6 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS• 9 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS • 2015 COTTON BOWL CHAMPIONS • 2014 ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS • 534 BIRCH ROAD • Z-22 BRESLIN CENTER • EAST LANSING, MICH. 48824 OFFICE PHONE: 517-355-2271 • WEBSITE: MSUSPARTANS.COM • TWITTER: @MSU_FOOTBALL • YOUTUBE: MSUSPARTANATHLETICS
SCHEDULES & SCOREBOARDS MICHIGAN STATE (12-1, 7-1 Big Ten)
Sept. 4 at Western Michigan (ESPNU) W, 37-24 Sept. 12 No. 7/5 OREGON (ABC) W, 31-28 Sept. 19 AIR FORCE (ABC) W, 35-21 Sept. 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN (BTN) W, 30-10 Oct. 3 PURDUE (HC/ESPN2) W, 24-21 Oct. 10 at Rutgers (BTN) W, 31-24 Oct. 17 at No. 12/14 Michigan (ESPN) W, 27-23 Oct. 24 INDIANA (ABC) W, 52-26 Nov. 7 at Nebraska (ESPN) L, 38-39 Nov. 14 MARYLAND (ESPN2) W, 24-7 Nov. 21 at No. 2/2 Ohio State (ABC) W, 17-14 Nov. 28 PENN STATE (ESPN) W, 55-16 Dec. 5 vs. No. 4/3 Iowa (FOX) * W, 16-13 Dec. 31 vs. No. 2/2 Alabama (ESPN) + 8 p.m. * Big Ten Championship Game (Indianapolis) + CFP Semifinal; Cotton Bowl (Arlington, Texas)
NO. 3 MICHIGAN STATE (12-1, 7-1) VS. NO. 2 ALABAMA (12-1, 7-1) Date .......................................... Thursday, Dec. 31 Kickoff ............................................8:10 p.m. EST Location.......................................Arlington, Texas Stadium ........................... AT&T Stadium (71,815) Surface .........................................Matrix FieldTurf TV/Mobile................................. ESPN/WatchESPN Live Stats..........Gametracker (msuspartans.com) Tickets ............................................................Sold out All-Time Series...................... Alabama leads, 1-0
ALABAMA (12-1, 7-1 SEC)
Sept. 5 vs. No. 20/18 Wisconsin * W, 35-17 Sept. 12 MIDDLE TENNESSEE W, 37-10 Sept. 19 No. 15/11 OLE MISS L, 37-43 Sept. 26 LOUISIANA-MONROE W, 34-0 Oct. 3 at No. 8/6 Georgia W, 38-10 Oct. 10 ARKANSAS W, 27-14 Oct. 17 at No. 9/10 Texas A&M W, 41-23 Oct. 24 TENNESSEE W, 19-14 Nov. 7 No. 4/4 LSU W, 30-16 Nov. 14 at No. 17/20 Mississippi State W, 31-6 Nov. 21 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN W, 56-6 Nov. 28 at Auburn W, 29-13 Dec. 5 vs. No. 18/18 Florida + W, 29-15 Dec. 31 vs. No. 3/4 Michigan State 8 p.m. * Arlington, Texas | + SEC Championship (Atlanta) • All times listed – Eastern. Rankings – AP/Coaches
MEDIA COVERAGE TV: ESPN
Play-by-Play: Chris Fowler Analyst: Kirk Herbstreit Sideline: Heather Cox & Tom Rinaldi
RADIO: SPARTAN SPORTS NETWORK
Play-by-Play: George Blaha Analyst: Jason Strayhorn Sideline: Keith Nichol Broadcast Host: Will Tieman Website: SpartanSportsNetwork.com Mobile: SSN 24/7 App (iOS, Android) Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM) Affiliates: 35 affiliates listed at SpartanSportsNetwork.com
NATIONAL RADIO: ESPN RADIO
Play-by-Play: Brad Sham | Analyst: Danny Kanell Sideline: Ian Fitzsimmons | Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 80
MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Associate AD/Football Contact .... John Lewandowski Cell Phone ...................................... (517) 243-2354 E-Mail ......................................lewski@ath.msu.edu Assistant Director/Football Contact ....... Ben Phlegar Cell Phone ...................................... (517) 896-0031 E-Mail ................................. phlegarb@ath.msu.edu
Last Meeting..... Alabama 49, MSU 7 (Jan. 1, 2011) Current Series Streak ..........1 by Alabama (2011)
Head Coach Mark Dantonio MSU Record 87-32 (9th year) Overall Record 105-49 (12th year) Record vs. Alabama 0-1
Head Coach Nick Saban Alabama Record 98-18 (9th year) Overall Record 189-60-1 (20th year) Record vs. MSU 1-0
SPARTAN FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES – • Following its 16-13 win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game, Michigan State (12-1, 7-1 Big Ten) was selected the third seed in the four-team College Football Playoff and will play second-seeded and SEC Champion Alabama (12-1, 7-1 SEC) in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Thursday, Dec. 31 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (8 p.m., ESPN). No. 1 seed Clemson (13-0) will face No. 4 Oklahoma (11-1) in the Capital One Orange Bowl, also on Dec. 31. The 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game is set for Jan. 11 in Glendale, Arizona, at University of Phoenix Stadium. • The Spartans will be making their second consecutive appearance in the Cotton Bowl. Michigan State staged a 20-point, fourth-quarter comeback in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic to defeat No. 4 Baylor, 42-41. With the Cotton Bowl Classic victory over Baylor, MSU extended its school-record bowl winning streak to four games, tied for the longest in Big Ten history (2012 Outback over No. 18 Georgia, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings over TCU, 2014 Rose Bowl over No. 5 Stanford, 2015 Cotton Bowl over No. 4 Baylor). It also equals the longest active bowl winning streak in the FBS. Michigan State is one of just five schools in the FBS to win bowl games in each of the last four seasons (Louisiana-Lafayette, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas A&M). • Michigan State has posted at least 11 wins five times in the last six seasons (11 in 2010, 11 in 2011, 13 in 2013, 11 in 2014, 12 in 2015). Prior to Mark Dantonio’s arrival, the Spartans had just two 10-win seasons in school history (1965, 1999). Dantonio is the first coach in Big Ten history to record five 11-win seasons in a six-year span. His five 11-win seasons rank second most in Big Ten history, along with Joe Paterno (five with Penn State as Big Ten member). The 12 wins in 2015 are second most in school history (13 in 2013). • Michigan State won its second Big Ten Championship in three years and ninth in school history with a 16-13 victory over No. 4 Iowa. It marked Dantonio’s third Big Ten Championship (2010, 2013, 2015), establishing a school record (previous: Duffy Daugherty and George Perles with two). The Spartans also won Big Ten titles in 1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987 and 1990. • Michigan State is extending its school record by playing in a bowl game for the ninth consecutive season (2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl). The nine-year bowl streak is currently the second longest in the Big Ten and 12th longest in the NCAA FBS.
MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES COTTON BOWL MEDIA GUIDE: TABLE OF CONTENTS
Game Notes ......................................................... 1-35 Coaching Staff Locations ....................................18 Depth Chart/Career Starts Chart ........................ 34-35 Rosters/Pronunciation Guide.............................. 36-39 The Last Time ...........................................................40 Updated Player Bios ........................................... 41-72 2015 Stats/Career Stats/Big Ten Stats ............. 73-102 2015 Game Recaps.........................................103-116 Mark Dantonio/Coaching Staff/Support Staff ......117-138 Bowl History.................................................... 139-160 Spartans in the Media/Clippings .............................161
COTTON BOWL CONTACT INFORMATION MICHIGAN STATE TEAM HOTEL
Gaylord Texan Hotel & Resort | (817) 778-1000 1501 Gaylord Trail | Grapevine, TX 76051
MEDIA HOTEL
Omni Dallas Hotel | OmniHotels.com/Hotels/Dallas 555 S. Lamar, Dallas, TX 75202
MICHIGAN STATE PRACTICE SITE
AT&T Stadium | One AT&T Way • Arlington, TX 76011
COTTON BOWL COMMUNICATIONS
Charlie Fiss, Vice President of Communications charlie@cottonbowl.com; 817-892-4803 Michael Konradi, Sr. VP/External Affairs michael@cottonbowl.com Website: CottonBowl.com | Twitter: @cottonbowlgame
COTTON BOWL COVERAGE
Daily practice updates, videos and quotes on msuspartans.com and collegepressbox.com.
MICHIGAN STATE QUICK FACTS
GENERAL INFORMATION Location: East Lansing, Mich. Enrollment: 50,085 (fall 2014) Conference: Big Ten (East Division) Nickname: Spartans Colors: Green and White President: Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon Athletics Director: Mark Hollis Stadium (Capacity): Spartan Stadium (75,005) Surface: Natural Grass Press Box Number: 517-353-0630 COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Mark Dantonio (South Carolina, 1979) Record at MSU: 87-32 (ninth year) Career Record: 105-49 (12th year) Assistant Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/ Secondary: Harlon Barnett (ninth year; Michigan State, 1990) Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: Mike Tressel (ninth year; Cornell [Iowa] College, 1996) Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs: Dave Warner (ninth year; Syracuse, 1982) Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends: Jim Bollman (third year; Ohio, 1977) Defensive Line: Ron Burton (third year; North Carolina, 1987) Quarterbacks/Recruiting Coordinator: Brad Salem (sixth year; Augustana College, 1992) Wide Receivers: Terrence Samuel (fifth year; Purdue, 1995) Linebackers/Special Teams: Mark Snyder (first year; Marshall, 1988) Offensive Line: Mark Staten (ninth year; Miami-Ohio, 2001) Assistant AD/Director of Football Operations: Tim Allen (eighth year; Bethel [Kansas] College, 1986)
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FOOTBALL HISTORY All-Time Record: 681-440-44 (.603) 2014 Record: 11-2 (7-1 Big Ten/2nd East Division) First Season of Football: 1896 Bowl Games: 25 (11-14) National Championships: 6 (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966) Big Ten Championships: 9 (1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987, 1990, 2010, 2013, 2015) Big Ten Division Championships: 3 (2011, 2013, 2015)
• Ninth-year Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio will be making his ninth bowl appearance at MSU, extending his school record for most bowl appearances by a head coach (previous record: George Perles with seven from 1983-94). Dantonio is 4-4 in bowl games at Michigan State, including a school-record four-game winning streak (2012 Outback, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton). Dantonio has led his teams to 11 bowl berths in 12 seasons as a head coach (nine at MSU, two at Cincinnati). He set a school record by winning his third Big Ten Championship (2010, 2013, 2015) with the victory over Iowa. • Michigan State has defeated nine bowl teams this season, including four wins over AP Top 25 teams (No. 7 Oregon on Sept. 12, No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17, No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 5). MSU also beat Western Michigan, Air Force, Central Michigan, Indiana and Penn State, who are all playing in the postseason. • MSU’s 20-point comeback win over Baylor (trailed 41-21 entering the fourth quarter) in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic was the biggest in Spartan postseason history (previous: down 16-0 at halftime to Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl). In addition, it marked the second-largest comeback win in Cotton Bowl Classic history (22 points by Notre Dame in 1979; the Irish trailed 34-12 with 7:37 left in the fourth quarter and rallied to defeat Houston, 35-34). • Alabama defeated MSU in the 2011 Capital One Bowl, 49-7, in Orlando, Florida, in the only previous meeting between the two schools. • According to the NCAA, Alabama has played the second-most difficult schedule in the country this season (opponents are 81-43 for a .653 winning percentage). The Spartans have also played a difficult slate, coming in at 16th (opponents: 80-56, .588) while beating four Top-20 CFP teams (No. 5 Iowa, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 14 Michigan, No. 15 Oregon). The Crimson Tide have defeated three CFP Top 25 teams (No. 19 Florida, No. 20 LSU, No. 23 Tennessee). • With a 43-10 record, the 2015 senior class is the winningest senior class in school history (previous record: 42 wins in 2013 and 2014). The 23-member 2015 senior class has been a part of three bowl wins (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton), two Big Ten division titles (2013, 2015) and two Big Ten Championships (2013, 2015). • Following the Dec. 5 win over No. 4 Iowa, the Spartans are 7-1 in their last eight games against AP Top 10 teams, including a 6-1 mark since 2013 and 3-0 in 2015. MSU beat No. 4 Wisconsin in 2011. Michigan State has won nine of its last 11 games played against ranked opponents, including five straight (No. 4 Baylor in 2015 Cotton Bowl; No. 7 Oregon on Sept. 12; No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17, No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 5). • A trademark of Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State teams has been their ability to produce wins late in the season. Under Dantonio, Michigan State has compiled a 29-12 record (.707) in November, December and January. His teams have won 18 of the last 22 games in November (3-0 in 2010; 4-0 in 2011; 1-2 in 2012; 4-0 in 2013; 3-1 in 2014; 3-1 in 2015). In the four seasons (2003-06) prior to Dantonio’s arrival, MSU went just 2-11 (.154) in November. • Fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook, the winningest quarterback in school history, owns a 34-4 record (.895) as the starter, including a 23-2 (.910) mark against Big Ten opponents. The 34 wins are second most among active starting quarterbacks in the NCAA FBS (Stanford’s Kevin Hogan with 35), and Cook’s .895 winning percentage is No. 1 (minimum 24 starts). Cook is 5-1 against AP Top 10 teams in his career and 8-3 against AP Top 25 opponents. He was named the 2015 recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. • MSU’s 65 wins since 2010 are tied for fourth most among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams and most in the Big Ten during that same period. The Spartans have posted their sixth consecutive winning season, a first for the program since 1985-90. MSU has won 65 of its last 80 games (65-15; .813), dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season. In addition, the Spartans have won 38 of their last 42 games (.905), dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale. MSU has won 36 games since the beginning of 2013 (36-4 record), third most in the FBS during that period. During conference play, Michigan State has won 25 of its last 27 games against Big Ten opponents, dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale, including 18 wins by double-figures. • Michigan State is the only school in the nation to win a Bowl Championship Series game during the 2013 season (24-20 over Stanford in 2014 Rose Bowl Game) and a New Year’s Six bowl game (42-41 over Baylor in the Cotton Bowl Classic) last season.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES 80TH GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC MEDIA PLANNER (ALL TIMES CST) Friday, Dec.
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9 a.m. Co-defensive coordinators Harlon Barnett and Mike Tressel join LB Riley Bullough, DE Shilique Calhoun, S Demetrious Cox, LB Darien Harris and DT Joel Heath at a news conference at Omni Dallas (media hotel).
9 a.m. Co-offensive coordinators Jim Bollman and Dave Warner join C Jack Allen, WR Aaron Burbridge, OT Jack Conklin, QB Connor Cook, RB Gerald Holmes, RB Madre London and RB LJ Scott at a news conference at Omni Dallas (media hotel).
8 a.m. Cotton Bowl Classic Media Day (AT&T Stadium)
8 a.m. Joint head coaches (Mark Dantonio and Nick Saban) news conferences at Omni Dallas (media hotel)
7:10 p.m. Kickoff CFP Semifinal/80th Cotton Bowl Classic vs. Alabama (ESPN).
3 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Team charter flight from Head coach Mark Lansing to Dallas. Dantonio and captains Jack Allen, Shilique Calhoun and Darien Harris are available at the welcome news conference at Gaylord Texan (team hotel). 3 p.m. Closed practice (AT&T Stadium)
2 p.m. Practice open for the first 15 minutes at AT&T Stadium.
3 p.m. Closed practice (AT&T Stadium)
12 p.m. Team visit to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital (2222 Welborn Street, Dallas)
11:30 a.m. Goodyear Big Play Luncheon at Hilton Anatole. 2 p.m. Team picture and closed walk-thru at AT&T Stadium.
2 p.m. Practice open for the first 15 minutes at AT&T Stadium.
• MSU was ranked No. 5 in the final 2014 Associated Press and USA TODAY/Amway Coaches Polls. The Spartans finished ranked among the nation’s top five for the second year in a row (No. 3 in both polls in 2013) – a program first since 1965-66. It marked MSU’s 14th Top 10 finish in the history of the AP Poll. It also marked MSU’s fifth Top 10 finish in the history of the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (began administering the poll in 1991), including its third under Dantonio. Dantonio has led Michigan State to Top 25 finishes in five of the last seven seasons (2008: No. 24 in both polls; 2010: No. 14 in both polls; 2011: No. 10 USA TODAY). TEAM COMPARISONS – Basic Offense Basic Defense Offensive Starters Returning Defensive Starters Returning Specialists Returning
Michigan State Multiple Multiple 4-3 7 7 3
AVERAGE HEIGHTS & WEIGHTS (STARTERS) – Michigan State Offensive Line & Tight End 6-4, 303 Offensive Backs & Wide Receivers 6-1, 217 Defensive Line 6-5, 281 Linebackers 6-1, 226 Defensive Backs 6-1, 199
Alabama Pro Style 3-4 2 7 3 Alabama 6-5, 301 6-3, 215 6-4, 313 6-2, 247 6-0, 195
CLASS BREAKDOWN (STARTERS) – Michigan State Offense: 7 seniors, 2 juniors, 2 sophomores Michigan State Defense: 5 seniors, 3 juniors, 3 sophomores Alabama Offense: 4 seniors, 3 juniors, 2 sophomores, 2 freshmen Alabama Defense: 7 seniors, 3 juniors, 1 freshman STAT COMPARISON (BIG TEN RANK/NCAA FBS RANK) – Michigan State Scoring 32.1 (4/49) First Downs 284 (2/29) Total Offense 396.8 (4/68) Rushing Yards 160.7 (8/78) Passing Yards 236.1 (5/53) Time of Possession 33:18 (2/10) Third Down Conversions .505 (1/5) Points Allowed 20.5 (6/19) Total Offense Allowed 342.9 (7/26) Rushing Yards Allowed 113.1 (2/7) Passing Yards Allowed 229.8 (9/74)
AROUND THE BIG TEN 2015 BIG TEN STANDINGS Conf. Games All Games East Division Michigan State 7-1 .875 12-1 .923 Ohio State 7-1 .875 11-1 .917 Michigan 6-2 .750 9-3 .750 Penn State 4-4 .500 7-5 .583 Indiana 2-6 .250 6-6 .500 Rutgers 1-7 .125 4-8 .333 Maryland 1-7 .125 3-9 .250 West Division Iowa Northwestern Wisconsin Nebraska Illinois Minnesota Purdue
8-0 1.000 6-2 .750 6-2 .750 3-5 .375 2-6 .250 2-6 .250 1-7 .125
12-1 10-2 9-3 5-7 5-7 5-7 2-10
.923 .833 .750 .417 .417 .417 .167
2015-16 BIG TEN BOWL SCHEDULE Saturday, Dec. 26 - New Era Pinstripe Bowl - Bronx, NY Indiana vs. Duke, 3:30 p.m. (ABC) Saturday, Dec. 26 - Foster Farms Bowl - Santa Clara, CA UCLA vs. Nebraska, 9:15 p.m. (ESPN) Monday, Dec. 28 - Quick Lane Bowl - Detroit, MI Central Michigan vs. Minnesota, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Alabama 34.1 (4/36) 291 (2/24) 422.5 (5/49) 208.2 (3/27) 214.3 (5/73) 33:52 (2/4) .364 (10/92) 14.4 (1/3) 258.2 (1/2) 74.0 (1/1) 184.2 (5/16)
Wednesday, Dec. 30 - Holiday Bowl - San Diego, CA USC vs. Wisconsin, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN) Thursday, Dec. 31 - Cotton Bowl Classic - Arlington, TX Michigan State vs. Alabama, 8 p.m. (ESPN) Friday, Jan. 1 - Outback Bowl - Tampa, FL Northwestern vs. Tennessee, 12 p.m. (ESPN2) Friday, Jan. 1 - Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl - Orlando, FL Michigan vs. Florida, 1 p.m. (ABC) Friday, Jan. 1 - BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, AZ Notre Dame vs. Ohio State, 1 p.m. (ESPN) Friday, Jan. 1 - Rose Bowl - Pasadena, CA Stanford vs. Iowa, 5 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday, Jan. 2 - TaxSlayer Bowl - Jacksonville, FL Penn State vs. Georgia, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
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2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS GENERAL INFORMATION
Mailing Address Breslin Center, 534 Birch Road, Room Z-22 East Lansing, MI 48824 Office Phone ...................................... (517) 355-2271 Fax ...................................................... (517) 353-9636 Website ........................................... msuspartans.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook ...................... Facebook.com/MSUAthletics Twitter (Football).............................. @MSU_Football Twitter (Athletics) ........................... @MSU_Athletics YouTube Channel..................... MSUSpartanAthletics Pinterest ................................................ MSUAthletics Instagram ........................................... MSU_Spartans
STAFF
Associate AD/Football Contact ...... John Lewandowski Cell Phone ..................................... (517) 243-2354 Email ..................................... lewski@ath.msu.edu Assistant Director/Football Contact ..........Ben Phlegar Cell Phone ..................................... (517) 896-0031 Email ................................. phlegarb@ath.msu.edu New Media Director ......................................Matt Larson Email ..................................... larson@ath.msu.edu Athletic Communications Director ........ Jamie Baldwin Email ........................................jweir@ath.msu.edu Assistant Director ...................................... Jeff Barnes Email ................................... jbarnes@ath.msu.edu Assistant Director ...................................... Kara Fisher Email .....................................kfisher@ath.msu.edu Video Producer .....................................Bob Armstrong Email .................................armstr84@ath.msu.edu Video Producer ........................................... Nick Baker Email .................................... nbaker@ath.msu.edu Video Producer ........................................ Jacob Huber Email ................................. huberjac@ath.msu.edu Video Producer ...................................... Ryan McPhail Email ...................................mcphail@ath.msu.edu Video Producer ....................................... Justin Garant Email .................................. garantju@ath.msu.edu Office Assistant .....................................Paulette Martis Email ..................................... martis@ath.msu.edu Staff Assistant ............................................ Jon Hevron Email ................................. hevronjo@ath.msu.edu Video Staff Assistant................................... Julian Stall Email ..................................... stalljul@ath.msu.edu Additional research provided by STATS
STAT LEADERS – Michigan State (after 13 games): Rushing – LJ Scott (140 carries for 691 yards, 4.9 avg., 11 TDs) Passing – Connor Cook (210 of 369 for 2,921 yards, 24 TDs, 5 INTs) Receiving – Aaron Burbridge (80 catches for 1,219 yards, 15.2 avg., 7 TDs) Tackles – Riley Bullough (95 tackles, 42 solos, 53 assists, 7 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 INTs) Alabama (after 13 games): Rushing – Derrick Henry (339 carries for 1,986 yards, 5.9 avg., 23 TDs) Passing – Jake Coker (222 of 338 for 2,489 yards, 17 TDs, 8 INTs) Receiving – Calvin Ridley (75 catches for 893 yards, 11.9 avg., 5 TDs) Tackles – Reggie Ragland (90 tackles, 51 solos, 39 assists, 6.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks) CURRENT SPARTANS IN POSTSEASON BOWL GAMES – Career Stat Leaders Rushing – R.J. Shelton (2 games: 2 carries for 11 yards, 5.5 avg., 1 TD); Macgarrett Kings Jr. (2 games: 3 carries for 11 yards, 3.7 avg.) Passing – Connor Cook (3 games: 50-of-89 passing for 693 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs) Receiving – Aaron Burbridge (3 games: 7 catches for 79 yards, 11.3 avg., 1 TD); Macgarrett Kings Jr. (2 games: 7 catches for 71 yards, 10.1 avg.) Tackles – RJ Williamson (3 games: 15 tackles, 14 solos, 1 assist, 1 FR, 1 PBU) SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY – • Michigan State is making its 26th postseason bowl appearance overall and its second consecutive trip to the Cotton Bowl. MSU is one of only two Big Ten team as a conference member to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic (Ohio State, 1987). The Spartans are 11-14 overall (.440) in bowl games. • Michigan State is extending its school record by playing in a bowl game for the ninth consecutive season (2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic, 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at Cotton Bowl Classic). The nine-year bowl streak is currently the second longest in the Big Ten and 12th longest in the FBS. • Michigan State staged a 20-point, fourth-quarter comeback in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic to defeat No. 4 Baylor, 42-41. With the Cotton Bowl Classic victory over Baylor, MSU extended its school-record bowl winning streak to four games, tied for the longest in Big Ten history (2012 Outback over No. 18 Georgia, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings over TCU, 2014 Rose Bowl over No. 5 Stanford, 2015 Cotton Bowl over No. 4 Baylor). It also equals the longest active bowl winning streak in the FBS. Michigan and Ohio State each have two four-game bowl winning streaks in their history, while Purdue and Wisconsin have accomplished the feat once. A win over Alabama would give MSU a Big Ten-record five-game bowl winning streak. • Michigan State is one of just five schools in the FBS to win bowl games in each of the last four seasons (Louisiana-Lafayette, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas A&M).
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• Eleven of Michigan State’s last 13 bowl opponents have been ranked in The Associated Press Top 25, including No. 2 Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, No. 4 Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl, No. 5 Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl, No. 18 Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl, No. 15 Alabama in the 2011 Capital One Bowl, No. 16 Georgia in the 2009 Capital One Bowl, No. 14 Boston College in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, No. 22 Nebraska in the 2003 Alamo Bowl, No. 20 Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic, No. 10 Florida in the 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl and No. 21 Washington in the 1997 Aloha Bowl. • Alabama is the highest-ranked AP opponent MSU has ever faced in a bowl game (previous: No. 4 UCLA in 1956 Rose Bowl; No. 4 UCLA in 1966 Rose Bowl; No. 4 Baylor in 2015 Cotton Bowl).
@msu_football @msu_athletics
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• This marks the seventh time in MSU history the Spartans will be featured in an AP Top 10 matchup in a bowl game (1954 Rose Bowl: No. 3 MSU vs. No. 5 UCLA; 1956 Rose Bowl: No. 2 MSU vs. No. 4 UCLA; 1966 Rose Bowl: No. 1 MSU vs. No. 4 UCLA; 2000 Citrus Bowl: No. 9 MSU vs. No. 10 Florida; 2014 Rose Bowl: No. 4 MSU vs. No. 5 Stanford; 2015 Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 7 Michigan State). The Spartans are 5-1 in the previous six Top-10 matchups.
MSUSpartanAthletics 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES A LOOK AT MSU’S FOUR-GAME BOWL WINNING STREAK
POLLS (Dec. 6) ASSOCIATED PRESS
No. 18 GEORGIA W, 33-30 (3OT) 1/2/12 Outback Bowl
TCU W, 17-16 12/29/12 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
No. 5 STANFORD W, 24-20 1/1/14 Rose Bowl
No. 4 BAYLOR W, 42-41 1/1/15 Cotton Bowl
Here’s how Michigan State has fared in its 25 previous bowl games (MSU wins in bold type): Date (Coach) Jan. 1, 1938 (Charles Bachman) Jan. 1, 1954 (Biggie Munn) Jan. 2, 1956 (Duffy Daugherty) Jan. 1, 1966 (Duffy Daugherty) Dec. 22, 1984 (George Perles) Dec. 31, 1985 (George Perles) Jan. 1, 1988 (George Perles) Jan. 1, 1989 (George Perles) Dec. 25, 1989 (George Perles) Dec. 31, 1990 (George Perles) Dec. 28, 1993 (George Perles) Dec. 29, 1995 (Nick Saban) Dec. 31, 1996 (Nick Saban) Dec. 25, 1997 (Nick Saban) Jan. 1, 2000 (Bobby Williams) Dec. 31, 2001 (Bobby Williams) Dec. 29, 2003 (John L. Smith) Dec. 28, 2007 (Mark Dantonio) Jan. 1, 2009 (Mark Dantonio) Jan. 2, 2010 (Mark Dantonio) Jan. 1, 2011 (Mark Dantonio) Jan. 2, 2012 (Mark Dantonio) Dec. 29, 2012 (Mark Dantonio) Jan. 1, 2014 (Mark Dantonio) Jan. 1, 2015 (Mark Dantonio)
Bowl Orange Rose Rose Rose Cherry All-American Rose Gator Aloha Sun Liberty Independence Sun Aloha Florida Citrus Silicon Valley Alamo Champs Sports Capital One Alamo Capital One Outback Buffalo Wild Wings Rose Cotton
Result Auburn 6, MSU 0 MSU 28, UCLA 20 MSU 17, UCLA 14 UCLA 14, MSU 12 Army 10, MSU 6 Georgia Tech 17, MSU 14 MSU 20, USC 17 Georgia 34, MSU 27 MSU 33, Hawaii 13 MSU 17, USC 16 Louisville 18, MSU 7 LSU 45, MSU 26 Stanford 38, MSU 0 Washington 51, MSU 23 MSU 37, Florida 34 MSU 44, Fresno State 35 Nebraska 17, MSU 3 Boston College 24, MSU 21 Georgia 24, MSU 12 Texas Tech 41, MSU 31 Alabama 49, MSU 7 MSU 33, Georgia 30 (3OT) MSU 17, TCU 16 MSU 24, Stanford 20 MSU 42, Baylor 41
Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
School Clemson (51) Alabama (9) Michigan State Oklahoma Stanford Iowa Ohio State Notre Dame Florida State North Carolina TCU Northwestern Oklahoma State Houston Oregon Ole Miss Michigan Baylor Florida Utah Navy LSU Wisconsin Temple Western Kentucky
USA TODAY/AMWAY COACHES Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
School Clemson (55) Alabama (5) Oklahoma Michigan State Ohio State Stanford Iowa Florida State Notre Dame TCU North Carolina Northwestern Oklahoma State Oregon Ole Miss Houston Michigan Florida Baylor Utah LSU Navy Wisconsin Temple Georgia
FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
School Clemson (32) Alabama (6) Oklahoma (1) Michigan State Stanford Ohio State Iowa Notre Dame Florida State North Carolina TCU Ole Miss Northwestern Oklahoma State Houston Oregon
Record 13-0 12-1 12-1 11-1 11-2 12-1 11-1 10-2 10-2 11-2 10-2 10-2 10-2 12-1 9-3 9-3 9-3 9-3 10-3 9-3 9-2 8-3 9-3 10-3 11-2 Record 13-0 12-1 11-1 12-1 11-1 11-2 12-1 10-2 10-2 10-2 11-2 10-2 10-2 9-3 9-3 12-1 9-3 10-3 9-3 9-3 8-3 9-2 9-3 10-3 9-3 Record 13-0 12-1 11-1 12-1 11-2 11-1 12-1 10-2 10-2 11-2 10-2 9-3 10-2 10-2 12-1 9-3
(First-place votes) Bold indicates MSU opponent
5 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS (DEC. 6) Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
School Clemson Alabama Michigan State Oklahoma Iowa Stanford Ohio State Notre Dame Florida State North Carolina TCU Ole Miss Northwestern Michigan Oregon Oklahoma State Baylor Houston Florida LSU Navy Utah Tennessee Temple USC
Record 13-0 12-1 12-1 11-1 12-1 11-2 11-1 10-2 10-2 11-2 10-2 9-3 10-2 9-3 9-3 10-2 9-3 12-1 10-3 8-3 10-2 9-3 8-4 10-3 8-5
DANTONIO NO STRANGER TO POSTSEASON PLAY – • Mark Dantonio is making his 24th appearance in postseason play (as a graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach), including four NCAA I-AA playoffs and 20 bowl games. Dantonio has compiled a 10-9 record in bowl games, including a 5-4 mark as head coach. • Dantonio will be making his ninth bowl appearance at MSU, extending his school record for most bowl appearances by a head coach (previous record: George Perles with seven from 1983-94). Dantonio is 4-4 in bowl games at Michigan State, including a school-record four-game winning streak (2012 Outback, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose; 2015 Cotton). Dantonio has led his teams to 11 bowl appearances in 12 seasons as a head coach (nine at MSU, two at Cincinnati; did not coach in 2007 International Bowl with UC). • Dantonio will be coaching in the 20th bowl game of his career in the Cotton Bowl, including his sixth in a New Year’s Day/New Year’s Six game as head coach at MSU (2009 Capital One Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at Cotton Bowl). Dantonio’s nine-game bowl streak at Michigan State is tied for the fifth longest by an active head coach at the same school and is the longest in the Big Ten. Here are the results of Dantonio’s 19 previous postseason bowl appearances: Season Bowl Ohio State – graduate assistant (1-1) 1983 Fiesta 1984 Rose
Pittsburgh (W, 28-23) USC (L, 17-20)
Kansas – defensive secondary coach (1-0) 1992 Aloha
BYU (W, 23-20)
Michigan State – defensive secondary coach (1-3) 1995 Independence 1996 Sun 1997 Aloha 1999 Florida Citrus
LSU (L, 26-45) Stanford (L, 0-38) Washington (L 23-51) Florida (W, 37-34)
Ohio State – defensive coordinator (2-1) 2001 Outback 2002* Fiesta 2003 Fiesta * National Champions
6
Opponent (Result)
South Carolina (L, 28-31) Miami-Fla. (2OT: W, 31-24) Kansas State (W, 35-28)
Cincinnati – head coach (1-0) 2004 Fort Worth
Marshall (W, 32-14)
Michigan State – head coach (4-4) 2007 Champs Sports 2009 Capital One 2010 Alamo 2011 Capital One 2012 Outback 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 2014 Rose 2015 Cotton
Boston College (L, 21-24) Georgia (L, 12-24) Texas Tech (L, 31-41) Alabama (L, 7-49) Georgia (3OT: W, 33-30) TCU (W, 17-16) Stanford (W, 24-20) Baylor (W, 42-41)
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES FIVE SPARTANS GARNER FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN HONORS – • Five Michigan State players were named to the All-Big Ten First Team and a total of 16 Spartans received all-conference recognition. The five first-team selections by the coaches matched Ohio State for the most of any school in the conference, and the four first-team honorees on offense were the most in the league. The five first-team All-Big Ten selections tie for the second most first-team All-Big Ten selections under Dantonio (six in 2013; five in 2014 and 2012). • Two Spartans took home individual awards, as senior Aaron Burbridge was named the Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year and fifth-year senior Connor Cook was selected the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year. It marks the second year in a row a Spartan has won the Receiver of the Year (Tony Lippett, 2014). • Burbridge, Cook, fifth-year senior center Jack Allen, fifth-year defensive end Shilique Calhoun and junior offensive tackle Jack Conklin were first-team selections by both the coaches and media. • Since 2007, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio has helped produce 36 first-team All-Big Ten selections. • Calhoun is the first Spartan defensive lineman in school history to earn first-team honors three times and just the eighth player at MSU to garner first-team accolades on at least three occasions. • Jack Allen is only the fifth Spartan offensive lineman to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors twice (Ellison Kelly, 1957-58; David Behrman, 1961-62; Joe DeLamielleure, 1971-72, Tony Mandarich, 1987-88) and just the second center (Behrman). Behrman played multiple positions on the offensive line in 1961, including center, and focused on center in 1962. • Cook is the first Spartan quarterback to win the Greise-Brees Quarterback of the Year Award since its inception in 2011 and is also the first Spartan QB be named first-team All-Big Ten since Steve Juday in 1965 and only the fifth ever in school history (Earl Morrall, 1955; James Ninowski, 1957; Dean Look, 1959; Juday, 1965). Cook was a second-team selection in 2013 and 2014.
SPARTANS IN THE POLLS ASSOCIATED PRESS | COACHES | CFB Week AP COACHES Preseason 5 6 Sept. 8 5 6 Sept. 13 4 4 Sept. 20 2 3 Sept. 27 2 2 Oct. 4 4 3 Oct. 11 7 4 Oct. 18 7 4 Oct. 25 6 5 Nov. 1 6 6 Nov. 8 14 14 Nov. 15 9 9 Nov. 22 6 6 Nov. 29 5 5 Dec. 6 3 4
CFB 7 13 9 5 5 3
KEY: RV – Receiving Votes. NOTE: College Football Playoff rankings first released on Nov. 3.
POLL SPEAK • Michigan State was ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press Top 25 Poll of the regular season and No. 4 in the Amway Coaches Poll. The Spartans were ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll for two weeks (Sept. 20, Sept. 27), the highest for the program since finishing the 1966 season at No. 2.
• The four first-team All-Big Ten selections on offense were the most of any school in the league, and the most at Michigan State since 1978 (end Eugene Byrd; tight end Mark Brammer; offensive tackle James Hinesly, flanker Kirk Gibson). With Allen and Conklin both on the first team, it also marked the first time MSU has had two first-team All-Big Ten offensive linemen since 1990 (Jim Johnson, tackle; Eric Moten, guard).
• MSU has been ranked in the AP Poll for a schoolrecord 40 consecutive weeks, dating back to Oct. 27, 2013 (previous record: 34 weeks from Sept. 19, 2010 to Sept. 23, 2012). For 31 of those 40 weeks, MSU has been ranked in the Top 10.
2015 ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS - MICHIGAN STATE SELECTIONS
• Michigan State is 52-12 (.813) as a ranked team in the AP Poll under Mark Dantonio. As a ranked team, Michigan State has only lost to an unranked opponent twice under Dantonio (36-2; at Notre Dame, 2011; at Nebraska, 2015).
COACHES First Team - Offense Jack Allen, C Aaron Burbridge, WR Jack Conklin, OT Connor Cook, QB
MEDIA First Team - Offense Jack Allen, C Aaron Burbridge, WR Jack Conklin, OT Connor Cook, QB
First Team - Defense Shilique Calhoun, DE
First Team - Defense Shilique Calhoun, DE
Second Team - Offense Brian Allen, OG
Second Team - Offense Brian Allen, OG
Second Team - Defense Malik McDowell, DL
Second Team - Defense Riley Bullough, LB Malik McDowell, DL
Third Team - Offense Donavon Clark, OG Josiah Price, TE Third Team - Defense Demetrious Cox, DB Riley Bullough, LB Darien Harris, LB Honorable Mention - Offense R.J. Shelton, WR Honorable Mention - Defense Jon Reschke, LB Lawrence Thomas, DE
Third Team - Offense Josiah Price, TE Honorable Mention - Offense Donavon Clark, OG Honorable Mention - Defense Demetrious Cox, DB Darien Harris, LB Joel Heath, DL Jon Reschke, LB
• Michigan State was ranked No. 5 in the Preseason Associated Press Poll. The Spartans (No. 8 in 2014) appeared in the Preseason AP Top 10 for the second year in a row for the first time since 1966-67, and it marked MSU’s highest preseason ranking in the AP Poll since 1967 (No. 3). • MSU was ranked No. 5 in the final 2014 Associated Press and USA TODAY/Amway Coaches Polls. The Spartans finished ranked among the nation’s top five for the second year in a row (No. 3 in both polls in 2013) - a program first since 1965-66 (No. 2 in 1965, No. 2 in 1966). The Spartans also accomplished the feat three years in a row from 1951-53 (No. 2 in 1951, No. 1 in 1952, No. 3 in 1953). • Michigan State became the first Big Ten team to be ranked in the top five of The Associated Press Poll in consecutive years since Ohio State in 2009-10. It also marked MSU’s 14th Top 10 finish in the history of the AP Poll. • Dantonio has led Michigan State to Top 25 finishes in five of the last seven seasons (2008: No. 24 in both polls; 2010: No. 14 in both polls; 2011: No. 10 USA TODAY/No. 11 AP; 2013: No. 3 in both polls; and 2014: No. 5 in both polls).
7 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES 2015 HONORS & AWARDS BRIAN ALLEN (So., Offensive Lineman) • CampusInsiders.com All-Sophomore (first team) • Second-team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media) • Associated Press All-Big Ten (second team) • Athlon Sports All-Big Ten (second team) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team) • Academic All-Big Ten JACK ALLEN (Sr.-5, Offensive Lineman) • Associated Press All-American (first team) • SI.com All-American (first team) • CBS Sports All-American (first team) • FWAA All-American (second team) • Phil Steele All-American (second team) • USA TODAY All-American (second team) • Walter Camp All-American (second team) • Rimington Trophy finalist (one of three) • First-team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media) • BTN.com All-Big Ten • ESPN.com All-Big Ten • Associated Press All-Big Ten (first team) • Athlon Sports All-Big Ten (first team) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (first team) • William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist (nation’s premier scholar-athlete award) • Academic All-Big Ten • Accepted invitation to play in Senior Bowl (Jan. 30) EDWARD BARKSDALE III (Jr., Wide Receiver) • Academic All-Big Ten BYRON BULLOUGH (R-Fr., Linebacker) • Academic All-Big Ten RILEY BULLOUGH (Jr., Linebacker) • Second-team All-Big Ten (coaches) • Third-team All-Big Ten (media) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team) • Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 12 vs. Oregon) AARON BURBRIDGE (Sr., Wide Receiver) • SI.com All-American (honorable mention) • Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year • First-team All-Big Ten (coaches, media) • BTN.com All-Big Ten • ESPN.com All-Big Ten • Associated Press All-Big Ten (first team) • Athlon Sports All-Big Ten (first team) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (first team) • Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 19 vs. Air Force) • Accepted invitation to play in Senior Bowl (Jan. 30) SHILIQUE CALHOUN (Sr.-5, Defensive End) • FWAA All-American (second team) • Walter Camp All-American (second team) • CBS Sports All-American (second team) • Associated Press All-American (third team) • Phil Steele All-American (third team) • SI.com All-American (honorable mention) • First-team All-Big Ten (coaches, media) • Athlon Sports All-Big Ten (first team) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (first team) • Associated Press All-Big Ten (second team) • Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award finalist (one of six) • Lombardi Award semifinalist (one of 12) • Bednarik Award semifinalist (one of 20) • Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist (one of nine) • Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 17 vs. Michigan) • Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 26 vs. Central Michigan) • Accepted invitation to play in Senior Bowl (Jan. 30)
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THREE SPARTANS EARN ALL-AMERICA ACCOLADES, INCLUDING TWO FIRST-TEAMERS – • Three Spartans picked up All-America honors in 2015: fifth-year senior center Jack Allen, fifth-year senior defensive end Shilique Calhoun, and junior offensive tackle Jack Conklin. In addition, senior wide receiver Aaron Burbridge and fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook earned honorable mention accolades from SI.com. • Allen was named a first-team All-American by The Associated Press, SI.com and USA TODAY, while Conklin landed on both the Sporting News and USA TODAY All-America First Team. Calhoun earned second-team All-America honors for the third year in a row. • Since 2007, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio has helped develop nine different first-team All-Americans (11 selections overall): running back Javon Ringer, 2008; linebacker Greg Jones, 2009-10; defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, 2011; running back Le’Veon Bell, 2012; cornerback Darqueze Dennard, 2013; punter Mike Sadler, 2013; safety Kurtis Drummond, 2014; center Jack Allen, 2014-15; and offensive tackle Jack Conklin, 2015. Here’s a look at MSU’s All-Americans from the major team selections: Associated Press: Allen (first team), Calhoun (second team), Conklin (second team) FWAA: Allen (second team), Calhoun (second team), Conklin (second team) SI.com: Allen (first team), Burbridge (HM), Calhoun (HM), Conklin (HM), Cook (HM) Sporting News: Conklin (first team) USA TODAY: Conklin (first team), Allen (second team) Walter Camp Football Foundation: Allen (second team), Calhoun (second team), Conklin (second team) 2015 SENIOR CLASS: WINNINGEST IN MSU HISTORY – • With the win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game, the 2015 senior class won its 43rd game to become the winningest senior class in school history (previous record: 42 wins in 2013 and 2014). The 23-member 2015 senior class (43-10 record) has been a part of three bowl wins (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton), two Big Ten division titles (2013, 2015) and two Big Ten Championships (2013, 2015). • The 23-member senior class includes: OL Jack Allen (Hinsdale, Ill.), WR DeAnthony Arnett (Saginaw, Mich.), WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, Mich.), DE Shilique Calhoun (Middletown, New Jersey), OL Donavon Clark (Cincinnati, Ohio), CB Arjen Colquhoun (Windsor, Ontario), QB Connor Cook (Hinckley, Ohio), LB Ed Davis (Detroit, Mich.), LB Darien Harris (Silver Spring, Md.), DL Joel Heath (Cincinnati, Ohio), WR Macgarrett Kings Jr. (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), DT Damon Knox (Muskegon, Mich.), S Chris Laneaux (Kalamazoo, Mich.), TE Paul Lang (Pittsburgh, Pa.), FB Trevon Pendleton (Lucasville, Ohio), SN Taybor Pepper (Saline, Mich.), DL Lawrence Thomas (Detroit, Mich.), LB Michael Topolinski (Richmond Hill, Ontario), WR AJ Troup (Minneapolis, Minn.), QB Tommy Vento (Farmington Hills, Mich.), Phillip-Michael Williams (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) and RJ Williamson (Dayton, Ohio). Offensive lineman Zach Higgins (Alliance, Ohio), who retired early from football due to injuries, is also being recognized with the 2015 class. Davis, who suffered a knee injury in preseason camp and missed the entire season, is applying for a sixth year of eligibility. Winningest Senior Classes in MSU Football History (based on total wins) Rank Senior Class (Years) Four-Year Record (Winning Pct.) 1. 2015 (2012-15) 43-10 (.811) 2. 2013 (2010-13) 42-12 (.778) 2014 (2011-14) 42-12 (.778) 4. 2011 (2008-11) 37-16 (.698) 5. 2012 (2009-12) 35-18 (.660) SPARTANS BOAST 18 GRADUATES ON 2015 ROSTER – • Michigan State has 18 student-athletes on its roster who have received their undergraduate degrees: Jack Allen (hospitality business), Shilique Calhoun (criminal justice), Donavon Clark (sociology), Brandon Clemons (psychology), Connor Cook (media and information), Darien Harris (journalism), Joel Heath (interdisciplinary studies in social science), Damon Knox (criminal justice), Paul Lang (economics), Chris Laneaux (interdisciplinary studies in social science), Tyler O’Connor (supply chain management), Trevon Pendleton (hospitality business), Lawrence Thomas (sociology), Michael Topolinski (communication), AJ Troup (advertising), Tommy Vento (finance), Phillip-Michael Williams (criminal justice) and RJ Williamson (advertising). • The 18 graduates on MSU’s roster rank first in the Big Ten and tied for seventh most among the 80 FBS teams playing in a bowl game.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES BIG GAME SPARTANS (WINS OVER AP TOP 10 TEAMS SINCE 2013)
2015 HONORS & AWARDS DONAVON CLARK (Sr.-5, Offensive Lineman) • Third-team All-Big Ten (coaches) • Phil Steel All-Big Ten (third team) • Honorable mention All-Big Ten (media) • Accepted invitation to play in East-West Shrine Game (Jan. 23)
No. 2 OHIO STATE W, 34-24 12/7/13 Big Ten Champ.
