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Michigan State grades vs Maryland: Jonathan Smith embraces his gambler

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Michigan State grades vs Maryland: Jonathan Smith embraces his gambler


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Free Press sports writer Chris Solari rates Michigan State football on a scale of A to F after the Spartans’ 38-28 win over Maryland on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Ford Field in Detroit.

Offense: B

While there were drives that stalled and sputtered, MSU played one of its most complete games under coach Jonathan Smith, relative to the competition. The offensive line – on to its nation-high seventh different starting group and 11th new starter – delivered a sack-free performance for the first time in two seasons against an FBS opponent under position coach Jim Michalczik, and the program’s first game without a sack allowe since Nov. 18, 2023, at Indiana. That allowed quarterback Alessio Milivojevic to throw for 292 yards and a career-best four touchdowns, spreading the ball to eight different receivers. And it allowed the Spartans’ running backs to pick up 161 yards combined as holes opened all game.

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Defense: C

MSU needed to steady the ship once the Terps turned to quarterback Malik Washington to throw and throw and throw some more, 61 passes in Maryland’s 77 offensive plays. The freshman delivered with 459 passing yards, much of it coming over the middle to exploit season-long coverage issues there, as the Spartans bent time and again. But when a big play was needed most, junior captain Jordan Hall delivered two big ones – hitting Washington on a third-down throw and then combining with cornerback Aydan West for a sack to force a turnover on downs the next play. Defensive back Aveon Grose, making his first start as a Spartan, sealed it with an interception after that. But MSU was abysmal on third down before then, allowing the Terps to go 9-for-16.

Special teams: A

That A stands for Alante Brown. After missing nine games with a broken foot, the sixth-year senior kick returner touched the ball once in his final game – and returned a third-quarter kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown in his last touch as a college player. Punter Ryan Eckley continued his strong season by pinning Maryland inside the 20 on four of his five punts and averaged 47.6 yards, while kicker Martin Connington delivered a short field goal. And after coverage busts a week earlier at Iowa proved costly, the Spartans shored things up to prevent any Saturday.

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Coaching: B

MSU could have packed it in weeks ago, but Smith and his staff continued to maximize the fight internally and finally got a win to end an eight-game losing streak. Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren dialed up a strong plan to keep Milivojevic moving the chains and away from pressure. Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s group found enough moxie in the fourth quarter to finally stop the Terrapins. And Smith remained true to himself while showing a bit of a gambler, going for it on fourth-and-7 at the Terps’ 10 after the 2-minute timeout and coming out with a touchdown that put the game away.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

 Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes on Apple PodcastsSpotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.





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Winds ease for a seasonable weekend in Maryland

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Winds ease for a seasonable weekend in Maryland


Happy Saturday, Maryland!

Today is the final day of fall and we’ll have more seasonable conditions and quieter weather this weekend.

Calmer weekend

Maryland’s peak wind gusts reached over 50 mph on Friday. As high pressure remains in control today (although it is moving offshore), we’ll have a couple of quieter days ahead the weekend.

Expect temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s on Saturday with much calmer winds. Sunshine mixes with clouds overhead, but we stay dry.

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Tonight, we could have a few more clouds as a cold front approaches. Temperatures cool into the 20s and 30s again tonight. 

Ravens-Patriots forecast

Winds pick up slightly again on Sunday, as gusts could surpass 20 mph during the day. Temperatures will be a few degrees warmer, reaching the upper 40s in some neighborhoods.

It’ll be cool if you’re heading to the Ravens game on Sunday night. Kickoff temperatures will be in the low 30s and drop into the 20s through game time.

It will be dry with mainly clear skies during the game. 

Holiday travel

We are in the final countdown ahead of the Christmas holiday next week. Overall, it looks like weather will cooperate with your travel plans here in Maryland. 

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Outside of a low risk for a shower or two with the passing cold front tomorrow, it’s dry over the next couple of days.

Our next chance of rain will come Tuesday as a pair of fronts will pass through. A few snowflakes could mix with showers Monday night into Tuesday. Accumulations are not expected at this point.

