Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Mark Dantonio provides update on Connor Cook’s Ohio State status

Connor O'Gara

By Connor O'Gara

Published:

When Connor Cook suffered a shoulder injury on Saturday, the focus immediately shifted to the Ohio State game next week.

It didn’t matter a whole lot on Saturday that Cook was sidelined for the second half. But it surely didn’t look good when he had this reaction on the sideline.

Following the win against Maryland, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio was asked about the senior quarterback’s status for the Ohio State game next Saturday.

He had an encouraging response.

That’s a good sign after an odd Saturday for Cook.

On the second drive of the game, Dantonio brought in backup quarterback Tyler O’Connor. He had done that in the past with Cook split out wide, but not for an entire series. O’Connor led the Spartans on a touchdown drive with Cook seemingly healthy on the sideline.

It wasn’t until the next drive that Cook took a shot to his shoulder.

So why did he make that move?

Cook tried to return, but it wasn’t pretty. He struggled through a 6-for-20 first half, and under-threw a ball that was intercepted. If not for two late Maryland turnovers, Michigan State would’ve gone into the half with only seven points.

Dantonio went with O’Connor in the second half, which didn’t prove costly against Maryland.

But against unbeaten Ohio State, Dantonio can only hope his early status report on Cook holds true throughout the week.

Connor O'Gara

Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.