No. 5 STANFORD W, 24-20 1/1/14 Rose Bowl
No. 4 BAYLOR W, 42-41 1/1/15 Cotton Bowl
No. 7 OREGON W, 31-28 9/12/15 Spartan Stadium
No. 2 OHIO STATE W, 17-14 11/21/15 Ohio Stadium
No. 4 IOWA W, 16-13 12/5/15 Big Ten Champ.
PLAYING THEIR BEST UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT – • Following the Dec. 5 win over No. 4 Iowa, the Spartans are 7-1 in their last eight games against AP Top 10 teams, including a 6-1 mark since 2013 and 3-0 in 2015. MSU beat No. 4 Wisconsin in 2011. • Michigan State has won nine of its last 11 games played against ranked opponents, including five straight (No. 4 Baylor in 2015 Cotton Bowl; No. 7 Oregon on Sept. 12; No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17, No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 5). During its current five-game winning streak over ranked opponents, MSU trailed in the fourth quarter in four of the five games (only game not trailing in fourth quarter: 2015 vs. Oregon). • Under Mark Dantonio, the Spartans are 16-20 in 36 games played against teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25; however, MSU is 15-11 against ranked teams since 2010, including 4-0 this season (No. 7 Oregon, No. 12 Michigan, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Iowa). • Here’s a look at MSU’s games against AP Top 10 teams since 2013 (6-1 record): Date Dec. 5, 2015 Nov. 21, 2015 Sept. 12, 2015 Jan. 1, 2015 Sept. 6, 2014 Jan. 1, 2014 Dec. 7, 2013
Result (Associated Press Ranking) No. 5 MSU 16, No. 4 Iowa 13 No. 9 MSU 17, No. 2 Ohio State 14 No. 5 MSU 31, No. 7 Oregon 28 No. 7 MSU 42, No. 4 Baylor 41 No. 3 Oregon 46, No. 7 MSU 27 No. 4 MSU 24, No. 5 Stanford 20 No. 10 MSU 34, No. 2 Ohio State 24
Site Indianapolis Columbus East Lansing Arlington Eugene Pasadena Indianapolis
• According to ESPN, Michigan State has the best winning percentage of any team in the FBS in regularseason matchups between AP Top 10 teams (AP Poll dates back to 1936): Best Winning Pct. in Regular Season AP Top-10 Matchups Rank Team Winning Percentage (Record) 1. Michigan State .725 (14-5-1) 2. Miami-Florida .686 (24-11) 3. Wisconsin .667 (10-5) 4. Oregon .636 (7-4) Minnesota .636 (7-4)
JACK CONKLIN (Jr., Offensive Tackle) • Sporting News All-American (first team) • USA TODAY All-American (first team) • Associated Press All-American (second team) • FWAA All-American (second team) • Walter Camp All-American (second team) • Phil Steele All-American (third team) • SI.com All-American (honorable mention) • First-team All-Big Ten (coaches, media) • BTN.com All-Big Ten • ESPN.com All-Big Ten • Associated Press All-Big Ten (first team) • Athlon Sports All-Big Ten (first team) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (first team) CONNOR COOK (Sr.-5, Quarterback) • Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner • Finished tied for ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting • Manning Award finalist (one of 12) • Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist (one of 20) • Maxwell Award semifinalist (one of 20) • SI.com All-American (honorable mention) • Chicago Tribune Silver Football finalist (Big Ten’s best player/one of three) • Greise-Brees Big Ten Quarterback of the Year • First-team All-Big Ten (coaches, media) • BTN.com All-Big Ten • ESPN.com All-Big Ten • Associated Press All-Big Ten (first team) • Athlon Sports All-Big Ten (first team) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (first team) • Academic All-Big Ten • Big Ten Championship Game MVP vs. Iowa • Davey O’Brien Award “Great 8” performer vs. Indiana • Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 24 vs. Indiana) • Davey O’Brien Award “Great 8” performer vs. Rutgers • Accepted invitation to play in Senior Bowl (Jan. 30) DEMETRIOUS COX (Jr., Defensive Back) • Third-team All-Big Ten (coaches) • Honorable mention All-Big Ten (media) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team) CRAIG EVANS (R-Fr., Defensive Tackle) • ESPN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team • BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team CHRIS FREY (So., Linebacker) • Academic All-Big Ten MICHAEL GEIGER (Jr., Kicker) • Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 21 vs. Ohio State) • Academic All-Big Ten DARIEN HARRIS (Sr.-5, Linebacker) • Third-team All-Big Ten (coaches) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team) • Honorable mention All-Big Ten (media) • Accepted invitation to play in East-West Shrine Game (Jan. 23) JAKE HARTBARGER (R-Fr., Punter) • CampusInsiders.com Freshman All-Freshman (second team) • ESPN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team • BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team • Academic All-Big Ten
9 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES 2015 HONORS & AWARDS JOEL HEATH (Sr.-5, Defensive Lineman) • Honorable mention All-Big Ten (media) MALIK MCDOWELL (So., Defensive Lineman) • CampusInsiders.com All-Sophomore (first team) • Second-team All-Big Ten (coaches, media) • ESPN.com All-Big Ten • Associated Press All-Big Ten (second team) • Athlon Sports All-Big Ten (second team) • Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 14 vs. Maryland) PAUL LANG (Sr., Tight End) • Academic All-Big Ten ZAC LEIMBACH (Jr., Safety) • Academic All-Big Ten MATT MACKSOOD (Jr., Wide Receiver) • Academic All-Big Ten BENNY McGOWAN (Jr., Offensive Guard) • Academic All-Big Ten GRAYSON MILLER (Fr., Safety) • BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team MATT MORRISSEY (Sr., Tight End) • Academic All-Big Ten TYLER O’CONNOR (Jr., Quarterback) • Academic All-Big Ten JOSIAH PRICE (Jr., Tight End) • Third-team All-Big Ten (coaches, media) • Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team) • CoSIDA Academic All-District Team • Academic All-Big Ten JON RESCHKE (So., Linebacker) • Honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches, media) • Walter Camp National Defensive Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 21 vs. Ohio State) • Big Ten Co-Defensive Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 21 vs. Ohio State)
Here’s a look at Michigan State’s games against AP Top 25 teams under Dantonio (MSU wins in bold type): Date Dec. 5, 2015 Nov. 21, 2015 Oct. 17, 2015 Sept. 12, 2015 Jan. 1, 2015 Nov. 8, 2014 Oct. 4, 2014 Sept. 6, 2014 Jan. 1, 2014 Dec. 7, 2013 Nov. 2, 2013 Sept. 21, 2013 Nov. 3, 2012 Oct. 20, 2012 Sept. 29, 2012 Sept. 15, 2012 Aug. 31, 2012 Jan. 2, 2012 Dec. 3, 2011 Oct. 29, 2011 Oct. 22, 2011 Oct. 15, 2011 Jan. 1, 2011 Oct. 30, 2010 Oct. 9, 2010 Oct. 2, 2010 Nov. 21, 2009 Oct. 24, 2009 Oct. 3, 2009 Jan. 1, 2009 Nov. 22, 2008 Oct. 18, 2008 Dec. 28, 2007 Nov. 3, 2007 Oct. 20, 2007 Sept. 29, 2007
Result (Associated Press Ranking) No. 5 MSU 16, No. 4 Iowa 13 No. 9 MSU 17, No. 2 Ohio State 14 No. 7 MSU 27, No. 12 Michigan 23 No. 5 MSU 31, No. 7 Oregon 28 No. 7 MSU 42, No. 4 Baylor 41 No. 13 Ohio State 49, No. 7 MSU 37 No. 10 MSU 27, No. 19 Nebraska 22 No. 3 Oregon 46, No. 7 MSU 27 No. 4 MSU 24, No. 5 Stanford 20 No. 10 MSU 34, No. 2 Ohio State 24 No. 24 MSU 29, No. 23 Michigan 6 No. 22 Notre Dame 17, MSU 13 No. 21 Nebraska 28, MSU 24 No. 23 Michigan 12, MSU 10 No. 14 Ohio State 17, No. 20 MSU 16 No. 20 Notre Dame 20, No. 10 MSU 3 No. 13 MSU 17, No. 24 Boise State 13 No. 12 MSU 33, No. 18 Georgia 30 (3OT) No. 15 Wisconsin 42, No. 11 MSU 39 No. 13 Nebraska 24, No. 9 MSU 3 No. 15 MSU 37, No. 4 Wisconsin 31 No. 23 MSU 28, No. 11 Michigan 14 No. 15 Alabama 49, No. 7 MSU 7 No. 18 Iowa 37, No. 5 MSU 6 No. 17 MSU 34, No. 18 Michigan 17 No. 24 MSU 34, No. 11 Wisconsin 24 No. 13 Penn State 42, MSU 14 No. 7 Iowa 15, MSU 13 MSU 26, No. 22 Michigan 20 (OT) No. 16 Georgia 24, No. 19 MSU 12 No. 7 Penn State 49, MSU 18 No. 12 Ohio State 45, MSU 7 No. 14 Boston College 24, MSU 21 No. 15 Michigan 28, MSU 24 No. 1 Ohio State 24, MSU 17 No. 9 Wisconsin 37, MSU 34
LJ SCOTT (Fr., Running Back) • ESPN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team • Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Oct. 3 vs. Purdue) • Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week (Sept. 12 vs. Oregon)
SPARTANS FINDING SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY – • Michigan State finished non-conference play 4-0 for the third time (2007, 2010, 2015) under Mark Dantonio (excluding bowl games).
R.J. SHELTON (Jr., Wide Receiver/Kick Returner) • Honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches)
• MSU has compiled a 56-19 record (.747) in games played against non-conference opponents since 1999.
BRANDON SOWARDS (R-Fr., Wide Receiver) • Academic All-Big Ten
• Mark Dantonio is 33-11 (.750) against non-conference opponents, including a 25-2 record (.926) in Spartan Stadium. Overall, the Spartans have won 39 of their last 51 non-league games (.765), including eight of the last nine over the past two seasons. Dantonio is 24-1 in games against teams outside of the Power Five conferences.
LAWRENCE THOMAS (Sr., Defensive Lineman) • Honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches) • Accepted invitation to play in Senior Bowl (Jan. 30) JALEN WATTS-JACKSON (R-Fr., Safety) • ESPN College Football Play of the Year (38-yard fumble return for the game-winning touchdown Oct. 17 vs. Michigan) • Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 17 vs. Michigan)
• All four of MSU’s non-conference opponents in 2015 played in bowl games last season and reached the postseason again this year.
RJ WILLIAMSON (Sr.-5, Safety) • FWAA National Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 19 vs. Air Force)
10
Site Indianapolis Columbus Ann Arbor East Lansing Arlington East Lansing East Lansing Eugene Pasadena Indianapolis East Lansing Notre Dame East Lansing Ann Arbor East Lansing East Lansing East Lansing Tampa Indianapolis Lincoln East Lansing East Lansing Orlando Iowa City Ann Arbor East Lansing East Lansing East Lansing East Lansing Orlando State College East Lansing Orlando East Lansing Columbus Madison
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES PROGRAM
IF YOU’RE JUST JOINING US – • Michigan State has recorded 65 wins since 2010 – the most in the Big Ten over the last six seasons and tied for fourth (with Northern Illinois and Stanford) in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. This year marks the sixth consecutive winning season for MSU, a first for the program since 1985-90. (Ohio State has won 67 games but 10 wins were vacated from the 2010 season). Winningest NCAA FBS Teams Since 2010 Rank Team Total Wins 1. Alabama 70 Oregon 69 3. Florida State 68 4. Michigan State 65 Northern Illinois 65 Stanford 65 7. Boise State 63 8. Oklahoma 62 9. Clemson 61 10. LSU 60 11. Wisconsin 59 • Michigan State is the only school in the nation to win a Bowl Championship Series game during the 2013 season (24-20 over Stanford in 2014 Rose Bowl Game) and a New Year’s Six bowl game (42-41 over Baylor in the Cotton Bowl Classic) last season. The Spartans are one of four programs (Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State) to have appeared in a BCS game, New Year’s Six bowl and the College Football Playoff in the last three seasons. • Since the beginning of 2013, MSU has gone 36-4 – the third most wins in the FBS during the last two-plus seasons. Winningest NCAA FBS Teams Since 2013 Rank Team Total Wins 1. Florida State 37 Ohio State 37 3. Michigan State 36 4. Alabama 35 5. Clemson 34 6. Oregon 33 7. Marshall 32 8. Baylor 31 Northern Illinois 31 • MSU was ranked No. 5 in the final 2014 Associated Press and USA TODAY/Amway Coaches Polls. The Spartans finished ranked among the nation’s top five for the second year in a row (No. 3 in both polls in 2013) – a program first since 1965-66. It marked MSU’s 14th Top 10 finish in the history of the AP Poll. It also marked MSU’s fifth Top 10 finish in the history of the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (began administering the poll in 1991), including its third under Dantonio. Dantonio has led Michigan State to Top 25 finishes in five of the last seven seasons (2008: No. 24 in both polls; 2010: No. 14 in both polls; 2011: No. 10 USA TODAY/No. 11 AP; 2013: No. 3 in both polls; and 2014: No. 5 in both polls). • Michigan State has recorded five 11-win seasons in the past six years (11 in 2010, 11 in 2011, school-record 13 in 2013, 11 in 2014, 12 in 2015). • With its 42-41 Cotton Bowl Classic victory over Baylor, MSU extended its school-record bowl winning streak to four games, tied for the longest in Big Ten history (2012 Outback over No. 18 Georgia, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings over TCU, 2014 Rose Bowl over No. 5 Stanford, 2015 Cotton Bowl over No. 4 Baylor). It also equals the longest active bowl winning streak in the FBS. Michigan State is one of just five schools in the FBS to win bowl games in each of the last four seasons (Louisiana-Lafayette, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas A&M).
2015 HONORS & AWARDS MARK DANTONIO (Head Coach) • Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award finalist (one of eight) • George Munger Coach of the Year Award finalist (one of three) • Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week (Sept. 12 vs. Oregon) • Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year finalist (one of six) • Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List HARLON BARNETT (Co-Defensive Coordinator) • CoachingSearch.com Defensive Coordinator of the Week (Week 2 vs. Oregon) • Athlon Sports Coordinator of the Week (Week 11 vs. Ohio State) MARK STATEN (Offensive Line Coach) • CoachingSearch.com Offensive Line Coach of the Week (Week 2 vs. Oregon) TEAM • AutoNation National Team of the Week (Week 11 vs. Ohio State)
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE #13 Robert Aiello: EYE-el-O #38 Byron Bullough: BULL-uh #30 Riley Bullough: BULL-uh #89 Shilique Calhoun: shuh-LEEK #80 Dylan Chmura: cha-MURR-ah #36 Arjen Colquhoun: AR-jen COLE-hoon #13 Vayante Copeland: VIE-on-tay #47 David Fennell: fuh-NELL #6 Kaleel Gaines: cuh-LEAL (rhymes with wheel) #4 Michael Geiger: guy-GURR #71 Chase Gianacakos: YAHN-uh-cock-OSE #79 Kodi Kieler: CODY key-LURR #11 Colar Kuhns: COLE-err #14 Chris Laneaux: luh-KNOW #42 Zac Leimbach: LIME-bock #14 Brian Lewerke: luh-WUHR-key #28 Madre London: MAH-dray #55 Miguel Machado: muh-CHA-doe #88 Monty Madaris: muh-DARE-iss #34 Brock Makaric: muh-CARE-ick #4 Malik McDowell: muh-LEEK #52 Taybor Pepper: TAY-burr #37 Trevon Pendleton: TREV-in #33 Jon Reschke: resh-KEY #81 Matt Sokol: SO-kull #15 Brandon Sowards: SOW-irds (rhymes with wow) #51 Kyonta Stallworth: KEY-on-tay #17 Tyriq Thompson: ty-REEK #19 AJ Troup: TROOP #48 Kenny Willekes: WILL-uh-KISS #99 Raequan Williams: RAY-kwon #27 Khari Willis: car-Ē
• MSU’s 20-point comeback win over Baylor (trailed 41-21 entering the fourth quarter) in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic was the biggest in Spartan postseason history (previous: down 16-0 at halftime to Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl). In addition, it marked the second-largest comeback win in Cotton Bowl Classic history (22 points by Notre Dame in 1979; the Irish trailed 34-12 with 7:37 left in the fourth quarter and rallied to defeat Houston, 35-34).
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
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2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES • Michigan State is extending its school record by playing in a bowl game for the ninth consecutive season (2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic, 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at Cotton Bowl Classic). The nine-year bowl streak is currently the second longest in the Big Ten and 12th longest in the FBS.
UPDATED MSU RECORD BOOK CAREER RECORDS PASS ATTEMPTS 1. Jeff Smoker (2000-03) 2. Connor Cook (2012-15)
1,150 1,131
PASS COMPLETIONS 1. Kirk Cousins (2008-11) 2. Jeff Smoker (2000-03) 3. Connor Cook (2012-15)
723 685 654
PASS COMPLETION PERCENTAGE 1. Drew Stanton (2003-06) 2. Kirk Cousins (2008-11) 3. Jim Miller (1990-93) 4. Dan Enos (1987-90) 5. Todd Schultz (1994-97) 6. Tony Banks (1994-95) 7. Dave Yarema (1982-86) 8. Jeff Smoker (2000-03) 9. Connor Cook (2012-15)
.642 .641 .626 .621 .607 .607 .605 .596 .578
PASSING YARDS 1. Kirk Cousins (2008-11) 2. Connor Cook (2012-15)
9,131 8,984
TOUCHDOWN PASSES 1. Connor Cook (2012-15) 2. Kirk Cousins (2008-11)
71 66
PASSING EFFICIENCY 1. Kirk Cousins (2008-11) 2. Gene Glick (1946-49) 3. Connor Cook (2012-15)
146.1 143.5 141.7
300-YARD PASSING GAMES 1. Connor Cook (2012-15) Jeff Smoker (2000-03)
10 10
200-YARD PASSING GAMES 1. Kirk Cousins (2008-11) 2. Connor Cook (2012-15)
26 25
RECEPTIONS 1. B.J. Cunningham (2008-11) 2. Aaron Burbridge (2012-15)
218 160
RECEIVING YARDS 1. B.J. Cunningham (2008-11) 2. Andre Rison (1985-88) 3. Charles Rogers (2001-02) 4. Kirk Gibson (1975-78) 5. Tony Lippett (2011-14) 6. Courtney Hawkins (1988-91) 7. Plaxico Burress (1998-99) 8. Mark Dell (2007-10) 9. Aaron Burbridge (2012-15)
3,086 2,992 2,821 2,347 2,247 2,210 2,155 2,136 2,135
• The Spartans have won 38 of their last 42 games, dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale. • Since 2010, MSU has recorded 39 regular-season Big Ten victories, the most of any team in the conference (Note: Ohio State has won 41 games, but had to vacate seven victories following the 2010 season.) • Michigan State is one of only five schools to have had at least one player chosen every year since the inception of the common NFL Draft in 1967. MSU joins Florida, Michigan, Nebraska and USC as the only programs with at least one draft choice for 49 consecutive years. • Michigan State and Florida are the only schools in the country to win multiple National Championships in football and men’s basketball. MSU has won six national titles in football (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966) and two in men’s basketball (1979, 2000). Michigan State is also the only school in the nation to win multiple National Championships in football, men’s basketball and hockey. • Since 2008, MSU has recorded 49 Big Ten regular-season victories – the most of any team in the conference (Note: OSU has won 55 games, but had to vacate seven victories following the 2010 season). The Spartans produced back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2010-11 for the first time in program history, claimed a share of the Big Ten Championship in 2010, won the inaugural Big Ten Legends Divisions title in 2011, won the 2013 Big Ten Championship and 2014 Rose Bowl Game, won the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic and captured the 2015 East Division and Big Ten Championships. Most Big Ten Regular-Season Conference Wins Since 2008 Rank Team Total Wins 1. Michigan State 49 2. Ohio State * 48 3. Wisconsin 44 4. Penn State 39 5. Iowa 38 6. Northwestern 31 7. Michigan 30 8. Nebraska ^ 25 9. Minnesota 23 10. Purdue 17 Illinois 17 12. Indiana 11 13. Maryland # 5 14. Rutgers # 4 * Ohio State vacated seven conference wins from the 2010 season; ^ Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011; # Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014. CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2015 SEASON – • Following the last practice of preseason camp on Aug. 27, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio announced the 2015 captains to the team: fifth-year senior center Jack Allen, fifth-year senior defensive end Shilique Calhoun and fifth-year senior linebacker Darien Harris. An additional fourth game captain will be selected each week during the 2015 season. Calhoun was also elected a team captain last season and is just the fourth player at Michigan State under Dantonio to be named a captain on more than one occasion (Kirk Cousins, 2009-11; Greg Jones, 2010-11; Max Bullough, 2012-13). MICHIGAN STATE RANKS AMONG TOP 25 IN ATTENDANCE FOR 60TH STRAIGHT YEAR – Michigan State has ranked among the NCAA’s Top 25 in attendance each of the last 60 seasons, including No. 19 in 2015, averaging 74,661 fans per game. The Spartans ranked No. 16 in the NCAA in total attendance at 522,628 fans for seven home games.
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2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES HEAD COACH MARK DANTONIO
DANTONIO RANKS SECOND IN WINS AT MICHIGAN STATE – • Ninth-year Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio, a finalist for three national coach of the year awards (Bobby Dodd, George Munger, Eddie Robinson), owns an 87-32 (.731) record as head coach of the Spartans. His .731 winning percentage currently ranks third best at MSU. He won his 71st game at MSU on Oct. 25, 2014, against Michigan to move into second place all-time in victories in school history (record: Duffy Daugherty, 109). Dantonio won his 100th career game as a head coach on Oct. 17, 2015, at Michigan Stadium as the Spartans rallied to defeat the Wolverines, 27-23, on a 38-yard fumble return as time expired; his career record stands at 105-49 (.682) in his 12th season. • Dantonio led the Spartans to the 2015 Big Ten Championship with a 16-13 victory over previously undefeated and fourth-ranked Iowa. It marked Dantonio’s third Big Ten Championship (2010, 2013, 2015), establishing a school record (previous: Duffy Daugherty and George Perles with two). • Dantonio is the first coach in Big Ten history to record five 11-win seasons in a six-year span (11 in 2010; 11 in 2011; 13 in 2013, 11 in 2014; 12 in 2015), and his five 11-win seasons are tied with Joe Paterno of Penn State for the second most in Big Ten history (Tressel with six; Paterno with five at Penn State as Big Ten member). Prior to Dantonio’s arrival, MSU had not recorded an 11-win season in its history, and had just two 10-win seasons (1965, 1999). Most 11-Win Seasons - Big Ten Coaching History Rank Coach Times 1. Jim Tressel, Ohio State 6 (2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010*) 2. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State 5 (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015) Joe Paterno, Penn State 5 (1994, 1996, 2005, 2008, 2009^) * wins vacated; ^ as Big Ten member (15 overall)
UPDATED MSU RECORD BOOK CAREER RECORDS 100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES 1. Charles Rogers (2001-02) 2. Andre Rison (1985-88) 3. B.J. Cunningham (2008-11) 4. Mark Ingram (1983-86) 5. Aaron Burbridge (2012-15) TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS 1. Connor Cook (2012-15)
12 11 10 9 8 9,217
TACKLES FOR LOSS 1. Julian Peterson (1998-99) 2. Greg Jones (2007-10) 3. Denicos Allen (2010-13) 4. Shilique Calhoun (2012-15)
48 46.5 46 43.5
SACKS 1. Larry Bethea (1975-77) 2. Shilique Calhoun (2012-15)
33 27
SCORING 1. Brett Swenson (2006-09) 2. Dave Rayner (2001-04) 3. John Langeloh (1987-90) 4. Dan Conroy (2009-12) 5. Michael Geiger (2013-15)
377 334 308 283 282
• Dantonio is the third-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten (Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: 17th season; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern: 10th season).
KICKOFF RETURN YARDS 1. Derrick Mason (1993-96) 2. Nick Hill (2011-14) 3. Herb Haygood (1998-2001) 4. DeAndra Cobb (2003-04) 5. Courtney Hawkins (1988-91) 6. R.J. Shelton (2013-15)
• Dantonio’s nine-game bowl streak at Michigan State is tied for the fifth longest by an active head coach at the same school and is the longest in the Big Ten.
MSU TEAM SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS
• Dantonio ranks third in Spartan history with 119 games coached at Michigan State (Duffy Daugherty: 183; George Perles: 139).
• Dantonio’s .722 winning percentage (52-20) in Big Ten games ranks first in MSU history (minimum 10 Big Ten games). • Along with Dantonio, four Spartan assistant coaches – Harlon Barnett, Mark Staten, Mike Tressel and Dave Warner – have also coached in more than 100 games at MSU. STAFF CONTINUITY SPARKS DANTONIO’S SUCCESS AT MSU – • MSU head coach Mark Dantonio has repeatedly stressed the importance of continuity on his coaching staff as one of the main reasons for Michigan State’s success during his tenure. Four of MSU’s nine assistant coaches have been at MSU since Dantonio’s arrival in 2007 (assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator/ secondary coach Harlon Barnett, offensive line coach Mark Staten, co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Mike Tressel, co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Dave Warner). Those four also coached under Dantonio at Cincinnati. Dantonio, Barnett, Staten and Tressel have been on the same staff since 2004. • In addition, quarterbacks coach/recruiting coordinator Brad Salem is in his sixth year on the staff, wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel is in his fifth year, and defensive line coach Ron Burton is in his third year. Co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Jim Bollman, who is also in his third season, has coached with Dantonio on three previous occasions: Youngstown State (1986-90), Michigan State (1995-97) and Ohio State (2001-03). • Three of Dantonio’s former assistants left Michigan State to become head coaches at FBS schools: Don Treadwell (Miami-Ohio, 2011-13), Dan Enos (Central Michigan, 2010-14) and Pat Narduzzi (Pittsburgh, first season).
2,575 1,794 1,770 1,632 1,571 1,385
FIRST DOWNS 1. 321 2. 293 3. 284 284
2014 2013 2015 2005
PASSING YARDS 1. 3,535 2. 3,510 3,510 4. 3,502 5. 3,453 6. 3,250 7. 3,073 8. 3,069
2011 2003 2001 2009 2014 2005 2010 2015
TOTAL YARDS 1. 6,510 2. 5,520 3. 5,470 4. 5,466 5. 5,418 6. 5,397 7. 5,364 8. 5,294 9. 5,281 10. 5,158
2014 2004 2005 2011 2007 2013 2001 1978 2009 2015
TOTAL POINTS 1. 559 2. 434 3. 430 4. 417
2015 2011 2007 2015
13 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES DANTONIO’S WINNING PERCENTAGE AT MSU AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION – • Mark Dantonio is one of just six active coaches in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision to own at least a .700 winning percentage while coaching in at least 100 games at the same school (Les Miles, LSU; Gary Patterson, TCU; Nick Saban, Alabama; Bob Stoops, Oklahoma; Dabo Swinney, Clemson).
UPDATED MSU RECORD BOOK SEASON RECORDS PASS COMPLETIONS 1. Jeff Smoker (2003) 2. Kirk Cousins (2011) 3. Drew Stanton (2005) 4. Andrew Maxwell (2012) 5. Kirk Cousins (2010) 6. Connor Cook (2013) Brian Hoyer (2007) 8. Jim Miller (1993) 9. Connor Cook (2014) 10. Connor Cook (2015) PASSING YARDS 1. Jeff Smoker (2003) 2. Kirk Cousins (2011) 3. Connor Cook (2014) 4. Drew Stanton (2005) 5. Connor Cook (2015) 6. Kirk Cousins (2010) 7. Connor Cook (2013)
3,395 3,316 3,214 3,077 2,921 2,825 2,755
200-YARD PASSING GAMES 1. Kirk Cousins (2011) Drew Stanton (2005) 3. Connor Cook (2014) Jeff Smoker (2003) 5. Connor Cook (2013) Kirk Cousins (2009)
11 11 10 10 8 8
300-YARD PASSING GAMES 1. Jeff Smoker (2003) 2. Connor Cook (2015) Connor Cook (2014) Drew Stanton (2005) Jeff Smoker (2001)
6 4 4 4 4
PASSING TOUCHDOWNS 1. Kirk Cousins (2011) 2. Connor Cook (2015) Connor Cook (2014) 4. Connor Cook (2013) Drew Stanton (2005)
25 24 24 22 22
PASSING EFFICIENCY RATING 1. Jeff Smoker (2001) 2. Drew Stanton (2005) 3. Kirk Cousins (2010) Dave Yarema (1986) 5. Connor Cook (2014) 6. Kirk Cousins (2011) 7. Tony Banks (1994) 8. Kirk Cousins (2009) 9. Connor Cook (2015)
166.4 153.4 150.7 150.7 149.4 145.1 143.1 142.6 142.2
RECEIVING YARDS 1. Charles Rogers (2001) 2. Charles Rogers (2002) 3. B.J. Cunningham (2011) 4. Devin Thomas (2007) 5. Aaron Burbridge (2015)
1,470 1,351 1,306 1,260 1,219
RECEPTIONS 1. Aaron Burbridge (2015)
80
100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES 1. B.J. Cunningham (2011) 2. Aaron Burbridge (2015) Devin Thomas (2007) TOTAL OFFENSE 1. Drew Stanton (2005) 2. Connor Cook (2014) 3. Jeff Smoker (2003) 4. Kirk Cousins (2011) 5. Connor Cook (2015) 6. Connor Cook (2013)
14
302 267 236 234 226 223 223 215 212 210
8 7 7 3,415 3,294 3,279 3,277 3,001 2,831
SACKS 1. Larry Bethea (1977) 2. Julian Peterson (1999) 3. Robaire Smith (1997) Travis Davis (1987) Kelly Quinn (1984) 6. Denicos Allen (2011) 7. Shilique Calhoun (2015)
16 15 12 12 12 11 10.5
POINTS SCORED 1. Jeremy Langford (2014) Javon Ringer (2008) 3. Jehuu Caulcrick (2007) 4. Michael Geiger (2014) Jeremy Langford (2013) Blake Ezor (1989)
132 132 126 114 114 114
Coach (active, 100 games minimum, same school) Nick Saban, Alabama Bob Stoops, Oklahoma Les Miles, LSU Gary Patterson, TCU Dabo Swinney, Clemson Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Winning Pct. (Overall Record, Years) .845 (98-18, ninth year) .799 (179-45, 17th year) .776 (111-32, 11th year) .751 (142-47, 15th year) .740 (74-26, eighth year) .731 (87-32, ninth year)
DANTONIO’S 65 WINS SINCE 2010 RANK THIRD MOST IN FBS – • Mark Dantonio ranks third among active NCAA FBS head coaches with 65 wins since 2010. Winningest NCAA FBS Head Coaches Since 2010 Rank Team Total Wins 1. Nick Saban, Alabama 70 2. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State 68 3. Mark Dantonio, MSU 65 4. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma 62 5. Les Miles, LSU 60 Here’s a look at Dantonio’s milestone wins at Michigan State: Game 1 7 12 22
Date Sept. 1, 2007 Oct. 13, 2007 Nov. 17, 2007 Oct. 25, 2008
Result MSU 55, UAB 17 MSU 52, Indiana 27 MSU 35, Penn State 31 MSU 35, Michigan 21
31 42 51 57 58 59 62 63 66 79 89 92 93
Oct. 3, 2009 Sept. 18, 2010 Nov. 27, 2010 Oct. 1, 2011 Oct. 15, 2011 Oct. 22, 2011 Nov. 12, 2011 Nov. 19, 2011 Jan. 2, 2012 Dec. 29, 2012 Nov. 16, 2013 Dec. 7, 2013 Jan. 1, 2014
MSU 26, No. 22 Michigan 20 (OT) MSU 34, Notre Dame 31 (OT) MSU 28, Penn State 22 MSU 10, Ohio State 7 MSU 28, No. 11 Michigan 14 MSU 37, No. 4 Wisconsin 31 MSU 37, Iowa 21 MSU 55, Indiana 3 MSU 33, No. 18 Georgia 30 (3OT) MSU 17, TCU 16 MSU 41, Nebraska 28 MSU 34, No. 2 Ohio State 24 MSU 24, No. 5 Stanford 20
100 101 105 106
Oct. 18, 2014 Oct. 25, 2014 Nov. 29, 2014 Jan. 1, 2015
MSU 56, Indiana 17 MSU 35, Michigan 11 MSU 34, Penn State 10 MSU 42, No. 4 Baylor 41
111 113
Oct. 3, 2015 Oct. 17, 2015
MSU 24, Purdue 21 MSU 27, No. 12 Michigan 23
117 118 119
Nov. 21, 2015 Nov. 28, 2015 Dec. 5, 2015
MSU 17, No. 2 Ohio State 14 MSU 55, Penn State 16 MSU 16, No. 4 Iowa 13
Milestone First win at MSU First Big Ten win MSU secures first bowl bid since 2003 First win over Michigan; MSU’s first win at Michigan Stadium since 1990 First win over AP ranked opponent “Little Giants” play defeats Irish in OT MSU wins Big Ten title for first time since 1990 First win over Ohio State Fourth straight win over Michigan “Rocket” defeats Badgers on last play MSU’s first win at Iowa since 1989 MSU wins inaugural B1G Legends Division First bowl victory Second consecutive bowl win MSU’s first-ever win over Nebraska Spartans win first outright B1G title since 1987 MSU wins first Rose Bowl since 1988; Third straight bowl win Dantonio wins 70th game at MSU Sixth win in last seven games vs. UM MSU wins 10 games for 4th time in 5 years MSU rallies from 20 points down in the fourth quarter to win fourth straight bowl game Dantonio wins 80th game at MSU MSU wins on 38-yard fumble recovery as time expires to defeat Michigan for seventh time in eight years; 100th career win Snapped OSU’s 23-game winning streak MSU wins 11th game; clinches B1G East Dantonio wins school-record 3rd B1G title; MSU clinches berth in CFP
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES WALK-OFF WINS IN THE DANTONIO ERA – • Michigan State has seven walk-off wins (scoring as time expired in regulation or in overtime) under Mark Dantonio, including two on the final play of regulation this season (Michigan, Ohio State). In addition, MSU has scored a game-winning touchdown on the final play of the game five times under Dantonio (twice in regulation, three times in overtime). Walk-Off Wins Under Mark Dantonio (scoring on final play of regulation or winning in overtime) Date Result Winning Play Oct. 3, 2009 MSU 26, Michigan 20 (OT) Larry Caper 23-yard TD Sept. 18, 2010 MSU 34, Notre Dame 31 (OT) Aaron Bates 29-yard TD pass to Charlie Gantt on fake FG Oct. 22, 2011 MSU 37, Wisconsin 31 Kirk Cousins 44-yard “Rocket” TD pass to Keith Nichol Jan. 1, 2012 MSU 33, Georgia 30 (3OT) Anthony Rashad White blocks FG in triple OT Oct. 27, 2012 MSU 16, Wisconsin 13 (OT) Andrew Maxwell 12-yard TD pass to Bennie Fowler Oct. 17, 2015 MSU 27, Michigan 23 Jalen-Watts Jackson 38-yard fumble recovery for TD Nov. 21, 2015 MSU 17, Ohio State 14 Michael Geiger 41-yard field goal • In addition, MSU has posted 16 fourth-quarter comebacks under Dantonio (2007: Penn State; 2008: Iowa, Wisconsin; 2009: Purdue; 2010: Notre Dame, Northwestern, Purdue; 2011: Georgia; 2012: Indiana, Wisconsin, TCU; 2013: Ohio State; 2014: Baylor; 2015: Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa).
TEAM
TURNOVERS PROVING TO BE THE DIFFERENCE ONCE AGAIN IN 2015 – • Michigan State, which ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in turnover margin (+1.46 per game) in 2014 and No. 10 in 2013 (0.93 per game), is once again in the Top 10 in 2015 at 1.23 per game, which is tied for fourth best in the nation and first in the Big Ten. The Spartans have forced 28 takeaways (15 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries) and have turned the ball over 12 times this season (+16). MSU’s 12 turnovers (six fumbles, six interceptions) are tied for ninth fewest in the FBS. In addition, MSU has scored 108 points off of its opponents’ turnovers, while the opposition has only scored 20 points on Spartan miscues (+88). • The Spartans ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in turnover margin (+1.46 per game) in 2014. MSU was +19 in the turnover department and forced 34 turnovers (16 fumbles, 18 interceptions), which ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and third most in the FBS. Conversely, the Spartans turned the ball over just 15 times (six fumbles, nine interceptions), fewest in the Big Ten. • Michigan State ranked first in the Big Ten and tied for 10th in the FBS in turnover margin (+13, 0.93 per game) in 2013. The Spartans forced the most turnovers in the Big Ten (28) and also turned the ball over the least amount of times (15) in the conference. • Michigan State has forced at least one turnover in 97 of 119 games under head coach Mark Dantonio (82 percent of the games since 2007).
ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACHES MICHIGAN STATE HISTORY OVERALL Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Coach (Years).......................................Wins Duffy Daugherty (1954-72) ...................... 109 Mark Dantonio (2007-) ............................. 87 Charles Bachman (1933-46) ..................... 70 George Perles (1983-94) ........................... 68 Chester Brewer (1903-10, ‘17, ‘19) ........... 58
Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Coach (Years)................................. Win Pct. John Macklin (1911-15) .......................... .853 Clarence “Biggie” Munn (1947-53) ......... .846 Mark Dantonio (2007-) .......................... .731 Jim Crowley (1929-32) ........................... .712 Chester Brewer (1903-10, ‘17, ‘19) ........ .699
BIG TEN Rk. 1. 2. 3.
Coach (Years).......................................Wins Duffy Daughery (1954-72) ......................... 72 George Perles (1983-94) ........................... 53 Mark Dantonio (2007-) ............................. 52
Rk. 1. 2. 3.
Coach (Years) [Min. 10 games]..... Win Pct. Mark Dantonio (2007-) .......................... .722 Denny Stolz (1973-75)............................ .604 Nick Saban (1995-99)............................. .602
BOWL APPEARANCES Rk. 1. 2. 3.
Coach (Years).....................................Bowls Mark Dantonio (2007-) ............................... 9 George Perles (1983-94) ............................. 7 Duffy Daugherty (1954-72) .......................... 3 Nick Saban (1995-99).................................. 3
BOWL WINS Rk. 1. 2.
Coach (Years)............................. Bowl Wins Mark Dantonio (2007-) ............................... 4 George Perles (1983-94) ............................. 3
• Michigan State is 55-11 (.833) when forcing at least two turnovers in a game under head coach Mark Dantonio. MSU has forced at least two turnovers in nine of 13 games this season. SPARTANS FINISH THIRD IN FINAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS – • Michigan State finished third in the final 2015 College Football Playoff rankings, qualifying for the College Football Playoff. The Spartans were ranked in all six CFP rankings this season. • The Spartans were ranked in all seven of the CFP rankings released in 2014, finishing eighth in the final rankings released on Dec. 7. • MSU has been ranked in all 13 CFP rankings since the inception of the rankings in 2014. RESUME STACKS UP WITH THE BEST – • The Spartans posted four wins over teams in the final CFP rankings (No. 5 Iowa, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 14 Michigan, No. 15 Oregon). • MSU defeated eight teams with a winning record, including all four non-conference opponents (Western Michigan: 7-5; Oregon: 9-3; Air Force: 8-4; Central Michigan: 7-5; Michigan: 9-3; Ohio State: 11-1; Penn State 7-5; Iowa 12-1). The Spartans also defeated 6-6 Indiana, who is also playing in the postseason.
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2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES DEFENSIVE TDs SCORED IN DANTONIO ERA Michigan State has scored 26 defensive touchdowns since Mark Dantonio took over as head coach prior to the 2007 season, including five each in 2007, 2011 and 2013. 2007 (5) Travis Key 31-yard interception return vs. Pittsburgh, second quarter Ervin Baldwin 12-yard fumble return vs. Indiana, third quarter Otis Wiley 54-yard interception return vs. Ohio State, third quarter Sir Darean Adams 25-yard fumble return vs. Ohio State, third quarter Travis Key 20-yard fumble recovery vs. Purdue, fourth quarter 2008 (2) Otis Wiley 31-yard interception return vs. California, second quarter Johnny Adams 40-yard interception return vs. Purdue, second quarter 2009 (2) Danny Fortener 45-yard interception return vs. Illinois, third quarter Chris L. Rucker 11-yard fumble return vs. Purdue, first quarter
“THE DRIVE” PROPELS SPARTANS TO BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP – Trailing No. 4 Iowa 13-9 with 9:31 left in the Big Ten Championship Game, Michigan State traveled 82 yards on 22 plays – the longest scoring drive (plays) in the NCAA FBS since 2013 – in nine minutes and four seconds to score the game-winning touchdown, a 1-yard run by LJ Scott with 27 seconds remaining. The drive actually consisted of 92 yards of total offense for the Spartans (holding penalty pushed MSU back 10 yards during the drive). The memorable drive featured 17 rushes (59 yards) and just five passes (3-of-5, 33 yards), and Scott had 14 carries for 40 yards, including a 1-yard TD on third-and-goal with 27 seconds left. The last 12 plays of the drive were runs. MSU converted five third downs and one fourth down (Connor Cook’s 2-yard run on the Iowa 5-yard line with 1:59 left) during its march toward a Big Ten Championship. According to STATS, MSU’s 22-play drive vs. Iowa was the first drive of 22-plus plays by any FBS team since North Carolina State had a 23-play drive vs. Clemson on Sept. 19, 2013. WINNING THE CLOSE ONES – • Michigan State is 6-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less in 2015 (wins: 16-13 vs. No. 4 Iowa, 1714 vs. No. 2 Ohio State, 27-23 vs. No. 12 Michigan, 31-24 vs. Rutgers, 24-21 vs. Purdue, 31-28 vs. No. 7 Oregon; loss: 39-38 at Nebraska). • Michigan State had won seven consecutive games decided by a touchdown or less before falling at Nebraska, 39-38, on Nov. 7, 2015.
