Two Players Dismissed

Two scholarship players released\nAt Tuesday's press conference, coach Gerry DiNardo said that he had released two players, but he declined to give specific names. The two players are believed to be senior linebacker Ron Bethel and sophomore fullback Jason Sullivan. Both players' names have been removed from the team's online roster. Bethel started against Ohio State and Wisconsin.\nDiNardo said one was released for missing a morning workout. The other had missed too many classes. DiNardo said he told the team that this was going to be a difficult week to be part of the program\n"You start sliding and the last thing we're going to do is slide our standard," DiNardo said. "We're going to come in here every morning and swing away. If it means more guys leave, more guys leave. If it means we have more contact than I would like to have, so that it's harder to lose and harder to accept, that's what we're going to do. We have two opponents this week -- Michigan State and ourselves."\nInjury Report\nFreshman defensive back Damien Jones sat out Saturday's loss to Northwestern with a high ankle sprain. He did not practice Tuesday. \nThere is a 50 percent chance he will practice Wednesday and play this weekend, DiNardo said. Jones started every game until Northwestern.\nSenior running back Brian Lewis missed Saturday's game with a thumb injury. He is expected to miss the rest of the season. Freshman Chris Taylor filled in for Lewis and had 102 yards and a touchdown.\nMichigan State Coaching Changes\nOn Monday, Michigan State made a coaching change when they released Bobby Williams as their head coach. Williams' record at MSU was 16-17. Williams and the MSU program have had several problems in the last couple of months.\nOffensive coordinator Morris Watts will serve as interim head coach. Watts has been an assistant for 42 years, including at IU for nine years. \nWatts said the decision was a difficult one to make because of his loyalties to Williams, athletic director Ron Mason and Michigan State.\n"That's why this is such a difficult night," Watts said in a Monday press conference. "I was torn with my loyalty to Bobby and my loyalty to Michigan State when Ron asked if I would take over the interim head coaching job. I look forward to doing as good of a job as I can and getting the young men to play hard for the next three ballgames."\nSpartans Lose Another Top Player\nSenior running back and team captain Dawan Moss was dismissed from the team stemming from his arrest following Saturday's loss to Michigan.\nMSU was already without the services of junior quarterback Jeff Smoker who was suspended for violating team rules. Smoker recently checked himself into a substance abuse program.\nMoss was arrested for dragging a police officer with his car following a traffic stop.\nJunior defensive end Greg Taplin was suspended against Michigan for violating team rules but should be eligible to play against IU. Moss was the team's leading rusher. Smoker was the team's leading passer.\nBattle for the Spittoon\nThe Old Brass Spittoon, the trophy between IU and MSU, will be up for grabs again this weekend. IU won last year's contest in East Lansing 37-28. The Hoosiers and Spartans have battled for the trophy since 1950. MSU holds a 34-13-2 series advantage over IU.