Herausforderungen » r 259 yards. About the only cornerback w

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The last time Michigan State lost two games in a row was in 2012, part of a disappointing year in which the Spartans barely qualified for a bowl.Its happened again over the past couple of weekends, but theres still time for Mark Dantonios team to limit the damage.If you saw the 2012 situation, it mirrored some things that are going on right now and the fact that youve got to get off the field on third down, youve got to play well in the kicking game, youve got to make third-down conversions, said Dantonio, who is in his 10th season as Michigan States coach. When you dont ... then you come up inches short.The Spartans fell out of the Top 25 after losses to Wisconsin and Indiana, and theyll host Brigham Young in a tricky nonconference matchup Saturday. Michigan State hasnt lost three in a row since early in the 2009 season.BYU (2-3) is coming off a wild 55-53 win over Toledo in which Jamaal Williams set a single-game school record with 286 yards rushing. He also ran for five touchdowns.Hes got great vision. Jamaal does a great job of setting up blocks, Cougars coach Kalani Sitake said. Going into the season, we thought hes a special one. Hes going to have to have a lot of big games like that to help us win.Williams ranks second in the nation with 703 yards rushing on the season.Weve got to play defense like we know how to play, got to tackle in space, got to cover down the field, Dantonio said. They can run the football, been productive, but other people have held them down as well. Theyve had low-scoring games as well -- two of them in the teens, one of them in the 20s, and a couple of them higher. So well see what we get.Michigan State is 12th in the Big Ten in stopping third downs. Opponents have converted 40 percent of the time.Here are a few things to watch when the Spartans (2-2) host the Cougars:QB QUESTIONSTyler OConnor threw three interceptions in Michigan States 30-6 loss to Wisconsin a couple weekends ago. He threw three TD passes last weekend against Indiana, but that was all the scoring the offense managed.BYUs Taysom Hill has thrown only five touchdown passes with six interceptions this season.PENALTY PROBLEMSMichigan State lost 24-21 at Indiana in overtime. The Hoosiers actually missed a field goal on their overtime possession, but they got another chance after a leaping penalty on the Spartans.Michigan State is averaging 74.5 yards a game in penalties, over 20 yards more than its opponents.LEADERBYUs Kai Nacua is tied for the national lead with four interceptions, and he has 12 in his career. That said, the Cougars have work to do defensively after playing such a high-scoring game against Toledo.Toledo put up too many points and we felt like we could have done better, defensive back Dayan Lake said. It was a disappointing game for us and we have a lot of improvement to do. Were going to work on that. We need to execute. We need to trust our speed.SERIES OPENERMichigan State and BYU are facing each other for the first time. The Spartans are scheduled to play a return game with the Cougars in Provo, Utah, in 2020.SUSPENSIONMalik McDowell, a standout defensive lineman for Michigan State, is suspended for the first half against BYU because he was ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter against Indiana.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtristerLester Hayes Jersey . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Antonio Brown Raiders Jersey . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. https://www.raiderssportsgoods.com/Womens-Josh-Jacobs-Inverted-Jersey/ . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Derek Carr Jersey . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Josh Jacobs Jersey . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Its official: The Green Bay Packers will have their Nos. 4 and 5 cornerbacks starting against the NFLs leading receiver on Sunday.With the news Friday that Quinten Rollins was ruled out with a groin injury, it means the Packers will be without their top three opening-day cornerbacks against the Falcons?Julio Jones on Sunday in Atlanta.In addition to Rollins, the Packers already knew they would be without Sam Shields (who was placed on injured reserve earlier this month because of a concussion) and Damarious Randall (who underwent groin surgery last week).It leaves second-year pro LaDarius Gunter, a former undrafted free agent, and third-year pro Demetri Goodson, a former sixth-round pick who was suspended for the first four games of this season. They will deal with Jones, who needs 170 yards to reach 1,000 at the midway point of the season.In Jones last outing against the Packers in 2014, he caught 11 passes for 259 yards. About the only cornerback who had any success against Jones in that game waas Davon House, who now plays for the Jaguars.ddddddddddddGunter, who held Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery to three catches for 33 yards last week but struggled in the previous game against the Dez Bryant-less Cowboys, likely will match up against Jones. Gunter is the Packers biggest cornerback at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds.I think thats his strength, Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt said of Gunters size. He has the length, he has very strong hands. He tries to get his hands on people.The Packers also listed four key players as questionable: receiver Randall Cobb (hamstring), receiver/running back Ty Montgomery (illness), guard T.J. Lang (hip) and outside linebacker Clay Matthews (hamstring).The Packers dont practice on Fridays, but coach Mike McCarthy estimated that Cobb would have been limited.Randall is doing well, progressing, McCarthy said Friday. Theres a plan for him moving forward. ' ' '