2010 – None 2011 (5) Jeremy Langford 37-yard fumble return vs. Florida Atlantic, fourth quarter Isaiah Lewis 37-yard interception return vs. Central Michigan, second quarter Isaiah Lewis 39-yard interception return vs. Michigan, fourth quarter Johnny Adams 86-yard interception return vs. Indiana, third quarter Darqueze Dennard 38-yard interception return vs. Georgia, third quarter, 2012 Outback Bowl 2012 – None 2013 (5) Kurtis Drummond 21-yard interception return vs. Western Michigan, first quarter Shilique Calhoun 16-yard fumble return vs. Western Michigan, fourth quarter Shilique Calhoun 4-yard fumble return vs. South Florida, second quarter Shilique Calhoun 56-yard interception return vs. South Florida, third quarter Denicos Allen 45-yard fumble return vs. Purdue, second quarter 2014 (3) Darien Harris 15-yard interception return vs. Purdue, fourth quarter RJ Williamson 29-yard interception return vs. Michigan, third quarter RJ Williamson 22-yard interception return vs. Maryland, third quarter 2015 (4) RJ Williamson 64-yard fumble return vs. Air Force, first quarter Riley Bullough 44-yard interception return vs. Maryland, second quarter Demetrious Cox 77-yard fumble return vs. Penn State, second quarter Malik McDowell 13-yard interception return vs. Penn State, fourth quarter
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TOUGH TO BEAT LATE IN THE SEASON – • A trademark of Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State teams has been their ability to produce wins late in the season. Under Dantonio, Michigan State has compiled a 29-12 record (.707) in November, December and January. His teams have won 18 of the last 22 games in November (3-0 in 2010; 4-0 in 2011; 1-2 in 2012; 4-0 in 2013; 3-1 in 2014; 3-1 in 2015). In the four seasons (2003-06) prior to Dantonio’s arrival, MSU went just 2-11 (.154) in November. Under Dantonio, Michigan State has compiled a 24-7 record (.774) in November.
• Since the beginning of the 2010 season, Michigan State is 19-8 (.704) in games decided by a touchdown or less, including all four bowl victories. The losses have come against Wisconsin in the 2011 Big Ten Championship Game (42-39), Ohio State (17-16), Iowa (19-16 in 2OT), Michigan (12-10), Nebraska (28-24) and Northwestern (23-20) in 2012, Notre Dame (17-13) in 2013, and Nebraska (39-38) in 2015. SPARTANS BEAT MICHIGAN AND OHIO STATE ON FINAL PLAY – • Michigan State defeated both Michigan and Ohio State on the road this season on the final play of regulation – without holding a lead the entire game prior to the last play. Junior Michael Geiger kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give the Spartans a 17-14 win at No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, and red-shirt freshman Jalen Watts-Jackson scored his first career touchdown on a 38-yard fumble return as time expired to give No. 7 Michigan State a 27-23 victory at No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17. • According to STATS, Michigan State is just the second team since 1980 to defeat both Michigan and Ohio State on the road in the same season (Illinois, 1999). It also marks just the second time in program history MSU has accomplished the feat (1951 National Championship team). WATTS-JACKSON’S SCOOP AND SCORE AGAINST MICHIGAN NAMED NO. 1 PLAY OF THE 2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON – Red-shirt freshman Jalen Watts-Jackson scored his first career touchdown on a 38-yard fumble return as time expired to give No. 7 Michigan State a 27-23 victory at No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17. Watts-Jackson scooped up the mishandled snap by U-M punter Blake O’Neill and broke several tackles en route to the end zone. The unforgettable touchdown was named the No. 1 play in college football history in a story published on NFL.com on Oct. 19. It also was named the No. 1 play of the 2015 season at the ESPN College Football Awards Show in Atlanta on Dec. 10. Unfortunately, Watts-Jackson suffered a dislocated and fractured hip on the play and will be out the remainder of the season. He was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his game-winning touchdown. MSU head coach Mark Dantonio named the play “Rangers: Mission 4:10.” SPARTANS POST ANOTHER DRAMATIC COMEBACK AT MICHIGAN – • According to ESPN Stats and Information, Michigan State has three of the five most improbable wins, based on lowest win probability, in the past 10 seasons among Power 5 teams. The Spartans had a 0.2% chance against Michigan in 2015 (down 23-21 with 10 seconds left and Michigan punting the ball; won 27-23 on 38-yard fumble recovery), a 0.3% chance against Northwestern in 2006 (down 38-3 in third quarter and won 41-38) and a 0.4% chance against Baylor in 2015 Cotton Bowl (down 41-21 in fourth quarter and won 42-41).
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES MICHIGAN STATE NAMED NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK FOLLOWING WIN OVER OHIO STATE – After snapping defending National Champion Ohio State’s 23-game winning streak with a 17-14 victory in Columbus on Nov. 21, Michigan State was named the AutoNation National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America. Junior Michael Geiger kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give the Spartans their second win of the season on the final play of regulation (Jalen Watts-Jackson 38-yard fumble return vs. Michigan on Oct. 17). MSU also ended Ohio State’s NCAA FBS record of 30 consecutive regular-season conference victories. It marked the Spartans’ second consecutive win in Ohio Stadium (10-7 win in 2011). Michigan State held Ohio State to five first downs and 132 yards of total offense (86 rushing, 46 passing). The Buckeyes had six three-and-outs. The 132 yards were the fewest by an Urban Meyer-coached team and the fewest allowed by MSU since Illinois had 128 yards on Oct. 26, 2013. It was also the fewest total yards for a Buckeye team since 1999 (79 vs. Michigan State). Ohio State entered the game ranked first in the Big Ten in scoring offense (36.4 points per game) and rushing offense (244.8 yards per game) and second in total offense (453.3 yards per game). It marked the seventh time Michigan State has been named the National Team of the Week by the FWAA since the award’s inception in 2002 (2013 vs. Michigan; 2011 vs. Michigan; 2010 vs. Wisconsin; 2006 vs. Northwestern; 2005 vs. Notre Dame; 2004 vs. Wisconsin). SPARTANS GARNER WEEKLY HONORS FROM BIG TEN – Following Michigan State’s last-second 17-14 win at then-No. 2 Ohio State, two Spartans earned weekly awards. Sophomore linebacker Jon Reschke was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week, while junior placekicker Michael Geiger garnered Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week accolades. In addition, assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett was named the Coordinator of the Week by Athlon Sports. Reschke recorded six tackles, including an 8-yard sack and a quarterback hurry, in the win over the Buckeyes. MSU’s defense limited Ohio State to 132 total yards – the lowest offensive output ever by an Urban Meyercoached team and the fewest by the Buckeyes since 1999 (79 vs. Michigan State). The Spartans allowed just five first downs and forced the Buckeye offense into six three-and-outs. Geiger accounted for five points, including the game-winning 41-yard field goal as time expired, to end the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak. Michigan State was recognized 11 times by the Big Ten this season with weekly awards. 2015 Spartan Big Ten Players of the Week Defense: LB Riley Bullough (14 tackles) Freshman: RB LJ Scott (11 carries, 76 yards, 2 TD, 38-yard TD run) Offense: WR Aaron Burbridge (8 rec. for 156 yards and 3 TDs) Defense: DE Shilique Calhoun (6 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 block) Freshman: RB LJ Scott (18 carries, 146 yards, 2 TD) Defense: LB Shilique Calhoun (5 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2 sacks) Special Teams: S Jalen Watts-Jackson (38-yard fumble recovery for TD) Offense: QB Connor Cook (30-of-52 passing for 398 yards and 4 TDs) Defense: NT Malik McDowell (career high eight tackles and 4.5 TFLs) Defense: LB Jon Reschke (6 tackles; help limit OSU to 132 total yards) Special Teams: PK Michael Geiger (game-winning 41-yard field goal)
Game vs. Oregon vs. Oregon vs. Air Force vs. CMU vs. Purdue vs. Michigan vs. Michigan vs. Indiana vs. Maryland vs. Ohio State vs. Ohio State
SPARTANS PROMINENTLY FEATURED ON ESPN’S COLLEGE GAMEDAY – • ESPN College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, celebrating its 29th season, made four appearances at Michigan State games in 2015 (East Lansing for Oregon game on Sept. 12; Ann Arbor for Michigan game on Oct. 17; Columbus for Ohio State game on Nov. 21; Indianapolis for Iowa game on Dec. 5). • Michigan State has played at the site of Gameday eight times in the last 35 shows, which is the most appearances by any team in that span (Alabama is second with six). • College GameDay has visited East Lansing four times in the last five years. • Since 2011, College GameDay has featured 10 Michigan State games, including four visits to East Lansing (2011 vs. Wisconsin, 2012 vs. Ohio State; 2014 vs. Ohio State; 2015 vs. Oregon). MSU’s 10 appearances since 2011 are the most in the Big Ten.
BY THE NUMBERS
1 2 4 5 9 20 38 40 49 60 60 65 87
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
Michigan State’s ranking in the Big Ten in rushing defense the past four seasons. MSU also led the FBS in rushing defense (88.5 ypg.) in 2014. MSU is one of two schools in the country, along with Florida, to win multiple National Championships in both football and men’s basketball. MSU has won a school-record four bowl games in a row, the longest active streak in the Big Ten and also tying a Big Ten record. MSU finished No. 5 in the final 2014 national polls, giving MSU back-toback top-five finishes (No. 3 in 2013) for the first time since 1965-66. Michigan State has appeared in a school-record nine consecutive bowl games; it’s also the 12th-longest active streak in the FBS and second longest in the Big Ten. Down 41-21 in the fourth quarter, MSU rallied for a 20-point comeback victory, 42-41, over No. 4 Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic. MSU has won 38 of its last 42 games, dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale. Michigan State has been ranked in the AP Poll for a school-record 40 consecutive weeks, including 31 weeks in the Top 10 during that time. MSU has won 49 Big Ten regularseason games since 2008 - the most by any conference team. In the Dantonio era, Michigan State has held its opponent below 100 yards rushing in 60 of 119 games (50 percent). MSU has ranked among the nation’s Top 25 in attendance each of the last 60 seasons. MSU has won 65 games since the beginning of the 2010 season, most in the Big Ten and tied for fifith most (with Stanford) in the FBS during that time period. Mark Dantonio has won 87 games at MSU, second most in school history.
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2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES SPARTAN SINGLE-GAME BESTS UNDER DANTONIO Here’s a look at the top single-game totals produced by Michigan State during head coach Mark Dantonio’s tenure (2007-15; 119 games): Rushing Yards: 368 vs. Indiana, 2007 Passing Yards: 398 vs. Indiana, 2015 Total Yards: 662 vs. Indiana, 2014 First Downs: 33 vs. Indiana, 2015 Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed: -48 yards by Michigan, 2013 Fewest Passing Yards Allowed: 11 by Indiana, 2014 Fewest Total Yards Allowed: 48 by Florida Atlantic, 2011 Fewest First Downs Allowed: 1 by Florida Atlantic, 2011
RECORD WATCH – • Fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook needs two more touchdown passes to set an MSU single-season record. He currently has 24 passing TDs this season, one shy of Kirk Cousins’ record of 25 set in 2011. • Cook needs one more 300-yard passing game to set the MSU career record in that category as well; he currently is tied with Jeff Smoker with 10. • Cook, who already owns MSU’s all-time touchdown passes record with 71, is also nearing the career mark for most passing yards in school history. Cook, who is currently second with 8,984 yards, needs just 148 yards to pass Cousins (9,131). • With one more 100-yard receiving game, senior wide receiver Aaron Burbridge would tie B.J. Cunningham’s single-season record of eight set in 2011. ROAD WARRIORS – • Michigan State is 26-10 (.722) in Big Ten road games under MSU head coach Mark Dantonio, including a 20-4 record (.833) since 2010. Dantonio has won at least one road game at every Big Ten stadium. • Michigan State’s 12-game road Big Ten winning streak, which was snapped on Nov. 7, 2015 at Nebraska, was the longest in school history, besting the previous record of eight straight set in 1965-67 and 1988-90.
Sacks By: 9 vs. Ohio State, 2011 Turnovers Forced: 6 vs. Eastern Michigan, 2014 Points (Game): 73 vs. Eastern Michigan, 2014 Points (Half): 49 (1st) vs. Eastern Michigan, 2014 (school record) Points (Quarter): 28 (1st) vs. Eastern Michigan, 2014 Victory Margin: 59 vs. Eastern Michigan, 2014 Fewest Points Allowed (Game): 0 by Purdue, 2013; by Florida Atlantic, 2011; by Florida Atlantic, 2008
COACHING STAFF GAMEDAY LOCATIONS On the field... Head coach Mark Dantonio Defensive line coach Ron Burton Quarterbacks coach Brad Salem Wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel Offensive line coach Mark Staten Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers Mike Tressel In the booth... Asst. head coach/co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett Co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Jim Bollman Co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Dave Warner Linebackers/special teams coach Mark Snyder
• The Spartans have won 11 of 13 November road games under Dantonio (only November road losses: Nov. 22, 2008 at No. 7 Penn State; Nov. 7, 2015 at Nebraska). • Michigan State is 12-3 in true road games since 2013, with the only losses arriving at No. 22 Notre Dame (2013), No. 3 Oregon (2014) and Nebraska (2015). BASKETBALL-FOOTBALL BALANCE – • Michigan State is the only school in the nation to win four straight bowl games and appear in the Sweet 16 four consecutive times in men’s basketball. As of Dec. 21, the Spartans were ranked No. 1 in the nation in men’s basketball in the AP Top 25. SPARTANS A TOP DRAW ON TV – • Michigan State has been featured in three of the top-seven rated games on TV this season. The Michigan State-Ohio State game on Nov. 21 drew a viewership of 11,052,000 (7.0 rating) to make it the most viewed game of the 2015 season and the best rated late afternoon game since 2006. 2015 College Football Season: Highest-Rated Games Rank Rating Date Time Game 1. 7.0 Sat., Nov. 21 3:30 p.m. Michigan State at Ohio State 2. 6.8 Sat., Nov. 28 12 p.m. Ohio State at Michigan 3. 6.6 Mon., Sept. 7 8 p.m. Ohio State at Virginia Tech 4. 6.3 Sat., Nov. 7 8 p.m. LSU at Alabama 5. 5.5 Sat., Nov. 7 3:30 p.m. Florida State at Clemson 6. 5.1 Sat., Oct. 17 3:30 p.m. Michigan State at Michigan 7. 5.0 Sat., Sept 12 8 p.m. Oregon at Michigan State
Network ABC ABC ESPN CBS ABC ESPN ABC
SPARTANS MAINTAIN SUCCESS IN BIG TEN PLAY – • Michigan State has won 25 of its last 27 games against Big Ten opponents, including 18 wins by doublefigures. • Michigan State’s 13-game Big Ten winning streak from Nov. 24, 2012 to Oct. 25, 2014, was the secondlongest Big Ten winning streak in school history (16 straight from Oct. 2, 1965 to Oct. 21, 1967). In addition, MSU had won 14 consecutive games against Big Ten opponents (2013 Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 2 Ohio State). • MSU’s seven-game Big Ten winning streak that began on Nov. 15, 2014, against Maryland and ended on Nov. 7, 2015, at Nebraska was tied for the fourth longest in school history. • Mark Dantonio’s .722 winning percentage (52-20) in Big Ten regular-season games ranks first in MSU history (minimum 10 Big Ten games). • Michigan State is 39-9 (.813) in Big Ten regular-season games since 2010.
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2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES 2015 SPARTAN SPORTS NETWORK RADIO AFFILIATES
SPARTANS TOUGH ON HOME TURF – • Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State has produced a 51-12 record (.810) in home games since 2007, including a 15-game winning streak (7-0 in 2010, 7-0 in 2011, won first game in 2012) and a 12-game winning streak (7-0 in 2013; won first five in 2014), which rank second and tied for third, respectively, in Spartan Stadium history. MSU currently has a seven-game winning streak in Spartan Stadium. • MSU is 36-6 (.857) at home since 2010 and 20-1 (.952) since 2013. • Mark Dantonio is 25-2 (.926) against non-conference opponents in Spartan Stadium (only losses: 2009 to Central Michigan; 2012 to No. 20 Notre Dame). • Dantonio is 9-0 in home openers at MSU and the Spartans’ 17-game winning streak in home openers is tied for the third longest in the nation. INJURY BUG BITES SPARTANS – • Unfortunately for Michigan State, the Spartans suffered numerous injuries during the regular season on both sides of the ball. On the positive side, MSU recovered toward the end of the season and is back at near full strength for the Cotton Bowl Classic against No. 2 Alabama.
City ............................................................Call Letters Alma ................................................WQBX (FM 104.9) Alma .................................................WFYC (AM 1280) Alpena ................................................WKJZ (FM 94.9) Ann Arbor.......................................... WLBY (AM 1290) Bad Axe ........................................... WLEW (AM 1340) Battle Creek .......................................WBCK (FM 95.3) Benton Harbor .................................WCSY (FM 103.7) Detroit ....................................................WJR (AM 760) Escanaba......................................... WUPF (FM 107.3) Flint ..................................................WWCK (AM 1570) Gaylord ............................................ WMJZ (FM 101.5) Grand Haven .................................... WGHN (FM 92.1) Grand Rapids ...................................WBBL (FM 107.3) Greenville ........................................ WGLM (AM 1380) Hastings........................... WBCH (AM 1220/FM 100.1) Houghton Lake ................................. WTWS (FM 92.1) Iron Mountain.................................... WMIQ (AM 1450) Ishpeming ......................................... WUPG (FM 96.7) Jackson ............................ WIBM (AM 1450/FM 101.9) Kalamazoo..........................................WKZO (AM 590) Lansing .............................................. WJIM (AM 1240) ......................................................... WMMQ (FM 94.9) Ludington/Manistee ........................... WLDN (FM 98.7) Midland ............................................ WLUN (FM 100.9) Newberry ........................................... WMJT (FM 96.7) Ontonagon .......................................WUPY (FM 101.1) Petoskey ..............................WJML (AM 1110/FM 94.9) Port Huron ....................................... WPHM (AM 1380) Saginaw .............................................WILZ (FM 104.5) Tawas City .......................................WQLB (FM 103.3) Traverse City .................................. WCCW (AM 1310) Traverse City ..................................WCCW (FM 107.5)
• MSU has lost four players for the year due to season-ending injuries (fifth-year senior linebacker Ed Davis: torn ACL in preseason camp; red-shirt freshman cornerback Vayante Copeland: neck in Week 2 vs. Oregon; sophomore offensive tackle Dennis Finley: broken tibia and fibula in Week 5 vs. Purdue; red-shirt freshman safety Jalen Watts-Jackson: fractured and dislocated hip in Week 7 vs. Michigan). • Michigan State has started 39 different players in 2015 (20 on offense; 19 on defense). • MSU has had six different starting lineups along the offensive line. For more information on the rotation at offensive line, please refer to page 28 in the game notes. • MSU has featured seven different starting lineups in the secondary, including five players making their first career starts in 2015 (red-shirt freshman cornerback Vayante Copeland, senior cornerback Arjen Colquhoun, freshman safety Grayson Miller, freshman cornerback Tyson Smith and freshman safety Khari Willis). MSU started three true freshmen in the secondary at Nebraska (Miller, Smith, Willis). Miller and Willis’ first career starts came in the Oct. 17 win at Michigan, while Smith’s first start arrived against the Huskers. • Fifth-year senior safety RJ Williamson suffered a biceps injury in Week 5 vs. Purdue but is likely to return for the bowl game against Alabama. Copeland suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2 vs. Oregon. Junior cornerback Darian Hicks, who started 10 games in 2014, missed a majority of preseason camp with mono and didn’t return to the starting lineup until Week 5 vs. Purdue; he then suffered an injury in Week 6 at Rutgers and was forced to miss three games before starting once again in Week 10 vs. Maryland. Junior wide receiver Monty Madaris started playing cornerback as well in Week 9 vs. Nebraska and saw action in the rotation. Junior Jermaine Edmondson also sees significant time in the secondary at cornerback.
SpartanSportsNetwork.com Live broadcasts for all of Michigan State’s games are available online at SpartanSportsNetwork.com and also on the Spartan Sports Network mobile app for the iPhone and Android devices.
LONGEST TENURED FBS PLAY-BY-PLAY RADIO ANNOUNCERS Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Name (School) Bob Robertson (Washington State) Bill Hillgrove (Pittsburgh) Don Fischer (Indiana) Larry Zimmer (Colorado) Tommy Suggs (South Carolina) 6. Joe Starkey (California) Dave Nitz (Louisiana Tech) 9. Bob Harris (Duke) Frank Hoffman, ULM 10. George Blaha (Michigan State)
Years 49 46 43 42 42 41 41 40 40 38
19 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES SPARTANS IN THE NFL Michigan State has 17 former players listed on active rosters for National Football League teams as of Dec. 21, 2015. Max Bullough, LB Kirk Cousins, QB Kellen Davis, TE Darqueze Dennard, CB Kurtis Drummond, S Bennie Fowler, WR William Gholston, DE Brian Hoyer, QB Taiwan Jones, LB Jeremy Langford, RB Tony Lippett, DB Keshawn Martin, WR
Houston Texans Washington Redskins New York Jets Cincinnati Bengals Houston Texans Denver Broncos Tampa Bay Buccaneers Houston Texans New York Jets Chicago Bears Miami Dolphins New England Patriots
Keith Mumphery, WR Domata Peko, DT Dion Sims, TE Drew Stanton, QB Trae Waynes, CB
Houston Texans Cincinnati Bengals Miami Dolphins Arizona Cardinals Minnesota Vikings
Practice Squad: Dan France, OT Marcus Rush, DE
Cleveland Browns San Francisco 49ers
Injured Reserve: Le’Veon Bell, RB Garrett Celek, TE Micajah Reynolds, DT
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Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Baltimore Ravens
• From the Week 1 depth chart, 10 of MSU’s 22 starters have missed at least one game due to injury. Position LT C RT WR TE RB QB
Week 1 Starter vs. WMU Jack Conklin (leg) Jack Allen (lower leg) Kodi Kieler (knee) Macgarrett Kings (undisclosed) Josiah Price (ankle) Madre London (lower leg) Connor Cook (shoulder)
Games Missed 2 (Purdue, Rutgers) 2 (Michigan, Indiana) 3 (Air Force, CMU, Purdue) 1 (Purdue) 2 (Purdue, Rutgers) 3 (Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska) 1 (Ohio State)
Offense totals: 7 starters for 14 games Additional injuries: LT Dennis Finley started vs. Purdue (out for season; broken leg) DT S CB
Joel Heath (elbow) RJ Williamson (bicep) Vayante Copeland (neck)
2 (Central Michigan, Maryland) 8 (likely back for Cotton Bowl vs. Alabama) 11 (hurt in Week 2; out for season)
Defense totals: 3 starters for 21 games Additional injuries: CB Darian Hicks (2014 starter; has started three games in 2015; missed Michigan, Indiana and Nebraska games); LB Ed Davis (led team in production points in 2014; out for season; torn ACL in preseason camp) MSU’S 12-GAME WINNING STREAK WAS RANKED AMONG THE PROGRAM’S LONGEST – • Michigan State had its 12-game winning streak snapped on Nov. 7 at Nebraska. The 12-game run, which dated back to Nov. 15, 2014, was tied for the third longest in school history. Mark Dantonio is the only Spartan head coach to have two separate 11-game winning streaks (won 11 straight in 2013-14). Longest Winning Streaks in Michigan State History Streak Dates of Winning Streak (Began/Ended) 28* Oct. 14, 1950 to Oct. 24, 1953 15 Oct. 19, 1912 to Oct. 17, 1914 12 Nov. 15, 2014 to Nov. 7, 2015 12 Oct. 8, 1955 to Oct. 27, 1956 11 Oct. 5, 2013 to Sept. 6, 2014 10 Sept. 18, 1965 to Jan. 1, 1966 10 Oct. 14, 1978 to Sept. 29, 1979 * Tied for 14th longest in NCAA history
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
Coach Biggie Munn John Macklin Mark Dantonio Duffy Daugherty Mark Dantonio Duffy Daugherty Darryl Rogers
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES A QUICK GLANCE AT ALABAMA (12-1, 7-1 SEC) – • According to the NCAA, Alabama has played the second-most difficult schedule in the country this season (opponents are 81-43 for a .653 winning percentage). The Crimson Tide have played four CFP Top 25 teams (beat Florida, LSU, Tennessee; lost to Mississippi). • Alabama is making its second consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff. Last season, the top-seeded Crimson Tide lost to fourth-seeded Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, 42-35.
ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS RUSHING YARDS 1. LJ Scott (140 att.) 2. Delton Williams (116 att.) 3. Gerald Holmes (123 att.) 4. Madre London (114 att.) 5. R.J. Shelton (66 att.)
691 604 578 489 428
• The Crimson Tide won their second straight SEC Championship and conference-best 25th in school history with a 29-15 victory over Florida in the 2015 SEC title game in Atlanta.
RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS 1. LJ Scott 2. Gerald Holmes 3. Delton Williams 4. R.J. Shelton
• Ninth-year head coach Nick Saban has won four SEC Championships (2009, 2012, 2014, 2015) and three National Championships (2009, 2011, 2012) during his tenure in Tuscaloosa. He owns a 98-18 record at Alabama and an overall mark of 189-60-1 in his 20th season as a head coach.
PASSING YARDS (C-A-I-TD) 1. Connor Cook (654-1,131-20-71)
• Alabama ranks No. 1 in the NCAA FBS in rushing defense, giving up just 74.0 yards per game. The Crimson Tide have allowed just two teams to rush for more than 100 yards this season (Georgia: 193; Tennessee: 132). Alabama has only surrendered six rushing touchdowns all season, tied for the fewest in the nation.
RECEPTIONS 1. Aaron Burbridge 2. Macgarrett Kings Jr. 3. Josiah Price 4. R.J. Shelton
160 114 62 61
RECEIVING YARDS 1. Aaron Burbridge 2. Macgarrett Kings Jr. 3. Josiah Price 4. R.J. Shelton
2,135 1,434 812 663
TD RECEPTIONS 1. Josiah Price 2. Aaron Burbridge Macgarrett Kings Jr. 4. R.J. Shelton
16 10 9 6
SCORING LEADERS 1. Michael Geiger 2. Josiah Price 3. LJ Scott R.J. Shelton 5. Aaron Burbridge 6. Macgarrett Kings Jr.
282 96 66 66 60 54
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS 1. R.J. Shelton 2. Aaron Burbridge 3. Macgarrett Kings Jr.
2,480 2,265 1,895
• The Crimson Tide also rank second in the FBS in total defense (258.2 ypg.) and third in scoring defense (14.4 points per game) and sacks (3.54 per game). The Tide have been excellent on third down, allowing their opponents to convert just 28 percent of their attempts (55-of-197). • Offensively, Alabama ranks fifth in the SEC and 49th in the FBS in total offense (422.5 ypg.). The Crimson Tide feature the No. 3 rushing offense in the SEC (27th nationally), averaging 208.2 yards per game on the ground. • Junior Derrick Henry, who became the second player in Alabama history to win the Heisman Trophy, leads the FBS in rushing yards (1,986) and rushing touchdowns (23) and ranks second in rushing yards per game (152.8 ypg.). A consensus first-team All-American, Henry also won the Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards. • Senior quarterback Jake Coker has started all but one game for the Crimson Tide this season (did not start in loss to Mississippi). Coker has completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,489 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He transferred to Alabama from Florida State and served as the Seminoles’ back-up quarterback behind Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. • True freshman Calvin Ridley leads the team with 75 catches for 893 yards and five touchdowns. • Senior All-America linebacker Reggie Ragland, who was a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, leads the team with 90 tackles, including 6.5 for losses and 2.0 sacks. • Alabama has 46 sacks as a team, led by junior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen (10.0) and junior linebacker Tim Williams (9.5). In addition, junior defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson has 3.5 sacks and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy. MSU/ALABAMA COACHING CONNECTIONS – • Three current members of Alabama’s coaching staff also spent time at Michigan State: head coach Nick Saban (head coach, 1995-99), tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Bobby Williams (assistant coach, 1990-99; head coach, 2000-02) and assistant head coach/secondary coach Mel Tucker (graduate assistant, 1997). • Nick Saban became the 20th head football coach in MSU history on Dec. 3, 1994. He collected a 34-24-1 (.585 ) record during his five seasons in East Lansing (1995-99). Saban became the first Spartan coach to lead his teams to bowl games in each of his first three seasons, including the 1995 Independence, 1996 Sun and 1997 Aloha Bowls. The Spartans went 9-2 during the regular season in 1999, earning a trip to the 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl. Prior to the bowl game, Saban left to take the head coaching job at LSU. Saban previously coached at MSU, serving as an assistant coach from 1983-87, helping the Spartans to the 1987 Big Ten and ’88 Rose Bowl Championships. • Bobby Williams became the 21st head coach in Spartan history when he assumed control of the team on Dec. 5, 1999, after Nick Saban left for LSU. Prior to taking over as head coach, Williams coached Michigan State’s running backs for 10 years. He made his head-coaching debut on Jan. 1, 2000, and led the Spartans
11 8 7 4 8,984
TACKLES 1. RJ Williamson 2. Darien Harris 3. Riley Bullough Shilique Calhoun 5. Montae Nicholson 6. Demetrious Cox
154 146 127 127 107 104
TACKLES FOR LOSS 1. Shilique Calhoun 2. Ed Davis Malik McDowell 4. Riley Bullough Darien Harris 6. Joel Heath
43.5 16.5 16.5 11.0 11.0 10.5
SACKS 1. Shilique Calhoun 3. Ed Davis
27.0 11.0
INTERCEPTIONS 1. RJ Williamson 2. Riley Bullough
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2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES TRACKING EXPLOSIVE PLAYS (20-PLUS YARDS) Player No. Aaron Burbridge 21 R.J. Shelton 18 Macgarrett Kings Jr. 8 LJ Scott 8 Gerald Holmes 7 Madre London 3 DeAnthony Arnett 2 Connor Cook 2 Paul Lang 2 Jamal Lyles 2 Montae Nicholson 2 Josiah Price 2 Riley Bullough 1 Demetrious Cox 1 Felton Davis 1 Monty Madaris 1 Trevon Pendleton 1 Jalen Watts-Jackson 1 RJ Williamson 1 Totals 84
TD 5 3 2 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 20
R P KR PR IR FR 0 21 0 0 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 7 0 1 0 0 0 5 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 50 11 0 3 3
TOTAL: 84 (20 TDs) Rushing: 17 (4 TDs) Passing: 50 (12 TDs) Kickoff Returns: 11 Punt Returns: 0 Interception Returns: 3 (1 TD) Fumble Returns: 3 (3 TDs) Blocked Kick Returns: 0 LONGEST PLAYS OF THE YEAR Rushing 62, Madre London vs. Oregon (9/12/2015) Rushing Touchdown 38, LJ Scott vs. Oregon (9/12/2015) Passing 74, Trevon Pendleton from Connor Cook vs. Michigan (10/17/2015) Passing Touchdown 34, Macgarrett Kings from Connor Cook vs. Nebraska (11/7/2015) Punt Return 17 Macgarrett Kings vs. Indiana (10/24/2015) Kick Return 58 R.J. Shelton vs. Indiana (10/24/2015) Interception Return 44, Riley Bullough vs. Maryland (11/14/2015) Fumble Return 77, Demetrious Cox vs. Penn State (11/28/2015) Punt 60, Jake Hartbarger vs. Nebraska (11/7/2015) Field Goal 47, Michael Geiger vs. Iowa (12/5/2015) and Central Michigan (9/26/2015)
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to a last-second victory over No. 10 Florida, 37-34, in the Florida Citrus Bowl. With MSU’s 44-35 triumph over No. 20 Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic, Williams became the first head coach in Spartan football history to win his first two bowl games. Williams had a 16-17 record during his three seasons as head coach at MSU (2000-02). • Mark Dantonio previously spent six seasons as secondary coach at Michigan State (1995-2000), including five years under Nick Saban (1995-99) and one under Bobby Williams (2000). • Michigan State assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Harlon Barnett was a graduate assistant under Nick Saban during LSU’s National Championship season in 2003. Saban was also the defensive coordinator for the Spartans during Barnett’s first three seasons in East Lansing as a player (1985-87), including the 1987 Big Ten Championship and 1988 Rose Bowl Championship team. • Alabama assistant head coach/secondary coach Mel Tucker spent three seasons as the defensive backs coach at Ohio State (2001-03) while Mark Dantonio was the defensive coordinator for the Buckeyes during those years. The pair helped lead Ohio State to a National Championship in 2002. Tucker was promoted to codefensive coordinator at OSU in 2004 following Dantonio’s departure to become the head coach at Cincinnati. MSU/ALABAMA SERIES NOTES – • Alabama defeated MSU in the 2011 Capital One Bowl, 49-7, in Orlando, Florida, in the only previous meeting between the two schools. SPARTANS vs. SEC TEAMS – • Michigan State has compiled a 13-12-1 record (.519) against current members of the Southeastern Conference (0-1 vs. Alabama, 0-1 vs. Auburn, 1-0 vs. Florida, 1-2 vs. Georgia, 2-2 vs. Kentucky, 0-1 vs. LSU, 2-1-1 vs. Mississippi State, 5-3 vs. Missouri and 2-1 vs. Texas A&M). The Spartans are 2-5 in postseason bowl games against SEC teams. • MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is 1-2 in bowl games against SEC teams. Here’s a closer look at Michigan State’s seven previous postseason bowl games vs. SEC teams: Date Jan. 2, 2012 Jan. 1, 2011 Jan. 1, 2009 Jan. 1, 2000 Dec. 29, 1995 Jan. 1, 1989 Jan. 1, 1938
Opponent Georgia Alabama Georgia Florida LSU Georgia Auburn
MSU Result W, 33-30 (3OT) L, 7-49 L, 12-24 W, 37-34 L, 26-45 L, 27-34 L, 0-6
Site (Bowl) Tampa, Fla. (Outback) Orlando, Fla. (Capital One) Orlando, Fla. (Capital One) Orlando, Fla. (Florida Citrus) Shreveport, La. (Independence) Jacksonville, Fla. (Gator) Miami, Fla. (Orange)
SPARTANS MAKE RARE APPEARANCE IN TEXAS – Michigan State is making its sixth postseason bowl appearance in Texas, including its second consecutive trip to the Cotton Bowl. It marks MSU’s seventh trip to Texas in its 119-year football history. The Spartans are 3-3 (.500) in games played in Texas, including a 2-3 record (.400) in postseason play. Here’s a breakdown of Michigan State’s five previous appearances in the Lone Star State: Date Jan. 1, 2015 Jan. 2, 2010 Dec. 29, 2003 Dec. 31, 1996 Dec. 31, 1990 Dec. 8, 1934
Opponent Baylor Texas Tech Nebraska Stanford USC Texas A&M
MSU Result W, 42-41 L, 31-41 L, 3-17 L, 0-38 W, 17-16 W, 26-13
Site Arlington (Cotton Bowl) San Antonio (Alamo Bowl) San Antonio (Alamo Bowl) El Paso (Sun Bowl) El Paso (Sun Bowl) San Antonio
LONE STAR SPARTANS – • The impact Texas players have had on Michigan State’s football program has to be measured in terms of quality, not quantity. In 119 seasons, Texas has provided only 14 letterwinners but that modest figure includes three All-Americans: defensive end Charles “Bubba” Smith (Beaumont), wide receiver Gene Washington (LaPorte) and guard Earl Lattimer (Dallas).
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES • Smith, a two-time All-American, helped the Spartans win back-to-back National Championships in 1965-66 while posting a combined record of 19-1-1 (.929). At 6-foot-8, 280 pounds, he anchored a defensive front that helped lead the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 47.3 yards per game. Selected No. 1 overall in the 1967 National Football League Draft by the Baltimore Colts, Smith earned All-Pro honors twice, in 1970-71. He was recently named to the Football Writers Association of America 75th Anniversary All-America Team. • Washington led the Spartans in receptions for three straight seasons from 1964-66, finishing with 102 career catches for 1,857 yards and 16 touchdowns. The two-time All-American became a first-round draft pick for the Minnesota Vikings in 1967. Washington received All-Pro recognition in 1969-70. • Lattimer excelled as a two-way player for Duffy Daugherty in 1963, earning All-America honors as a guard. A crowd favorite, the 5-11, 218-pound Lattimer often turned a somersault when running up to his position on the line of scrimmage. • Most recently, Hitchcock native Greg Randall started 22 consecutive games at right tackle for the Spartans from 1998-99. A fourth-round pick by New England in 2000, Randall spent four seasons in the NFL (Patriots, 2000-02; Houston Texans, 2003) and started 39 of 51 career games. He started at right tackle for the World Champion Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. • Michigan State has three true freshmen from Texas on its 2015 roster: cornerback Josh Butler (Mesquite/ West Mesquite), offensive lineman Tyler Higby (Houston/The Kinkaid School) and wide receiver Darrell Stewart Jr. (Houston/Nimitz). MSU/DALLAS CONNECTIONS – • Former Michigan State All-American offensive tackle Flozell Adams was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round (No. 38 overall) of the 1998 National Football League Draft and became a five-time Pro Bowl selection (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Adams spent 13 years in the NFL, including 12 seasons in Dallas (1998-2009) and one year with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2010). He started 194 of 198 career games. Adams was named First-Team All-Pro by The Associated Press in 2007. His five Pro Bowl appearances are the second most by a Cowboy offensive tackle in team history. In 2009, Adams was ranked among the Cowboys’ Top 50 all-time players (No. 43). He played for the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 and started in Super Bowl XLV against Green Bay. • A four-year letterman and three-year starter from 1994-97, Adams closed out his Michigan State career with three straight postseason bowl appearances (1995 Independence Bowl, 1996 Sun Bowl and 1997 Aloha Bowl). In 35 career starts, the 6-foot-7, 330-pound Adams helped Spartan running backs record 21 100-yard rushing games. Former MSU head coach Nick Saban best described him as a “road-grader.” • As a senior in 1997, Adams was named Walter Camp First-Team All-American and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. He also earned All-America honors from The Associated Press (second team), Football News (second team) and The Sporting News (third team). A first-team All-Big Ten pick by both the coaches and media as a senior, Adams started all 12 games at left tackle and helped the Spartans rank No. 24 nationally in rushing offense, averaging 199.5 yards per game. The Bellwood, Illinois, native was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in September 2014. • Former Michigan State All-America tight end Billy Joe DuPree was chosen in the first round (No. 20 overall) in the 1973 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. DuPree earned Pro Bowl honors three times (1976-78) during his 11-year pro career (1973-83) in Dallas. A member of the Super Bowl XII Champion Cowboys, he caught four passes for 66 yards in the Super Bowl win over the Denver Broncos at the Superdome in 1978. DuPree also played in Super Bowl X in 1976 against the Steelers and caught a 7-yard TD pass from Roger Staubach in the loss to the Steelers in Super Bowl XIII in Miami in 1979. He finished his career with 267 receptions for 3,565 yards and 41 touchdowns. DuPree was a first-team All-American in 1972 at Michigan State as selected by Time Magazine after leading the Spartans with 23 receptions for 406 yards. • Former Michigan State halfback Herb Adderley, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, won three Super Bowl rings during his career, including Super Bowl VI with the Cowboys in 1972. He also played in Super Bowl V with Dallas in 1971 against Baltimore and won Super Bowls I and II with the Green Bay Packers. Adderley spent the last three seasons of his Hall of Fame career with Dallas (1970-72). A first-round pick (No. 12 overall) in 1961 by Green Bay, Adderley earned first-team All-Big Ten honors at MSU in 1960.
DEFENSIVE LEADERBOARD (REGULAR SEASON) Rk. 1. 2. 3.
Player ................................ Production Points LB Riley Bullough........................................ 226 NT Malik McDowell ..................................... 146 LB Darien Harris ......................................... 127 CB Demetrious Cox .................................... 127 5. LB Jon Reschke .......................................... 126 6. DE Shilique Calhoun ................................... 124 7. DE Lawrence Thomas .................................118 8. CB Arjen Colquhoun ..................................... 72 9. DE Demetrius Cooper ................................... 65 10. S Montae Nicholson ...................................... 58 11. DT Joel Heath ............................................... 52 12. LB Chris Frey ................................................ 50
TRACKING TURNOVERS
Takeaways (28) Qtr. MSU Result INT-Western Michigan (Nicholson) 1 TD INT-Western Michigan (Copeland) 4 End of Game INT-Oregon (Nicholson) 1 TD INT-Oregon (Williamson) 2 INT FUM-Air Force (Williamson) 1 *TD FUM-Air Force (A. Dowell) 3 Punt INT-Air Force (Williamson) 4 Punt FUM-Central Michigan (R. Bullough) 4 TD FUM-Purdue (Heath) 1 TD FUM-Purdue (R. Bullough) 2 TD INT-Purdue (Cox) 2 Punt FUM-Michigan (Watts-Jackson) 4 *TD INT-Indiana (Miller) 1 Punt FUM-Indiana (Frey) 4 TD INT-Nebraska (Cox) 2 INT INT-Nebraska (R. Bullough) 3 TD FUM-Maryland (Knox) 1 TD INT-Maryland (R. Bullough) 2 TD INT-Maryland (Colquhoun) 2 FG FUM-Maryland (Cooper) 3 Punt INT-Maryland (Nicholson) 4 End of Game INT-Penn State (Colquhoun) 1 TD FUM-Penn State (Cox) 2 *TD INT-Penn State (McDowell) 4 *TD FUM-Penn State (Edmondson) 4 TD FUM-Iowa (Colquhoun) 1 FG INT-Iowa (Cox) 2 Punt FUM-Iowa (Edmondson) 4 End of Game TOTAL: 28 takeaways for 108 points (17-for-28 scoring) Turnovers (12) Qtr. Opp. Result FUM-Western Michigan (Shelton) 2 Punt INT-Oregon (Cook) 2 Downs INT-Rutgers (Cook) 2 End of Half FUM-Indiana (Macksood) 2 End of Half INT-Nebraska (Cook) 2 FG FUM-Maryland (Scott) 2 Punt INT-Maryland (Cook) 2 Punt INT-Maryland (O’Connor) 4 Downs FUM-Ohio State (Terry) 1 TD FUM-Ohio State (Kings) 3 TD FUM-Penn State (PM-Williams) 4 End of Game INT-Iowa (Cook) 1 FG TOTAL: 12 turnovers for 20 points (4-for-12 scoring) MSU: +16 Turnovers, +88 Points off Turnovers * - denotes TD occured on same play as turnover.
• Former Michigan State linebacker Dixon Edwards, who helped the Spartans win a pair of Big Ten titles (1987 and 1990), was a three-time Super Bowl Champion with the Dallas Cowboys (1992, 1993 and 1995). A
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2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES TOP SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCES Riley Bullough Tackles Total Opponent (S-A) 16 Air Force (5-11) 14 Oregon (5-9) Aaron Burbridge Receiving Yds. Opponent (Rec.) 164 Nebraska (10) 156 Rutgers (10) 156 Air Force (8) 134 Indiana (8) 132 Michigan (9) 128 Indiana (8) 117 Western Michigan (4) 101 Oregon (8) Connor Cook Passing Yds. Opponent (Comp.-Att.) 398 Indiana (30-52) 367 Rutgers (24-39) 358 Ohio State (25-45) 343 Oregon (29-47) 335 Nebraska (23-37) 332 Indiana (24-32) 332 Stanford (22-36) 328 Michigan (18-39) 314 Baylor (24-42) 304 Ohio State (24-40) 293 Northwestern (16-23) 285 Jacksonville State (12-13) 277 Iowa (25-44) 256 Western Michigan (15-31) 254 Rutgers (16-24) 252 Michigan (18-33) 248 Penn State (19-26-0) 247 Air Force (15-23) 240 Maryland (14-31) 238 Purdue (19-37) 235 Indiana (22-31) 234 Nebraska (11-29) 227 Michigan (12-22) 208 Illinois (15-16) 202 Youngstown State (15-22)
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Date 9/19/15 9/12/15 Date 11/7/15 10/10/15 9/19/15 10/6/12 10/17/15 10/24/15 9/4/15 9/12/15 Date 10/24/15 10/10/15 11/8/14 9/6/14 11/7/15 10/18/14 1/1/14 10/17/15 1/1/15 12/7/13 11/23/13 8/29/14 10/5/13 9/4/15 11/22/14 11/2/2013 11/28/15 9/19/15 11/15/14 10/11/14 10/12/13 10/4/14 10/25/14 10/26/13 9/14/13
Darien Harris Tackles Total Opponent (S-A) 13 Nebraska (10-3) 12 Oregon (5-7)
Date 11/7/15 9/12/15
Gerald Holmes Rushing Yds. Opponent (Carries) 117 Nebraska (22)
Date 11/7/15
Madre London Rushing Yds. Opponent (Carries) 103 Oregon (18)
Date 9/12/15
Jon Reschke Tackles Total Opponent (S-A) 11 Oregon (2-9)
Date 9/12/15
LJ Scott Rushing Yds. Opponent (Carries) 146 Purdue (18)
Date 10/3/15
Delton Williams Rushing Yds. Opponent (Carries) 103 Eastern Michigan (10)
Date 9/20/14
RJ Williamson Tackles Total Opponent (S-A) 11 Ohio State (4-7) 10 Baylor (9-1) 10 Notre Dame (1-9)
Date 11/8/14 1/1/15 9/21/13
four-year letterman for Coach George Perles, Edwards helped the Spartans to a combined record of 31-14-1 (.685) from 1987-90, including a 3-1 record in postseason bowl games with wins over USC (20-17) in the 1988 Rose Bowl, Hawaii (33-13) in the 1989 Aloha Bowl and USC (17-16) in the 1990 John Hancock Sun Bowl. As a junior in 1989, he ranked second on the team in tackles with 111, trailing only All-American Percy Snow (172). His 11 tackles for loss (52 yards) tied for the team lead in 1989. As a senior in 1990, Edwards earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches after recording a career-best 112 tackles, including seven for losses (33 yards). His 227 career tackles rank No. 23 on MSU’s all-time list. Edwards was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round (No. 37 overall) of the 1991 National Football League Draft. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native spent eight years in the NFL (Dallas, 1991-95; Minnesota, 1996-98) and started 90 of 120 career games. While in Dallas, Edwards played on three Super Bowl champions (XXVII, XXVIII and XXX). His pro career totals included 438 tackles, 7.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. • Michigan State journalism graduate Rick Gosselin (1972) has been a columnist with the Dallas Morning News since 1990. A voter for the Pro Football and Major League Baseball Halls of Fame, Gosselin covered the Cowboys from 1990-91 and then served as the newspaper’s NFL columnist from 1992-2010 until his appointment as a general sports columnist began in August 2011.
