can do. And so, we're just still trying to build them and grow them because that's what we are as coaches, we're mentors, we're developers of players.

"And so that's what we're just trying to do, help keep them developing and getting better and better and better ... And so, those guys are working hard. They're good young players, they're gonna be really, really good players before it's all said and done, both of them."

Barnett believes that both Houser and Leavitt, along with the other other quarterbacks on the roster, are being "coached up extremely well," by offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson. The interim head coach believes fans will soon see "marked improvement" as the season moves forward.

As mentioned, Nebraska started the 2023 campaign off slowly under new head coach Matt Rhule. The Cornhuskers began the year 0-2 and had a 2-3 record after five games. Now, after three-straight conference victories, the Huskers seem to have found their footing.

Barnett praised Nebraska and noted that it often takes time for a new coaching staff to get rolling, but that seems to be what Rhule and his staff are doing now.

"I just think, with the new staff, getting used to one another and the players getting used to the coaches, I think they've found themselves a little bit here now," Barnett said about Nebraska. "They've got a rhythm going and they're playing well, so credit to them. I believe they found out what they're good at as a team, as a coaching staff, and they're just trying to use that and put guys in the best positions to be successful."

While the Spartans are still trying to figure things out on the field themselves, one thing Barnett and the staff have done a tremendous job of is keeping the team together.

While defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye recently left the program, Barnett noted that no other players have opted to depart from the team. With the 30-day transfer portal window following the firing of former head coach Mel Tucker now closed, Michigan State only lost five players in that time frame. As of press time, three players are confirmed to have entered the transfer portal (long snapper Hank Pepper, running back Jordon Simmons and offensive lineman Keyshawn Blackstock), while Adeleye and defensive back Justin White are no longer with the team.

Additionally, defensive tackle Simon Barrow Jr. entered the transfer portal last week before withdrawing two days later and rejoining Michigan State. He played against Minnesota on Saturday, and blocked a field goal, while also recording six tackles.

Barnett said he wanted to keep the reasoning for Adeleye's departure private, but he is adamant that the players who chose to stay did so because they want to be Spartans, at least for the remainder of the 2023 season.

"As far as the (transfer portal) window closing, that's a good thing," Barnett said. "Obviously you can be thinking about it as a coach that some more guys can hop in (later) and all that kind of stuff, but fortunately, we have been blessed that we didn't have a lot of guys hop in there, and they're here, so you know what you're dealing with now.

"These are guys that want to be here, and want to see this thing through, so I really appreciate them for it. And I told them that even on Saturday before our game, I appreciate everybody that's here and working hard and doing their best to help us succeed."

Obviously, things have not gone well for the Spartans this year on or off the field. However, Barnett appreciates the fight the team has shown, and everything the seniors and the rest of the players have gone through this season and over the years.

"Absolutely, all the seniors, the entire team, the program because we're on unsettled ground right now," Barnett said when asked if he has a special appreciation for the players after everything they've been through this season. "And so, the way these guys just keep coming out, you can tell the guys on the team right now, they love football. That's just calling it what it is. You have to love football in itself based on everything that's been going on.

"So I love football. They love football. They love playing for their brothers next to them. And, that's what I love about this team, and that's why we want to get a win so bad for this group, so prayerfully it will be this weekend."

Barnett was also asked if he had any injury updates. Tight end Maliq Carr missed the game in Minnesota last weekend, while wide receiver Tre Mosley was hurt during the game and only played 25 snaps.

The statuses for both players are uncertain heading into Saturday's game versus Nebraska. Barnett noted that it may be difficult for Mosley to play during senior day.

"Tre is more day-to-day, I'm not sure, it's going to be tough for him," Barnett said about Mosley's status.

As for Carr, he seems to be in a similar boat as Mosley.

"Maliq, we're working through the process with him and his injury," Barnett said about Carr. (He's) day-to-day, too. I'm not sure about this week."

Mosley is now in his fifth year at Michigan State, and he has been through a lot of ups and downs throughout his tenure.

Mosley was originally recruited by then-head coach (and currently MSU's associate head coach) Mark Dantonio, and played one season under Dantonio in 2019. Of course, Tucker was hired in February 2020, then later that year, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shortened football season and MSU finished the campaign 2-5. In 2021, Michigan State bounced back in a big way with an 11-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory. In 2022, the Spartans finished at just 5-7 after an injury-riddled season. Now, in 2023, Tucker is accused of sexual harassment and was ultimately fired, and on the field, MSU has lost six games in a row.

Barnett has a great deal of respect for Mosley and the other seniors and fifth-year players who have been through a lot.

"It's very unique," Barnett said about Mosley's time in East Lansing. "Tre is a great example of, first of all, a very great young man. He's a great young man, good dude —voted captain by his teammates, straightforward, honest, hard-worker. And so, he is a Spartan, he's a true Spartan, and he'll always be welcomed here. But his journey is unique, and I think that's something that (the media) needs to ask him when you get the opportunity, of how unique it's been for him, and at the same time, him still loving everything about the Green and White. So, really appreciate Tre Mosley and all that he's done for this program, and he's going to be successful in life."

As for other injuries, Barnett also noted that quarterback Noah Kim and linebacker Darius Snow could make returns at some point this season.

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