35,000 fans flocked to Spartan Stadium Saturday afternoon to watch the defending Big Ten and Rose Bowl champions compete in their spring game.

The White squad got off to a hot start after Jermaine Edmondson intercepted Tyler O’Connor on the first play of the game. Their offense capitalized immediately, as quarterback Damion Terry rushed for a 23 yard touchdown on the first snap.

On their next drive, Connor Cook found Aaron Burbridge for a 26-yard touchdown, increasing their lead to 13-0 after Shilique Calhoun blocked the extra point.

The Green team did not go down that easily, however, as they responded with 13 points of their own after two Michael Geiger field goals and a touchdown pass from O’Connor to Keith Mumphery.

That was it for the scoring until 23 seconds left in the 4th quarter, when Cook found tight end Josiah Price for a two-yard touchdown.

Darian Hicks intercepted O’Connor to end the game, giving the White team a 20-13 victory.

Interceptions were the theme of the day, as Edmondson, Hicks, Kurtis Drummond, Ezra Robinson, and Demetrious Cox all recorded one pick on the day.

Cook, the first player selected in the player draft, finished with 159 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions on the day.

The Michigan State coaching staff is excited to see what Cook can do in his first full year as a starter.

“He’s a very confident player,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said after the game. “I think he’s got a big upside in terms of what he can do with the football, not just throwing the ball.”

Another big time performance came from redshirt freshman defensive end Demetrius Cooper. Fellow defensive end Calhoun was a force as always, recording two sacks and three tackles.

Dan Tyler is host of Spartan Red Zone for Impact Sports.

Photo: Jonathan Yales/Impact Sports