OFFENSE
CONNOR COOK: WINNINGEST QB IN MSU HISTORY – Fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook, the winningest quarterback in school history, owns a 34-4 record (.895) as the starter, including a 23-2 (.920) mark against Big Ten opponents. The 34 wins are second most among active starting quarterbacks in the NCAA FBS (Stanford’s Kevin Hogan with 35), and Cook’s .895 winning percentage is No. 1 (minimum 24 starts). Cook is 5-1 against AP Top 10 teams in his career and 8-3 against AP Top 25 opponents. His 38 career starts are second in MSU history, trailing only Kirk Cousins, who made 39 career starts from 2009-11. Cook ranks among the Big Ten leaders in touchdown passes (tied for first with 24), passing efficiency (second with 142.2 rating), passing (third with 243.4 ypg.), and total offense (third with 250.1 ypg.). He became MSU’s all-time leader in touchdown passes after throwing four in the Nebraska game on Nov. 7; he has 71 overall (Cousins threw 66 from 2008-11), which is tied for seventh in Big Ten history. Cook has completed 57 percent of his passes (210-of-369) for 2,921 yards, 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 2015. Cook was named recipient of the 2015 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented annually since 1987 to the nation’s top college quarterback. Candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award must be college seniors or fourth-year juniors on schedule to graduate with their class. In addition to the accomplishments on the field, candidates are judged on their character, citizenship, scholarship achievement and leadership qualities. Cook, who became just the second Big Ten quarterback (Wisconsin’s Scott Tolzien in 2010) to win the award, was presented the trophy on Dec. 11 at the Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel & The Grand. Cook is the first Spartan quarterback to win the Greise-Brees Big Ten Quarterback of the Year Award since its inception in 2011, and is also the first Spartan QB be named first-team All-Big Ten since Steve Juday in 1965 and only the fifth ever in school history (Earl Morrall, 1955; James Ninowski, 1957; Dean Look, 1959; Juday, 1965). Cook was a second-team selection in 2013 and 2014. Cook’s last season wearing the Green and White is shaping up to be his most productive in the record book. With 24 TDs already in 2015, he is just two away from passing Cousins (25) for the most in a Spartan single season. He established a school record by throwing for more than 300 yards in four consecutive games (367 vs. Rutgers; 328 vs. Michigan; career-high 398 vs. Indiana; 335 vs. Nebraska), and his 10 300-yard passing games are tied for first in school history, along with Smoker. The four 300-yard passing games are tied for second most in an MSU single season (record: Smoker with six in 2003). Cook is also nearing the career mark for most passing yards in school history. Cook, who is currently second with 8,984 yards, trails only Cousins (9,131).
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES The 6-4, 220-pound Cook earned his 28th career win in the victory over Purdue on Oct. 3, making him the winningest starting quarterback in school history. He passed Spartan signal-caller Kirk Cousins’ school-record mark of 27 career victories (27-12 record from 2009-11). Cook became the first player in Big Ten history to win the Grange-Griffin Big Ten Championship Game Most Valuable Player Award twice (also won in 2013 vs. Ohio State) as he helped lead the Spartans past No. 4 Iowa, 16-13, to claim MSU’s second Big Ten title in three years. Cook completed 16-of-32 passes for 191 yards against the Hawkeyes, including a key 16-yard strike to Aaron Burbridge on third-and-8 during the game-winning touchdown drive. On that same drive, which lasted 22 plays and went 82 yards in 9:04, he also rushed 2 yards for a first down on fourth-and-2 from the Iowa 5-yard line with 1:59 remaining that set up LJ Scott’s 1-yard game-winning TD run with 27 seconds left. It marked Cook’s sixth fourth-quarter comeback for the Spartans (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl vs. TCU; 2013 vs. Ohio State in Big Ten Championship Game; 2014 Rose Bowl vs. Stanford; 2015 Cotton Bowl vs. Baylor; 2015 vs. Michigan, 2015 vs. Iowa in Big Ten Championship Game). Cook’s five career wins over AP Top 10 teams is second in school history (Juday with six from 1963-65). The Hinckley, Ohio, native is ranked among MSU’s all-time leaders in 300-yard passing games (tied for first with 10), touchdown passes (first with 71), total offense (first with 9,217 yards), 200-yard passing games (second with 25), passing yards (second with 8,984), passing efficiency (third with 141.7 rating), pass attempts (second with 1,131), pass completions (third with 654), and pass completion percentage (ninth at .578). Cook posted his seventh 200-yard passing game of the season and 25th of his career, hitting 19-of-26 throws for 248 yards and three touchdowns against Penn State on Senior Day in his final appearance at Spartan Stadium. With 243 total yards vs. PSU, Cook set MSU’s career record for total offense (9,018 yards; previous record -- 9,004 yards by Cousins, 2008-11). He became the school’s all-time leader in total offense with his 16-yard completion to Shelton early in the fourth quarter. Cook had his school-record streak of 36 consecutive starts snapped as he sat out the Ohio State game on Nov. 21 (sprained shoulder). Cook tied a career high with four TD passes at Nebraska to set a Michigan State career record with 68, passing Cousins. Cook completed 23-of-37 passes for 335 yards and one interception along with his four TDs, and set a school record with his fourth straight 300-yard passing game (367 vs. Rutgers; 328 vs. Michigan; 398 vs. Indiana; 335 vs. Nebraska). He also tied Smoker for the most 300-yard passing games in a career with 10. Cook’s 335 passing yards were the most ever by a Spartan QB against Nebraska.
SEASON CAPTAINS Jack Allen, Shilique Calhoun, Darien Harris
GAME CAPTAINS
Game...........................................................Captain(s) Western Michigan .....................................Jack Conklin Oregon.....................................................Connor Cook Air Force .........................................................AJ Troup Central Michigan...........................................Paul Lang Purdue ................................................... Riley Bullough Rutgers ................................................. Donavon Clark Michigan ..........................................Lawrence Thomas Indiana ..................................................Tyler O’Connor Nebraska .....................................................Joel Heath Maryland ...................................................Jack Conklin Ohio State...................... Donavon Clark/Connor Cook/ ........................................Joel Heath/Trevon Pendleton Penn State ....................................................Paul Lang Iowa .........................................................Connor Cook
HONORARY CAPTAINS
Game...........................................................Captain(s) Western Michigan ..... Tico Duckett/Todd (T.J.) Duckett/ ........................................................ Little John Flowers Oregon...................................................... Le’Veon Bell Air Force ................................................... Jerel Worthy Central Michigan..................................... Don Coleman Purdue ..................................................... Robert Viney Rutgers ........................................................................Michigan ...................................................Edwin Baker Indiana ............................................... Jeremy Langford Nebraska .....................................................................Maryland ................................................. Denicos Allen Ohio State......................................Muhsin Muhammad Penn State ...................................................................Iowa .............................................................................-
After setting a school record with 416 yards of total offense and throwing for a career-high 398 yards in Michigan State’s 52-26 win over Indiana in Week 8, Cook was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Cook also set career highs for pass completions (30) and pass attempts (52) against the Hoosiers and tied his career best with four TD passes. He produced some of the top single-game passing totals in school history: completions (tied for sixth with 30), pass attempts (sixth with 52), passing yards (second with 398) and TD passes (tied for second with 4). The 398 passing yards were just two shy of MSU’s single-game record (Bill Burke, 400, vs. Michigan in 1999). Cook became just the second Spartan starting quarterback to defeat Michigan three consecutive times (Cousins, 2009-11) in MSU’s 27-23 triumph at Michigan Stadium in Week 7. He threw his 60th career touchdown pass with a 30-yard pass to Macgarrett Kings Jr. in the third quarter and completed 18-of-39 passes overall for 328 yards. Cook threw for 367 yards -- the fifth-highest total in school history -- and two touchdowns in the win at Rutgers in Week 6. His showing against the Scarlet Knights was named one of the “Great 8” performances of the week by the Davey O’Brien Award. With the score tied at 24 with 4:16 to play, Cook engineered a 10-play, 76-yard game-winning touchdown drive to lead MSU to a 31-24 win. His 29-yard completion on third-and-9 from the MSU 25 to Shelton kept the drive alive and led to Scott’s 3-yard TD run with 43 seconds remaining in the game. In MSU’s 35-21 victory over Air Force on Sept. 19, Cook matched his career high with four TD passes and was 15-of-23 passing for 247 yards. He connected three times for scores with Burbridge, who tied MSU’s single-game touchdown reception record against the Falcons and was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Cook completed 20-of-32 throws for 192 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-28 win over then-No. 7 Oregon on Sept. 12 in Spartan Stadium.
25 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES FBS BOWL STREAKS - TEAM Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 8.
11. 12.
Teams ................................................ Streak Virginia Tech .............................................. 23 Georgia ...................................................... 19 Oklahoma .................................................. 17 LSU............................................................ 16 Boise State ................................................ 14 Wisconsin .................................................. 14 Alabama .................................................... 12 BYU ............................................................11 Clemson .....................................................11 Oregon .......................................................11 Oklahoma State ......................................... 10 Michigan State ........................................... 9
* Florida State has appeared in 34 consecutive bowl games, but the NCAA does not recognize its appearance in the 2006 Emerald Bowl due to NCAA sanctions.
FBS BOWL STREAKS ACTIVE HEAD COACHES (SAME SCHOOL) Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Teams ................................................ Streak Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech) .................... 23 Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) ............................ 17 Les Miles (LSU) ..........................................11 Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State) .................. 10 Mark Dantonio (Michigan State) ............... 9 Nick Saban (Alabama)................................. 9
SPARTAN STREAKS
Consecutive Games Started Shilique Calhoun, DE Donavon Clark, OL Lawrence Thomas, DL Malik McDowell, NT Demetrious Cox, DB Darien Harris, LB Jon Reschke, LB
40 26 26 14 13 13 13
COOK AT HIS BEST WHEN IT COUNTS – • Fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook is 5-1 against AP Top 10 teams in his career and 8-3 against AP Top 25 opponents. • Cook has led Michigan State to six fourth-quarter comebacks, including three consecutive bowl games (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl vs. TCU; 2013 vs. Ohio State in Big Ten Championship Game; 2014 Rose Bowl vs. Stanford; 2015 Cotton Bowl vs. Baylor; 2015 vs. Michigan, 2015 vs. Iowa in Big Ten Championship Game). • In leading MSU to back-to-back bowl wins over No. 5 Stanford and No. 4 Baylor (Associated Press final regular-season ranking), Cook hit 46-of-78 throws (.590) for 646 yards (323.0 yards per game), four TDs and three interceptions. In three postseason bowl appearances (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings vs. TCU), he owns MSU career records for passing yards (693) and TD passes (5). • Cook and Dan Enos are the only two Spartan quarterbacks to win two bowl games as the starting quarterback (Cook: 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton; Enos: 1989 Aloha, 1990 Sun). Most TD passes - Big Ten History Rank Player (School) 1. Drew Brees (Purdue, 1997-2000) 2. Chad Henne (Michigan, 2004-07) 3. Chuck Long (Iowa, 1981-85) 4. Gary Nova* (Rutgers, 2011-14) 5. John Navarre (Michigan, 2000-03) Adam Weber (Minnesota, 2007-10) T7. Connor Cook (Michigan State, 2012-15) Mark Herrmann (Purdue, 1977-80) Elvis Grbac (Michigan, 1989-92) * only played one year in Big Ten Conference (2014)
TDs 90 87 74 73 72 72 71 71 71
Most Wins by a Spartan Starting Quarterback Rank Player (Starting Years) Total Wins 1. Connor Cook (2013-15) 34 2. Kirk Cousins (2009-11) 27 3. Jeff Smoker (2000-03) 21 Most Wins by NCAA FBS Active Starting Quarterbacks Rank Player (School) Total Wins 1. Kevin Hogan (Stanford) 35 2. Connor Cook (Michigan State) 34 3. Keenan Reynolds (Navy) 31 Highest winning percentage by NCAA FBS Active Starting Quarterbacks (Minimum: 24 career starts) Rank Player (School) Winning Pct. (Record) 1. Connor Cook (Michigan State) .895 (34-4) 2. Kevin Hogan (Stanford) .778 (35-10) 3. Everett Golson (Florida State/Notre Dame) .774 (24-7) AARON BURBRIDGE: BIG TEN RECEIVER OF THE YEAR – Senior wide receiver Aaron Burbridge, a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media, is the second Spartan in a row to be named the Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year (Tony Lippett, 2014). Burbridge, who is just the seventh Spartan to reach the 1,000-yard receiving milestone in a single-season, leads the Big Ten in receiving yards (1,219; 93.8 ypg.) and receptions (80; 6.2 pg.), figures which also rank among the FBS leaders (12th in receiving yards, 27th in receptions). His team-high seven TDs are tied for fourth most in the conference. Burbridge has recorded seven 100-yard receiving games this season, one shy of the MSU single-season record (B.J. Cunningham, eight, 2011). He also leads the team with 21 receptions of 20-plus yards. In addition, his Big Ten-leading 1,219 receiving yards are fifth most in an MSU single-season and 74 percent of his receptions (59 of 80) have gone for either a touchdown or first down.
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The 6-1, 208-pound Burbridge has established a Michigan State single-season record with 80 catches in 2015 (previous record: 79 held by Devin Thomas in 2007 and Cunningham in 2011). Burbridge’s recordbreaking catch came during the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa on a third-and-8 play in the fourth quarter that kept MSU’s eventual game-winning touchdown drive alive. The 16-yard grab was his
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES fifth of the game, and he finished with five receptions for 61 yards. Burbridge led team with six catches for 75 yards on Senior Day vs. Penn State, including a 29-yard touchdown reception from Connor Cook in the third quarter in which he eluded several tacklers on his way into the end zone. He has led the team in receiving in 11 of 13 games this season. Burbridge tied his career high with 10 catches and established a career high for receiving yards with 164 at Nebraska on Nov. 7; he also had a 33-yard TD catch in the third quarter. It marked Burbridge’s fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving game and his seventh of the season. His 164 receiving yards were the most ever by a Spartan wide receiver against the Huskers. Burbridge had eight receptions for 128 yards against Indiana, including an 11-yard touchdown grab from Cook late in the second quarter. In MSU’s 27-23 win over No. 12 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 17, Burbridge hauled in nine catches for 132 yards while being matched up against Wolverine senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who has been named a midseason All-American by several national media outlets. Burbridge recorded a career-high 10 receptions and had 156 receiving yards in the win at Rutgers. The Farmington Hills, Michigan, native was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after setting a career high with three touchdown catches in the win over Air Force in Week 3; he had eight receptions overall for 156 yards against the Falcons. He scored on TD grabs of 28, 32 and 21 yards from Cook. Burbridge’s first TD grab was an acrobatic reception in the corner of the end zone that was named one of the top plays of the week by several national media outlets.
THE MARK DANTONIO SHOW
The Spartan Radio Network will produce and distribute Mark Dantonio’s weekly radio show call-in show Thursdays from 7-8 p.m. The Spartan Radio Network, featuring 33 affiliates throughout the state, will broadcast the show live from Reno’s East, located at 1310 Abbot Road in East Lansing. Spartan play-by-play announcer George Blaha serves as host for this live show that features insight from Coach Dantonio, special guests and phone calls. The Mark Dantonio Show can be heard locally on flagship station WJIM Radio (AM 1240) and WMMQ (FM 94.9).
SPARTAN FOOTBALL ALL-ACCESS
“Spartan Football AllAccess” provides fans with a behind-thescenes, inside look at the Michigan State football program. From the opening of preseason camp and each week throughout the regular season, the show will take viewers into team and position meeting rooms, video sessions, out to the practice field, into the classroom as well as into the post-game locker room. “Spartan Football All-Access” debuts Mondays at 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Detroit and replays throughout the week. In addition, the weekly program is available on BTN2Go.
Burbridge’s three TD receptions tied MSU’s single-game record (last player: B.J. Cunningham vs. Wisconsin, 2011 Big Ten Championship Game), and it also marked Burbridge’s third consecutive 100-yard receiving game. He topped the 100-yard receiving mark in the first half alone, with five catches for 112 yards and two TDs. Seven of his eight catches resulted in either a first down or touchdown against the Falcons, including four receptions of 20 yards or more. Burbridge’s performance marked just the fourth time in school history a Spartan wide receiver caught three TDs and had more than 150 yards receiving in the same game (Plaxico Burress: 13 catches for 185 yards and three TDs vs. Florida on Jan. 1, 2000; Burress: 5 catches for 164 yards and three TDs vs. Northwestern on Nov. 13, 1999; Andre Rison: 9 catches for 252 yards and three TDs vs. Georgia on Jan. 1, 1989). Burbridge has recorded 160 receptions for 2,135 yards and 10 TDs in 50 career games. He ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in receptions (second with 160), 100-yard receiving games (fifth with eight) and receiving yards (ninth with 2,135). Receivers in MSU history with 150+ yards and three TD catches in same game Player Stats Game Aaron Burbridge 8 catches, 156 yards, 3 TDs Sept. 19, 2015 vs. Air Force Plaxico Burress 13 catches, 185 yards, 3 TDs Jan. 1, 2000 vs. Florida Plaxico Burress 5 catches, 164 yards, 3 TDs Nov. 13, 1999 vs. Northwestern Andre Rison 9 catches, 252 yards, 3 TDs Jan. 1, 1989 vs. Georgia
27 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES FUTURE SCHEDULES 2016
Sept. 3 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19 Nov. 26
FURMAN at Notre Dame WISCONSIN at Indiana BYU NORTHWESTERN (HC) at Maryland MICHIGAN at Illinois RUTGERS OHIO STATE at Penn State
2017
Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25
BOWLING GREEN WESTERN MICHIGAN NOTRE DAME IOWA at Michigan at Minnesota INDIANA (HC) at Northwestern PENN STATE at Ohio State MARYLAND at Rutgers
2018 (BIG TEN ONLY) Sept. 22 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24
at Indiana NORTHWESTERN (HC) at Penn State MICHIGAN PURDUE at Maryland OHIO STATE at Nebraska RUTGERS
2019 (BIG TEN ONLY) Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 26 Nov. 9 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Nov. 30
at Northwestern INDIANA (HC) at Ohio State at Wisconsin PENN STATE ILLINOIS at Michigan at Rutgers MARYLAND
FUTURE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES Sept. 8, 2018 Sept. 14, 2019 Sept. 12, 2020 Sept. 26, 2020 Sept. 18, 2021 Sept. 17, 2022 Sept. 16, 2023
at Arizona State ARIZONA STATE at BYU MIAMI (FLA.) at Miami (Fla.) at Boise State BOISE STATE
SHUFFLING ALONG THE OFFENSIVE LINE – • Michigan State, which has one of the deepest and most talented offensive lines in the nation, has featured six different starting lineups this season. The Spartans have been forced to display their versatility and use their depth at all five positions. Offensive line coach Mark Staten said his coaching style is based on the “whole-part-whole” learning model. Three of MSU’s starters have missed multiple games due to injuries this season (center Jack Allen: 2; left tackle Jack Conklin: 2; right tackle Kodi Kieler: 3). • The Spartan offensive line was named one of six finalists for the 2015 Joe Moore Award (“The Moore”) for the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football (Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Stanford). • The offensive line features two first-team All-Americans in center Jack Allen (Associated Press, CBS Sports, SI.com) and left tackle Jack Conklin (Sporting News, USA TODAY). The duo was also named to the All-Big Ten First Team by the coaches and media. With Allen and Conklin both on the first team, it marked the first time MSU has had two first-team All-Big Ten offensive linemen since 1990 (Jim Johnson, tackle; Eric Moten, guard). In addition, guard Brian Allen was named second team (coaches and media), while Donavon Clark garnered third-team honors from the coaches. • For the first time since Week 2 against Oregon, Michigan State featured its five starters from the opening game of the season at Nebraska on Nov. 7 (left tackle Jack Conklin; left guard Brian Allen; center Jack Allen; right guard Donavon Clark; right tackle Kodi Kieler). It marked Jack Allen’s first start since Week 6 against Rutgers (out with an injury). • The offensive line has undergone a late season resurgence, as the Spartans are averaging 188.3 yards per game on the ground in their last three games (203 vs. Ohio State, 188 vs. Penn State, 174 vs. Iowa). MSU ran for 203 yards in the 17-14 win at then-No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, including 166 of its 172 total yards in the second half, on the nation’s 24th-ranked rushing defense at the time, which was allowing just 126.8 rushing ypg. The Spartans also ran for 174 yards against Iowa, which entered the game with the No. 6 rushing defense in the nation. • Four of Michigan State’s starters on the offensive line have started at multiple positions this season (Brian Allen: nine starts at left guard, two at center; Donavon Clark: nine at right guard; four starts at right tackle; Kodi Kieler: nine starts at right tackle, one at left tackle; Benny McGowan (four starts at right guard; four at left guard). In addition, Jack Allen played extensive action at left tackle vs. Purdue and Rutgers. • With starting junior right tackle Kodi Kieler missing three games (Air Force, Central Michigan, Purdue), fifth-year senior Donavon Clark moved from right guard to right tackle and junior Benny McGowan entered the starting rotation at right guard. • Starting junior left tackle Jack Conklin was forced to exit the Central Michigan game in Week 4 late in the second quarter with a leg injury, which moved sophomore Dennis Finley to the starting role at left tackle; however, Finley broke his leg in the second quarter vs. Purdue in Week 5, setting forth another set of changes, including fifth-year senior All-America center Jack Allen to left tackle in the second half against the Boilermakers; Allen also played at left tackle at Rutgers, but was forced to leave the game with an injury and missed the Michigan game. • Fifth-year senior Brandon Clemons (guard) is also seeing regular action in the playing rotation. • Amid all of the lineup changes, MSU has still only allowed 17 sacks all season – third fewest in the Big Ten and 25th fewest in the NCAA FBS at 1.31 per game. Last season, the offensive line allowed just 11 sacks, the least in the Big Ten and tied for third fewest in the NCAA FBS. • In the second half of the Purdue game in Week 5, not one of the Spartan offensive linemen in the game started at that position in Week 1. Here’s a look at the lineup changes to the MSU offensive line from Week 1 to the second half of the Purdue game in Week 5: Position LT LG C RG RT
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Week 1 Starter vs. WMU Jack Conklin Brian Allen Jack Allen Donavon Clark Kodi Kieler
Week 5 Second Half vs. Purdue Jack Allen David Beedle Brian Allen Benny McGowan Donavon Clark
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES FINDING SUCCESS ON THIRD DOWN – • Michigan State ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 5 in the FBS with a 51 percent third-down conversion rate (95-for-188). On third downs, Connor Cook ranks tied for seventh in the NCAA FBS with nine TD passes and 13th with 902 passing yards. RUNNING GAME KEY FOR SPARTANS UNDER DANTONIO – • Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State is 70-11 (.864) when outrushing its opponent, including a 54-4 record (.931) since 2010. MSU has outrushed its opponent in nine of 13 games this season. Conversely, MSU is 17-21 under Dantonio when being outgained on the ground by its opponent. The Spartans are 31-3 (.912) in games when gaining 200 or more rushing yards under Dantonio. SPARTANS LOOK TO CONTROL TIME OF POSSESSION – • The Spartans ranked No. 1 in the FBS in time of possession last season (35:21) and tied for sixth in 2013 (33:19). This season, MSU ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th in the FBS in time of possession (33:18). SPARTANS FEATURE TRIO OF RUNNING BACKS IN OFFENSIVE BACKFIELD – Three different running backs have started this season for Michigan State: freshman LJ Scott, red-shirt freshman Madre London and sophomore Gerald Holmes. All three have posted 100-yard rushing games this season. Junior Delton Williams also has seen action in the backfield. Scott leads the Spartans in rushing with 691 yards on 140 carries (53.2 ypg.; 4.9 avg.). He also leads the team with 11 rushing TDs, which ranks tied for third in the Big Ten. The 11 rushing TDs also rank second most by a Spartan freshman in a single-season (Sedrick Irvin, 16, 1996). The 6-0, 233-pound Scott led all rushers with 73 yards on 22 carries in the win over No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game, including the game-winning 1-yard TD with 27 seconds remaining in the game. He had 14 carries for 40 yards during MSU’s game-winning 22-play, 82-yard drive, including three thirddown conversions. The Hubbard, Ohio, native rushed 13 times for 58 yards in No. 9 Michigan State’s 17-14 victory at No. 2 Ohio State, snapping the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak. Scott gained 50 yards on 10 carries in the fourth quarter. His 20-yard run off the MSU 4-yard line midway through the fourth quarter helped flipped the field position and set up the game-winning drive. Scott was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after recording career highs for carries (18), rushing yards (146) and rushing touchdowns (2) in No. 2 Michigan State’s 24-21 victory over Purdue in the Big Ten opener on Oct. 3. It marked Scott’s first career 100-yard rushing game (previous high: 77 yards on 13 rushes in 2015 season opener at Western Michigan). He also posted his second career multi-TD game (also scored two rushing TDs against Oregon in Week 2). Scott scored on TD runs of 18 and 1 yard in the first quarter against Purdue. His 30-yard run in the fourth quarter helped set up Michael Geiger’s 30-yard field goal. Scott’s 146 rushing yards against Purdue were the most by a Spartan freshman since Javon Ringer had 194 at Illinois on Sept. 24, 2005. It marked the second time Scott has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week this season. He also earned the honor after collecting 76 rushing yards on 11 carries in the victory over then-No. 7 Oregon, including touchdown runs of 6 and 38 yards. Holmes has started the last six games (Indiana, Nebraska, Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa) and leads the team with 381 yards on 79 carries since being inserted into the starting lineup (63.5 ypg.). He led the team in rushing during Big Ten games with 438 yards on 89 carries (54.8 ypg.; 4.9 avg.). The Flint, Michigan, native paced the Spartan ground attack for the fourth game in a row with 64 yards on 12 carries (5.3 avg.) vs. Penn State, including a 6-yard run in the second quarter; he had 100 all-purpose yards against the Nittany Lions, as he also had three receptions for 36 yards. Holmes had 65 yards on 14 carries, including a 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, in the win at Ohio State. He had 83 yards on 18 attempts vs. Maryland, including a 3-yard TD run in the third quarter. Holmes had a career game at Nebraska in Week 9, establishing career highs for carries (22) and rushing yards (117), including a 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.
CLINTON JONES: 2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE Former Michigan State two-time All-American Clinton Jones was one of 15 players and two coaches named to the College Football Hall of Fame on Jan. 9. The 2015 College Football Hall of Fame Class was inducted at the 58th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8, 2015 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. A three-year letterman from 1964-66 for legendary head coach Duffy Daugherty, Jones accounted for 2,549 career all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns. Jones led the team in rushing and all-purpose yards in his final two seasons while helping the Spartans to a combined record of 19-1-1, including back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships in 1965 and ‘66. Jones becomes the eighth former Michigan State player to be selected for the College Football Hall of Fame, joining halfback John Pingel (inducted in 1968), tackle Don Coleman (1975), linebacker George Webster (1987), defensive end Bubba Smith (1988), safety Brad Van Pelt (2001), wide receiver Gene Washington (2011) and linebacker Percy Snow (2013). As MSU’s latest inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, Jones’ name was added to Spartan Stadium’s “Ring of Fame” at the Sept. 12 game against Oregon.
MARK HOLLIS: 2015 JOHN L. TONER AWARD WINNER MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis received the John L. Toner Award at the 2015 National Football Foundation Awards Dinner held in the Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom on Dec. 8 in New York City. The Toner Award is presented annually to an athletics director who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football. Since his official appointment as athletics director began in 2008, Hollis has led one of the most successful periods in the history of Michigan State athletics. The Spartans have won one national championship (2014 women’s cross country) and 28 Big Ten Championships (regular season and tournament), appeared in three Final Fours and eight bowl games, and own seven top-40 finishes in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. In addition, during Hollis’ tenure as an administrator at MSU, the Spartans have appeared in 18 consecutive men’s basketball NCAA Tournaments – tied for the longest streak in Big Ten history and the third-longest active streak in the nation – and seven Final Fours. The football team is the only program to win a Bowl Championship Series game during the 2013 season (2014 Rose Bowl over Stanford) and a New Year’s Six Game during the 2014 season (2015 Cotton Bowl over Baylor), and is making its first appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2015.
Holmes ranks among the team leaders in rushing touchdowns (second with 8), rushing yards (second with 534; 44.5 ypg.; 4.9 avg.) and carries (third with 108). London, who missed three games (Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska) after suffering an injury in Week 6 at Rutgers, started the first six games for the Spartans. He is third on the team with 489 rushing yards on 114 carries (48.9 ypg.; 4.3 avg.) and has three TDs. London recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game with
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
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2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES MOST GAMES HOLDING OPPONENTS UNDER 50 YARDS RUSHING (SINCE 2012) Rk. 1. 3.
Team ................................................. Games Michigan State ......................................... 16 Alabama .................................................... 16 Stanford ..................................................... 12
Since the start of the 2012 season, Michigan State has held opponents to 50 rushing yards or less 16 times (five times in 2012, four in 2013, six in 2014, once in 2015), tied for most of any school in the FBS.
MOST GAMES HOLDING OPPONENTS UNDER 100 YARDS RUSHING (SINCE 2011) Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Team ................................................. Games Alabama .................................................... 48 Michigan State ......................................... 40 Stanford ..................................................... 37 Louisville .................................................... 34 Florida State .............................................. 30
Since the beginning of 2011, Michigan State has held 40 opponents under 100 rushing yards (seven in 2011; eight in 2012; 10 in 2013; nine in 2014, six in 2015), which ranks second most in the FBS.
FEWEST RUSHING TDS ALLOWED (SINCE 2011) Rk. 1. 2. 3.
Team ................................................. Games Alabama .................................................... 32 Florida State .............................................. 53 Michigan State ......................................... 57 Louisville .................................................... 57
103 yards on 18 carries against No. 7 Oregon, including a season-long 62-yard run on MSU’s first offensive play from scrimmage. He rushed 12 times for 60 yards in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa. PRICE IS RIGHT IN THE END ZONE – Junior tight end Josiah Price, who was named to the Mackey Award Midseason Watch List (nation’s most outstanding tight end), has the most career touchdown receptions (16) of any tight end in Michigan State history. He set the record with his 14th career TD catch against Central Michigan on Sept. 26. Price also ranks tied for seventh among all Spartans with his 16 career touchdown grabs. Price, a third-team All-Big Ten choice, has six TDs this season (did not play in Week 5 vs. Purdue or Week 6 vs. Rutgers due to ankle injury). He has 19 receptions for 228 yards (12.0 avg.) – and 15 of them have resulted in either a touchdown or first down. Price, who owns a 3.59 grade-point average as a hospitality business major, was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 Team. The Greentown, Indiana, native has 62 career receptions for 812 yards in 38 games.
DEFENSE
TRULY ELITE – • Since 2011, Michigan State’s defense has been one of the most consistent in the NCAA FBS. The Spartans are the only team to rank in the FBS Top 10 in total defense the past four seasons (No. 6 in 2011, No. 4 in 2012, No. 2 in 2013, No. 8 in 2014). • The Spartans are the only team in the FBS to rank in the Top 10 in both total defense and rushing defense the past four seasons. MSU ranked No. 1 in the nation in rushing defense (88.5 ypg.) and No. 8 in total defense (315.8 ypg.) in 2014. • Since the Big Ten began awarding stat champions in all games in 1985, Michigan State is only the second team in conference history to lead the league in rushing defense four years in a row (Michigan, 1990-93). MSU’s 88.5 rushing yards allowed was the eighth-lowest total in school history. • Michigan State led the NCAA FBS in rushing defense in 2014, allowing just 88.5 ypg. It marked the fourth time MSU has led the NCAA in rushing defense (1952: 83.9 ypg.; 1965: school-record 47.3 ypg.; 1987: 69.8 ypg.). MSU ranked No. 2 in the FBS in rushing defense in 2013 (86.6 ypg.). Alabama, MSU and Stanford are the only three schools in the FBS to rank in the Top 10 in rushing defense the past four seasons. • MSU has finished in the Top 25 nationally in rushing defense five times in the last six seasons, including four straight in the Top 10 (24th in 2009; ninth in 2011; eighth in 2012; second in 2013; first in 2014). MSU is currently ranked seventh in the FBS in rushing defense (113.1 ypg.). • In 119 games under Mark Dantonio, MSU has held its opponents under 100 yards rushing 60 times (50 percent).
MSU’S ALL-TIME OVERTIME RESULTS Date 10/10/1998 10/30/2004 9/17/2005 10/1/2005 10/6/2007 10/27/2007 10/3/2009 9/18/2010 1/2/2012 10/13/2012 10/27/2012
Opponent Indiana (2OT) @ Michigan (3OT) @ Notre Dame Michigan Northwestern @ Iowa (2OT) Michigan Notre Dame vs. Georgia (3OT) Iowa (2OT) @ Wisconsin
Result W, 38-31 L, 37-45 W, 44-41 L, 31-34 L, 41-48 L, 27-34 W, 26-20 W, 34-31 W, 33-30 L, 16-19 W, 16-13
All-Time Overtime Record: 6-5 (.545) Overtime Record Under Dantonio: 4-3 (.571)
SPARTANS TURNING UP THE PRESSURE LATE IN THE SEASON – • Since MSU’s only loss of the season to Nebraska, the Spartan defense has allowed just 12.5 points per game the past four games vs. Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa. In addition, the Spartans have forced 20 three-and-outs the past four games. 2015 DEFENSIVE STAT COMPARISON – Scoring Defense Total Defense Rushing Defense Pass Defense Third-Down Conversions Defense
First nine games (8-1) 24.0 372.3 122.6 249.8 38% (45/117)
Last four games (4-0) 12.5 276.8 91.8 185.0 28% (16/57)
SPARTANS TURN IN DOMINANT PERFORMANCES AGAINST MICHIGAN AND OHIO STATE – • Michigan State’s defense performed at its best under the spotlight in road wins at No. 12 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State. The Spartans held the Wolverines to a season-low 230 yards of total offense and also allowed just 62 rushing yards and 10 first downs. • In the win over the Buckeyes, MSU limited Ohio State to season lows in rushing (86 yards), passing (46 yards), total offense (132 yards) and first downs (5). The 132 yards were the fewest by an Urban Meyercoached team and the lowest output for Ohio State since 1999 (79 yards in 23-7 loss at Michigan State).
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• In the two combined games, MSU allowed just 15 total first downs.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES SHILIQUE CALHOUN EARNS FIRST-TEAM ALLBIG TEN HONORS FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW – Fifth-year senior defensive end Shilique Calhoun has been named first-team All-Big Ten for the third year in a row, becoming the first Spartan defensive lineman in school history to earn first-team honors three times.
SIXTEEN SPARTANS EARN ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN HONORS Sixteen Michigan State football players have been named to the 2015 Academic All-Big Ten Team. To be eligible for the Academic All-Big Ten Team, a studentathlete must be a letterwinner who is in at least his second academic year and carry a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale).
Calhoun also earned second-team All-America accolades for the third year in a row (Associated Press, CBS Sports, FWAA and Walter Camp). Calhoun, who was named the 2013 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and also earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades in 2013 and 2014, leads the Spartans in tackles for loss (14.5 for 81 yards), sacks (10.5 for 74 yards) and quarterback hurries (18). He has recorded career highs in tackles (45), tackles for loss and sacks in 2015. Calhoun ranks third in the Big Ten in sacks and sixth in tackles for loss. In addition to becoming the first Spartan defensive lineman to garner first-team All-Big Ten honors three times, he is just the eighth Spartan in school history to accomplish the feat and the first since linebacker Greg Jones (2008-10). Calhoun was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year), Lombardi Award (college lineman of the year) and Lott IMPACT Trophy. Calhoun matched his season high with six tackles in MSU’s 16-13 victory over No. 4 Iowa in the 2015 Big Ten Championship Game, with three resulting in losses (17 yards) including two sacks (16 yards). Calhoun also was credited with one forced fumble and a QB hurry. The Spartans limited the Hawkeyes to 13 first downs, 52 rushing yards (24 carries) and 268 total yards. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Calhoun was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season and third time of his career following his performance in the 27-23 win at No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17. Calhoun, who wore No. 43 in tribute to injured linebacker Ed Davis, recorded five tackles, including a career-best 3.5 for losses (11 yards) against the Wolverines. His tackles for losses included two sacks (6 yards). The Spartan defense forced Michigan to go three-and-out on six possessions and limited the Wolverines to a season low in total yards (230). He also was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after recording a season-high six tackles in No. 2 Michigan State’s 30-10 victory Central Michigan on Sept. 26, with three resulting in losses (24 yards) including 2.5 sacks (24 yards). Calhoun also was credited with four quarterback hurries, one pass break-up and a blocked kick against CMU. He finished the game with a team-high 37 production points, the most by a Spartan defensive player this season. The Middletown, New Jersey, native ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in tackles for loss yardage (first with 267), sacks (second with 27), sack yardage (second with 211), tackles for loss (fourth with 43.5), and fumble recoveries (tied for 10th with five). In 53 career games, including 40 consecutive starts, he has 127 tackles with 43.5 resulting in losses (34 percent). His 27 sacks are the most by any Spartan in the Dantonio era and rank second among active players in the NCAA FBS. Most Sacks - FBS Active Players Rank Player (Years) 1. Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State (2013-15) 2. Shilique Calhoun, MSU (2012-15) 3. Bronson Kaufusi, BYU (2012-15) 4. Joey Bosa, Ohio State (2013-15)
Sacks 28.0 27.0 26.5 26.0
Michigan State’s list of honorees includes nine multi-year selections. Jack Allen and Paul Lang become the 21st and 22nd four-time Academic All-Big Ten selections in MSU history. Connor Cook, Tyler O’Connor and Josiah Price are featured on the academic all-conference team for the third straight year, while Michael Geiger, Matt Macksood and Benny McGowan have made the honor roll for the second year in a row. Player ..................................................................Major Brian Allen .................................................. Accounting Jack Allen .....................................Hospitality Business Edward Barksdale III ..................................Kinesiology Byron Bullough ................................................ Finance Connor Cook ............................ Media and Information Chris Frey ................................................... Advertising Michael Geiger ............. Applied Engineering Sciences Jake Hartbarger ......................... General Management Paul Lang ....................................................Economics Zac Leimbach .............................................. Packaging Matt Macksood .............................Hospitality Business Benny McGowan .................................Criminal Justice Matt Morrissey ................................................. Finance Tyler O’Connor ..................Supply Chain Management Josiah Price ..................................Hospitality Business Brandon Sowards ....................................... Accounting
BUBBA SMITH NAMED TO FWAA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM
Former Michigan State defensive end Charles “Bubba” Smith, one of only three players in Spartan football history to have his jersey number (No. 95) retired, was named to the Football Writers Association of America’s 75th Anniversary All-America Team (third-team selection). The FWAA 75th Anniversary All-America Team celebrates the association’s All-America teams from near the end of World War II through the 2014 season. The FWAA, which was founded in 1941, has picked an annual All-America team since the 1944 season, making it the second-longest continuously selected team in major college football. Smith earned three letters at Michigan State from 1964-66, while playing for legendary head coach Duffy Daugherty. In his final two seasons, the 6-foot7, 280-pound defensive end helped the Spartans to a combined record of 19-1-1, including back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships in 1965 and ’66. As a senior, Smith was named First-Team All-American by nine different organizations, including the FWAA, Associated Press, UPI, AFCA, Newspaper Enterprise Association, The Sporting News, Central Press, Football News and New York News. In addition, he was selected UPI Lineman of the Year in 1966.
