Michigan State's New Jersey natives eager to perform in front of family, friends at Rutgers

Michigan State wide receiver Cam Chambers (21) high-fives fans as he walks to the locker room after they defeated Michigan, 14-10, in their Big Ten football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, on Saturday, October 7, 2017. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

EAST LANSING - Gerald Owens was unsure of the final tally and still waiting to hear back from his dad.

Cam Chambers, meanwhile, estimated the total will be between 25 and 30.

Owens, a redshirt junior defensive tackle, and Chambers, a redshirt freshman wide receiver, will return to their home state of New Jersey on Saturday to play for No. 21 Michigan State (8-3, 6-2 Big Ten) in its regular-season finale at Rutgers (4-7, 3-5). And both will have plenty of family and friends at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., to cheer for them.

"It's something special and it's Thanksgiving, so I'm happy I get to see them around that time," Owens said after practice on Tuesday, "because sometimes it gets hard not being able to see them around this time."

Owens and Chambers were both recruited by Rutgers and offered a scholarship by the Scarlet Knights. Both opted to play for the Spartans instead.

Chambers, a former four-star recruit from Timber Creek Regional High School, said Rutgers was his second offer and it came when he was in eighth grade. He recalls taking a tour of Big Ten schools that started at Rutgers and continued to Penn State, Ohio State and Indiana. He committed to Michigan State as a sophomore and was an early enrollee in the 2016 class after picking the Spartans over Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State and others.

"Michigan State, at the time, was the place I was ready to come to, decided to be at, coming off the great season, big wins," Chambers said when asked to recall the recruiting process. "I love Coach (Mark Dantonio), still love him to this day. It was just a place I wanted to be at."

Owens was a three-star running back from West Deptford High School and has added about 60 pounds to his frame since arriving at Michigan State to become a defensive lineman. He picked the Spartans over a number of other schools, including Rutgers.

"It's the home state, everything. That played a big part because I'm a momma's boy, I ain't going to lie," Owens said with a laugh about Rutgers' involvement in the recruiting process. But, as Owens said Tuesday, "I love green and white."

Owens has split time in the defensive line rotation this season and has nine tackles and one sack in 10 games. Chambers has only four receptions for 54 yards in 11 games this fall, but said he's just remaining patient and will do whatever he can to help the team win. He hasn't been in quarterback Brian Lewerke's ear about feeding him the ball in front of his family and friends on Saturday, but apparently doesn't have to be.

"I can see from practice, though, he's focused on that," Lewerke said. "He looks very intense and very crisp today. I can tell he's going back home, for sure."

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