Senior quarterback, Brian Hoyer, and senior running back, Javon Ringer, enjoy the dance moves of senior safety, Otis Wiley, during Bowl-A-Palooza at Pointe Orlando in Orlando, Fla.
Orlando, Fla. — The spotlights were on, the mosh pit was growing and chemistry senior Brady Compton was getting fired up.
Compton and three others, including his brother, Mark, were rocking the night away at the Capital One Bowl Pep Rally with the help of the video game Rock Band.
“This is a great setup,” said Mark Compton, a 2007 alumnus who lives in Rochester. “They did a wonderful job so everyone can socialize with one another from students to alumni to the coaches and players.”
Although the Compton duo and the other two members of their band put on quite a show at the Bowl-A-Palooza Fan Fest, the main act was MSU head coach Mark Dantonio and the 18 MSU seniors who showed up for the rally.
Dantonio, who signed a revised contract on Dec. 26, thanked everyone from the bowl organizing group to the approximately 1,500 fans in attendance for supporting MSU through its 9-3 record and Jan. 1 bowl game appearance. Michael Horning, who resides in Jackson, Mich., said Dantonio’s humility regarding MSU’s success is nonsense.
“We’re really pleased to be here and happy Dantonio brought them back to Orlando,” said Horning, who, along with his wife, also attended the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl. “He always gives praise to everyone else but he’s the real deal.”
Among fans and alumni were some parents of the MSU seniors, including those of running back Javon Ringer, strong safety Otis Wiley and guard Mike Bacon.
While there was no question the MSU families were going to be rooting for the same team come Jan. 1, Joel Beutler was the odd-man out in his family.
Beutler, a 1988 MSU graduate who now resides in Atlanta was with his wife, Janelle, and sons Andrew, 10 years old, and Ellis, nine, on his way back from the Florida Keys. As Joel was decked out in MSU Green and White, both Andrew and Ellis were sporting Georgia jerseys.
“His first reaction (when he found out MSU would face Georgia) was, ‘Haha! I’m going to be laughing at you,’” Janelle Beutler said of Andrew’s first reaction when he found out his favorite school would be playing his father’s alma mater.
Although Andrew is confident in a victory for Bulldogs, his hometown team, the same can be said by many Spartans fans.
Finance senior Trevor Anthony, who drove straight-through the night from Michigan to Florida with four other MSU seniors, said while at first he was skeptical, now he has a good feeling about MSU’s chances against the 9-3 Bulldogs.
“It was little hard to get your hopes up, but after listening to
Dantonio tonight I think they’re going to win,” Anthony said. “If they do, it’s going to make for the start of one awesome semester.”
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