31 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES NCAA STAT LEADERS
Here’s a glance at how Michigan State ranks among the NCAA individual stat leaders in 2015: Individual Statistics (Top 50) Rushing Touchdowns: LJ Scott (38th with 11 rushing TDs) Passing Yards: Connor Cook (30th with 2,921 passing yards) Passing Yards Per Game: Connor Cook (34th at 243.4 yards per game) Passing Yards Per Completion: Connor Cook (18th at 13.9 yards per completion) Touchdown Passes: Connor Cook (23rd with 24 TD passes) Passing Efficiency: Connor Cook (38th with 142.2 rating) Points Responsible For: Connor Cook (36th with 144 points) Receptions: Aaron Burbridge (27th with 6.2 receptions per game) Receiving Yards: Aaron Burbridge (12th with 1,219 receiving yards) Receiving Yards Per Game: Aaron Burbridge (17th at 93.8 yards per game) Total Offense: Connor Cook (38th at 250.1 total yards per game) Sacks: Shilique Calhoun (14th with 0.81 sacks per game) Punting: Jake Hartbarger (49th with 42.1-yard average) Fumbles Recovered: Riley Bullough/Jermaine Edmondson (24th with 2 fumble recoveries)
32
RED ZONE STOPS – • The Spartans have posted two stops on fourth-and-goal this season: against Oregon in the second quarter and against Air Force in the fourth quarter. In Mark Dantonio’s previous eight seasons, the Spartans posted four stops on fourth-and-goal (2014 vs. Jacksonville State, third quarter; 2013 vs. Illinois, second quarter; 2008 vs. Eastern Michigan, third quarter; 2008 vs. Florida Atlantic, first quarter). • In addition to the two fourth-and-goal stops, MSU has forced three turnovers in the red zone (interception vs. Western Michigan, fourth quarter; interception vs. Air Force, fourth quarter; interception vs. Iowa, second quarter). 2015 OPPONENTS UPDATE – Date vs. MSU Opponent Sept. 4 @ Western Michigan (7-5) Sept. 12 Oregon (9-3) Sept. 19 Air Force (8-5) Sept. 26 Central Michigan (7-5) Oct. 3 Purdue (2-10) Oct. 10 @ Rutgers (4-8) Oct. 17 @ Michigan (9-3) Oct. 24 Indiana (6-6) Nov. 7 @ Nebraska (5-7) Nov. 14 Maryland (3-9) Nov. 21 @ Ohio State (11-1) Nov. 28 Penn State (7-5) Dec. 5 vs. Iowa (12-1)
2015-16 Bowl Game Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Dec. 24 vs. Middle Tennessee) Valero Alamo Bowl (Jan. 2 vs. TCU) Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 29 vs. California) Quick Lane Bowl (Dec. 28 vs. Minnesota) Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (Jan. 1 vs. Florida) New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 26 vs. Duke) Foster Farms Bowl (Dec. 26 vs. UCLA) BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1 vs. Notre Dame) TaxSlayer Bowl (Jan. 2 vs. Georgia) Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual (Jan. 1 vs. Stanford)
Michigan State’s 2015 opponents had a combined record of 89-56 (.614) during the regular season. [Note: Record doesn’t include games played against MSU.] The Spartans went 9-1 (.900) in games played against bowl-bound teams. Four of MSU’s 2015 opponents finished the regular season ranked in The Associated Press Top 25: No. 6 Iowa, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 15 Oregon and No. 17 Michigan. 2015 SPARTANS OF THE WEEK – Opponent Offense @ Western Michigan Aaron Burbridge Oregon Aaron Burbridge Air Force Aaron Burbridge Central Michigan Jack Allen Purdue LJ Scott @ Rutgers Connor Cook @ Michigan Connor Cook Indiana Connor Cook @ Nebraska ---Maryland Jack Allen @ Ohio State Tyler O’Connor Penn State
Connor Cook
Iowa
LJ Scott
Defense Malik McDowell Riley Bullough RJ Williamson Shilique Calhoun Malik McDowell Malik McDowell Shilique Calhoun Joel Heath ---Riley Bullough Defensive Line Arjen Colquhoun/ Darian Hicks Shilique Calhoun
2015 SPARTAN SCOUT TEAM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – Opponent Offense Defense @ Western Michigan Brian Lewerke Raequan Williams Oregon Trey Kilgore Tyriq Thompson Air Force Zac Leimbach Dillon Alexander Central Michigan Matt Sokol Brett Scanlon Purdue Kenny Willekes Tyson Smith @ Rutgers Paul Andrie Tyriq Thompson @ Michigan Edward Barksdale III Chris Laneaux Indiana Trey Kilgore Kenny Willekes @ Nebraska ------Maryland Cole Chewins Dillon Alexander @ Ohio State Brian Lewerke Tyriq Thompson Penn State Nick Tompkins Dillon Alexander Iowa Edward Barksdale III Dillon Alexander
Special Teams Jake Hartbarger Jake Hartbarger Kevin Cronin Grayson Miller Jalen Watts-Jackson Tyler O’Connor Jalen Watts-Jackson Shane Jones ---Kevin Cronin/Jake Hartbarger Kevin Cronin/Jake Harbarger/ Michael Geiger Jermaine Edmondson Jake Hartbarger Special Teams Grayson Miller Darrell Stewart Jr. Kenny Willekes Zac Leimbach Tyriq Thompson Brett Scanlon David Dowell Nick Tompkins ---Kenny Willekes Kenny Willekes Kenny Willekes Collin Lucas
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES SPARTAN TRENDS UNDER DANTONIO – Here’s how Michigan State has fared during head coach Mark Dantonio’s tenure (2007-15: 119 games): Games played in Spartan Stadium: Games played on the road/neutral site:
2015 7-0 5-1
Overall 51-12 36-20
Games played in August: Games played in September: Games played in October: Games played in November: Games played in December: Games played in January:
0-0 4-0 4-0 3-1 1-0 0-0
3-1 26-9 28-10 24-7 3-2 3-3
When leading at halftime: When trailing at halftime: When tied at halftime:
8-1 3-0 1-0
63-8 19-21 5-3
When scoring first: When opponent scores first:
8-0 4-1
63-9 24-23
When leading after first quarter: When trailing after first quarter: When tied after first quarter:
6-0 0-1 6-0
49-6 17-20 21-6
When leading after three quarters: When trailing after three quarters: When tied after three quarters:
10-1 2-0 0-0
69-9 15-20 3-3
Overtime games:
0-0
4-3
When gaining more first downs than opponent: When gaining fewer first downs than opponent: When gaining same number of first downs as opponent:
9-1 2-0 1-0
64-14 19-16 4-2
When gaining 200+ yards rushing: When opponent gains 200+ yards rushing:
2-0 1-0
31-3 5-9
When outrushing opponent: When being outrushed by opponent:
9-0 3-1
70-11 17-21
When gaining 200+ yards passing: When opponent gains 200+ yards passing:
6-1 7-1
54-21 40-19
When gaining more total yards than opponent: When gaining fewer total yards than opponent:
8-0 4-1
72-12 15-20
When leading in time of possession: When trailing in time of possession: When splitting in time of possession:
9-1 3-0 0-0
67-11 20-20 0-1
JOHN SHINSKY NAMED 2015 RECIPIENT OF BIG TEN HUMANITARIAN AWARD Former Michigan State Academic All-American John Shinsky has been named the 2015 recipient of the Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award, the conference announced on Nov. 24. Former Michigan quarterback Brian Griese was honored with the Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award. The awards recognize Big Ten football players that have achieved success in the areas of leadership and humanitarianism after their college careers have ended. Shinsky was a three-year letterwinner for the Spartans from 1970-73, earning Academic All-America recognition and second-team All-Big Ten honors in 1973. Since then, he has established himself as a selfless humanitarian. In 2005, he broke ground on Ciudad de Niños, “The City of the Children,” an orphanage in Matamoros, Mexico. In 2007, Shinsky biked from East Lansing to Mexico to raise funds for the orphanage. The current home to nearly 40 children provides education, training and opportunities that enable children to grow into caring, productive members of society that give back to their community as adults. For his efforts with Ciudad de Niños, Shinsky received the Duffy Daugherty Award in 2005, named in honor of Michigan State’s legendary coach that has been presented annually since 1975 to a Spartan football alumnus who has distinguished himself both on and off the field following his graduation. Prior to founding the orphanage, Shinsky served as the Director of Special Education for the Lansing School District from 1981 until 2000.
ANDRE RISON, DOUG WEAVER INDUCTED INTO MSU ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME Michigan State University inducted six members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, Sept. 17, as part of the “Celebrate 2015” weekend. The Class of 2015 included: Charlie Bell (basketball), Mary Kay Itnyre (basketball), Pat Milkovich (wrestling), Andre Rison (football), Doug Weaver (athletics director/football) and Mike York (hockey).
33 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES MICHIGAN STATE DEPTH CHART (AS OF DEC. 16) SPARTAN OFFENSE X
LT LG
C RG RT TE
Z F QB
FB TB
16 84 19 74 55 65 75 59 66 75 76 64 79 77 83 82 11 80 12 88 85 5 18 7 6 37 81 24 3 28 22
SPARTAN DEFENSE
AARON BURBRIDGE (6-1, 208, Sr.) Felton Davis III (6-4, 181, Fr.) AJ Troup (6-2, 218, Sr.-5) JACK CONKLIN (6-6, 325, Jr.) Miguel Machado (6-6, 298, R-Jr.) BRIAN ALLEN (6-2, 298, So.) Benny McGowan (6-3, 325, Jr.) David Beedle (6-5, 316, R-Fr.) JACK ALLEN (6-2, 296, Sr.-5) Benny McGowan (6-3, 325, Jr.) DONAVON CLARK (6-4, 325, Sr.-5) Brandon Clemons (6-3, 302, Sr.-5) KODI KIELER (6-6, 315, Jr.) Nick Padla (6-6, 300, R-Fr.) PAUL LANG (6-5, 260, Sr.-5) OR JOSIAH PRICE (6-4, 252, Jr.) OR JAMAL LYLES (6-3, 263, Jr.) Dylan Chmura (6-4, 258, So.) R.J. SHELTON (5-11, 195, Jr.) Monty Madaris (6-1, 202, Jr.) MACGARRETT KINGS JR. (5-10, 192, Sr.) DeAnthony Arnett (5-11, 184, Sr.-5) CONNOR COOK (6-4, 220, Sr.-5) Tyler O’Connor (6-3, 222, Jr.) Damion Terry (6-3, 235, So.) TREVON PENDLETON (6-0, 250, Sr.-5) Matt Sokol (6-5, 250, R-Fr.) GERALD HOLMES (6-0, 216, So.) OR LJ SCOTT (6-0, 233, Fr.) OR MADRE LONDON (6-1, 216, R-Fr.) OR DELTON WILLIAMS (6-1, 228, Jr.)
DE DT NT
DE STAR MIKE
SAM LC SAF
SAF
RC
89 98 92 72 4 93 56 8 85 45 5 30 49 38 33 23 2 15 7 44 10 9 26 29 36 39
SHILIQUE CALHOUN (6-5, 250, Sr.-5) Demetrius Cooper (6-5, 245, So.) JOEL HEATH (6-6, 293, Sr.-5) Craig Evans (6-2, 318, R-Fr.) MALIK MCDOWELL (6-6, 275, So.) Damon Knox (6-5, 276, Sr.-5) Enoch Smith Jr. (6-2, 285, R-Fr.) LAWRENCE THOMAS (6-4, 305, Sr.-5) Evan Jones (6-5, 248, Jr.) DARIEN HARRIS (6-0, 220, Sr.-5) Andrew Dowell (6-0, 216, Fr.) RILEY BULLOUGH (6-2, 230, Jr.) Shane Jones (6-1, 234, So.) Byron Bullough (6-1, 228, R-Fr.) JON RESCHKE (6-2, 228, So.) Chris Frey (6-2, 235, So.) DARIAN HICKS (5-10, 180, Jr.) Tyson Smith (5-10, 170 , Fr.) DEMETRIOUS COX (6-1, 200, Jr.) Grayson Miller (6-3, 200, Fr.) Matt Morrissey (6-2, 203, R-Fr.) MONTAE NICHOLSON (6-2, 215, So.) RJ Williamson (6-0, 216, Sr.-5) Mark Meyers (6-0, 186, Jr.) ARJEN COLQUHOUN (6-1, 202, Sr.-5) Jermaine Edmondson (6-0, 182, Jr.)
86 18 12 22 16 34 85 12
MATT MACKSOOD (5-11, 195, Jr.) Connor Cook (6-4, 220, Sr.-5) R.J. SHELTON (5-11, 195, Jr.) DELTON WILLIAMS (6-1, 228, Jr.) Aaron Burbridge (6-1, 208, Sr.) Drake Martinez (6-2, 210, So.) MACGARRETT KINGS JR. (5-10, 192, Sr.) R.J. Shelton (5-11, 195, Jr.)
SPARTAN SPECIAL TEAMS KO PK P SN
34
99 4 4 8 25 7 52 80
KEVIN CRONIN (6-1, 225, Jr.) Michael Geiger (5-8, 186, Jr.) MICHAEL GEIGER (5-8, 186, Jr.) Kevin Cronin (6-1, 225, Jr.) JAKE HARTBARGER (6-4, 210, R-Fr.) Tyler O’Connor (6-3, 222, Jr.) TAYBOR PEPPER (6-5, 230, Sr.) Dylan Chmura (6-4, 258, So.)
HLD KR
PR
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES STARTING LINEUPS/CAREER STARTS Career Starts by Position FB
TB
37-Pendleton (28)
24-Holmes (6) 28-London (6) 3-Scott (1)
QB 18-Cook (38) 7-O’Connor (1)
Z
TE
RT
RG
C
LG
LT
X
85-Kings (13) 12-Shelton (10)
83-Lang (15) 82-Price (14) 11-Lyles (6)
79-Kieler (18)
76-Clark (32) 64-Clemons (1)
66-J. Allen (46)
65-B. Allen (12) 75-McGowan (8)
74-Conklin (37) 73-Finley (1)
16-Burbridge (22) 5-Arnett (2)
LC
DE
DT
NT
DE
RC
2-D. Hicks (15)
89-Calhoun (41)
92-Heath (23) 93-Knox (3)
4-McDowell (14)
8-Thomas (29*) 98-Cooper (1)
36-Colquhoun (10) 13-Copeland (2) 15-T. Smith (1)
* Includes three games started at fullback in 2012. + Double tight end set. $ Three receiver set.
SAM
MIKE
STAR
33-Reschke (13)
30-R. Bullough (13) 49-S. Jones (1)
45-Harris (24)
SAF
SAF
7-Cox (14) 44-Miller (4)
26-Williamson (17) 9-Nicholson (12) 27-Willis (3)
2015 OFFENSIVE GAME-BY-GAME STARTERS Game at Western Michigan Oregon Air Force Central Michigan Purdue at Rutgers at Michigan Indiana at Nebraska Maryland at Ohio State Penn State vs. Iowa
X Burbridge Burbridge Arnett Burbridge Burbridge Burbridge Burbridge Burbridge Burbridge Burbridge Burbridge Burbridge Burbridge
LT Conklin Conklin Conklin Conklin Finley Kieler Conklin Conklin Conklin Conklin Conklin Conklin Conklin
LG B. Allen B. Allen B. Allen B. Allen B. Allen B. Allen McGowan McGowan B. Allen McGowan McGowan B. Allen B. Allen
C J. Allen J. Allen J. Allen J. Allen J. Allen J. Allen B. Allen B. Allen J. Allen J. Allen J. Allen J. Allen J. Allen
RG Clark Clark McGowan McGowan McGowan McGowan Clark Clark Clark Clark Clark Clark Clark
RT Kieler Kieler Clark Clark Clark Clark Kieler Kieler Kieler Kieler Kieler Kieler Kieler
TE Lang Lang Lang Lyles Lang Lang Lang Price Shelton$ Price Lang Lang Lang
Z Kings Kings Shelton Kings Arnett Shelton Kings Kings Kings Kings Kings Kings Lyles+
QB Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook O’Connor Cook Cook
FB Pendleton Pendleton Pendleton Pendleton Pendleton Lyles+ Lyles+ Shelton$ Pendleton Pendleton Lyles+ Pendleton Pendleton
TB London London London London London London Scott Holmes Holmes Holmes Holmes Holmes Holmes
2015 DEFENSIVE GAME-BY-GAME STARTERS Game at Western Michigan Oregon Air Force Central Michigan Purdue at Rutgers at Michigan Indiana at Nebraska Maryland at Ohio State Penn State vs. Iowa
DE Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun
DT Heath Heath Heath Thomas Heath Heath Heath Heath Heath Knox Heath Heath Heath
NT McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell McDowell
DE Thomas Thomas Thomas Cooper Thomas Thomas Thomas Thomas Thomas Thomas Thomas Thomas Thomas
STAR Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris Harris
MIKE R. Bullough R. Bullough R. Bullough S. Jones R. Bullough R. Bullough R. Bullough R. Bullough R. Bullough R. Bullough R. Bullough R. Bullough R. Bullough
SAM Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke Reschke
LC Cox Cox Cox Cox Hicks Hicks Cox Cox Cox Cox Hicks Hicks Hicks
SAF Nicholson Nicholson Nicholson Nicholson Cox Cox Miller Miller Miller Miller Cox Cox Cox
SAF Williamson Williamson Williamson Williamson Williamson Nicholson Willis Willis Willis Nicholson Nicholson Nicholson Nicholson
RC Copeland Copeland Colquhoun Colquhoun Colquhoun Colquhoun Colquhoun Colquhoun T. Smith Colquhoun Colquhoun Colquhoun Colquhoun
35 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL
NUMERICAL ROSTER No. 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 22 23 24 25 25 26 26 27 28 28 29 30 31 32 32 32 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
36
Name Darian Hicks LJ Scott Michael Geiger Malik McDowell DeAnthony Arnett Andrew Dowell Damion Terry Kaleel Gaines Demetrious Cox Tyler O’Connor Lawrence Thomas Montae Nicholson Matt Morrissey Jamal Lyles Colar Kuhns R.J. Shelton Vayante Copeland+ Robert Aiello Chris Laneaux Brian Lewerke Tyson Smith Aaron Burbridge Tommy Vento Trey Kilgore+ Tyriq Thompson Connor Cook Michael Topolinski AJ Troup Josh Butler Jalen Watts-Jackson+ Brandon Sowards Davis Lewandowski Delton Williams Paul Andrie Chris Frey Gerald Holmes Jake Hartbarger Darrell Stewart Jr. RJ Williamson Austin Wolfe Khari Willis+ Madre London David Dowell Mark Meyers Riley Bullough T.J. Harrell Nick Tompkins Cassius Peat Grant Davis Jon Reschke Drake Martinez Brock Makaric Nick Krumm Phillip-Michael Williams Arjen Colquhoun Sinclair Farinholt Trevon Pendleton Byron Bullough Jermaine Edmondson Collin Lucas Gerald Owens Zac Leimbach
Pos. CB RB K DL WR LB QB WR DB QB DL S S TE QB WR CB WR LB QB CB WR QB WR LB QB LB WR CB S WR WR RB WR LB RB P WR S WR S RB DB DB LB LB RB DE WR LB LB WR DB RB CB WR FB LB CB FB DL S
Ht. 5-10 6-0 5-8 6-6 5-11 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-0 6-2 5-11 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-1 5-9 6-3 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-2 5-11 5-9 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-11
Wt. 180 233 186 275 184 216 235 170 200 222 305 220 203 263 212 195 195 188 208 192 170 208 192 186 230 220 198 218 170 192 198 190 228 197 235 216 210 198 216 176 202 216 186 186 230 209 178 258 190 228 210 195 186 186 202 183 250 228 182 242 270 195
Elig. Jr. Fr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. So. Fr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. So. So. So. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr.
Cl. Jr. Fr. Jr. So. Sr.-5 Fr. Jr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Sr.-5 So. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. Jr. Sr.-5 Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr.-5 Jr. Fr. Sr.-5 Sr.-5 Sr.-5 Fr. So. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Fr. Sr.-5 Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Fr. Sr.-5 Sr.-5 Fr. Sr.-5 So. Sr. So. So. Sr.
Exp. 2L HS 2L 1L 2L HS 1L HS 2L 2L 3L 1L RS 2L RS 2L RS SQ 2L HS HS 3L SQ SQ HS 3L SQ 1L HS RS RS HS 2L SQ 1L SQ RS HS 3L SQ HS RS HS 2L 2L RS SQ HS HS 1L JC SQ HS SQ 3L HS 3L RS 2L RS RS SQ
Hometown (Previous School) Solon, Ohio (Solon) Hubbard, Ohio (Hubbard) Toledo, Ohio (Ottawa Hills) Detroit, Mich. (Southfield) Saginaw, Mich. (Tennessee) North Ridgeville, Ohio (St. Edward) Erie, Pa. (Cathedral Prep) Frostproof, Fla. (Frostproof) Jeannette, Pa. (Jeannette) Lima, Ohio (Lima Central Catholic) Detroit, Mich. (Renaissance) Monroeville, Pa. (Gateway) Lincolnshire, Ill. (Adlai E. Stevenson) Southfield, Mich. (Southfield-Lathrup) Gaithersburg, Md. (Damascus) Beaver Dam, Wis. (Beaver Dam) Dayton, Ohio (Thurgood Marshall) Lake Orion, Mich. (Lake Orion) Kalamazoo, Mich. (Portage Northern) Phoenix, Ariz. (Pinnacle) Southfield, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Farmington Hills, Mich. (Harrison) Farmington Hills, Mich. (Harrison) Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier) Detroit, Mich. (Martin Luther King) Hinckley, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit) Richmond Hill, Ontario (New Mexico Military Institute) Minneapolis, Minn. (Wayzata) Mesquite, Texas (West Mesquite) Dearborn, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Wyandotte, Mich. (Roosevelt) Okemos, Mich. (Okemos) Erie, Pa. (Cathedral Prep) Valparaiso, Ind. (Valparaiso) Upper Arlington, Ohio (Upper Arlington) Flint, Mich. (Carman-Ainsworth) Waterville, Ohio (Anthony Wayne) Houston, Texas (Nimitz) Dayton, Ohio (Dunbar) Springfield, Va. (Lake Braddock Secondary) Jackson, Mich. (Lumen Christi) Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) North Ridgeville, Ohio (St. Edward) Toledo, Ohio (Whitmer) Traverse City, Mich. (St. Francis) Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Catholic) Snellville, Ga. (Brookwood) Chandler, Ariz. (Corona del Sol High School) Shelby Township, Mich. (Eisenhower) Sterling Heights, Mich. (Brother Rice) Laguna Beach, Calif. (Saddleback College) Saginaw, Mich. (Heritage) Commerce Township, Mich. (Walled Lake Central) Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) Windsor, Ontario (W.F. Herman Secondary School) Richmond, Va. (Fork Union Military Academy) Lucasville, Ohio (Portsmouth West) Traverse City, Mich. (St. Francis) Canton, Ohio (McKinley Senior) Avon Lake, Ohio (Avon Lake) Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) Walled Lake, Mich. (Walled Lake Central)
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
NUMERICAL ROSTER No. 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 50 51 51 52 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 86 87 88 89 91 92 93 97 97 98 99 99
Name Hussein Kadry Ed Davis+ Grayson Miller Darien Harris David Fennell Kenny Willekes Shane Jones Sean Harrington Kyonta Stallworth Dillon Alexander Taybor Pepper Miguel Machado Enoch Smith Jr. Collin Caflisch Devyn Salmon David Beedle Casey Schreiner Cole Chewins Noah Listermann Brandon Clemons Brian Allen Jack Allen Bryce Wilker Jeremy Schram Tyler Higby Chase Gianacakos Craig Evans Dennis Finley+ Jack Conklin Benny McGowan Donavon Clark Nick Padla Kodi Kieler Dylan Chmura Matt Sokol Josiah Price Paul Lang Felton Davis III Macgarrett Kings Jr. Evan Jones Matt Macksood Edward Barksdale III Monty Madaris Shilique Calhoun Robert Bowers Joel Heath Damon Knox Justice Alexander Nathan Conrad Demetrius Cooper Kevin Cronin Raequan Williams
Pos. WR LB S LB FB LB LB LB OT DE SN OT DL OL C OT OG OT OT OG OL OL OL C OL OG DL OT OT OG OL OT OL TE TE TE TE WR WR DE WR WR WR DE DE DL DL DE TE DE K DL
Ht. 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-6 6-2 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-3 6-7 6-7 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-2 6-6 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-4 5-10 6-5 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-1 6-4
Wt. 210 230 200 220 266 223 234 210 275 238 230 298 285 291 325 316 320 245 286 302 298 296 265 315 305 296 318 305 325 325 325 300 315 258 250 252 260 181 192 248 195 199 202 250 238 293 276 232 230 245 225 290
Elig. Jr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Fr.
Cl. Jr. Sr.-5 Fr. Sr.-5 Sr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Fr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Sr.-5 So. Sr.-5 Fr. So. Fr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr.-5 So. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr.-5 Fr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr.-5 So. Sr.-5 Sr.-5 Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Fr.
Exp. HS 3L HS 3L SQ HS 1L 1L HS RS 3L RS RS HS SQ RS RS HS HS 2L 1L 3L HS RS HS RS RS 1L 2L 1L 3L RS 2L 1L RS 2L 3L HS 3L 1L 2L 1L 1L 3L RS 2L 2L HS RS 1L 1L HS
Hometown (Previous School) Dearborn, Mich. (Fordson) Detroit, Mich. (Southeastern) Georgetown, Ky. (Scott) Silver Spring, Md. (DeMatha Catholic) Portland, Ore. (Sunset) Rockford, Mich. (NorthPointe Christian) Cincinnati, Ohio (Archbishop Moeller) Commerce Township, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Detroit, Mich. (Martin Luther King) Forsyth, Ga. (Lambert) Saline, Mich. (Saline) Miami, Fla. (Pasadena City College) Chicago, Ill. (Mount Carmel) Canton, Mich. (Canton) Plant City, Fla. (Plant City) Clarkston, Mich. (Clarkston) Bethel Park, Pa. (Bethel Park) Clarkston, Mich. (Clarkston) Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods) Milford, Pa. (Delaware Valley) Hinsdale, Ill. (Hinsdale Central) Hinsdale, Ill. (Hinsdale Central) Belding, Mich. (Belding Area) White Lake, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Houston, Texas (The Kinkaid School) St. Charles, Ill. (St. Charles North) Sun Prairie, Wis. (Sun Prairie) Detroit, Mich. (Cass Tech) Plainwell, Mich. (Plainwell) Centerville,Ohio (Centerville) Cincinnati, Ohio (Finneytown) Berrien Springs, Mich. (Berrien Springs) Rockwood, Mich. (Carlson) Waukesha, Wis. (Waukesha West) Rochester, Mich. (Adams) Greentown, Ind. (Eastern) Pittsburgh, Pa. (Mount Lebanon) Richmond, Va. (Highland Springs) Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (University School) West Lafayette, Ohio (Ridgewood) Lansing, Mich. (Lansing Catholic Central) Solon, Ohio (Solon) Cincinnati, Ohio (Archbishop Moeller) Middletown, N.J. (Middletown North) Columbus, Ohio (Walnut Ridge) Cincinnati, Ohio (Mount Healthy) Muskegon, Mich. (Muskegon) Macedonia, Ohio (Nordonia) Commerce Township, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Chicago, Ill. (Percy L. Julian) Traverse City, Mich. (Traverse City West) Chicago, Ill. (DePaul College Prep)
EXP. KEY - HS: High School; RS: Red-shirted; JC: Junior College; TR: Transfer; SQ: Squad Member; L: Letters Earned; +: Injured.
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE #4 Michael Geiger: guy-GURR #4 Malik McDowell: muh-LEEK #6 Kaleel Gaines: cuh-LEAL (rhymes with wheel) #11 Colar Kuhns: COLE-err #13 Robert Aiello: EYE-el-O #13 Vayante Copeland: VIE-on-tay #14 Chris Laneaux: luh-KNOW
#14 Brian Lewerke: luh-WUHR-key #15 Brandon Sowards: SOW-irds (rhymes with wow) #17 Tyriq Thompson: ty-REEK #19 AJ Troup: TROOP #27 Khari Willis: car-Ē #28 Madre London: MAH-dray
#30 Riley Bullough: BULL-uh #33 Jon Reschke: resh-KEY #34 Brock Makaric: muh-CARE-ick #36 Arjen Colquhoun: AR-jen COLE-hoon #37 Trevon Pendleton: TREV-in #38 Byron Bullough: BULL-uh
#42 Zac Leimbach: LIME-bock #47 David Fennell: fuh-NELL #48 Kenny Willekes: WILL-uh-KISS #51 Kyonta Stallworth: KEY-on-tay #52 Taybor Pepper: TAY-burr #55 Miguel Machado: muh-CHA-doe #71 Chase Gianacakos: G-inn-AH-cuss
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
#79 Kodi Kieler: CODY key-LURR #80 Dylan Chmura: cha-MURR-ah #81 Matt Sokol: SO-kull #88 Monty Madaris: muh-DARE-iss #89 Shilique Calhoun: shuh-LEEK #99 Raequan Williams: RAY-kwon
37
ALPHABETICAL ROSTER No. 13 51 97 65 66 22 5 87 59 91 38 30 16 19 57 89 61 80 76 64 36 74 97 18 98 13 7 99 43 84 32 5 28 39 72 36 47 73 23 6 4 71 31 50 45 25 92 2 70 24 85 49 42 79 17 85 93 35 11 14 83
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Name Robert Aiello Dillon Alexander Justice Alexander Brian Allen Jack Allen Paul Andrie DeAnthony Arnett Edward Barksdale III David Beedle Robert Bowers Byron Bullough Riley Bullough Aaron Burbridge Josh Butler Collin Caflisch Shilique Calhoun Cole Chewins Dylan Chmura Donavon Clark Brandon Clemons Arjen Colquhoun Jack Conklin Nathan Conrad Connor Cook Demetrius Cooper Vayante Copeland+ Demetrious Cox Kevin Cronin Ed Davis+ Felton Davis III Grant Davis Andrew Dowell David Dowell Jermaine Edmondson Craig Evans Sinclair Farinholt David Fennell Dennis Finley+ Chris Frey Kaleel Gaines Michael Geiger Chase Gianacakos T.J. Harrell Sean Harrington Darien Harris Jake Hartbarger Joel Heath Darian Hicks Tyler Higby Gerald Holmes Evan Jones Shane Jones Hussein Kadry Kodi Kieler Trey Kilgore+ Macgarrett Kings Jr. Damon Knox Nick Krumm Colar Kuhns Chris Laneaux Paul Lang
Pos. WR DE DE OL OL WR WR WR OT DE LB LB WR CB OL DE OT TE OL OG CB OT TE QB DE CB DB K LB WR WR LB DB CB DL WR FB OT LB WR K OG LB LB LB P DL CB OL RB DE LB WR OL WR WR DL DB QB LB TE
Ht. 6-2 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-5 6-4 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-4 6-5 6-7 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-4 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-2 6-0 5-8 6-6 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-4 6-6 5-10 6-4 6-0 6-5 6-1 6-3 6-6 6-1 5-10 6-5 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-5
Wt. 188 238 232 298 296 197 184 199 316 238 228 230 208 170 291 250 245 258 325 302 202 325 230 220 245 195 200 225 230 181 190 216 186 182 318 183 266 305 235 170 186 296 209 210 220 210 293 180 305 216 248 234 210 315 186 192 276 186 212 208 260
Elig. So. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr.
Cl. Jr. So. Fr. So. Sr.-5 Sr. Sr.-5 Sr. So. So. So. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr.-5 Fr. Jr. Sr.-5 Sr.-5 Sr.-5 Sr. So. Sr.-5 Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr.-5 Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Sr. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Sr.-5 So. Sr.-5 Jr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr.-5 Fr. So. Sr.-5 Sr.-5
Exp. SQ RS HS 1L 3L SQ 2L 1L RS RS RS 2L 3L HS HS 3L HS 1L 3L 2L 3L 2L RS 3L 1L RS 2L 1L 3L HS HS HS HS 2L RS HS SQ 1L 1L HS 2L RS RS 1L 3L RS 2L 2L HS SQ 1L 1L HS 2L SQ 3L 2L HS RS 2L 3L
Hometown (Previous School) Lake Orion, Mich. (Lake Orion) Forsyth, Ga. (Lambert) Macedonia, Ohio (Nordonia) Hinsdale, Ill. (Hinsdale Central) Hinsdale, Ill. (Hinsdale Central) Valparaiso, Ind. (Valparaiso) Saginaw, Mich. (Tennessee) Solon, Ohio (Solon) Clarkston, Mich. (Clarkston) Columbus, Ohio (Walnut Ridge) Traverse City, Mich. (St. Francis) Traverse City, Mich. (St. Francis) Farmington Hills, Mich. (Harrison) Mesquite, Texas (West Mesquite) Canton, Mich. (Canton) Middletown, N.J. (Middletown North) Clarkston, Mich. (Clarkston) Waukesha, Wis. (Waukesha West) Cincinnati, Ohio (Finneytown) Milford, Pa. (Delaware Valley) Windsor, Ontario (W.F. Herman Secondary School) Plainwell, Mich. (Plainwell) Commerce Township, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Hinckley, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit) Chicago, Ill. (Percy L. Julian) Dayton, Ohio (Thurgood Marshall) Jeannette, Pa. (Jeannette) Traverse City, Mich. (Traverse City West) Detroit, Mich. (Southeastern) Richmond, Va. (Highland Springs) Shelby Township, Mich. (Eisenhower) North Ridgeville, Ohio (St. Edward) North Ridgeville, Ohio (St. Edward) Canton, Ohio (McKinley Senior) Sun Prairie, Wis. (Sun Prairie) Richmond, Va. (Fork Union Military Academy) Portland, Ore. (Sunset) Detroit, Mich. (Cass Tech) Upper Arlington, Ohio (Upper Arlington) Frostproof, Fla. (Frostproof) Toledo, Ohio (Ottawa Hills) St. Charles, Ill. (St. Charles North) Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Catholic) Commerce Township, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Silver Spring, Md. (DeMatha Catholic) Waterville, Ohio (Anthony Wayne) Cincinnati, Ohio (Mount Healthy) Solon, Ohio (Solon) Houston, Texas (The Kinkaid School) Flint, Mich. (Carman-Ainsworth) West Lafayette, Ohio (Ridgewood) Cincinnati, Ohio (Archbishop Moeller) Dearborn, Mich. (Fordson) Rockwood, Mich. (Carlson) Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier) Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (University School) Muskegon, Mich. (Muskegon) Commerce Township, Mich. (Walled Lake Central) Gaithersburg, Md. (Damascus) Kalamazoo, Mich. (Portage Northern) Pittsburgh, Pa. (Mount Lebanon)
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
ALPHABETICAL ROSTER No. 42 21 14 63 28 40 11 55 86 88 34 34 4 75 29 44 10 9 7 41 77 32 37 52 82 33 58 68 60 3 12 56 15 81 21 51 25 6 8 17 32 18 19 16 20 67 48 22 35 99 26 27 26
Name Zac Leimbach Davis Lewandowski Brian Lewerke Noah Listermann Madre London Collin Lucas Jamal Lyles Miguel Machado Matt Macksood Monty Madaris Brock Makaric Drake Martinez Malik McDowell Benny McGowan Mark Meyers Grayson Miller Matt Morrissey Montae Nicholson Tyler O’Connor Gerald Owens Nick Padla Cassius Peat Trevon Pendleton Taybor Pepper Josiah Price Jon Reschke Devyn Salmon Jeremy Schram Casey Schreiner LJ Scott R.J. Shelton Enoch Smith Jr. Tyson Smith Matt Sokol Brandon Sowards Kyonta Stallworth Darrell Stewart Jr. Damion Terry Lawrence Thomas Tyriq Thompson Nick Tompkins Michael Topolinski AJ Troup Tommy Vento Jalen Watts-Jackson+ Bryce Wilker Kenny Willekes Delton Williams Phillip-Michael Williams Raequan Williams RJ Williamson Khari Willis+ Austin Wolfe
Pos. S WR QB OT RB FB TE OT WR WR WR LB DL OG DB S S S QB DL OT DE FB SN TE LB C C OG RB WR DL CB TE WR OT WR QB DL LB RB LB WR QB S OL LB RB RB DL S S WR
Ht. 5-11 6-0 6-3 6-7 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-6 5-11 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-6 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-6 6-3 6-0 6-5 6-4 6-2 6-1 6-4 6-3 6-0 5-11 6-2 5-10 6-5 6-0 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-1 5-9 6-0 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-4 6-3 6-1 5-9 6-4 6-0 5-11 6-0
Wt. 195 190 192 286 216 242 263 298 195 202 195 210 275 325 186 200 203 220 222 270 300 258 250 230 252 228 325 315 320 233 195 285 170 250 198 275 198 235 305 230 178 198 218 192 192 265 223 228 186 290 216 202 176
Elig. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. So. So. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Fr. So.
Cl. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. So. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. So. Sr. So. So. Fr. Sr.-5 Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. So. Fr. Jr. So. Fr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr.-5 Fr. Sr. Sr.-5 Sr.-5 Sr.-5 So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr.-5 Fr. Sr.-5 Fr. Jr.
Exp. SQ HS HS HS RS RS 2L RS 2L 1L SQ JC 1L 1L 2L HS RS 1L 2L RS RS HS 3L 3L 2L 1L SQ RS RS HS 2L RS HS RS RS HS HS 1L 3L HS SQ SQ 1L SQ RS HS HS 2L SQ HS 3L HS SQ
Hometown (Previous School) Walled Lake, Mich. (Walled Lake Central) Okemos, Mich. (Okemos) Phoenix, Ariz. (Pinnacle) Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods) Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) Avon Lake, Ohio (Avon Lake) Southfield, Mich. (Southfield-Lathrup) Miami, Fla. (Pasadena City College) Lansing, Mich. (Lansing Catholic Central) Cincinnati, Ohio (Archbishop Moeller) Saginaw, Mich. (Heritage) Laguna Beach, Calif. (Saddleback College) Detroit, Mich. (Southfield) Centerville,Ohio (Centerville) Toledo, Ohio (Whitmer) Georgetown, Ky. (Scott) Lincolnshire, Ill. (Adlai E. Stevenson) Monroeville, Pa. (Gateway) Lima, Ohio (Lima Central Catholic) Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) Berrien Springs, Mich. (Berrien Springs) Chandler, Ariz. (Corona del Sol High School) Lucasville, Ohio (Portsmouth West) Saline, Mich. (Saline) Greentown, Ind. (Eastern) Sterling Heights, Mich. (Brother Rice) Plant City, Fla. (Plant City) White Lake, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Bethel Park, Pa. (Bethel Park) Hubbard, Ohio (Hubbard) Beaver Dam, Wis. (Beaver Dam) Chicago, Ill. (Mount Carmel) Southfield, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Rochester, Mich. (Adams) Wyandotte, Mich. (Roosevelt) Detroit, Mich. (Martin Luther King) Houston, Texas (Nimitz) Erie, Pa. (Cathedral Prep) Detroit, Mich. (Renaissance) Detroit, Mich. (Martin Luther King) Snellville, Ga. (Brookwood) Richmond Hill, Ontario (New Mexico Military Institute) Minneapolis, Minn. (Wayzata) Farmington Hills, Mich. (Harrison) Dearborn, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) Belding, Mich. (Belding Area) Rockford, Mich. (NorthPointe Christian) Erie, Pa. (Cathedral Prep) Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) Chicago, Ill. (DePaul College Prep) Dayton, Ohio (Dunbar) Jackson, Mich. (Lumen Christi) Springfield, Va. (Lake Braddock Secondary)
EXP. KEY - HS: High School; RS: Red-shirted; JC: Junior College; TR: Transfer; SQ: Squad Member; L: Letters Earned; +: Injured.