Then, the First Alert Weather team will watch another chance for a few showers Wednesday into Thursday. Santa may need the windshield wipers as he moves through on Christmas Eve. He’ll check in with the WJZ First Alert Weather team for updated timing on the late-week chance of showers, just as you should!

Temperatures later in the week will also be warming. Wednesday will be in the mid to upper 40s with Thursday and Friday warming into the 50s. Cooler air returns for the final weekend of 2025.

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Maryland dentist to serve 10 years for pill-splitting scheme with assistant

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Maryland dentist to serve 10 years for pill-splitting scheme with assistant


A Baltimore County dentist was sentenced to 10 years in prison after illegally distributing an opioid to one of his former employees over the course of three years.

According to the Office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown (OAG), Dr. Andrew T. Fried, DMD, a licensed dentist who owned a solo practice dental office in Nottingham, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the following charges in November:

  • one count of distributing narcotics 
  • and one count of prescribing controlled dangerous substances outside the regular course of duties of a dentist and not within the standards of his profession related to controlled dangerous substances.

Dr. Fried prescribed Oxycodone without a legitimate reason to a former employee who worked as an assistant at Perry Hall Family Dental from April 2022 to May 2025. 

Dr. Fried admitted that he and the former assistant would split the pills between themselves and that he purchased them weekly from his assistant, who got them from close family members, according to a press release from the OAG. 

On Friday, AG Brown announced the charges, stating, “Every Marylander who sits in a dental chair should trust that they’re receiving competent, professional care…This sentence protects Dr. Fried’s patients from further unsafe treatment and eliminates a source of opioids in our communities.”

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Baltimore opioid crisis

Oxycodone is a strong prescription painkiller that is classified as a Schedule II-Controlled Substance due to its risk of addiction, illness, and, in some cases, death.

The drug is meant to be distributed by healthcare professionals to treat moderate to severe pain when other pain medicines aren’t sufficient; however, the pills can, at times, be found on the street. 

In 2019, police arrested a man after discovering 38 pills of suspected Oxycodone during a traffic stop in Glen Burnie. 

In 2018, a licensed pharmacist pleaded guilty to distributing oxycodone in exchange for sexual favors.

Baltimore’s ongoing opioid epidemic is a priority for city leaders. 

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In October, city leaders met to discuss ways to address Baltimore’s open-air drug market after three mass overdose incidents had taken place in the Penn North neighborhood over a span of four months.



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No. 7 Maryland routs winless Central Connecticut State 98-30 despite injury issues

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No. 7 Maryland routs winless Central Connecticut State 98-30 despite injury issues


COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Yarden Garzon scored 12 of her 25 points in the first quarter, and No. 7 Maryland routed Central Connecticut State 98-30 on Friday.

To the delight of the screaming kids in attendance for the team’s annual Field Trip Day game, Terrapins coach Brenda Frese wore a jersey with the number 67 on it before tip-off. Then Maryland nearly won by that margin.

The blowout was no surprise. Maryland entered the game as one of 12 unbeaten teams left in Division I, and Central Connecticut State was one of 10 without a victory. The Terps (13-0) scored the game’s first 10 points and led 39-14 after one quarter.

Garzon made four 3-pointers in the first period.

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Oluchi Okananwa had 22 points and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, who appeared to hobble on her right leg before leaving the game in the fourth quarter, had 10 points and nine rebounds. Ozzy-Momodu said after the game she’s OK.

Lucia Noin led Central Connecticut State (0-11) with 12 points.

Maryland guard Saylor Poffenbarger has been dealing with an ankle injury, and she sat out Friday as a planned rest day before the team returns to conference play. The Terrapins have lost Lea Bartelme, Ava McKennie and Kaylene Smikle to season-ending knee injuries, and Bri McDaniel, who tore her ACL 11 months ago, now plans to redshirt this season.

After the Terps took a 64-18 lead, they attempted five straight 3-pointers before Garzon finally made one to gave Maryland exactly 67 points. That drew an excited response from the crowd, as expected.

Central Connecticut State: Hosts Long Island University on Jan. 2.

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Maryland: Hosts Wisconsin on Dec. 29.

___

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