East Lansing — On Saturday afternoon, Michigan State’s players celebrated in the locker room at Spartan Stadium.
It’s something the Spartans have done often over the last 10 seasons, many times dancing with a conference championship trophy or something more sentimental like the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
But after a 49-0 victory over Rutgers, it was a celebration that might have carried just as much relief. After all, it was Michigan State’s first Big Ten victory this season and it ended seven-game skid that dated back to the conference opener against Wisconsin on Sept. 24.
Coach Mark Dantonio said his team crawled out from under a rock with the victory and they relished the feeling as they rejoiced in the locker room.