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE #13 Robert Aiello: EYE-el-O #38 Byron Bullough: BULL-uh #30 Riley Bullough: BULL-uh #89 Shilique Calhoun: shuh-LEEK #80 Dylan Chmura: cha-MURR-ah #36 Arjen Colquhoun: AR-jen COLE-hoon
#13 Vayante Copeland: VIE-on-tay #47 David Fennell: fuh-NELL #6 Kaleel Gaines: cuh-LEAL (rhymes with wheel) #4 Michael Geiger: guy-GURR #71 Chase Gianacakos: YAHN-uh-cock-OSE
#79 Kodi Kieler: CODY key-LURR #11 Colar Kuhns: COLE-err #14 Chris Laneaux: luh-KNOW #42 Zac Leimbach: LIME-bock #14 Brian Lewerke: luh-WUHR-key #28 Madre London: MAH-dray #55 Miguel Machado: muh-CHA-doe
#88 Monty Madaris: muh-DARE-iss #34 Brock Makaric: muh-CARE-ick #4 Malik McDowell: muh-LEEK #52 Taybor Pepper: TAY-burr #37 Trevon Pendleton: TREV-in #33 Jon Reschke: resh-KEY #51 Kyonta Stallworth: KEY-on-tay
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
#81 Matt Sokol: SO-kull #15 Brandon Sowards: SOW-irds (rhymes with wow) #17 Tyriq Thompson: ty-REEK #19 AJ Troup: TROOP #48 Kenny Willekes: WILL-uh-KISS #99 Raequan Williams: RAY-kwon #27 Khari Willis: car-Ē
39
LAST TIME... OFFENSE 100-YARD RUSHING GAME Spartans: Gerald Holmes, 117 yards vs. Nebraska, Nov. 7, 2015 (NEB 39-38) Opponent: Saquon Barkley, Penn State, 103 yards, Nov. 28, 2015 (MSU 55-16) 150-YARD RUSHING GAME Spartans: Jeremy Langford, 162 yards vs. Baylor, Jan. 1, 2015 (MSU 42-41) Opponent: Markell Jones, Purdue, 157 yards, Oct. 3, 2015 (MSU 24-21) 200-YARD RUSHING GAME Spartans: Le’Veon Bell, 253 yards vs. Eastern Michigan, Sept. 22, 2012 (MSU 23-7) Opponent: Taylor Martinez, Nebraska, 205 yards, Nov. 3, 2012 (NEB 28-24) 150 RUSHING YARDS AT HALFTIME Spartans: Javon Ringer, 160 yards vs. Indiana, Oct. 13, 2007 (MSU 52-27) Opponent: Taylor Martinez, 156 yards, Nov. 3, 2012 (NEB 28-24) 30 OR MORE CARRIES Spartans: Jeremy Langford, 35 vs. Michigan, Oct. 25, 2014 (MSU 35-11) Opponent: Rex Burkhead, Nebraska, 35, Oct. 29, 2011 (NEB 24-3) 40 OR MORE CARRIES Spartans: Le’Veon Bell, 44 vs. Boise State, Aug. 31, 2012 (MSU 17-13) TWO PLAYERS WITH 100-YARD RUSHING GAMES Spartans: Nick Hill (178 yards) and Jeremy Langford (109 yards), vs. Indiana, Oct. 18, 2014 (MSU 56-17) Opponent: Braxton Miller (142 yards) and Carlos Hyde (118), Ohio State, Dec. 7, 2013 (MSU 34-24) 300-YARD PASSING GAME Spartans: Connor Cook, 335 yards (23-for-37) vs. Nebraska, Nov. 7, 2015 (NEB 39-38) Opponent: Tommy Armstrong, Nebraska, 320 yards (19-for33), Nov. 7, 2015 (NEB 39-38) 400-YARD PASSING GAME Spartans: Bill Burke, 400 yards vs. Michigan (21-for-36), Oct. 9, 1999 (MSU 34-31) * School record Opponent: Bryce Petty, Baylor, 550 yards (36-for-51), Jan. 1, 2015 (MSU 42-41) 500-YARD PASSING GAME Spartans: Not accomplished. Opponent: Bryce Petty, Baylor, 550 yards (36-for-51), Jan. 1, 2015 (MSU 42-41) TWO PLAYERS WITH 100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES Spartans: B.J. Cunningham, 115 yards (5 catches) and Keshawn Martin, 115 yards (9 catches) vs. Wisconsin, Dec. 3, 2011 (WIS 42-39) Opponent: Corey Davis, 154 yards (10 catches) and Daniel Braverman, 109 yards (13 catches), Western Michigan, Sept. 4, 2015 (MSU 37-24) 150-YARD RECEIVING GAME Spartans: Aaron Burbridge, 164 yards (10 catches) vs. Nebraska, Nov. 7, 2015 (NEB 39-38) Opponent: Corey Davis, 154 yards (10 catches), Western Michigan, Sept. 4, 2015 (MSU 37-24) 200-YARD RECEIVING GAME Spartans: Mark Dell, 202 yards (9 catches) vs. California, Aug. 30, 2008 (CAL 38-31) Opponent: Tavarres King, Georgia, 205 yards (6 catches), Jan. 2, 2012 (MSU 33-30) 10 STRAIGHT COMPLETIONS TO START GAME Spartans: Brian Hoyer, 10 vs. UAB, Sept. 1, 2007 (MSU 55-18) Opponent: Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame, 10, Sept. 19, 2009 (ND 33-30) 10 STRAIGHT COMPLETIONS Spartans: Connor Cook, 11 vs. Illinois, Oct. 26, 2013 (MSU 42-3) 30 PASS COMPLETIONS Spartans: Kirk Cousins, 34 vs. Notre Dame (53 attempts), Sept. 17, 2011 (ND 31-13) Opponent: Zach Terrell, 33, Western Michigan (51 attempts), Sept. 4, 2015 (MSU 37-24)
40
SCORED FOUR RUSHING TDS Spartans: Edwin Baker, four vs. Minnesota (runs of 30, 1, 1 and 1 yard), Nov. 6, 2010 (MSU 31-8) Opponent: Larry Johnson, Penn State, four (runs of 11, 78, 11, 38 yards), Nov. 23, 2002 (PSU 61-7) SCORED FOUR RUSHING TDS IN FIRST HALF Spartans: *Jehuu Caulcrick, four vs. UAB (runs of 5, 1, 42 and 5 yards), Sept. 1, 2007 (MSU 55-18) * tied school record with Blake Ezor (1989 vs. Northwestern) SCORED FOUR TDS Spartans: Jeremy Langford, four vs. Indiana (3 rush, 1 receiving), Oct. 12, 2013 (MSU 42-28) Opponent: Montee Ball, Wisconsin, four (3 rush, 1 receiving), Dec. 3, 2011 (WIS 42-39) SCORED FIVE TDS Spartans: Javon Ringer, five vs. Eastern Michigan (5 rush), Sept. 6, 2008 (MSU 42-10) Opponent: Lee Evans, Wisconsin, five (catches of 9, 75, 18, 70, 18 yards), Nov. 15, 2003 (WIS 56-21) THREW FOUR TD PASSES Spartans: Connor Cook, four vs. Nebraska, Nov. 7, 2015 (NEB 39-38) Opponent: Dayne Crist, Notre Dame, four, Sept. 18, 2010 (MSU 34-31 OT) THREW FIVE TD PASSES Spartans: *Drew Stanton, five vs. Illinois, Sept. 24, 2005 (MSU 61-14) * School record Opponent: Adam Weber, Minnesota, five, Oct. 31, 2009 (MINN 42-34) THREE TD RECEPTIONS Spartans: Aaron Burbridge, three vs. Air Force (28, 32, 21 yards from Connor Cook), Sept. 19, 2015 (MSU 35-21) Opponent: Leonte Carroo, Rutgers, three (catches of 5, 39, 28), Oct. 10, 2015 (MSU 31-24) 80-YARD OR LONGER TD RECEPTION Spartans: Connor Cook to Bennie Fowler, 87 yards vs. Northwestern, Nov. 23, 2013 (MSU 30-6) Opponent: C.J. Beathard to Tavaun Smith, Iowa, 85 yards, Dec. 5, 2015 (MSU 16-13) 80-YARD OR LONGER TD RUN Spartans: Delton Williams, 80 yards vs. Eastern Michigan, Sept. 20, 2014 (MSU 73-14) Opponent: Keith Carlos, Purdue, 80 yards, Nov. 20, 2010 (MSU 35-31) BACK-TO-BACK 200-YARD RUSHING GAMES Spartans: *Javon Ringer, 2008 (Florida Atlantic and Notre Dame) * First time accomplished in school history 10 STRAIGHT 100-YARD RUSHING GAMES* Spartans: Jeremy Langford, 2014 (Sept. 27 Wyoming Jan. 1 Baylor) * * School record 300 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS Spartans: Javon Ringer, 308 yards vs. Florida Atlantic, Sept. 13, 2008 (MSU 17-0) Opponent: Chad Owens, Hawaii, 301 yards, Dec. 4, 2004 (UH 41-38) DID NOT SCORE A TOUCHDOWN Spartans: vs. Notre Dame, Sept. 15, 2012 (ND 20-3) Opponent: Rutgers, Nov. 22, 2014 (MSU 45-3) DID NOT SCORE AN OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN Spartans: vs. Notre Dame, Sept. 15, 2012 (ND 20-3) Opponent: Rutgers, Nov. 22, 2014 (MSU 45-3) SPECIAL TEAMS KICKOFF RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN Spartans: R.J. Shelton, 90 yards vs. Penn State, Nov. 29, 2014 (MSU 34-10) Opponent: Darius Phillips, Western Michigan, 100 yards, Sept. 4, 2015 (MSU 37-24) PUNT RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN Spartans: Keshawn Martin, 57 yards vs. Northwestern, Nov. 26, 2011 (MSU 31-17) Opponent: Bralon Addison, Oregon, 81 yards, Sept. 12, 2015 (MSU 31-28)
BLOCKED PUNT RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN Spartans: Bennie Fowler, 0 yards (recovered in end zone; blocked by Kyler Elsworth, 36-yard return) vs. Wisconsin, Oct. 22, 2011 (MSU 37-31) Opponent: Matt Hahn, Penn State, 0 yards (blocked by Donnie Johnson), Nov. 19, 2005 (PSU 31-22) BLOCKED PUNT Spartans: Matt Macksood vs. Notre Dame, Sept. 21, 2013 (UND 17-13) Opponent: Ohio State blocked Mike Sadler’s punt, Dec. 7, 2013 (MSU 34-24) BLOCKED FIELD GOAL Spartans: Shilique Calhoun vs. Central Michigan, blocked Brian Eavey’s 43-yard attempt, Sept. 26, 2015 (MSU 3010) Opponent: Djwany Mera, Rutgers, blocked Michael Geiger’s 35-yard attempt, Oct. 10, 2015 (MSU 31-24) BLOCKED TWO FIELD GOALS Spartans: Percy Snow vs. Minnesota, Nov. 11, 1989 (MSU 21-7) DEFENSIVE EXTRA POINT SCORED Spartans: Ashton Watson, returns blocked PAT, vs. Indiana, Oct. 29, 2005 (MSU 46-15)
HELD TO 100 OR FEWER YARDS PASSING BACK-TOBACK GAMES Opponent: 85 yards by Pittsburgh (20-9-2), Sept. 15, 2007 (MSU 17-13); 86 yards by Notre Dame (20-11-0), Sept. 22, 2007 (MSU 31-14) SHUTOUT RECORDED Spartans: vs. Purdue (14-0), Oct. 19, 2013 Opponent: by Michigan (14-0), Oct. 21, 2000 SHUTOUT RECORDED IN SPARTAN STADIUM Spartans: vs. Purdue (14-0), Oct. 19, 2013 Opponent: by Michigan (31-0), Oct. 12, 1985 SAFETY RECORDED Spartans: William Gholston, vs. Northwestern, Nov. 17, 2012 (NU 23-20) Opponent: Team safety, Indiana, Sept. 27, 2008 (MSU 42-29) PLAYER HAD THREE SACKS Spartans: Riley Bullough, three vs. Western Michigan, Sept. 4, 2015 (MSU 37-24) Opponent: Brandon Graham, Michigan, three, Oct. 25, 2008 (MSU 35-21)
INTERCEPTION RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN Spartans: Riley Bullough, 44 yards vs. Maryland, Nov. 14, 2015 (MSU 24-7) Opponent: Kevin Anderson, Stanford, 40 yards, Jan. 1, 2014 (MSU 24-20)
SCORED TWO DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS Spartans: Two vs. Penn State (Demetrious Cox 77-yard fumble return; Malik McDowell 13-yard interception return), Nov. 28, 2015 (MSU 55-16) Opponent: Two by Ohio State (Thaddeus Gibson fumble return; Jermale Hines fumble return), Oct. 18, 2008 (OSU 45-7)
FUMBLE RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN Spartans: Demetrious Cox, 77 yards vs. Penn State, Nov. 28, 2015 (MSU 55-16) Opponent: Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State, 69 yards, Oct. 18, 2008 (OSU 45-7)
SCORED TWO DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS - SAME PLAYER Spartans: Two vs. South Florida (Shilique Calhoun 4-yard fumble return; Calhoun 56-yard interception return), Sept. 7, 2013 (MSU 21-6) * school record
70-YARD PUNT Spartans: Mike Sadler, 70 yards vs. Ohio State, Sept. 29, 2012 (OSU 17-16) Opponent: Blake O’Neill, Michigan, 80 yards, Oct. 17, 2015
FOUR INTERCEPTIONS Spartans: Four vs. Central Michigan (Robinson, Lewis, Bullough, Drummond), Sept. 24, 2011 (MSU 45-7) Opponent: Four by Boston College, Dec. 28, 2007 (BC 24-21)
50-YARD FIELD GOAL Spartans: Dan Conroy, 50 yards vs. Ohio State, Sept. 29, 2012 (OSU 17-16)
TEAM/MISCELLANEOUS BIGGEST COMEBACK Spartans: *35 points (down 38-3) vs. Northwestern on Oct. 21, 2006, with 38 straight points to win, 41-38. * NCAA FBS Record
KICKED FOUR FIELD GOALS Spartans: Michael Geiger, four vs. Iowa (27, 35, 49, 40 yards), Oct. 5, 2013 (MSU 26-14) Opponent: Mike Nugent, Ohio State, four (44, 24, 42, 18 yards), Nov. 8, 2003 (OSU 33-23) MISSED EXTRA POINT Spartans: Michael Geiger vs. Penn State, Nov. 28, 2015 (MSU 55-16) Opponent: Griffin Oakes, Indiana, Oct. 24, 2015 (MSU 52-26) SUCCESSFUL ONSIDE KICK Spartans: Kevin Cronin vs. Baylor, Jan. 1, 2015 (MSU 42-41) Opponent: Mitch Ewald, Indiana, Oct. 6, 2012 (MSU 31-27) DEFENSE HELD TO 25 OR FEWER YARDS RUSHING Spartans: -48 yards vs. Alabama (28 attempts), Jan. 1, 2011 (BAMA 49-7) Opponent: 18 yards by Western Michigan (23 carries), Sept. 4, 2015 (MSU 37-24) HELD TO 50 OR FEWER YARDS RUSHING Spartans: 34 yards vs. Ohio State (22 attempts), Sept. 29, 2012 (OSU 17-16) Opponent:18 yards by Western Michigan (23 carries), Sept. 4, 2015 (MSU 37-24) HELD TO 10 OR FEWER FIRST DOWNS Spartans: 9 vs. Ohio State, Oct. 20, 2007 (OSU 24-17) Opponent: 5 by Ohio State, Nov. 21, 2015 (MSU 17-14) HELD TO 100 OR FEWER YARDS PASSING Spartans: 94 yards vs. South Florida (12-24), Sept. 7, 2013 (MSU 21-6) Opponent: 46 yards by Ohio State (9-16), Nov. 21, 2015 (MSU 17-14)
BIGGEST COMEBACK IN DANTONIO ERA Spartans: 20 points (down 41-21 in third quarter vs. Baylor in 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic; MSU rallied to win 42-41). SCORED 40 POINTS IN FIRST HALF Spartans: 42 points (led 42-7 at half), beat Wyoming 5614 on Sept. 27, 2014 SCORED 45 POINTS IN FIRST HALF Spartans: *49 points (led 49-0 at half), beat Eastern Michigan 73-14 on Sept. 20, 2014 * Post-WWII Record. 600 YARDS TOTAL OFFENSE Spartans: 662 vs. Indiana, Oct. 18, 2014 (MSU 56-17) Opponent: 611 yards by Northwestern, Sept. 29, 2007 (NU 48-41, OT) 500 YARDS TOTAL OFFENSE Spartans: 540 vs. Indiana, Oct. 24, 2015 (MSU 52-26) Opponent: 583, Baylor, Jan. 1, 2015 (MSU 42-41) 300 YARDS RUSHING Spartans: 330 vs. Indiana, Oct. 18, 2014 (MSU 56-17) Opponent: 313, Nebraska, Nov. 3, 2012 (NEB 28-14) 300 YARDS RUSHING - BACK-TO-BACK GAMES Spartans: 336 vs. Eastern Michigan, Sept. 20, 2014 (MSU 73-14); 348 vs. Wyoming, Sept. 27, 2014 (MSU 56-14) 400 YARDS TOTAL OFFENSE IN FIRST HALF Spartans: 438 vs. UAB, Sept. 1, 2007 (MSU 55-18) 300 YARDS TOTAL OFFENSE IN FIRST HALF Spartans: 334, vs. Rutgers, Nov. 22, 2014 (MSU 45-3) WON GAME ON FINAL PLAY - REGULATION Spartans: Michael Geiger, 41-yard field goal as time expired vs. Ohio State, Nov. 21, 2015 (MSU 17-14) Opponent: Marvin McNutt, Iowa, caught 7-yard pass from Ricky Stanzi on fourth-and-goal as time expired, Oct. 24, 2009 (IOWA 15-13)
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
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SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
Brian ALLEN
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OL | 6-2 | 298 | SO. | 1L HINSDALE, ILL. HINSDALE CENTRAL • SECOND-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES AND MEDIA) CAREER NOTES: Second-year player is listed as a starter at left guard . . . can also play center . . . has played in 25 career games, including 12 starts . . . named a firstteam Freshman All-American in 2014 by the Football Writers Association of America and Scout.com. 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Has seen action in all 13 games, including 11 starts (nine at left guard; two at center) . . . collected 82.5 knockdowns during the regular season, second most on the team . . . named to CampusInsiders.com All-Sophomore Team (first team) . . . second-team All-Big Ten selection (coaches and media) . . . also named second-team All-Big Ten by The Associated Press and Athlon Sports and third-team by Phil Steele . . . Academic All-Big Ten honoree . . . named Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week for his role in the win over No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . started at left guard vs. Penn State and graded out on an All-America level; led team with three dominators and had 7.5 knockdowns total against the Nittany Lions . . . did not start, but played a majority of the snaps (53) at left guard and posted a winning grade while collecting six knockdowns at Ohio State as the Spartans rushed for 203 yards in the win over the second-ranked Buckeyes; named one of three Spartan unsung heroes for his role in the victory at Columbus . . . did not start, but played 36 snaps vs. Maryland and was credited with nine knockdowns while posting a winning grade . . . after starting two games (Week 7 vs. Michigan, Week 8 vs. Indiana) at center, filling in for his brother, Jack, returned to left guard in Week 9 vs. Nebraska . . . started at center against Indiana, but played a majority of the game at guard . . . started his first career game at center at Michigan; collected 7.5 knockdowns against the Wolverines . . . also saw extensive action at center against Purdue and Rutgers . . . had nine knockdowns, including six dominators, in the win at Rutgers while playing center and left guard . . . started at left guard, but played a majority of the Purdue game at center due to injuries on the offensive line; collected 10 knockdowns against the Boilermakers in posting a winning grade . . . recorded a season-high 10 knockdowns vs. Central Michigan, including three dominators . . . registered 3.5 knockdowns vs. No. 7 Oregon . . . started at left guard in Week 1 at Western Michigan; had six knockdowns against the Broncos.
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Jack ALLEN
66
OL | 6-2 | 296 | SR.-5 | 3L HINSDALE, ILL. HINSDALE CENTRAL • FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN (AP, CBS SPORTS, SI.COM) • FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES, MEDIA) • TWO-TIME RIMINGTON TROPHY FINALIST (NATION’S TOP CENTER) • BACK-TO-BACK FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN (USA TODAY, 2014) CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is in his fourth season as a starter on the offensive line and is one of the most accomplished offensive linemen in school history . . . tough, tenacious and versatile lineman can play any position on the offensive line . . . has played in 47 career games, including 46 starts (41 at center, five at left guard) . . . has only allowed three career sacks . . . back-to-back first-team All-American (2015: Associated Press, CBS Sports, SI.com; 2014: USA TODAY) . . . is just the third Spartan offensive lineman to earn first-team All-America honors twice (Dave Behrman, 1961-62; Tony Mandarich, 1987-88) and only the 15th player overall in school history . . . also a back-to-back first-team All-Big Ten selection . . . is only the fifth Spartan offensive lineman to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors twice (Ellison Kelly, 1957-58; David Behrman, 1961-62; Joe DeLamielleure, 1971-72, Tony Mandarich, 1987-88) and just the second center (Behrman) . . . two-time Rimington Trophy finalist . . . voted co-captain by his teammates . . . has registered more than 284 career knockdowns . . . one of 22 Spartans in program history to earn Academic All-Big Ten honors four times . . . was one of 135 semifinalists for National Football Foundation 2015 William V. Campbell Trophy (nation’s top scholar-athlete) . . . has accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl . . . named first-team All-American by USA TODAY in 2014, becoming the first Spartan offensive lineman to garner first-team All-America status since Flozell Adams and Scott Shaw in 1997 . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in hospitality business in December 2015. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Named All-American by The Associated Press (first team), CBS Sports (first team), SI.com (first team), Football Writers Association of America (second team), Phil Steele (second team), USA TODAY (second team) and Walter Camp Football Foundation (second team) . . . back-to-back first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media . . . also named first-team All-Big Ten by The Associated Press, Athlon Sports, BTN.com, ESPN.com and Phil Steele . . . named one of three finalists for the Rimington Trophy (nation’s most outstanding center) . . . has started 11 games at center . . . collected 77 knockdowns during the regular season . . . started the first six games at center; missed the Michigan and Indiana games with a lower leg injury he suffered in the Rutgers game in Week 6; returned to the starting lineup in Week 9 vs. Nebraska . . . also played at left tackle vs. Purdue and Rutgers due to injuries along the offensive line . . . helped the Spartans accumulate 174 yards on the ground in the Big Ten Championship Game against the nation’s sixth-ranked rushing defense in No. 4 Iowa in the victory over the Hawkeyes; on MSU’s game-winning, 22-play touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, played multiple positions, including center, tight end and fullback . . . graded out at an All-America level in the win over Penn State on Senior Day in his last appearance at Spartan Stadium; led the team with 10 knockdowns and rushed for a 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter . . . led the Spartans with nine knockdowns at Ohio State as the Spartans rushed for 203 yards and ended the second-ranked Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak . . . credited with six knockdowns and delivered a Big Ten Championship grade vs. Maryland; named Spartan Offensive Player of the Week against the Terrapins . . . graded out at a Big Ten Championship level and led the Spartans with 12 knockdowns, including four dominators, while playing 76 snaps in his return to the starting lineup at Nebraska . . . started at center but also played at left tackle at Rutgers . . . played a game-high 67 snaps and started at center in the Purdue game, but was forced to play left tackle against the Boilermakers following a second quarter season-ending injury to Dennis Finley; produced a winning grade while playing left tackle for the first time in a game during his career . . . named Spartan unsung hero of the game on offense vs. Purdue . . . played a game-high 58 snaps, tallied nine knockdowns, and delivered a winning grade vs. Central Michigan; named Spartan Offensive Player of the Week . . . had eight knockdowns and posted a winning grade in MSU’s win over No. 7 Oregon . . . graded out at a Big Ten Championship level and had eight knockdowns in the season opener at Western Michigan.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Will be starting his fourth bowl game in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic against No. 2 Alabama . . . named to The Associated Press and SI.com All-Bowl Teams after MSU gained 552 total yards and 238 rushing yards – both the second-highest totals in Spartan bowl history – as the Spartans defeated No. 4 Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic, 42-41 . . . also named to the ESPN.com Big Ten All-Bowl Team and BTN.com All-Big Ten Postseason Team . . . named to ESPN. com All-Bowl Team for his role in the win over No. 5 Stanford in the 100th Rose Bowl Game . . . turned in perhaps his top performance of the 2012 season in MSU’s 17-16 victory over TCU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, producing nine knockdowns, including one dominator, and helping spring Le’Veon Bell for 145 yards on 32 carries against the Horned Frogs; TCU entered the game ranked 10th in the NCAA Football Subdivision in rushing defense, allowing just 103.9 yards per game.
ARNETT’S STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS NO. 2011 * 12/1 24 2012 7/0 3 2013 1/0 1 2014 4/0 2 2015 9/2 5 Career 33/3 35 * at Tennessee
YDS. 242 69 7 11 85 450
AVG. 10.1 23.0 7.0 5.5 17.0 12.9
TD 2 0 0 0 2 4
LG 35 48 7 6 25 48
David BEEDLE
YPG 20.2 9.9 7.0 2.3 9.4 13.6
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OL | 6-5 | 316 | FR. | RS CLARKSTON, MICH. CLARKSTON CAREER NOTES: Second-year player is listed as a back-up at left guard . . . made the transition from the defensive line to the offensive line during spring practice . . . redshirted in 2014.
DeAnthony ARNETT
5
WR | 5-11 | 184 | SR.-5 | 2L SAGINAW, MICH. TENNESSEE CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is listed as a back-up at flanker on the depth chart . . . excelled in spring practice and preseason camp to earn a spot in the playing rotation . . . transfer from Tennessee enrolled at Michigan State on Jan. 9, 2012, for the beginning of the spring semester . . . ruled eligible to play in 2012 after the NCAA granted his request for a residence waiver; transferred from Tennessee so he could be closer to his hometown of Saginaw, Michigan, and his father William, who is battling heart and kidney problems. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has five receptions for 85 yards (17.0 avg.) and two touchdowns in nine games of action, including two starts (Air Force, Purdue) . . . had two receptions for 41 yards at Rutgers, including a 25-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter . . . started his first career game as a Spartan against Air Force; had one catch for 8 yards against the Falcons . . . had two catches for 36 yards in the season opener at Western Michigan, including his first touchdown as a Spartan on a 21-yard reception from Connor Cook in the third quarter. ARNETT’S CAREER HIGHS (AT MSU) Receiving Yards: 48, vs. Central Michigan (9/8/12) Receptions: 2, twice (last vs. Rutgers, 10/10/15) TD Catches: 1, twice (last vs. Rutgers, 10/10/15)
2015 SEASON (RED-SHIRT FRESHMAN): Has played in 10 games . . . had five knockdowns during the regular season . . . primarily sees action on special teams, but saw extensive time at left guard midway through the season due to injuries on the offensive line . . . had two knockdowns in just seven snaps vs. Penn State . . . saw action for 41 snaps vs. Indiana . . . played seven snaps at Michigan . . . played 25 snaps at Rutgers and had one dominator . . . was pressed into duty at left guard in Week 5 vs. Purdue, seeing significant time in the second half due to injuries along the offensive line; played 33 snaps against the Boilermakers and had two knockdowns . . . made his collegiate debut in Week 4 vs. Central Michigan.
30 Riley BULLOUGH LB | 6-2 | 230 | JR. | 2L TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. ST. FRANCIS • SECOND-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (MEDIA) • THIRD-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES) CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player is in his first season as the starting Mike linebacker . . . has played in 40 career games, including 13 starts . . . has 127 career tackles, including 11 for losses with 7.5 sacks . . . has four career interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles . . . played a majority of the 2014 season at Sam linebacker, but moved to Mike late in the regular season following an injury to Jon Reschke . . . solidified his position as the starter at Mike with a productive spring season and preseason camp . . . returned to the defensive side of the ball at linebacker in spring practice in 2014 after spending the 2013 season at running back and fullback . . . is a third-generation Spartan, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Hank (guard, 1952-54) and father Shane (linebacker, 1983-86) who played football at Michigan State . . . his grandfather Jim Morse (halfback, 1954-56) played for Coach Terry Brennan at Notre Dame . . . his uncles Chuck Bullough (Michigan State, linebacker, 1988-91), Bobby Morse (Michigan State, running back, 1983-86) and Jim Morse (Notre Dame, cornerback, 1976-77) played college football . . . his brother Max was a four-year letterwinner (2010-13) and three-year starter at middle linebacker for the Spartans; he is currently playing for the Houston Texans . . . his brother Byron is currently a red-shirt freshman linebacker on the Spartan roster.
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SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES BULLOUGH’S STATISTICS (DEFENSE) G/GS UT AT TM TFL 2013 14/0 1 2 3 0-0 2014 13/1 15 14 29 4-17 2015 13/12 42 53 95 7-24 Career 40/13 60 69 127 11-41
2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and thirdteam pick by the media . . . also named second-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . leads team and ranks tied for 17th in the Big Ten with a career-high 95 tackles (7.3 avg.) . . . looking to become the first Spartan to record 100 tackles in a single season since his brother Max had 111 in 2012 . . . led the team with 226 production points during the regular season . . . ranks tied for third on the team in sacks (4.0 for 20 yards) and tackles for loss (7.0 for 24 yards) . . . has two fumble recoveries, tied for second in the Big Ten . . . also has two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two pass break-ups . . . in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa, had five tackles, forced a fumble on Iowa’s first possession, and his hit on Hawkeye tight end George Kittle led to an interception in the end zone in the second quarter . . . racked up 22 production points in the win over Penn State to lead the linebackers; collected seven tackles, broke up a pass, and forced a fumble that led the Demetrious Cox’s 77-yard fumble return for a touchdown . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes for his performance against the Nittany Lions . . . led Spartans with 20 production points and tallied four tackles in win at No. 2 Ohio State as MSU held the Buckeyes to 132 total yards; named Spartan Defensive Attack Force Co-Player of the Week . . . credited with a team-high 30 production points in the win over Maryland; had a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter to give MSU a 14-7 lead, and also had seven tackles (one for loss; half sack) . . . named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week against the Terrapins . . . compiled 16 production points at Nebraska; had five tackles and recorded his third career interception when he picked off a Tommy Armstrong pass in the end zone and ran it back 17 yards midway through the third quarter, halting a Nebraska scoring drive . . . recorded 18 production points at Michigan; tallied seven tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a half sack, against the Wolverines . . . had five stops, three quarterback hurries and forced a fumble in compiling 21 production points vs. Purdue . . . although suspended for the first half vs. Central Michigan (targeting in second half vs. Air Force), still tallied seven tackles and returned a fumble 13 yards in the fourth quarter that led to MSU’s fourth touchdown of the game in the 30-10 victory over the Chippewas . . . recorded a career-high 16 tackles (5 solos, 11 assists) against Air Force and was named the team’s defensive attack force player of the week; recorded a team-high 28 production points against the Falcons . . . named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after tallying 14 tackles (five solos, nine assists) and a pass break-up in the end zone in the win over No. 7 Oregon as MSU held the Ducks to 123 rushing yards, their lowest output since November 2013 . . . also was credited with a quarterback hurry on Oregon’s fourthand-16 play from the MSU 43-yard line with just over a minute left in the game, forcing Vernon Adams to come up short on his pass attempt intended for Bralon Addison . . . totaled a team-high 29 production points against Oregon . . . collected nine tackles and three sacks in the season opener at Western Michigan in his first career start at middle linebacker, compiling 14 production points . . . became the first player since Denicos Allen in 2011 to record three sacks in one game. CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Recorded two tackles, including a half sack (3 yards), in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic victory against No. 4 Baylor . . . had a huge final series against the Bears to help seal the victory, registering a half sack of Bryce Petty, along with teammate Marcus Rush, on second down with seven seconds left, and intercepting a pass on third down with two seconds remaining in the game . . . saw action on special teams in the 100th Rose Bowl Game vs. No. 5 Stanford.
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BULLOUGH’S CAREER HIGHS (DEFENSE) Tackles: 16, vs. Air Force (9/19/15) Tackles for loss: 3, vs. Western Michigan (9/4/15) Sacks: 3, vs. Western Michigan (9/4/15) Interceptions: 1, four times (last vs. Maryland, 11/14/15)
SACKS 0-0 3.5-17 4-20 7.5-37
BULLOUGH’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 7 2 9 3-15 3-15 Oregon 5 9 14 0-0 0-0 Air Force 5 11 16 0.5-1 0-0 Central Michigan 3 4 7 0-0 0-0 Purdue 2 3 5 0-0 0-0 Rutgers 4 0 4 0-0 0-0 Michigan 4 3 7 1.5-3 0.5-2 Indiana 0 5 5 0.5-1 0-0 Nebraska 0 5 5 0-0 0-0 Maryland 3 4 7 1-4 0.5-3 Ohio State 3 1 4 0-0 0-0 Penn State 4 3 7 0-0 0-0 Iowa 2 3 5 0.5-0 0-0 Totals 42 53 95 7-24 4-20
INT 0-0 2-(-1) 2-61 4-60
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-17 1-44 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-61
PBU 0 0 2 2
PBU 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
FR 0-0 1-0 2-13 3-13
FR 0 0 0 1-13 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2-13
FF 0 0 2 2
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2
16 Aaron BURBRIDGE WR | 6-1 | 208 | SR. | 3L FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. HARRISON • BIG TEN RECEIVER OF THE YEAR • FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES, MEDIA) • LEADS BIG TEN IN RECEPTIONS AND RECEIVING YARDS CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year senior is the starting split end for the Spartans . . . has 160 catches for 2,135 yards (13.3 avg.) and 10 touchdowns in 50 career games, including 22 starts . . . ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in receptions (second with 160), 100-yard receiving games (fifth with eight), receiving yards (ninth with 2,135) and TD catches (tied for 20th with 10) . . . one of only two Spartans with 150 career receptions (record-holder is B.J. Cunningham with 218 from 2008-11) . . . also has 141 rushing yards on 19 carries (7.4 avg.) . . . has accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Named the Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year . . . first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media . . . also named first-team AllBig Ten by The Associated Press, Athlon Sports, BTN.com, ESPN.com and Phil Steele . . . SI.com honorable mention All-American . . . leads the Big Ten in receptions (80; 6.2 pg.) and receiving yards (1,219; 93.8 ypg.) . . . also leads team and ranks 10th in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards (1,255; 96.5 ypg.) . . . is just the seventh Spartan to record 1,000 receiving yards in a single-season . . . ranks among MSU’s single-season leaders in receptions (first with 80), receiving yards (fifth with 1,219) and TD catches (tied for 12th with 7) . . . ranks among the FBS leaders in receiving yards (12th with 1,219), receiving yards per game (17th with 93.8 ypg.) and receptions (27th at 6.2 pg.) . . . has seven 100-yard receiving games this season, one shy of the MSU single-season record (B.J. Cunningham, eight, 2011), including a stretch of four straight games (Rutgers, Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska) . . . ranks first on the team with seven TD catches, which is tied for fourth most in the Big Ten . . . has led MSU in receiving in 11 of 13 games this season . . . has 21 receptions of 20-plus yards . . . 59 of his 80 catches have resulted in either a touchdown or first down (74 percent) . . . also leads the team with 286 yards after the catch (YAC) . . . in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa, established a new Michigan State single-season record for receptions with his 80th catch of the year on a third-and-8 play in the fourth quarter that kept MSU’s eventual game-winning touchdown drive alive; the 16-yard grab was his fifth of the game and he finished with a team-high five receptions for 61 yards . . . led team with six catches for 75 yards on Senior Day vs. Penn State, including a 29-yard touchdown reception from Connor Cook in the third quarter in which he eluded several tacklers on his way into the end zone . . . had a game-high four receptions for 62 yards in the win at No. 2 Ohio State . . . tied
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES his career high with 10 catches and established a career high for receiving yards with 164 at Nebraska; also had a 33-yard TD catch in the third quarter . . . his 164 receiving yards were the most ever by a Spartan wide receiver against the Huskers . . . had eight receptions for 128 yards, including an 11-yard TD grab, against Indiana . . . in MSU’s 27-23 win over No. 12 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 17, hauled in nine catches for 132 yards while being matched up against Wolverine senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who was named an All-American by several national media outlets . . . recorded a careerhigh 10 receptions and had 156 receiving yards in the win at Rutgers . . . named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after setting a career high with three touchdown catches in the win over Air Force; had eight receptions overall for 156 yards against the Falcons . . . scored on TD grabs of 28, 32 and 21 yards from Cook . . . his first TD grab was an acrobatic reception in the corner of the end zone that was named one of the top plays of the week by several national media outlets . . . the three TD receptions tied MSU’s single-game record (last player: Cunningham vs. Wisconsin, 2011 Big Ten Championship Game), and it also marked his third straight 100-yard receiving game; he topped the 100-yard receiving mark in the first half alone, with five catches for 112 yards and two TDs . . . became just the fourth player in Spartan history to record 150-plus receiving yards and three TD catches in the same game (Andre Rison, Plaxico Burress, B.J. Cunningham) . . . seven of his eight catches resulted in either a first down or touchdown against the Falcons, including four receptions of 20 yards or more . . . named Spartan Offensive Player of the Week after posting eight catches for 101 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, in the victory over No. 7 Oregon . . . with the score tied at 14 in the third quarter and the Spartans facing a fourth-and-6 from the Oregon 34, caught a 28-yard pass from Cook that set up MSU’s third TD of the game, a lead it kept for good in the win against the Ducks . . . recorded his second career 100-yard receiving game with 117 yards on four catches (29.2 avg.), including a career-long 56-yard reception, in the season opener at Western Michigan; named the Spartan Offensive Player of the Week vs. the Broncos . . . had 43 YAC against WMU. CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Has seven catches for 79 yards in three bowl games . . . caught four passes for 57 yards, including a season-long 39-yard reception, in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic win over No. 4 Baylor . . . played in the 100th Rose Bowl Game against No. 5 Stanford, but did not have a reception . . . had three catches for 22 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown from Cook in the third quarter, in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl victory over TCU.
BURBRIDGE’S CAREER HIGHS Receiving Yards: 164, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Receptions: 10, twice (last vs. Nebraska, 11/7/15) TD Catches: 3, vs. Air Force (9/19/15) Rushing Yards: 35, vs. Minnesota (11/30/13) Carries: 3, vs. Purdue (10/11/14) All-Purpose Yards: 164, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) BURBRIDGE IN THE MSU RECORD BOOK (CAREER) Receptions: 2nd (160) 100-yard receiving games: 5th (8) Receiving Yards: 9th (2,135) BURBRIDGE IN THE MSU RECORD BOOK (SEASON) Receptions: 1st (80) 100-yard receiving games: T-2nd (7) Receiving Yards: 5th (1,219) BURBRIDGE IN THE BIG TEN STATS Receptions: 1st (6.2 pg.; 80) Receiving Yards: 1st (93.8 ypg.; 1,219) TD Catches: T-4th (7) BURBRIDGE’S STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS REC. 2012 11/7 29 2013 13/3 22 2014 13/0 29 2015 13/12 80 Career 50/22 160
YDS. 364 194 358 1,219 2,135
AVG. 12.6 8.8 12.3 15.2 13.3
TD 2 0 1 7 10
LG 38 26 39 56 56
RUSHING 2012 2013 2014 2015 Career
AVG. 4.0 15.5 4.9 6.0 7.4
TD 0 0 0 0 0
LG 4 35 15 13 35
YPG 0.4 4.8 3.2 2.8 2.8
ATT 1 4 8 6 19
YDS. 4 62 39 36 141
YPG 33.1 14.9 27.5 93.8 42.7
BURBRIDGE’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS - RECEIVING 2015 RECEIVING NO. YDS TD LG Western Michigan 4 117 0 56 Oregon 8 101 1 28 Air Force 8 156 3 56 Central Michigan 4 31 0 10 Purdue 1 9 0 9 Rutgers 10 156 0 28 Michigan 9 132 0 28 Indiana 8 128 1 31 Nebraska 10 164 1 33 Maryland 3 27 0 14 Ohio State 4 62 0 36 Penn State 6 75 1 29 Iowa 5 61 0 16 Totals 80 1,219 7 56
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SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
Shilique CALHOUN
89
DE | 6-5 | 250 | SR.-5 | 3L MIDDLETOWN, N.J. MIDDLETOWN NORTH • SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN (AP, CBS SPORTS, FWAA, WALTER CAMP) • FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES, MEDIA) • HENDRICKS AWARD FINALIST (DEFENSIVE END OF THE YEAR) • LOMBARDI AWARD SEMIFINALIST (LINEMAN OF THE YEAR) • BEDNARIK AWARD SEMIFINALIST (DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR) • LOTT IMPACT TROPHY SEMIFINALIST • TWO-TIME TEAM CAPTAIN • THREE-TIME FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN SELECTION • THREE-TIME SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN • 2013 BIG TEN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is in his third season as a starting defensive end . . . one of four players in the Mark Dantonio era to be elected a team captain twice (Greg Jones, Kirk Cousins, Max Bullough) . . . three-time second-team All-American (2013, 2014, 2015) . . . one of only eight Spartans in program history and first defensive lineman to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors three times (2013-15) . . . has 127 career tackles, including 43.5 for losses (267 yards) with 27 sacks (211 yards) . . . dynamic playmaker has appeared in 53 career games, including a team-high 40 consecutive starts (41 starts overall) . . . ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in tackles for loss yardage (first with 267), sacks (second with 27), sack yardage (second with 211), tackles for loss (fourth with 43.5), fumble recoveries (tied for 10th with five) and forced fumbles (tied for 15th with four) . . . ranks second among active NCAA FBS leaders in sacks (27) . . . has blocked two kicks in his career . . . 34 percent of his career tackles have gone for losses (43.5 TFLs/127 tackles) . . . has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week three times in his career (twice in 2015; once in 2013) . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in December 2015 . . . has accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl
46
2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Named second-team All-American (Associated Press, CBS Sports, Football Writers Association of America, Phil Steele, Walter Camp Football Foundation) for the third year in a row . . . also earned honorable mention All-America honors from SI.com . . . first-team All-Big Ten selection (coaches and media) for third straight year . . . Athlon Sports and Phil Steele first-team All-Big Ten selection . . . named one of six finalists for the Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end of the year) . . . semifinalist for Lombardi Award (collegiate lineman of the year), Chuck Bednarik Award (collegiate defensive player of the year) and Lott IMPACT Trophy . . . leads the Spartans in sacks (10.5 for 74 yards), tackles for loss (14.5 for 81 yards) and quarterback hurries (18) . . . also has three pass break-ups . . . his career-high 10.5 sacks (0.81 pg.) are third most in the Big Ten and 14th in the FBS; they also rank seventh most in an MSU single-season . . . his career-high 45 tackles are first among Spartan defensive linemen . . . ranked sixth on the team with 124 production points during the regular season . . . recorded three tackles for loss (17 yards) and two sacks (16 yards) and finished with six tackles overall in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa; also was credited with a forced fumble on his 8-yard sack of C.J. Beathard late in the second quarter . . . tallied 18 production points in his final appearance at Spartan Stadium in the win over Penn State; had two QB hurries, two tackles and broke up a pass that led to Malik McDowell’s 13-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Nittany Lions . . . credited with three tackles in MSU’s 17-14 win at No. 2 Ohio State, as the Spartans ended the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak and limited OSU to 132 yards of total offense . . . named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and the Lott IMPACT Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the 27-23 win at No. 12 Michigan; recorded five tackles, including a career-best 3.5 for losses (11 yards) and two sacks (6 yards), and had 31 production points against the Wolverines . . . the Spartan defense forced Michigan to go three-and-out on six possessions and limited the Wolverines to season lows in total yards (230) and rushing yards (62) . . . wore No. 43 in tribute to injured linebacker Ed Davis in the Michigan game . . . had four tackles, including a half sack (6 yards), and was credited with two QB hurries at Rutgers . . . posted six stops and had three QB hurries vs. Purdue . . . named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after recording a season-high six tackles vs. Central Michigan, including three tackles for loss (three for 24 yards) and a career-high tying 2.5 sacks (24 yards) . . . also was credited with four quarterback hurries, one pass break-up and a
blocked kick against the Chippewas; finished the game with a team-high 37 production points, the most by a Spartan defensive player this season . . . recorded four stops vs. Air Force . . . tallied three tackles, including a 1-yard sack, in the win over No. 7 Oregon . . . recorded a 9-yard sack in the season opener at Western Michigan. CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Has five tackles, including 3.5 for losses (14 yards) and 2.5 sacks (13 yards), in three bowl games . . . recorded two tackles, including 1.5 sacks for 12 yards, and a forced fumble in MSU’s 42-41 come-from-behind win over No. 4 Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic . . . had one tackle against No. 5 Stanford in the 100th Rose Bowl Game . . . led the team with two tackles for loss (2 yards), including a 1-yard sack, in the win over TCU in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. CALHOUN’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 7, vs. Minnesota (11/30/13) Tackles for loss: 3.5, vs. Michigan (10/17/15) Sacks: 2.5, twice (last vs. Central Michigan, 9/26/15) CALHOUN IN THE MSU RECORD BOOK Tackles for loss yardage: 1st (267 yards) Sacks: 2nd (27) Sack yardage: 2nd (211 yards) Tackles for loss: 4th (43.5) Fumble Recoveries: T-10th (5) CALHOUN IN THE BIG TEN STATS Sacks: 3rd (0.81 pg; 10.5) CALHOUN’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2012 13/1 4 2 2013 14/14 20 17 2014 13/13 28 11 2015 13/13 22 23 Career 53/41 74 53
TM 6 37 39 45 127
TFL 2.5-2 14-75 12.5-109 14.5-81 43.5-267
SACKS 1-1 7.5-45 8-91 10.5-74 27-211
INT 0-0 1-56 0-0 0-0 1-56
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
PBU 2 0 0 3 5
FR 0 4-20 1-38 0 5-58
FF 0 2 1 1 4
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES CALHOUN’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 1 0 1 1-9 1-9 Oregon 2 1 3 1-1 1-1 Air Force 1 3 4 0-0 0-0 Central Michigan 3 3 6 3-24 2.5-24 Purdue 2 4 6 0.5-1 0-0 Rutgers 3 1 4 0.5-6 0.5-6 Michigan 3 2 5 3.5-11 2-6 Indiana 1 0 1 1-8 1-8 Nebraska 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 Maryland 1 3 4 0.5-4 0.5-4 Ohio State 0 3 3 0.5-0 0-0 Penn State 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 Iowa 4 2 6 3-17 2.5-16 Totals 22 23 45 14.5-81 10.5-74 MOST SACKS - FBS ACTIVE PLAYERS Rank Player (Years) 1. Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma St. (2013-15) 2. Shilique Calhoun, MSU (2012-15) 3. Bronson Kaufusi, BYU (2012-15)
INT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PBU 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 3
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Sacks 28.0 27.0 26.5
Donavon CLARK
76
OL | 6-4 | 325 | SR.-5 | 3L CINCINNATI, OHIO FINNEYTOWN • THIRD-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES) CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is in his second season as a starter on the offensive line . . . versatile lineman has seen action in 46 career games, including 32 starts (17 at right guard, nine at right tackle, six at left tackle) . . . can play either guard or tackle . . . listed on the depth chart as the starting right guard . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology in December 2015 . . . has accepted an invitation to play in the 2016 EastWest Shrine Game on Jan. 23 in St. Petersburg, Florida). 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has started all 13 games (nine at right guard; four at right tackle) . . . third-team All-Big Ten choice by the coaches; honorable mention by the media . . . also a third-team All-Big Ten pick by Phil Steele . . . started the first two games at right guard, then started four straight games at right tackle before returning to right guard in Week 7 at Michigan . . . collected a team-high 83.5 knockdowns during the regular season . . . has been named Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week twice (vs. Oregon and Purdue) . . . had 6.5 knockdowns and delivered a winning grade on Senior Day against Penn State . . . credited with five knockdowns and graded out a winner in the win at No. 2 Ohio State as MSU rushed for 203 yards on the Buckeyes . . . recorded eight knockdowns at Nebraska . . . posted a winning grade and had a team-high 9.5 knockdowns vs. Indiana . . . started at right tackle for the fourth consecutive game at Rutgers; named the fourth game captain against the Scarlet Knights . . . selected Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week after recording a Big Ten Championship grade in his performance vs. Purdue, including a career-high 11 knockdowns . . . had 7.5 knockdowns against Central Michigan . . . posted six knockdowns vs. Air Force, including three dominators . . . named Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week after playing both guard and tackle on the right side in the win over No. 7 Oregon and grading out at a Big Ten Championship level; recorded six knockdowns against the Ducks . . . led the team with 10 knockdowns, including a team-best five dominators, while grading out at a Big Ten Championship level in the season-opening win at Western Michigan . . . named Spartan unsung hero of the game on offense against the Broncos.
Brandon CLEMONS
64
OG | 6-3 | 302 | SR.-5 | 2L MILFORD, PA. DELAWARE VALLEY SCHOOL CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is listed as a back-up right guard on the depth chart . . . sees regular time in the playing rotation . . . experienced lineman has seen action in 31 career games, including one start . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology in December 2015 . . . will apply for a sixth year of eligibility (missed majority of his redshirt freshman season in 2012 with foot injury). 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has played in 12 games . . . had 16 knockdowns during the regular season . . . played 24 snaps and had 4.5 knockdowns in win at No. 2 Ohio State . . . saw action for 25 snaps vs. Maryland . . . played a season-high 36 snaps at Nebraska and recorded four knockdowns . . . posted a winning grade in the win over Indiana; played 30 snaps against the Hoosiers . . . played 26 snaps at Rutgers . . . saw action for 16 snaps and had two knockdowns vs. Purdue.
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SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
36 Arjen COLQUHOUN CB | 6-1 | 202 | SR.-5 | 3L WINDSOR, ONTARIO W.F. HERMAN SECONDARY CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is listed as a starter at cornerback . . . has 56 tackles and 15 passes defended (three interceptions, 12 pass break-ups) in 39 career games. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has a career-high 39 tackles in 13 games of action, including 10 starts . . . ranks tied for seventh in the Big Ten in pass break-ups (10; 0.8 pg.) and tied for eighth in passes defended (12; 0.9 pg.) . . . leads team with 10 pass break-ups and is tied for team lead with two forced fumbles . . . has two interceptions . . . ranked eighth on the team with 72 production points during the regular season . . . recorded four tackles, recovered a fumble, and broke up a pass in the end zone on third-andgoal in the first quarter to force a field goal in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa . . . named Spartan Co-Defensive Player of the Week vs. Penn State after collecting 15 production points, four tackles, a pass break up and an interception in the end zone in the first quarter against the Nittany Lions . . . broke up a pass late in the fourth quarter at No. 2 Ohio State . . . compiled a career-high 23 production points vs. Maryland; returned an interception 7 yards that led to a field goal in the second quarter, had three tackles, and also broke up a pass . . . tied his career high with two pass break-ups and tallied three tackles at Nebraska . . . had two tackles and forced a fumble vs. Indiana . . . had two tackles and a pass break-up at Michigan . . . broke up a pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter at Rutgers on a pass that was intended for Scarlet Knight receiver Leonte Carroo on third-and-goal, forcing Rutgers to kick a field goal . . . led the Spartan secondary with 15 production points vs. Purdue; had five tackles, including 1.5 for losses (12 yards) and an 11-yard sack, and two pass breakups against the Boilermakers to earn unsung hero of the week honors on defense . . . his pass break-up on fourth-and-9 with 58 seconds remaining in the game sealed the victory for the Spartans over the Boilermakers . . . recorded a career-high seven tackles and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that led to a Spartan touchdown against Central Michigan . . . started his first career game vs. Air Force . . . had five tackles against No. 7 Oregon.
