Connor Cook leaves Maryland game with apparent shoulder injury

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- An apparent shoulder injury kept Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook on the sideline for the second half of the 13th-ranked Spartans' 24-7 win overMaryland on Saturday afternoon.

After the game, Cook said he is healthy enough to play next week when the Spartans go on the road for a Big Ten showdown against No. 3 Ohio State.

Asked how confident he was on a scale of one to 10 that Cook would be healthy against Ohio State, Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said, "I'm like a 9.5. I'm pretty confident."

Cook temporarily left the game in the first half when a hard hit left him favoring his right arm. He returned to action but completed only six of 20 pass attempts in the first half. The quarterback said he was held out by Dantonio for precautionary reasons.

"I had full confidence in my arm, my ability and my health," Cook said. "Coach D just wanted to play it safe and keep me on the sideline."

The third quarter began with Cook wearing a headset rather than his helmet.

"I think if we would have chosen to run the football, he could have hung in there," Dantonio said. "I just don't think he had the velocity on the ball that he usually has. I think that was bothering him."

Junior quarterback Tyler O'Connor took Cook's place and completed six of 11 passes in the second half.

Cook, a dark horse Heisman contender, had thrown eight touchdown passes in Michigan State's past two games.