COLQUHOUN’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 7, vs. Central Michigan (9/26/15) Pass break-ups: 2, three times (last vs. Nebraska, 11/7/15) Interceptions: 1, three (last vs. Penn State, 11/28/15) COLQUHOUN’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2012 5/0 0 0 2013 10/0 1 4 2014 11/0 7 5 2015 13/10 26 13 Career 39/10 34 22
TM 0 5 12 39 56
TFL 0-0 0-0 0-0 1.5-12 1.5-12
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-11 1-11
COLQUHOUN’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 Oregon 0 5 5 0-0 0-0 Air Force 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 Central Michigan 7 0 7 0-0 0-0 Purdue 4 1 5 1.5-12 1-11 Rutgers 1 0 1 0-0 0-0 Michigan 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 Indiana 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 Nebraska 3 0 3 0-0 0-0 Maryland 2 1 3 0-0 0-0 Ohio State 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 Penn State 2 2 4 0-0 0-0 Iowa 2 2 4 0-0 0-0 Totals 26 13 39 1.5-12 1-11
INT 0-0 0-0 1-0 2-7 3-7
INT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-7 0 1-0 0-0 2-7
PBU 0 0 2 10 12
PBU 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 1 10
Jack CONKLIN
FR 0 0 0 1 1
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
FF 0 0 0 2 2
FF 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
74
OT | 6-6 | 325 | JR. | 2L PLAINWELL, MICH. PLAINWELL • FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN (SPORTING NEWS, USA TODAY) • FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES, MEDIA) CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player is in his third season as the starting left tackle . . . has seen action in 38 games, including 37 starts (34 at left tackle, three at right tackle) . . . has only allowed four sacks in 38 career games . . . has recorded more than 235 career knockdowns . . . former walk-on was awarded a scholarship in January 2013 . . . spent 2 and 1/2 weeks in Australia (June-July 2015), participating in MSU’s study abroad International Summer Sports Program. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Named All-American by Sporting News (first team), USA TODAY (first team), Associated Press (second team), CBS Sports (second team), Football Writers Association of American (second team), Walter Camp Football Foundation (second team), Phil Steele (third team) and SI.com (honorable mention) . . . is the first Spartan offensive tackle to be named a first-team All-American since Flozell Adams in 1997 . . . first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media; is MSU’s first All-Big Ten First Team offensive tackle since Sean Poole in 2004 . . . also named first-team All-Big Ten by The Associated Press, Athlon Sports, BTN.com, ESPN.com and Phil Steele . . . has played in 11 games this season (missed Purdue and Rutgers games with a leg injury) . . . had 65.5 knockdowns during the regular season . . . graded out as a winner in eight of his 10 regular-season games . . . helped anchor a Spartan offensive line that rushed for 174 yards on No. 4 Iowa – the nation’s sixth-ranked rushing defense – in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . has been named Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week a team-best four times (Western Michigan, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State) . . . had 8.5 knockdowns vs. Penn State as the Nittany Lions were held without a sack for the first time all season . . . named Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week vs. No. 2 Ohio State as the Spartans rushed for 203 yards and ended the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak; graded out a winner and had 1.5 knockdowns
48
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES against OSU . . . selected fourth game captain for Maryland game and had five knockdowns against the Terrapins . . . delivered a winning grade at Nebraska and tallied nine knockdowns, including four dominators . . . named Spartan Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week after posting a winning grade and compiling eight knockdowns vs. Indiana . . . after missing two games, returned to action at Michigan in Week 7 and was named the Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week after recording 7.5 knockdowns and registering a Big Ten Championship grade . . . did not play against Purdue (Week 5) and Rutgers (Week 6) due to a leg injury . . . saw his streak of 27 consecutive starts at left tackle end in Week 5 as he missed the Purdue game due to a leg injury . . . limited to 23 snaps against Central Michigan and was forced to leave midway through the game with a leg injury . . . led team with 7.5 knockdowns vs. Air Force and graded at a winning level against the Falcons . . . led team with 9.5 knockdowns and posting a winning grade in the win over No. 7 Oregon . . . named MSU’s Offensive Lineman of the Week after grading out at a Big Ten Championship level and collecting six knockdowns in the win at Western Michigan . . . named the fourth game captain against the Broncos. CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Will be making his third start in a bowl game at left tackle vs. No. 2 Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal . . . helped limit Baylor All-America defensive end Shawn Oakman to just three tackles as MSU gained 238 rushing yards on the nation’s No. 9 rushing defense in the win over the fourth-ranked Bears in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic . . . started at left tackle in MSU’s win over No. 5 Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl Game.
Connor COOK
18
QB | 6-4 | 220 | SR.-5 | 3L HINCKLEY, OHIO WALSH JESUIT • JOHNNY UNITAS GOLDEN ARM AWARD WINNER • BIG TEN QUARTERBACK OF THE YEAR | FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN • THREE-YEAR STARTER OWNS A 34-4 (.895) CAREER RECORD • SECOND-WINNINGEST ACTIVE QB IN NCAA FBS • MSU’S ALL-TIME WINNINGEST QB • MSU’S ALL-TIME LEADER IN TD PASSES (71) AND TOTAL OFFENSE (9,217 YDS.) • FINISHED TIED FOR NINTH IN HEISMAN TROPHY VOTING • MANNING AWARD FINALIST • CHICAGO TRIBUNE SILVER FOOTBALL FINALIST (BIG TEN’S BEST PLAYER) • DAVEY O’BRIEN AWARD SEMIFINALIST • MAXWELL AWARD SEMIFINALIST CAREER NOTES: Three-year starting quarterback owns a 34-4 career record for the Spartans (23-2 vs. Big Ten opponents; 21-2 Big Ten regular-season games; 2-0 in Big Ten Championship Games; 2-0 bowl games) . . . ranks second among NCAA FBS active quarterbacks in wins (34), one behind Stanford’s Kevin Hogan (35) . . . ranks first among FBS active quarterbacks in winning percentage (.895) with a minimum of 24 starts . . . surpassed Kirk Cousins for the most wins by a Spartan starting QB in school history in the Purdue game in Week 5 (Cousins had a 27-12 record from 2009-11) . . . his 38 career starts are second in MSU history, trailing only Cousins, who made 39 career starts from 2009-11 . . . in 42 career games, has completed 58 percent of his passes (654-of-1131) for 8,984 yards, 71 touchdowns and 20 interceptions . . . ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in touchdown passes (first with 71), total offense (first with 9,217 yards), 300-yard passing games (tied for first with 10), 200-yard passing games (second with 25), passing yards (second with 8,984), passing efficiency (third with 141.7 rating), pass attempts (second with 1,131), pass completions (third with 654), and pass completion percentage (ninth at .578) . . . his school-record 71 TD passes are tied for seventh most in Big Ten history . . . needs 148 yards to become MSU’s all-time leader in passing yards (has 8,984 yards; Cousins with 9,131 yards). . . tied a school record, shared with Cousins and Drew Stanton, by throwing for a touchdown pass in 16 straight games (streak snapped at Maryland on Nov. 15, 2014) . . . among active NCAA FBS quarterbacks, ranks among the leaders in touchdown passes (sixth with 71), passing yards (eighth with 8,984), total offense (ninth at 9,217 total yards), passing yards per game (22nd at 213.9 ypg.) and passing efficiency (31st with 141.7 rating) . . . started a school-record 36 consecutive games at quarterback (streak began on Sept. 7, 2013 vs. South Florida and ended on Nov. 21, 2015 vs. Ohio State) . . . has two winning streaks which rank among the longest by a Spartan starting quarterback in school history (12 from Nov. 15, 2014 to Oct. 24, 2015 is second longest; 11 from Oct. 5, 2013, to Aug. 29, 2014 is third longest; record: Al Dorow, 15 in 1950-51) . . . has led the Spartans to a 5-1 record against AP Top 10 teams and 8-3 vs. AP Top 25 teams . . . has led the Spartans to six fourth-quarterback comeback victories (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl vs. TCU; 2013 vs. Ohio State in Big Ten Championship Game; 2014 Rose Bowl vs. Stanford; 2015 Cotton Bowl vs. Baylor; 2015 vs. Michigan; 2015 vs. Iowa in Big Ten Championship Game) . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection earned his bachelor’s degree in media and information in December 2015 . . . top-ranked player by NFL.com among the top 15 senior prospects for the 2016 NFL Draft. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has completed 57 percent of his passes (210-of-369) for 2,921 yards and 24 touchdowns and five interceptions . . . with 24 TDs in 2015, is just two away from passing Kirk Cousins (25) for the most in a Spartan single-season . . . named recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented annually since 1987 to the nation’s top college quarterback . . . is just the second Big Ten quarterback (Wisconsin’s Scott Tolzien in 2010) to win the Unitas award . . . first Spartan quarterback to win the Greise-Brees Big Ten Quarterback of the Year Award since its inception in 2011, and is also the first Spartan QB be named first-team All-Big Ten since Steve Juday in 1965 and only the fifth ever in school history (Earl Morrall, 1955; James Ninowski, 1957; Dean Look, 1959; Juday, 1965) . . . also named first-team AllBig Ten by The Associated Press, Athlon Sports, BTN.com, ESPN.com and Phil Steele . . . finished tied for ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting, becoming the first Spartan to finish in the Top 10 since Javon Ringer in 2008 (10th); also became just the fourth
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SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
50
Spartan quarterback to finish in the Top 10 and the first since 1965 (Juday, 1965, 6th; Look, 1959, 6th; Morrall, 1955, 4th) . . . SI.com honorable mention All-American . . . Chicago Tribune Silver Football finalist (Big Ten’s best player/one of three) . . . Manning Award finalist . . . semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award and Maxwell Award (college player of the year) . . . Academic All-Big Ten selection for the third year in a row . . . ranks among the Big Ten leaders in touchdown passes (tied for first with 24), passing efficiency (second with 142.2 rating), passing (third with 243.4 ypg.), and total offense (third with 250.1 ypg.) . . . became MSU’s all-time leader in touchdown passes after throwing four in the Nebraska game on Nov. 7; he has 71 overall (Cousins threw 66 from 2008-11), which is tied for seventh in Big Ten history . . . his five interceptions are tied for second fewest by a Big Ten starting quarterback (Iowa’s C.J. Beathard with four) . . . established a school record by throwing for more than 300 yards in four consecutive games (367 vs. Rutgers; 328 vs. Michigan; career-high 398 vs. Indiana; 335 vs. Nebraska), and his 10 300-yard passing games are tied for first in school history, along with Smoker . . . the four 300-yard passing games in 2015 are tied for second most in an MSU single season (record: Smoker with six in 2003) . . . his nine TD passes on third down are tied for seventh most in the FBS . . . in Big Ten games, averaged 270.3 yards per game . . . became the first player in Big Ten history to win the Grange-Griffin Big Ten Championship Game Most Valuable Player Award twice (also won in 2013 vs. Ohio State) as he helped lead the Spartans past No. 4 Iowa, 16-13, to claim MSU’s second Big Ten title in three years; completed 16-of-32 passes for 191 yards against the Hawkeyes, including a key 16-yard strike to Aaron Burbridge on third-and-8 during the game-winning touchdown drive . . . on that same drive, which lasted 22 plays and went 82 yards in 9:04, also rushed 2 yards for a first down on fourth-and-2 from the Iowa 5-yard line with 1:59 remaining that set up LJ Scott’s 1-yard game-winning TD run with 27 seconds left . . . it marked Cook’s sixth fourth-quarter comeback for the Spartans . . . posted his seventh 200-yard passing game of the season and 25th of his career, hitting 19-of-26 throws for 248 yards and three touchdowns against Penn State on Senior Day in his final appearance at Spartan Stadium; completed passes to seven different receivers, including TD strikes of 29 yards to R.J. Shelton, 29 yards to Burbridge and 6 yards to Josiah Price . . . with 243 total yards vs. PSU, set MSU’s career record for total offense (9,018 yards; previous record – 9,004 yards by Cousins, 2008-11); became the school’s all-time leader in total offense with his 16-yard completion to Shelton early in the fourth quarter . . . named Spartan Offensive Player of the Week vs. Penn State . . . had his school-record streak of 36 consecutive starts at quarterback come to an end as he sat out the game at No. 2 Ohio State (shoulder) . . . saw limited action in the first half vs. Maryland due to a shoulder injury and sat out the second half for precautionary reasons; had his 12-game streak with a passing touchdown come to a close and was 6-of-20 passing for 77 yards and one interception . . . tied a career high with four touchdown passes at Nebraska to set a Michigan State career record, passing Cousins . . . completed 23-of-37 passes for 335 yards and one interception along with his four TDs, and set a school record with his fourth straight 300-yard passing game; his 335 passing yards were the most ever by a Spartan QB against Nebraska . . . named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week after setting a school record with 416 yards of total offense and throwing for a career-high 398 yards in Michigan State’s 52-26 win over Indiana . . . also set career highs for pass completions (30) and pass attempts (52) against the Hoosiers and tied his career best with four touchdown passes . . . produced some of the top single-game passing totals in school history against the Hoosiers: completions (tied for sixth with 30), pass attempts (sixth with 52), passing yards (second with 398) and TD passes (tied for second with 4); the 398 passing yards were just two shy of MSU’s single-game record (Bill Burke, 400, vs. Michigan in 1999) . . . his effort against the Hoosiers was also named one of the “Great Eight” performances of the week by the Davey O’Brien Award . . . became just the second Spartan starting quarterback to defeat Michigan three consecutive times (Cousins, 2009-11) in MSU’s 27-23 triumph at Michigan Stadium in Week 7; threw his 60th career touchdown pass with a 30-yard pass to Macgarrett Kings Jr. in the third quarter and completed 18-of39 passes overall for 328 yards, marking his eighth career 300-yard passing game . . . threw for 367 yards – the fifth-highest single-game total in school history – while completing 24-of-39 passes for two touchdowns and one interception in the win at Rutgers; with the scored tied at 24 with 4:16 to play, engineered a 10-play, 76-yard game-winning touchdown drive to give MSU the 31-24 victory; was 2-of-3 passing for 39 yards on the drive, including a 29-yard third-down completion to Shelton . . . his showing against the Scarlet Knights was named one of the “Great 8” performances of the week by the Davey O’Brien Award . . . became the winningest quarterback in school history in the victory over Purdue, surpassing Cousins’ previous record of 27; was 13-of-19 passing for 139 yards and one TD, and also rushed for a career-high 48 yards on five carries (9.6 avg.) against the Boilermakers . . . completed 11-of-19 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown against Central Michigan . . . matched his career high with four touchdown passes and completed 15-of-23 throws for 247 yards against Air Force . . . was 20-of-32 passing for 192 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the victory over No. 7 Oregon . . . named fourth game captain against the Ducks . . . threw two touchdowns and completed 15-of-31 passes for 256 yards in the season opener at Western Michigan.
CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Along with Dan Enos, is one of only two Spartan quarterbacks to win two bowl games as the starting QB (Cook: 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton; Enos: 1989 Aloha, 1990 Sun) . . . also came off the bench to lead the Spartans on a game-winning drive in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against TCU . . . has led the Spartans to three straight fourth-quarter comebacks in bowl games (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings vs. TCU; 2014 Rose vs. No. 5 Stanford; 2015 Cotton vs. No. 4 Baylor) . . . in three postseason bowl appearances, owns MSU career records for passing yards (693) and TD passes (5) . . . has completed 50-of-89 passes for 693 yards and five TDs and three interceptions in three bowl games . . . recorded his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season and sixth of his career, completing 24-of-42 throws for 314 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic win over No. 4 Baylor . . . the 314 passing yards were the fourth-highest single-game total in Cotton Bowl and MSU bowl history . . . the 24 completions (second) and 42 pass attempts (third) rank among the top single-game bowl totals in Spartan history . . . in the fourth quarter, connected on 9-of-15 passes for 179 yards, including scoring strikes of 8 yards to Price and 10 yards to Keith Mumphery, in leading MSU’s 20-point comeback win . . . named 2014 Rose Bowl Game Offensive MVP after completing 22-of-36 throws for a then-career high 332 yards and two TDs in the win over No. 5 Stanford . . . came off the bench to complete 4-of-11 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl victory over TCU; on MSU’s final drive of the game, was 2-of-5 passing for 26 yards while leading the Spartans on an eight-play, 45-yard scoring drive, capped by Dan Conroy’s game-winning 47-yard field goal with 1:01 remaining that put MSU ahead for good in the 17-16 win. COOK’S CAREER HIGHS Pass attempts: 52, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) Pass completions: 30, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) Passing yards: 398, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) Passing TDs: 4, four times (last vs. Nebraska, 11/7/15) COOK IN THE MSU RECORD BOOK (CAREER) Touchdown passes: 1st (71) 300-yard passing games: T-1st (10) Total offense: 1st (9,018 yards) 200-yard passing games: 2nd (25) Passing yards: 2nd (8,984) Passing attempts: 2nd (1,131) Passing efficiency: 3rd (141.7 rating) Completions: 3rd (654) Completion percentage: 9th (.578) COOK IN THE MSU RECORD BOOK (SEASON) Touchdown passes: T-2nd (24) 300-yard passing games: T-2nd (4) Passing yards: 5th (2,921) 200-yard passing games: T-7th (7) Passing attempts: 6th (369) Completions: 10th (210)
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES COOK IN THE BIG TEN STATS Touchdown passes: T-1st (24) Passing efficiency: 2nd (142.2 rating) Passing: 3rd (243.4 ypg.) Total offense: 3rd (250.1 ypg.) COOK’S TOP PASSING PERFORMANCES Yds. Opponent (Comp.-Att.) Date 398* Indiana (30-52) 10/24/15 367^ Rutgers (24-39) 10/10/15 358 Ohio State (25-45) 11/8/14 343 Oregon (29-47) 9/6/14 335 Nebraska (23-37) 11/7/15 332 Indiana (24-32) 10/18/14 332 Stanford (22-36) 1/1/14 328 Michigan (18-39) 10/17/15 314 Baylor (24-42) 1/1/15 304 Ohio State (24-40) 12/7/13 293 Northwestern (16-23) 11/23/13 285 Jacksonville State (12-13) 8/29/14 277 Iowa (25-44) 10/5/13 256 Western Michigan (15-31) 9/4/15 254 Rutgers (16-24) 11/22/14 252 Michigan (18-33) 11/2/2013 248 Penn State (19-26) 11/28/15 247 Air Force (15-23) 9/19/15 240 Maryland (14-31) 11/15/14 238 Purdue (19-37) 10/11/14 235 Indiana (22-31) 10/12/13 234 Nebraska (11-29) 10/4/14 227 Michigan (12-22) 10/25/14 208 Illinois (15-16) 10/26/13 202 Youngstown State (15-22) 9/14/13 * Second most in school history; ^ fifth most in school history COOK’S STATISTICS PASSING G/GS COMP 2012 3/0 9 2013 14/13 223 2014 13/13 212 2015 12/12 210 Career 42/38 654 RUSHING 2012 2013 2014 2015 Career
NO. 4 69 51 45 169
ATT 17 380 365 369 1131
YDS. -3 76 80 80 233
INT 1 6 8 5 20 AVG. -0.8 1.1 1.6 1.8 1.4
TD 0 1 2 0 3
COOK’S STATISTICS - BOWL GAMES PASSING G/GS COMP ATT INT TCU 1/0 4 11 0 Stanford 1/1 22 36 1 Baylor 1/1 24 42 2 Career 3/2 50 89 3
PCT .529 .587 .581 .569 .578
YDS 94 2,755 3,214 2,921 8,984
LG 11 20 13 22 22 PCT .364 .611 .571 .562
YPG 31.3 196.8 247.2 243.4 213.9
TD 1 22 24 24 71
LG 15 87 71 74 87
YPG -1.0 5.4 6.2 6.7 5.5 YDS 47 332 314 693
COOK’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 Opponent COMP ATT INT PCT YDS Western Michigan 15 31 0 .484 256 Oregon 20 32 1 .625 192 Air Force 15 23 0 .652 247 Central Michigan 11 19 0 .579 143 Purdue 13 19 0 .684 139 Rutgers 24 39 1 .615 367 Michigan 18 39 0 .461 328 Indiana 30 52 0 .577 398 Nebraska 23 37 1 .622 335 Maryland 6 20 1 .300 77 Ohio State -DNP-INJUREDPenn State 19 26 0 .731 248 Iowa 16 32 1 .500 191 Totals 210 369 5 .569 2,921
YPG 47.0 332.0 314.0 231.0
TD 2 2 4 1 1 2 1 4 4 0
LG 56 28 32 42 34 29 74 31 34 28
3 0 24
29 22 74
TD 1 2 2 5
LG 15 60 50 60
2014 Opponent Jacksonville State Oregon Eastern Michigan Wyoming Nebraska Purdue Indiana Michigan Ohio State Maryland Rutgers Penn State Baylor Totals
COMP 12 29 5 8 11 19 24 12 25 14 16 13 24 212
ATT 13 47 6 12 29 37 32 22 45 31 24 25 42 365
INT 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 8
PCT .923 .617 .833 .667 .379 .514 .750 .545 .556 .452 .667 .520 .571 .581
YDS 285 343 83 126 234 238 332 227 358 240 254 180 314 3,214
TD 3 2 2 2 1 3 3 1 2 0 2 1 2 24
LG 71 34 23 25 55 39 67 70 44 62 44 31 50 71
2013 Opponent Western Michigan South Florida Youngstown State Notre Dame Iowa Indiana Purdue Illinois Michigan Nebraska Northwestern Minnesota Ohio State Stanford Totals
COMP 6 6 15 16 25 22 13 15 18 15 16 10 24 22 223
ATT 16 11 22 32 44 31 25 16 33 31 23 20 40 36 380
INT 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 6
PCT .375 .545 .682 .500 .568 .710 .520 .938 .545 .484 .696 .500 .600 .611 .587
YDS 42 32 202 135 277 235 107 208 252 193 293 143 304 332 2,755
TD 0 0 4 1 2 2 0 3 1 1 2 1 3 2 22
LG 14 20 26 19 46 39 26 47 49 34 87 24 72 60 87
MOST WINS BY A SPARTAN STARTING QUARTERBACK Rank Player (Starting Years) 1. Connor Cook (2013-15) 2. Kirk Cousins (2009-11) 3. Jeff Smoker (2000-03)
Total Wins 34 (34-4) 27 (27-12) 21 (21-16)
MOST STARTS BY A SPARTAN STARTING QUARTERBACK Rank Player (Starting Years) 1. Kirk Cousins (2009-11) 2. Connor Cook (2013-15) 3. Jeff Smoker (2000-03)
Total Starts 39 (27-12) 38 (34-4) 37 (21-16)
MOST WINS BY NCAA FBS ACTIVE STARTING QUARTERBACKS Rank Player (School) Total Wins 1. Kevin Hogan (Stanford) 35 2. Connor Cook (Michigan State) 34 3. Keenan Reynolds (Navy) 31 4. Joel Stave (Wisconsin) 31 HIGHEST WINNING PCT. BY NCAA FBS ACTIVE STARTING QUARTERBACKS (Minimum: 24 career starts) Rank Player (School) Winning Pct. 1. Connor Cook (Michigan State) .895 (34-4) 2. Kevin Hogan (Stanford) .778 (35-10) 3. Everett Golson (Notre Dame/Florida State) .774 (24-7)
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
51
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
Demetrius COOPER
98
DE | 6-5 | 245 | SO. | 1L CHICAGO, ILL. PERCY L. JULIAN CAREER NOTES: Third-year player is listed as the back-up defensive end, behind Lawrence Thomas . . . has 30 career tackles in 25 games, including 7.5 for losses and 5.0 sacks. 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Has 20 tackles in 12 games of action . . . ranks tied for third on the team in sacks (4.0 for 12 yards) and tied for fifth in tackles for loss (5.5 for 14 yards) . . . ranked ninth on the team with 65 production points during the regular season . . . has three QB hurries and two forced fumbles . . . had two tackles, including a 4-yard sack and a forced fumble on the last series of the game, in the win over No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . compiled 17 production points vs. Maryland; forced and recovered a fumble, and also had three tackles . . . recorded a half sack at Michigan . . . had two stops, including a 2-yard loss, at Rutgers . . . named Spartan Defensive Attack Force Co-Player of the Week after recording a career-high five tackles, including a 2-yard sack, against Central Michigan in his first career start ; had 18 production points vs. CMU and also blocked a field goal . . . had four tackles, including a half sack (2 yards), in the win over No. 7 Oregon; also had 10 production points vs. the Ducks . . . recorded two tackles, including a 2-yard sack, in the season opener at Western Michigan; named Spartan Defensive Attack Force Player of the Week. COOPER’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 5, vs. Central Michigan (9/26/15) Tackles for loss: 1, six times Sacks: 1, four times COOPER’S STATISTICS G/GS UT 2014 13/0 5 2015 12/1 10 Career 25/1 15
AT 5 10 15
TM 10 20 30
TFL 2-14 5.5-14 7.5-28
SACKS 1-9 4-12 5-21
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 1 0 1
FR 1-0 1-0 2-0
Demetrious COX
FF 0 2 2
7
DB | 6-1 | 200 | JR. | 2L JEANNETTE, PA. JEANNETTE • THIRD-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES) CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player is in his first season as a full-time starter . . . listed as a starter at safety, but can also play cornerback . . . has 104 tackles and 11 passes defended (three interceptions, eight pass break-ups) in 40 career games, including 14 starts (nine at cornerback, five at safety) . . . primarily saw action at safety his first three seasons, but started playing cornerback as well in the final four games of the 2014 season . . . solidified his starting role at cornerback with a solid spring season but has moved back to safety in the final three games of the 2015 season. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Third-team All-Big Ten selection by coaches and honorable mention by the media . . . also a third-team All-Big Ten choice by Phil Steele . . . has started all 13 games (eight at cornerback, five at safety) . . . started the first four games at cornerback before starting two games at safety (Purdue, Rutgers) . . . returned to cornerback in Week 7 at Michigan, but then switched back to safety in Week 11 at Ohio
52
State . . . ranks fifth on the team with a career-high 72 tackles . . . ranks second on the team with seven pass break-ups . . . tied for the team lead with three interceptions . . . ranked tied for third on the team with 127 production points during the regular season . . . tallied seven tackles vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game and picked off a pass in the end zone in the second quarter . . . led the Spartan secondary with 20 production points in the win over Penn State; posted seven stops and returned a fumble 77 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Nittany Lions . . . recorded four tackles in victory at No. 2 Ohio State while switching back to a starting role at safety . . . had three tackles and a pass break-up vs. Maryland . . . tallied five tackles, including a 3-yard loss, and had a 14-yard interception return at Nebraska . . . recorded six stops and broke up two passes vs. Indiana; compiled a team-high 16 production points against the Hoosiers . . . matched his career high with eight tackles while starting at cornerback at Michigan . . . tallied a career-high eight tackles, including a 1-yard loss, at Rutgers . . . recorded his first career interception and had three tackles vs. Purdue in his first carer start at safety . . . posted five stops each vs. Central Michigan and Air Force . . . recorded seven tackles and tied a career best with two pass break-ups in victory over No. 7 Oregon . . . collected four tackles and two pass break-ups in the season opener at Western Michigan. COX’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 8, twice (last vs. Michigan, 10/17/15) Tackles for loss: 1, four times Sacks: 1, vs. Ohio State (11/8/14) Pass Break-ups: 2, three times (10/24/15 vs. Indiana) Interceptions: 1, three times (last vs. Iowa, 12/5/15) COX’S STATISTICS G/GS UT 2013 14/0 3 2014 13/1 19 2015 13/13 43 Career 40/14 65
AT 3 7 29 39
TM 6 26 72 104
TFL 0-0 2-20 2-4 4-24
COX’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL Western Michigan 3 1 4 0-0 Oregon 3 4 7 0-0 Air Force 1 4 5 0-0 Central Michigan 3 2 5 0-0 Purdue 2 1 3 0-0 Rutgers 7 1 8 1-1 Michigan 6 2 8 0-0 Indiana 4 2 6 0-0 Nebraska 3 2 5 1-3 Maryland 2 1 3 0-0 Ohio State 2 2 4 0-0 Penn State 4 3 7 0-0 Iowa 3 4 7 0-0 Totals 43 29 72 2-4
SACKS 0-0 1-14 0-0 1-14
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
INT 0-0 0-0 3-14 3-14
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-14 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 3-14
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
PBU 0 1 7 8
PBU 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 7
FR 0 1-0 1-77 2-77
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-77 0 1-77
FF 0 1 0 1
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
99
Kevin CRONIN
State, including two on kickoffs . . . recorded a career-high seven tackles and recovered a fumble in the win over Air Force; had 12 production points against the Falcons. DOWELL’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 7, vs. Air Force (9/19/15) Tackles for loss: 1, vs. Central Michigan (9/26/15) DOWELL’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2015 12/0 9 13
K | 6-1 | 225 | JR. | 1L TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. TRAVERSE CITY WEST
TM 22
CRONIN’S STATISTICS KICKOFFS G NO 2013 1 2 2014 13 99 2015 13 75 Career 27 176
YDS. 125 6,279 4,499 10,903
AVG. 62.5 63.4 60.0 61.9
TB 1 46 22 69
OB 0 2 2 4
84
Felton DAVIS III
WR | 6-4 | 181 | FR. | HS RICHMOND, VA. HIGHLAND SPRINGS
YDS. 22
AVG. 22.0
TD 0
LG 22
Andrew DOWELL
PBU 0
FR 1-2
FF 0
CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player has recorded 34 tackles and three fumble recoveries in 27 games of action. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has appeared in 13 games . . . sees action on special teams and is also listed as a back-up cornerback on the depth chart . . . has 20 tackles, two pass break-ups and two fumble recoveries . . . recovered a fumble on the final play of the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa to seal the win for the Spartans . . . recovered a fumble on a kickoff vs. Penn State that led to a Spartan touchdown in the fourth quarter; named Spartan Special Teams Player of the Week against the Nittany Lions . . . recorded a career-high four tackles and a pass break-up at Nebraska. EDMONDSON’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 4, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Tackles for loss: 1, vs. Rutgers (10/10/15) EDMONDSON’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2013 3/0 3 3 2014 11/0 4 4 2015 13/0 12 8 Career 27/0 19 15
TM 6 8 20 34
TFL 0-0 0-0 1-4 1-4
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 0 2 2
FR 0-0 1-0 2-0 3-0
FF 0 0 0 0
72
Craig EVANS
DT | 6-2 | 318 | FR. | RS SUN PRAIRIE, WIS. SUN PRAIRIE
DAVIS’ CAREER HIGHS Receptions: 1, vs. Iowa (12/5/15) Receiving yards: 22, vs. Iowa (12/5/15) REC. 1
INT 0-0
CB | 6-0 | 182 | JR. | 2L CANTON, OHIO MCKINLEY SENIOR
2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): True freshman has played in six games (Air Force, Central Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa) . . . caught his first career pass (22 yards) in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa on a third-and-15 play in the first quarter that helped set up MSU’s first field goal of the game in the victory over Hawkeyes.
DAVIS’ STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS 2015 6/0
SACKS 0-0
Jermaine 39 EDMONDSON
CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player is in his second season as the starting kickoff specialist . . . is also the back-up placekicker . . . averaging 61.9 yards per kickoff in his career . . . has 69 touchbacks (39 percent; 69-for-176 in touchbacks) . . . averaged 63.4 yards on kickoffs with a Big Ten-best 46 touchbacks as a sophomore in 2014 . . . ranked among the NCAA FBS leaders in kickoffs (third with 99), kickoff yards (third with 6,279), kickoff average (10th at 63.4) and touchbacks (tied for 13th with 46) in 2014. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Averaging 60.0 yards per kickoff . . . has 22 touchbacks (15 in last six games; seven through first seven games) on 75 kickoffs (29 percent) . . . averaged 64.6 yards on five kickoffs, including three touchbacks, in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa . . . had four touchbacks on nine kickoffs vs. Penn State . . . named Spartan Special Teams Co-Player of the Week vs. No. 2 Ohio State after averaging 65.0 yards per kickoff (195 yards on three kickoffs) with three touchbacks . . . averaged 64.8 yards per kickoff (four for 259 yards) with one touchback vs. Maryland; named Spartan Special Teams Co-Player of the Week against the Terrapins . . . had a season-best four touchbacks on nine kickoffs vs. Indiana; averaged 63.0 yards per kickoff (567 yards on nine kickoffs).
TFL 1-2
• BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM (BTN.COM, ESPN.COM)
YPG 3.7
5
LB | 6-0 | 216 | FR. | HS NORTH RIDGEVILLE, OHIO ST. EDWARD 2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): True freshman has played in 12 games, primarily on special teams . . . has collected 22 tackles, including one for a 2-yard loss . . . leads team with 10 tackles on special teams (all on kickoffs) . . . tallied three tackles vs. Penn
2015 SEASON (RED-SHIRT FRESHMAN): Second-year player has 19 tackles, including 3.5 for losses (12 yards) and one sack (5 yards), in 13 games of action . . . emerging playmaker had 11 tackles in the last five games . . . named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by BTN.com and ESPN.com . . . matched his career high with four tackles in win at No. 2 Ohio State . . . credited with a half sack (4 yards) vs. Maryland and had two stops overall . . . recorded career highs in tackles (4) and tackles for loss (1.5 for 5 yards) at Nebraska . . . posted two stops each vs. Rutgers, Central Michigan and Western Michigan. EVANS’ CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 4, twice (last vs. Ohio State, 11/21/15) Tackles for loss: 1.5, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) EVANS’ STATISTICS G/GS UT 2014 3/0 0 2015 13/0 7 Career 16/0 7
AT 1 12 13
TM 1 19 20
TFL 0-0 3.5-12 3.5-12
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
SACKS 0-0 1-5 1-5
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 0 0
FR 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0
53
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
23
Chris FREY
LB | 6-2 | 235 | SO. | 1L UPPER ARLINGTON, OHIO UPPER ARLINGTON CAREER NOTES: Second-year player is listed as the back-up Sam linebacker, behind Jon Reschke . . . has 41 tackles in 26 career games. 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Has a career-high 22 tackles, including five for losses (24 yards) and 2.5 sacks (14 yards), in 13 games . . . ranked 12th on the team with 50 production points during the regular season. . . Academic All-Big Ten selection . . . credited with three stops, including a 3-yard loss, vs. Penn State . . . collected a season-high 20 production points vs. Maryland; had two tackles including a 1-yard sack against the Terrapins . . . recovered a fumble on a kickoff in the fourth quarter vs. Indiana that led to a Spartan touchdown . . . recorded four stops, including a half tackle for loss, and had a QB hurry at Michigan . . . credited with a half sack (6 yards) at Rutgers . . . his only tackle against Air Force came on a fourth-and-goal play in the fourth quarter, as he tripped up Jale Robinette for a 5-yard loss . . . recorded four tackles and 12 production points in the win over No. 7 Oregon; with just over a minute remaining in the game and Oregon facing third-and-6 on the MSU 33 and trailing 31-28, was credited with a half sack along with Lawrence Thomas to help force a fourth-and-16. FREY’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 5, vs. Wyoming (9/27/14) Tackles for loss: 1, four times (last vs. Penn State, 11/28/15) Sacks: 1, twice (last vs. Maryland, 11/14/15) FREY’S STATISTICS G/GS UT 2014 13/0 8 2015 13/0 13 Career 26/0 21
AT 11 9 20
TM 19 22 41
TFL 0-0 5-24 5-24
SACKS 0-0 2.5-14 2.5-14
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 0 0
Michael GEIGER
FR 1-0 1-0 2-0
on a 46-yard field goal at Nebraska . . . scored 10 points in the win over Indiana; made all seven of his PATs and hit a 21-yard field goal . . . was 1-of-2 on field-goal tries and made all four PATs at Rutgers . . . hit three PATs and a 30-yard field goal vs. Purdue . . . connected on a 47-yard field goal vs. Central Michigan; made his first three PATs but had his fourth attempt blocked, ending his school-record streak of 98 made in a row . . . made all five of his PATs vs. Air Force . . . collected seven points (four PATs, 36-yard field goal) vs. No. 7 Oregon . . . scored seven points in the season opener at Western Michigan (four PATs, 21-yard field goal). CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Set a Spartan single-game bowl record with six PATs in the Cotton Bowl Classic victory over No. 4 Baylor, including the game-winning PAT with 17 seconds remaining that put MSU on top, 42-41 . . . accounted for six points, including a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter of the 100th Rose Bowl Game against No. 5 Stanford. GEIGER IN THE MSU RECORD BOOK Consecutive PAT streak: 1st (98) PATs made: 2nd (159) Field-goal percentage: 5th (.719, 41 for 57) Points scored: 5th (282) PAT percentage: 6th (.975) Field goals: 9th (41) GEIGER’S CAREER HIGHS Extra Points Made ......... 10, vs. Eastern Michigan (9/20/14) Extra Points Att. ............. 10, vs. Eastern Michigan (9/20/14) Field Goals Made .......... 4, vs. Iowa (10/5/13) Field Goals Att ............... 5, twice (last vs. Iowa, 12/5/15) Points............................. 14, vs. Iowa (10/5/13) Field Goal ...................... 49, vs. Iowa (10/5/13)
FF 0 0 0
4
K | 5-8 | 186 | JR. | 2L TOLEDO, OHIO OTTAWA HILLS CAREER NOTES: Third-year player is in his third year as the starting placekicker . . . has made 41 of his 57 career field-goal attempts (.719) . . . made a school-record 98 consecutive point-after attempts (streak ran from Nov. 23, 2013 vs. Northwestern to Sept. 26, 2015 vs. Central Michigan) . . . ranks second in MSU history in extra-points made (159), fifth in field-goal percentage (.719) and points (282) and ninth in field goals made (41) . . . set an MSU single-season record as a true freshman by making 93.8 percent of his field-goal attempts (15-of-16), which ranked first in the Big Ten and tied for fourth in the NCAA FBS . . applied engineering sciences major was an Academic All-Big Ten selection for the second year in a row in 2015. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Ranks first on the team in scoring with 87 points (51-for-53 PATs; 12-for-19 FGs) . . . connected on 3-of-5 field-goal attempts (23, 29, season-long 47 yards) and scored 10 points in the win over No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . made 7-of-8 PATs in win over Penn State . . . named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after accounting for five points at Ohio State, including the game-winning 41-yard field goal as time expired, as MSU snapped the second-ranked Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak with a 17-14 victory . . . scored six points vs. Maryland (35-yard field goal; three PATs) . . . made all five of his PATs and connected
54
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES GEIGER’S STATISTICS SCORING PAT (Pct.) 2013 36-38 (.947) 2014 72-72 (1.000) 2015 51-53 (.962) Career 159-163 (.975)
FG (Pct.) 15-16 (.938) 14-22 (.636) 12-19 (.632) 41-57 (.719)
FG BREAKDOWN 2013 2014 2015 Career
30-39 4-5 7-10 4-7 15-22
-20 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
20-29 3-3 4-4 4-5 11-12
PTS 81 114 87 282
40-49 8-8 3-8 4-5 15-21
GEIGER’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 OPPONENT PATs FGs LG Western Michigan 4-4 1-1 21 Oregon 4-4 1-2 36 Air Force 5-5 0-1 Central Michigan 3-4 1-1 47 Purdue 3-3 1-2 30 Rutgers 4-4 1-2 30 Michigan 3-3 0-0 Indiana 7-7 1-1 21 Nebraska 5-5 1-1 46 Maryland 3-3 1-1 35 Ohio State 2-2 1-2 41 Penn State 7-8 0-0 Iowa 1-1 3-5 47 Totals 51-53 12-19 47
50+ 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-2
LG 49 42 47 49 Total 15-16 14-22 12-19 41-57
PTS 7 7 5 6 6 7 3 10 8 6 5 7 10 87
Darien HARRIS
45
LB | 6-0 | 220 | SR.-5 | 3L SILVER SPRING, MD. DEMATHA CATHOLIC • THIRD-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES) CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is in his second season as the starting Star (weakside) linebacker . . . voted a co-captain by his teammates . . . three-year letterwinner has collected 146 tackles, including 11 for losses (26 yards), in 53 career games, including 24 starts . . . ranks among college football’s strongest players (No. 5) in a list compiled by Chase Goodbread of NFL.com; Harris can put up 450 pounds on the bench and 650 on squats . . . graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in May 2015 . . . currently pursuing a second degree in interdisciplinary studies in social science – human capital and society . . . father Alan played running back at Virginia Tech (lettered in 1982, ’84 and ’85). 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has started all 13 games at Star linebacker . . . third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches; honorable mention by the media . . . also a thirdteam All-Big Ten choice by Phil Steele . . . MSU’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award . . . ranks second on the team with a career-high 82 tackles (6.3 avg.) . . . ranks tied for third on the Spartans with a career-best 7.0 tackles for loss (17 yards) . . . ranked tied for third on the team with 127 production points during the regular season . . . led the team with nine tackles, including 1.5 for losses (4 yards), vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . had six tackles and 10 production points in the win at No. 2 Ohio State . . . tallied six stops, including a 5-yard loss, vs. Maryland . . . recorded career-highs in tackles (13), tackles for loss (2.0) and production points (35) at Nebraska . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Indiana after delivering three tackles and a pass break-up . . . collected six tackles and 12 production points at Michigan . . . led team with 11 production points at Rutgers and had two pass break-ups . . . led team for the second game in a row with eight stops, including a 2-yard loss, vs. Purdue; had 15 production points against the Boilermakers . . . led team with eight tackles vs. Central Michigan . . . started, but saw limited action due to an injury vs. Air Force . . . recorded a career-high 12 tackles in the win over No. 7 Oregon and compiled 13 production points . . . tallied eight tackles in the season opener at Western Michigan, including one for a 1-yard loss.
CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Has seven tackles in three bowl games . . . recorded a half tackle for loss (1 yard) in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic win over No. 4 Baylor . . . saw extensive action at middle linebacker in the 100th Rose Bowl Game against fifth-ranked Stanford; collected a then-career high five tackles, including a half tackle for loss, in the win over the Cardinal. HARRIS’ CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 13, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Tackles for loss: 2, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Sacks: 0.5, vs. Jacksonville State, 8/29/14 Interceptions: 1, vs. Purdue, 10/11/1 HARRIS’ STATISTICS G/GS UT 2012 13/0 1 2013 14/0 4 2014 13/11 26 2015 13/13 40 Career 53/24 71
AT 3 8 22 42 75
TM 4 12 48 82 146
TFL 0-0 0.5-0 3.5-9 7-17 11-26
HARRIS’ GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL Western Michigan 7 1 8 1-1 Oregon 5 7 12 0-0 Air Force 0 0 0 0-0 Central Michigan 1 7 8 0.5-1 Purdue 4 4 8 1-2 Rutgers 1 0 1 0-0 Michigan 2 4 6 0-0 Indiana 1 2 3 0-0 Nebraska 10 3 13 2-4 Maryland 1 5 6 1-5 Ohio State 3 3 6 0-0 Penn State 1 1 2 0-0 Iowa 4 5 9 1.5-4 Totals 40 42 82 7-17
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0.5-4 0-0 0.5-4
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
INT 0-0 0-0 1-15 0-0 1-15
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 0 1 3 4
PBU 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
FR 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FF 0 0 2 0 2
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
55
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
25 Jake HARTBARGER P | 6-4 | 210 | FR. | RS WATERVILLE, OHIO ANTHONY WAYNE • SECOND-TEAM FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN (CAMPUS INSIDERS) • BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM (BTN.COM, ESPN.COM) 2015 SEASON (RED-SHIRT FRESHMAN): Second-year player is in his first season as the starting punter, replacing four-year starter Mike Sadler . . . is just the third starting punter in the Mark Dantonio era (Aaron Bates: 2007-10; Mike Sadler: 2011-14) . . . ranks fourth in the Big Ten in punting (42.1 avg.) . . . named second-team Freshman All-American by CampusInsiders.com . . . named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by BTN.com and ESPN.com . . . Academic All-Big Ten selection . . . has 15 punts of 50-plus yards . . . has placed 20 of his 48 punts (.417) inside the 20 and nine inside the 10 (.188) . . . dropped two of his four punts inside the 20 and had a season-long 61-yarder vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . named Spartan Special Teams Co-Player of the Week for his performance in the win at No. 2 Ohio State; placed three of his five punts inside the 20, including a 51-yarder that pinned the Buckeyes on their own 7-yard line with 5:49 left in the fourth quarter, setting up MSU’s game-winning field goal drive . . . set career highs for punts (7), punting yards (297) and punts inside the 20 (4) against Maryland; averaged 42.4 yards on seven punts against the Terrapins . . . named Spartan Special Teams Co-Player of the Week vs. Maryland . . . booted a 60-yard punt and also placed one at the Husker 9-yard line with under a minute to play in the game at Nebraska; averaged 45.0 yards on three punts (135 yards) . . . averaged 42.5 yards per punt (four for 170 yards) vs. Indiana, including a 56-yarder and one inside the 10 . . . put two of his five punts inside the 20, including one the Purdue 4, and had a 52-yard punt against the Boilermakers . . . placed two of his three punts inside the 20 vs. Central Michigan . . . booted two of his three punts 50-plus yards and placed one inside the 10 vs. Air Force . . . named Spartan Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 51.4 yards on five punts (257 yards), including four of 50-plus yards and one inside the 20, vs. No. 7 Oregon . . . averaged 47.2 yards per punt (seven punts for 443 yards) in his collegiate debut at Western Michigan, including two inside the 20 and two of 50-plus yards . . . named Spartan Special Teams Player of the Week against the Broncos. HARTBARGER’S CAREER HIGHS Punts: 7, vs. Maryland (11/14/15) Punting Yards: 297, vs. Maryland (11/14/15) Punting Avg. (Min. 4): 51.4, vs. Oregon (9/12/15) Punts Inside 20: 4, vs. Maryland (11/14/15) Longest Punt: 60, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) HARTBARGER’S STATISTICS PUNTING G NO. YDS. 2015 13 48 2023
AVG. 42.1
HARTBARGER’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 PUNTING NO. YDS AVG LG Western Michigan 4 189 47.2 55 Oregon 5 257 51.4 55 Air Force 3 133 44.3 52 Central Michigan 3 119 39.7 46 Purdue 5 207 41.4 52 Rutgers 2 35 17.5 24 Michigan 1 33 33.0 33 Indiana 4 170 42.5 56 Nebraska 3 135 45.0 60 Maryland 7 297 42.4 56 Ohio State 5 202 40.4 51 Penn State 2 83 41.5 44 Iowa 4 163 40.8 61 Totals 48 2023 42.1 61
56
LG 61
I20 20
I20 2 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 4 3 1 2 20
I10 9
I10 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 9
50+ 2 4 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 15
+50 15
Joel HEATH
92
DL | 6-6 | 293 | SR.-5 | 2L CINCINNATI, OHIO MOUNT HEALTHY • HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG TEN (MEDIA) CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior and two-year letterwinner has seen action in 38 career games, including 23 starts . . . is in his second season as a starter on the defensive line . . . listed as the starter at defensive tackle on the depth chart . . . has 58 career tackles, including 10.5 for losses and 4.5 sacks . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in social science in December 2015. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has started 11 games at defensive tackle . . . missed the Central Michigan (Week 4) and Maryland (Week 10) games due to an injury . . . has 29 tackles, including 5.5 for losses (26 yards) and two sacks (11 yards) . . . ranked 11th on the team with 52 production points during the regular season . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten (media) . . . had two tackles and was credited with a half tackle for loss vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . posted four stops, including an 8-yard sack, vs. Indiana; named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week against the Hoosiers . . . recorded four tackles, including a 3-yard loss, and broke up a pass at Michigan . . . had two tackles and recovered a fumble that led to a Spartan touchdown in the Purdue game; compiled 11 production points against the Boilermakers . . . did not play vs. Central Michigan (injured) . . . posted five stops, including a 1-yard loss, against Air Force . . . tallied a career-high six tackles, including a 10-yard loss, and also forced a fumble in the win over seventh-ranked Oregon; collected 13 production points against the Ducks . . . recorded three tackles, including a 3-yard sack, in the season opener at Western Michigan. CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Had a productive game in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic win over No. 4 Baylor, tallying three stops; credited with a half sack (6 yards) of Bear QB Bryce Petty, along with teammate Shilique Calhoun, in the third quarter, and also split a tackle for loss (1 yard) with Darien Harris on a rush in the first quarter. HEATH’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 6, vs. Oregon (9/12/15) Tackles for loss: 2, vs. Rutgers (11/22/14) Sacks: 1, three times (last vs. Indiana, 10/24/15)
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has a career-best 30 tackles and three pass break-ups in 10 games of action, including five starts (Purdue, Rutgers, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa) . . . missed three games due to injury (Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska) . . . returned to action vs. Maryland in Week 10 for the first time since Week 6 at Rutgers and recorded four tackles and a pass break-up against the Terrapins . . . returned to the starting lineup in Week 11 at Ohio State . . . recorded a career-high nine tackles and was named Spartan Co-Defensive Player of the Week vs. Penn State in the regular-season finale . . . played in a reserve role the first four games before returning to the starting lineup in Week 5 vs. Purdue; tallied four tackles and had a pass break-up against the Boilermakers . . . suffered an injury at Rutgers in Week 6 and had to leave the game. HICKS’ CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 9, vs. Penn State (11/28/15) Tackles for loss: 1, vs. Indiana (10/18/14) Pass break-ups: 2, vs. Michigan (10/25/14) Interceptions: 1, twice (last vs. Maryland, 11/15/14) HICKS’ STATISTICS G/GS UT 2013 14/0 2 2014 13/10 19 2015 10/5 16 Career 37/15 37
HEATH’S STATISTICS G/GS UT 2012 5/0 0 2013 9/0 0 2014 13/12 11 2015 11/11 12 Career 38/23 23
AT 0 0 18 17 35
TM 0 0 29 29 58
TFL 0-0 0-0 5-22 5.5-26 10.5-48
SACKS 0-0 0-0 2.5-19 2-11 4.5-30
HEATH’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 2 1 3 1-3 1-3 Oregon 1 5 6 1-10 0-0 Air Force 2 3 5 1-1 0-0 Central Michigan -DNP-INJUREDPurdue 0 2 2 0-0 0-0 Rutgers 1 0 1 0-0 0-0 Michigan 2 2 4 1-3 0-0 Indiana 2 2 4 1-8 1-8 Nebraska 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 Maryland -DNP-INJUREDOhio State 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 Penn State 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 Iowa 1 1 2 0.5-1 0-0 Totals 12 17 29 5.5-26 2-11
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 1 0 1 2
FR 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
FF 0 0 0 1 1
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 0 0
FR 0 0 0
FF 0 1 0
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
0 0 1 0 0
1-0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1-0
0 0 0 1
Darian HICKS
AT 0 9 14 23
TM 2 28 30 60
TFL 0-0 1-3 0.5-1 1.5-4
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
HICKS’ GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 Oregon 0 2 2 0-0 0-0 Air Force 0 2 2 0.5-1 0-0 Central Michigan 0 2 2 0-0 0-0 Purdue 3 1 4 0-0 0-0 Rutgers 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 Michigan -DNP-INJUREDIndiana -DNP-INJUREDNebraska -DNP-INJUREDMaryland 2 2 4 0-0 0-0 Ohio State 2 0 2 0-0 0-0 Penn State 7 2 9 0-0 0-0 Iowa 0 2 2 0-0 0-0 Totals 16 14 30 0.5-1 0-0
INT 0-0 2-0 0-0 2-0
PBU 0 3 3 6
FR 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
FF 0 0 0 0
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 0 0 1 1 0
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
1 0 0 0 3
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
2
CB | 5-10 | 180 | JR. | 2L SOLON, OHIO SOLON CAREER NOTES: Two-year letterwinner . . . listed as a starter at cornerback on the depth chart . . . was limited during preseason camp due to mononucleosis . . . has 60 tackles, two interceptions and six pass break-ups in 37 career games, including 15 starts.
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
57
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
24
Gerald HOLMES
RB | 6-0 | 216 | SO. | SQ FLINT, MICH. CARMAN-AINSWORTH CAREER NOTES: Third-year player receives his share of carries at tailback . . . has 123 carries for 578 yards (4.7 avg.) and eight rushing touchdowns in 15 career games. 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Has played in 12 games, including six consecutive starts (Indiana, Nebraska, Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa) . . . ranks second on the team in rushing (534 yards; 44.5 ypg.; 4.9 avg.) and rushing TDs (8), and third with 108 carries . . . also has eight receptions for 82 yards (10.2 avg.) . . . also has four tackles on special teams . . . five of his eight rushing TDs have come in the fourth quarter . . . since being inserted into the starting lineup in Week 8, leads the team in rushing yards (381), carries (79) and touchdowns (5) . . . led team in rushing during Big Ten games with 438 yards on 89 carries (54.8 ypg.; 4.9 avg.) . . . started his sixth game in a row and had three carries for 13 yards vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . paced the Spartan ground attack for the fourth game in a row with 64 yards on 12 carries (5.3 avg.) vs. Penn State, including a 6-yard TD run in the second quarter; had 100 all-purpose yards against the Nittany Lions, as he also had three receptions for 36 yards . . . led the Spartans in rushing with 65 yards on 14 carries, including a 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, in the 17-14 win at No. 2 Ohio State . . . gained 83 yards on 18 carries vs. Maryland; had a 3-yard TD run behind right guard with 7:20 left in the third quarter . . . posted career highs in rushing yards (117) and carries (22) at Nebraska; scored on a 1-yard TD run with 4:16 left in the fourth quarter . . . had 39 rushing yards on 10 attempts vs. Indiana, including a 22-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, in his first career start . . . led team with 33 rushing yards on eight carries at Michigan . . . averaged 7.4 yards per carry at Rutgers (five carries for 37 yards), including a 30-yarder in the second quarter . . . had four carries for 22 yards, including scores from 3 and 6 yards out, all in the fourth quarter vs. Central Michigan; also had a 17-yard reception against the Chippewas . . . named Spartan unsung hero of the week (offense) for his role in the win over CMU . . . had three carries for 7 yards vs. Air Force . . . did not see action vs. No. 7 Oregon . . . rushed for 54 yards on nine carries (6.0 avg.), including a 20-yard gain and also an 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, in the season opener at Western Michigan.
HOLMES’ GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 RUSHING ATT YDS TD Western Michigan 9 54 1 Oregon -DNPAir Force 3 7 0 Central Michigan 4 22 2 Purdue 0 0 0 Rutgers 5 37 0 Michigan 8 33 0 Indiana 10 39 1 Nebraska 22 117 1 Maryland 18 83 1 Ohio State 14 65 1 Penn State 12 64 1 Iowa 3 13 0 Totals 108 534 8
HOLMES’ CAREER HIGHS Carries: 22, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Rushing Yards: 117, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Rushing Touchdowns: 2, vs. Central Michigan (9/26/15) Receptions: 3, vs. Penn State (11/28/15) Receiving Yards: 36, vs. Penn State (11/28/15)
5 11 0 30 7 22 43 14 14 10 10 43
85
Evan JONES
HOLMES’ STATISTICS RUSHING G/GS 2014 3/0 2015 12/6 Career 15/6
ATT 15 108 123
YDS. 44 534 578
AVG. 2.9 4.9 4.7
TD 0 8 8
LG 8 43 43
RECEIVING 2014 2015 Career
YDS. 0 82 82
AVG. 0.0 10.2 10.2
TD 0 0 0
LG 0 24 24
YPG 0.0 6.8 5.5
REC. 0 8 8
LG 20
DE | 6-5 | 248 | JR. | 1L WEST LAFAYETTE, OHIO RIDGEWOOD
YPG 14.7 44.5 38.5
CAREER NOTES: Third-year player is listed as a back-up defensive end on the depth chart, behind Lawrence Thomas. . . has eight tackles in 25 career games. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has seven tackles in 13 games of action . . . tallied two stops vs. Penn State, including a half tackle for loss . . . had a career-high three tackles vs. Air Force. JONES’ CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 3, vs. Air Force (9/19/15) Tackles for loss: 0.5, vs. Penn State (11/28/15) JONES’ STATISTICS G/GS UT 2014 12/0 0 2015 13/0 2 Career 25/0 2
58
AT 1 5 6
TM 1 7 8
TFL 0-0 0.5-0 0.5-0
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
PBU 0 0 0
FR 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
49
Shane JONES
LB | 6-1 | 234 | SO. | 1L CINCINNATI, OHIO ARCHBISHOP MOELLER CAREER NOTES: Third-year player is listed as a back-up Mike linebacker on the depth chart . . . has 27 tackles in 20 career games. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has 23 tackles, including 1.5 for losses, in 12 games of action . . . ranks second on the team with nine tackles on special teams (seven kickoff; two punt) . . . tied for team lead with two forced fumbles . . . tied his career high with five tackles vs. Indiana; also forced a fumble and registered a quarterback hurry against the Hoosiers in compiling eight production points . . . started at middle linebacker vs. Central Michigan in place of Riley Bullough, who had to sit out the first half due to targeting; recorded a career-high five tackles, including a 1-yard loss, against the Chippewas . . . forced a fumble and had four stops against Air Force. JONES’ CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 5, twice (last vs. Indiana, 10/24/15) Tackles for loss: 1, vs. Air Force (9/19/15) JONES’ STATISTICS G/GS UT 2014 8/0 2 2015 12/1 12 Career 20/1 14
AT 2 11 13
TM 4 23 27
TFL 0-0 1.5-2 1.5-2
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0
Kodi KIELER
PBU 0 0 0
FR 0 0 0
FF 0 2 2
79
OL | 6-6 | 315 | JR. | 2L ROCKWOOD, MICH. CARLSON CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player and two-year letterwinner is in his second season as a starter on the offensive line as the right tackle . . . has seen action in 37 career games, including 18 starts (17 at right tackle, one at left tackle). 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Listed as the starter at right tackle . . . has started 10 games on the offensive line (nine at right tackle, one at left tackle) . . . had 45.5 knockdowns in nine regular-season games . . . started the first two games at right tackle but suffered a knee injury in the first half of the Oregon game and missed the next three games (Air Force, Central Michigan, Purdue) . . . returned to action in Week 6 against Rutgers at left tackle . . . assumed his regular starting role at right tackle at Michigan in Week 7 . . . credited with eight knockdowns and posted a Big Ten Championship grade vs. Penn State as MSU held the Nittany Lions without a sack for the first time all season . . . named Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week after grading out at a Big Ten Championship level with five knockdowns vs. Maryland . . . posted a winning grade and had four knockdowns at Nebraska . . . named Spartan Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week vs. Indiana in Week 8; graded out as a winner and had 7.5 knockdowns against the Hoosiers . . . compiled eight knockdowns and played 70 snaps against the Wolverines . . . returned to action in Week 6 at Rutgers, starting his first career game at left tackle; played 55 snaps against the Scarlet Knights and was credited with six knockdowns . . . had five knockdowns in the season opener at Western Michigan.
Macgarrett KINGS JR.
85
WR | 5-10 | 192 | SR. | 3L FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. UNIVERSITY SCHOOL CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year senior is listed as the starting flanker on the depth chart . . . has 114 catches for 1,434 yards (12.6 avg.) and nine touchdowns in 47 career games, including 13 starts . . . has been a regular in the playing rotation at flanker and also has been the team’s starting punt returner the last two seasons; ranks tied for ninth in MSU history with 48 punt returns and 15th with 352 punt return yards (7.3 avg.) . . . also has 93 rushing yards on 20 carries (4.7 avg.) . . . ranks third among active Spartans with 1,895 all-purpose yards (40.3 ypg.). 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Ranks second on the team in receiving yards (492; 12.9 avg.; 41.0 ypg.) and third with 38 catches and five touchdowns in 12 games, including nine starts . . . has eight receptions of 20-plus yards . . . 24 of his 38 catches have resulted in either a touchdown or first down (63 percent) . . . hauled in four catches for 30 yards in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa . . . had four receptions for 48 yards vs. Maryland, including a 10-yard TD pass from Tyler O’Connor in the first quarter; also had 12 rushing yards on two carries . . . his diving one-handed 28-yard grab from Connor Cook in the second quarter against the Terrapins was named the No. 1 play of the week by ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach . . . notched his first career multiple TD game at Nebraska with catches of 34 yards and 18 yards from Connor Cook in the second quarter; collected a career-high 97 receiving yards on four catches overall against the Huskers . . . had 106 all-purpose yards vs. Nebraska (97 receiving; 9 punt return) . . . established a career high with seven receptions for 69 yards vs. Indiana . . . hauled in three catches for 57 yards, including a 30-yard TD reception in the third quarter, in the victory at No. 12 Michigan . . . had four receptions for 58 yards, including an 8-yard TD catch, at Rutgers . . . did not play vs. Purdue (injured) . . . had a season-long 42-yard reception vs. Central Michigan; finished with two catches for 46 yards against the Chippewas . . . had with six receptions for 48 yards in the win over No. 7 Oregon; surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving milestone for his career against the Ducks . . . had two catches for 27 yards in the season opener at Western Michigan.
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
59
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES KINGS’ GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 RECEIVING NO. YDS TD Western Michigan 2 27 0 Oregon 6 48 0 Air Force 0 0 0 Central Michigan 2 46 0 Purdue -DNP-INJUREDRutgers 4 58 1 Michigan 3 57 1 Indiana 7 69 0 Nebraska 4 97 2 Maryland 4 48 1 Ohio State 1 8 0 Penn State 1 4 0 Iowa 4 30 0 Totals 38 492 5
LG 20 12 0 42 20 30 28 34 28 8 4 18 42
93
Damon KNOX CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Has seven catches for 71 yards (10.1 avg.) in two bowl games (did not play in 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl as a freshman) . . . hauled in three receptions for 19 yards and had one carry for 4 yards in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic vs. No. 4 Baylor . . . totaled 80 all-purpose yards against No. 5 Stanford in the 100th Rose Bowl Game, including four receptions for 52 yards and 21 punt return yards; had a 19-yard punt return to the Cardinal 27-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter that helped set up MSU’s game-winning touchdown in the 24-20 win. KINGS’ CAREER HIGHS Catches: 7, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) Receiving Yards: 97, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) TD Catches: 2, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Punt Return Yards: 54, vs. Eastern Michigan (9/20/14) Punt Return: 43, vs. Eastern Michigan (9/20/14) All-Purpose Yards: 147, vs. Iowa (10/5/13) NO. 4 43 29 38 114
YDS. 25 513 404 492 1,434
AVG. 6.2 11.9 13.9 12.9 12.6
TD 0 3 1 5 9
LG 10 48 50 42 50
RUSHING 2012 2013 2014 2015 Career
YDS. 1 6 71 15 93
AVG. 1.0 2.0 5.9 3.8 4.7
TD 0 0 0 0 0
LG 1 7 23 6 23
YPG 0.1 0.4 5.5 1.5 2.1
ATT 20 20 8 48
YDS. 206 122 24 352
AVG. 10.3 6.1 3.0 7.3
TD 0 0 0 0
LG 30 43 17 43
PUNT RETURNS 2013 2014 2015 Career
60
CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior and two-year letterwinner is listed as the back-up nose tackle on the depth chart, behind Malik McDowell . . . has played in 37 career games, including three starts . . . has 40 career tackles, including 4.0 for losses and 1.5 sacks . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in December 2015. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has played in all 13 games . . . has 13 tackles, including 1.5 for losses . . . filling in for the injured Joel Heath, started his first game of the season vs. Maryland; had two tackles, including a half tackle for loss, recovered a fumble and was credited with a QB hurry to collect nine production points against the Terrapins . . . made a season-high three tackles at Nebraska . . . named Spartan Defensive Attack Force Co-Player of the Week vs. Central Michigan; had a half sack (5 yards) against the Chippewas.
KINGS’ STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS 2012 8/0 2013 14/3 2014 13/1 2015 12/9 Career 47/13 ATT 1 3 12 4 20
DL | 6-5 | 276 | SR.-5 | 2L MUSKEGON, MICH. MUSKEGON
YPG 3.1 36.6 31.1 41.0 30.5
KNOX’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 4, vs. Minnesota (11/30/13) Tackles for loss: 1, twice (last vs. Nebraska, 11/16/13) Sacks: 1, vs. Purdue (10/19/13) Pass Break-ups: 1, vs. Youngstown State (9/14/13) KNOX’S STATISTICS G/GS UT 2012 2/0 0 2013 14/2 9 2014 8/0 0 2015 13/1 5 Career 37/3 14
AT 2 13 3 8 26
TM 2 22 3 13 40
TFL 0-0 2.5-15 0-0 1.5-6 4-21
SACKS 0-0 1-7 0-0 0.5-5 1.5-12
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
PBU 0 1 0 0 1
FR 0 0 0 1 1
FF 0 0 0 0 0
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
83
Paul LANG
TE | 6-5 | 260 | SR.-5 | 3L PITTSBURGH, PA. MOUNT LEBANON CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior and three-year letterwinner has seen action in 49 games, including 15 starts . . . has 14 career catches for 119 yards (8.5 avg.) . . . primarily used as a blocking tight end . . . one of 22 Spartans in program history to earn Academic All-Big Ten honors four times . . . spent 2 and 1/2 weeks in Australia (JuneJuly 2015), participating in MSU’s study abroad International Summer Sports Program . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in economics in December 2015. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has played in all 13 games, including nine starts . . . has a career-high 10 receptions for 112 yards (11.2 avg.) . . . had a 17-yard reception in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa . . . chosen as the fourth game captain vs. Penn State and was named one of three Spartan unsung heroes in the game . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Maryland . . . posted career highs for receptions (3) and receiving yards (35) in win over Indiana; had a career-long 21-yard grab vs. IU . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game against the Hoosiers . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Michigan . . . caught two passes for 34 yards, including a 20-yard reception, at Rutgers . . . had two receptions for 14 yards vs. Purdue . . . caught one pass for 9 yards and was named Spartan Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week for his role in the win over the Central Michigan . . . also named fourth game captain against the Chippewas . . . had a 3-yard reception vs. No. 7 Oregon; named Spartan unsung hero on offense against the Ducks.
LONDON’S CAREER HIGHS Carries: 18, vs. Oregon (9/12/15) Rushing Yards: 103, vs. Oregon (9/12/15) Rushing Touchdowns: 2, vs. Western Michigan (9/4/15) LONDON’S STATISTICS RUSHING G/GS ATT 2015 10/6 114
YDS. 489
AVG. 4.3
LONDON’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 RUSHING ATT YDS TD Western Michigan 13 59 2 Oregon 18 103 0 Air Force 17 40 0 Central Michigan 15 73 1 Purdue 17 97 0 Rutgers 15 27 0 Michigan -DNP-INJUREDIndiana -DNP-INJUREDNebraska -DNP-INJUREDMaryland 4 6 0 Ohio State 2 4 0 Penn State 1 20 0 Iowa 12 60 0 Totals 114 489 3
TD 3
LG 62
YPG 48.9
LG 24 62 11 12 18 8
4 3 20 12 62
LANG’S CAREER HIGHS Catches: 3, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) Receiving Yards: 35, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) TD Catches: 1, vs. Michigan (10/20/12) LANG’S STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS 2012 10/2 2013 13/0 2014 13/4 2015 13/9 Career 49/15
REC. 3 0 1 10 14
YDS. 8 0 -1 112 119
AVG. 2.7 0.0 -1.0 11.2 8.5
TD 1 0 0 0 1
LG 4 0 0 21 21
Madre LONDON
YPG 0.8 0.0 -0.1 8.6 2.4
28
RB | 6-1 | 216 | FR. | RS FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 2015 SEASON (RED-SHIRT FRESHMAN): Second-year player has seen action in 10 games . . . started the first six games at tailback, but missed three games (Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska) due to a lower leg injury; returned to action in Week 10 vs. Maryland . . . ranks third on the team in rushing (489 yards; 48.9 ypg.; 4.3 avg.) and rushing TDs (3) . . . ranks second on the team in carries (114) . . . rushed 12 times for 60 yards (5.0 avg.) in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa . . . was forced to leave the Rutgers game in Week 6 in the second half due to a lower leg injury; had 15 carries for 27 yards against the Scarlet Knights . . . rushed for 97 yards on 17 carries (5.7 avg.) vs. Purdue . . . led the team with 73 yards rushing on 15 carries, including a 6-yard TD run, vs. Central Michigan . . . recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game with 103 yards on 18 attempts (5.7 avg.) in the victory against No. 7 Oregon; on MSU’s first play from scrimmage, busted loose for a career-long 62-yard run that set up the first TD of the game for the Spartans . . . rushed for 59 yards on 13 carries (4.5 avg.) and two touchdowns (24 yards, 7 yards) in his collegiate debut at Western Michigan.
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
61
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
11
Jamal LYLES
TE | 6-3 | 263 | JR. | 2L SOUTHFIELD, MICH. SOUTHFIELD-LATHRUP CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player and two-year letterwinner has 18 catches for 265 yards (14.7 avg.) in 40 career games, including six starts . . . moved from defensive end to tight end at the beginning of the 2013 season. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has played in all 13 games, including five starts (Central Michigan, Rutgers, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa) . . . has a career-high eight receptions for 133 yards (16.6 avg.) . . . had an 18-yard reception vs. Penn State . . . caught a 16-yard pass at Nebraska . . . had a 23-yard reception at Rutgers . . . earned the start vs. Central Michigan and had a career-long 26-yard catch; also named Spartan CoOffensive Lineman of the Week vs. CMU . . . had an 18-yard reception vs. No. 7 Oregon. LYLES’ CAREER HIGHS Catches: 2, three times (last vs. Purdue, 10/3/15) Receiving Yards: 36, vs. Purdue (10/11/14) LYLES’ STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS 2013 14/0 2014 13/1 2015 13/5 Career 40/6
REC. 5 5 8 18
YDS. 58 74 133 265
AVG. 11.6 14.8 16.6 14.7
TD 0 0 0 0
LG 18 21 26 26
YPG 4.1 5.7 10.2 6.6
Monty MADARIS
88
WR | 6-1 | 202 | JR. | 1L CINCINNATI, OHIO ARCHBISHOP MOELLER CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player is listed as a back-up flanker on the depth chart . . . has seven catches for 103 yards (14.7 avg.) in 22 career games . . . earned his first letter in 2014. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has played in nine games . . . sees action on offense and special teams . . . missed the first four games with a leg injury . . . started playing cornerback for the first time as a Spartan in Week 9 at Nebraska; played on special teams, offense and defense against the Huskers . . . saw his first game action vs. Purdue in Week 5 after missing the first four games with a leg injury; had two catches for 47 yards against the Boilermakers, including a career-long 34-yard grab.
Malik McDOWELL DL | 6-6 | 275 | SO. | 1L DETROIT, MICH. SOUTHFIELD • SECOND-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES, MEDIA)
CAREER NOTES: Second-year player is in his first season as the starting nose tackle . . . has played in 26 career games, including 14 consecutive starts . . . has 54 career tackles, including 16 for losses (74 yards) and 6.0 sacks (53 yards ) . . . true freshman played in all 13 games at defensive tackle in 2014 . . . named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Second-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media . . . named first-team All-Big Ten by ESPN.com and second-team by The Associated Press and Athlon Sports . . . named to CampusInsiders.com All-Sophomore Team (first team) . . . ranks second on the team in tackles for loss (12 for 53 yards) and sacks (4.5 for 38 yards) and third in QB hurries (6) . . . ranked second on the team with 146 production points during the regular season . . . ranks second among Spartan defensive linemen with 39 tackles . . . had two tackles and was credited with a half tackle for loss and a QB hurry in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa . . . named Spartan Co-Defensive Attack Force Player of the Week after leading the team with 25 production points in the win over Penn State; returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and also had a 10-yard sack . . . recorded a tackle and partially blocked OSU’s Cameron Johnston’s punt late in the fourth quarter in the win at No. 2 Ohio State that helped give MSU good field position (ball on OSU 48-yard line) with 4:07 remaining to set up the Spartans’ game-winning field-goal drive as time expired in the 17-14 win . . . named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after posting career highs in tackles (eight) and tackles for loss (4.5 for 14 yards) vs. Maryland; his 4.5 tackles for loss are the eighth-best single-game total in MSU history and the second most by a Big Ten player this season (Dean Lowry, Northwestern, six vs. Nebraska) . . . also was credited with a half sack (2 yards) and forced fumble against the Terrapins . . . totaled a career-high 29 production points in the Maryland game and was also named the Spartan Defensive Attack Force Player of the Week . . . had 11 production points and three tackles, including a 1-yard loss, in the win at No. 12 Michigan . . . tied a career high with two tackles for loss (11 yards) at Rutgers, including a 10-yard sack in the final seconds of the game to help seal the win for the Spartans; named MSU’s Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Scarlet Knights . . . had a career-high two tackles for loss (7 yards), including a 6-yard sack, forced a fumble, and matched his career high with six stops overall vs. Purdue; led team with 23 production points against the Boilermakers and was named the Spartan Defensive Player of the Week . . . tallied a career-high six tackles vs. Air Force . . . credited with three tackles and two QB hurries in the win over No. 7 Oregon . . . named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after leading the team with 19 production points in the season opener at Western Michigan; recorded a 10-yard sack and was credited with one quarterback hurry as MSU limited the Broncos to just 18 rushing yards.
MADARIS’ CAREER HIGHS Catches: 2, twice (last vs. Purdue, 10/3/15) Receiving Yards: 47, vs. Purdue, 10/3/15 MADARIS’ STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS NO. 2013 1/0 0 2014 12/0 5 2015 9/0 2 Career 22/0 7
62
YDS. 0 56 47 103
AVG. 0.0 11.2 23.5 14.7
TD 0 0 0 0
LG 0 24 34 34
4
YPG 0.0 4.7 5.2 4.7
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES MCDOWELL’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 8, vs. Maryland (11/14/15) Tackles for loss: 4.5, vs. Maryland (11/14/15) Sacks: 1, five times (last vs. Penn State, 11/28/15) MCDOWELL’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2014 13/1 10 5 2015 13/13 19 20 Career 26/14 29 25
TM 15 39 54
TFL 4.5-21 12-53 16-74
SACKS 1.5-15 4.5-38 6-53
MCDOWELL’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 1 0 1 1-10 1-10 Oregon 0 3 3 0-0 0-0 Air Force 1 5 6 0-0 0-0 Central Michigan 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 Purdue 5 1 6 2-7 1-6 Rutgers 2 0 2 2-11 1-10 Michigan 2 1 3 1-1 0-0 Indiana 1 2 3 0-0 0-0 Nebraska 0 2 2 0-0 0-0 Maryland 5 3 8 4.5-14 0.5-2 Ohio State 1 0 1 0-0 0-0 Penn State 1 0 1 1-10 1-10 Iowa 0 2 2 0.5-0 0-0 Totals 19 20 39 12-53 4.5-38
44
Grayson MILLER INT 0-0 1-13 1-13
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-13 0-0 1-13
PBU 0 0 0
PBU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FR 0-0 0-0 0-0
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FF 0 2 2
FF 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
75 Benny McGOWAN OG | 6-3 | 325 | JR. | 1L CENTERVILLE, OHIO CENTERVILLE CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player has played in 27 career games . . . is listed as a back-up at left guard but can also play center and right guard . . . earned his first letter in 2014 after appearing in all 13 games, primarily on special teams . . . two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has played multiple positions on the offensive line in 13 games of action, including four starts at right guard (Air Force, Central Michigan, Purdue, Rutgers) and four starts at left guard (Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State) . . . had 40 knockdowns during the regular season . . . saw action at center on MSU’s game-winning, 22-play touchdown drive in the fourth quarter vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . had a winning grade while playing 18 snaps vs. Penn State . . . started at left guard at No. 2 Ohio State and tallied two knockdowns in his 18 snaps . . . started at left guard vs. Maryland and graded out a winner; saw action for 46 snaps and had six knockdowns . . . played 13 snaps at guard at Nebraska and had two knockdowns in posting a winning grade . . . played a majority of the Indiana game at center (63 snaps out of 75), although he started at left guard against the Hoosiers . . . had 3.5 knockdowns and played 67 snaps in his first career start at left guard in win at No. 12 Michigan . . . named Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week after recording 8.5 knockdowns in 51 snaps at Rutgers . . . played 54 snaps at right guard vs. Purdue and had two knockdowns . . . delivered a career-high 9.5 knockdowns and played 56 snaps against Central Michigan . . . earned his first career start at right guard vs. Air Force and played 49 snaps; had four knockdowns . . . played 27 snaps at right guard against Oregon and posted a winning grade; entered the lineup following an injury to starting right tackle Kodi Kieler, as previous starting right guard Donavon Clark moved to right tackle . . . played both guard and center in the season-opening win over Western Michigan, playing 12 snaps against the Broncos and posting a winning grade.
S | 6-3 | 200 | FR. | HS GEORGETOWN, KY. SCOTT • BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM (BTN.COM) 2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): True freshman has played in 11 games, including four starts at safety (Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, Maryland) . . . has 24 tackles, including five on kickoffs . . . named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team by BTN.com . . . collected four tackles each vs. Maryland and Nebraska . . . tied for team lead with six tackles and had his first career interception against Indiana . . . entered the starting lineup in Week 7 at No. 12 Michigan; recorded six tackles, including a 1-yard loss, against the Wolverines . . . on the final play of the game at Michigan, hit Michigan punter Blake O’Neill after a botched snap, popping the ball loose and into the hands of Jalen Watts-Jackson, who returned the fumble 38 yards for the game-winning touchdown as time expired in the MSU’s 27-23 victory . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Michigan . . . made his collegiate debut in Week 3 vs. Air Force. HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Rated among the nation’s top safeties by Scout.com (No. 37) and ESPN.com (No. 45) . . . three-year starter at Scout County (Kentucky) High School . . . suffered a season-ending ankle injury on the fourth play of the 2015 season opener . . . recorded 83 tackles from his safety position, with 14.5 resulting in losses including 1.5 sacks (17 yards), as a junior while helping the Cardinals win the Class 6-A state championship with a perfect 15-0 record . . . father John was a four-year letterwinner at Michigan State (1985-88) and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors as a safety twice (1987-88). MILLER’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 6, twice (last vs. Indiana, 10/24/15) Tackles for loss: 1, vs. Michigan (10/17/15) Interceptions: 1, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) MILLER’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2015 11/4 16 8
TM 24
TFL 1-1
MILLER’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL Western Michigan -DNPOregon -DNPAir Force 0 0 0 0-0 Central Michigan 1 1 2 0-0 Purdue 0 0 0 0-0 Rutgers 1 0 1 0-0 Michigan 5 1 6 1-1 Indiana 3 3 6 0-0 Nebraska 3 1 4 0-0 Maryland 2 2 4 0-0 Ohio State 0 0 0 0-0 Penn State 1 0 1 0-0 Iowa 0 0 0 0-0 Totals 16 8 24 1-1
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
SACKS 0-0
INT 1-0
PBU 0
FR 0
FF 0
SACKS
INT
PBU
FR
FF
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
0 0 0 0 0 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 1-0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
63
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
9 Montae NICHOLSON S | 6-2 | 220 | SO. | 1L MONROEVILLE, PA. GATEWAY CAREER NOTES: Second-year player is listed as a starter at safety on the depth chart . . . has seen action in 26 games, including 12 starts . . . has 107 career tackles . . . named to ESPN.com and BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Teams in 2014 after playing in all 13 games, including three starts . . . also competes on the indoor track and field team; placed sixth in the long jump at the 2015 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships with a leap of 7.23 meters (23-8 3/4). 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Ranks third on the team with 76 tackles, including 2.5 for losses, in 13 games of action . . . has started nine games at safety (Western Michigan, Oregon, Air Force, Central Michigan, Rutgers, Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa) . . . since returning to the starting lineup in Week 10 vs. Maryland, leads team with 33 tackles over the past four games . . . tied for team lead with three interceptions (60 return yards) . . . ranked 10th on the team with 58 production points during the regular season . . . tallied seven tackles vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game . . . tied his career high with nine tackles, including a 3-yard loss, and also forced a fumble and broke up a pass vs. Penn State . . . led the Spartan secondary with 18 production points and had a team-high eight stops in the win at No. 2 Ohio State; named one of three Spartan unsung heroes against the Buckeyes . . . returned to the starting lineup in Week 10 vs. Maryland and compiled 17 production points; picked off a pass and returned it 30 yards, and recorded a career-high nine tackles against the Terrapins . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Maryland . . . credited with six tackles at Nebraska and tipped a pass that led to a Demetrious Cox interception in the second quarter; collected 13 production points against the Huskers . . . had five stops vs. Indiana . . . credited with five solo tackles at Rutgers . . . posted six tackles vs. Air Force . . . picked off a Vernon Adams pass and returned it 30 yards in the win over No. 7 Oregon; also registered five tackles against the Ducks . . . posted seven tackles, including a 2-yard loss, and recorded his first career interception in the season opener at Western Michigan. NICHOLSON’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 9, twice (last vs. Penn State, 11/28/15) Tackles for loss: 1, twice (last vs. Penn State, 11/28/15) Interceptions: 1, three times (last vs. Maryland, 11/14/15) NICHOLSON’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2014 13/3 18 13 2015 13/9 45 31 Career 26/12 63 44
TM 31 76 107
TFL 0-0 2.5-6 2.5-6
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0
NICHOLSON’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 4 3 7 1-2 0-0 Oregon 3 2 5 0-0 0-0 Air Force 4 2 6 0.5-1 0-0 Central Michigan 4 1 5 0-0 0-0 Purdue 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 Rutgers 5 0 5 0-0 0-0 Michigan 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 Indiana 4 1 5 0-0 0-0 Nebraska 1 5 6 0-0 0-0 Maryland 5 4 9 0-0 0-0 Ohio State 5 3 8 0-0 0-0 Penn State 5 4 9 1-3 0-0 Iowa 3 4 7 0-0 0-0 Totals 45 31 76 2.5-6 0-0
64
INT 0-0 3-60 3-60
INT 1-0 1-30 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-30 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-60
PBU 0 2 2
PBU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2
FR 2-0 0-0 2-0
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FF 0 1 1
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Tyler O’CONNOR
7
QB/P | 6-3 | 222 | JR. | 2L LIMA, OHIO LIMA CENTRAL CATHOLIC CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player and two-year letterwinner has spent the past two seasons as the back-up quarterback . . . also is the back-up punter . . . has completed 34-of-54 passes (.630) for 374 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions in 14 career games (12 at quarterback; two at punter) . . . also has rushed for 94 yards and two TDs on 28 carries (3.4 avg.) . . . spent 2 and 1/2 weeks in Australia (June-July 2015), participating in MSU’s study abroad International Summer Sports Program . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in supply chain management in December 2015 . . . has already been accepted into graduate school at Michigan State . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Has played in six games (four at quarterback, two at punter) . . . has completed 54 percent of his passes (13-of-24) for 133 yards, two touchdowns and one interception . . . saw brief action (four snaps) vs. Penn State . . . in his first career start at No. 2 Ohio State, completed 7-of-12 passes for 89 yards and one touchdown (12 yards to Trevon Pendleton in second quarter) and rushed eight times for 25 yards as the Spartans ended the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak with a 17-14 victory in Columbus . . . named the Spartan Offensive Player of the Week for his effort against OSU . . . his 89 passing yards and 12 pass attempts against the Buckeyes were a career high, and the seven completions tied a career high (Youngstown State, 2013) . . . in his first extended action of the season, came off the bench to complete 6-of-11 throws for 44 yards against Maryland, including a 10-yard touchdown strike to Macgarrett Kings Jr. with 6:52 left in the first quarter . . . directed TD drives of 50 yards (10 plays) in the first quarter and 62 yards (11 plays) in the third quarter against the Terrapins . . . named fourth game captain vs. Indiana . . . has punted in two games this season (Rutgers, Michigan) . . . was the starting punter at No. 12 Michigan; averaged 38.2 yards per punt (four punts for 153 yards), including a 46-yarder, against the Wolverines . . . named Spartan Special Teams Player of the Week vs. Rutgers after recording a 39-yard punt that was placed on the RU 5-yard line in the third quarter; it marked his first career punt.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
37 Trevon PENDLETON FB | 6-0 | 250 | SR.-5 | 3L LUCASVILLE, OHIO PORTSMOUTH WEST CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is in his third season as the starting fullback . . . has appeared in 48 career games, including 28 starts at fullback . . . former walk-on is now on scholarship . . . has 13 career catches for 223 yards and three TDs . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in hospitality business in December 2015.
O’CONNOR’S CAREER HIGHS Pass Attempts: 12, vs. Ohio State (11/21/15) Pass Completions: 7, twice (last vs. Ohio State, 11/21/15) Passing Yards: 89, vs. Ohio State (11/21/15)
2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has appeared in all 13 games, including nine starts . . . battled through a knee injury to help Michigan State rush for 174 yards on No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game; provided several key blocks on MSU’s game-winning 22-play touchdown drive in the fourth quarter . . . left the Penn State game in the first half with an injury . . . has four receptions for 94 yards (23.5 avg.) and one touchdown . . . had a 12-yard TD reception from Tyler O’Connor in the second quarter during MSU’s 17-14 win at No. 2 Ohio State . . . had a career-high two receptions for 8 yards at Nebraska . . . with MSU trailing 23-14 at No. 12 Michigan with 9:25 remaining in the game, had a career-long 74-yard reception to the UM 1-yard line that set up an LJ Scott touchdown run and cut the Spartan deficit to 23-21 in the eventual 27-23 win over the Wolverines.
Punts: 4, vs. Michigan (10/17/15) Punting Yards: 153, vs. Michigan (10/17/15) Punting Avg. (Min. 4): 38.2, vs. Michigan (10/17/15) Longest Punt: 46, vs. Michigan (10/17/15)
CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Started at fullback against Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic . . . impressive all-around effort vs. No. 5 Stanford in the 100th Rose Bowl Game, recording two catches for 21 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown grab from Connor Cook in the second quarter.
O’CONNOR’S STATISTICS PASSING G/GS COMP 2013 3/0 9 2014 5/0 12 2015 6/1 13 Career 14/1 34 RUSHING 2013 2014 2015 Career
NO. 8 6 14 28
PUNTING 2015
G 2
ATT 14 16 24 54
YDS. 24 22 48 94 NO. 5
INT 0 1 1 2 AVG. 3.0 3.7 3.4 3.4
YDS. 192
PCT .643 .750 .542 .630
YDS 90 151 133 374
TD 0 2 0 2
LG 10 12 11 12
YPG 8.0 4.4 8.0 6.7
AVG. 38.4
LG 46
I20 1
YPG 30.0 30.2 22.2 26.7
I10 1
O’CONNOR’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 PASSING COMP ATT INT PCT YDS TD Western Michigan -DNPOregon -DNPAir Force -DNPCentral Michigan -DNPPurdue -DNPRutgers (saw action at punter) Michigan (saw action at punter) Indiana 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Nebraska -DNPMaryland 6 11 1 .545 44 1 Ohio State 7 12 0 .583 89 1 Penn State 0 1 0 .000 0 0 Iowa -DNPTotals 13 24 1 .542 133 2 PUNTING Rutgers Michigan Totals
NO. 1 4 5
YDS 39 153 973
AVG 39.0 38.4 42.3
LG 39 46 46
I20 1 0 1
TD 0 2 2 4
LG 18 33 36 36
PENDLETON’S CAREER HIGHS Catches: 2, three times (last vs. Nebraska, 11/7/15) Receiving Yards: 74, vs. Michigan (10/17/15) TD Catches: 1, three times (last vs. Nebraska, 11/7/15) PENDLETON’S STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS REC. 2012 9/1 0 2013 14/10 8 2014 12/8 1 2015 13/9 4 Career 48/28 13
YDS. 0 127 2 94 223
AVG. 0.0 15.9 2.0 23.5 17.2
TD 0 2 0 1 3
LG 0 49 2 74 74
YPG 0.0 9.1 0.2 7.2 4.6
+50 0
LG
0 14 36 0 36 I10 1 0 1
50+ 0 0 0
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65
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
Taybor PEPPER
52
SN | 6-5 | 230 | SR. | 3L SALINE, MICH. SALINE CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year senior is on scholarship and is in his fourth year as the starting long snapper in 2015 . . . has played in 53 career games . . . has 10 career tackles on special teams, including three this season.
Josiah PRICE
82
TE | 6-4 | 252 | JR. | 2L GREENTOWN, IND. EASTERN
SPARTAN TIGHT ENDS - MOST TD RECEPTIONS 1. Josiah Price (2013-SA): 16 2. Chris Baker (1998-2001): 13 PRICE’S STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS 2013 14/6 2014 13/6 2015 11/2 Career 38/14
REC. 17 26 19 62
YDS. 210 374 228 812
AVG. 12.4 14.4 12.0 13.1
PRICE’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 RECEIVING NO. YDS TD Western Michigan 3 49 1 Oregon 2 23 1 Air Force 1 15 1 Central Michigan 1 5 1 Purdue -DNP-INJUREDRutgers -DNP-INJUREDMichigan 1 7 0 Indiana 3 51 1 Nebraska 2 21 0 Maryland 2 11 0 Ohio State 0 0 0 Penn State 3 33 1 Iowa 1 13 0 Totals 19 228 6
TD 4 6 6 16
LG 39 67 31 67
LG 25 12 15 5 7 31 16 11 0 16 13 25
• THIRD-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES, MEDIA) • ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT SELECTION CAREER NOTES: Fourth-year player has 62 catches for 812 yards (13.1 avg.) and 16 touchdowns in 38 career games, including 14 starts . . . ranks first in school history among tight ends with 16 career TD receptions, which also ranks tied for seventh among all players in school history . . . was featured on the Mackey Award Midseason Watch List (nation’s most outstanding tight end) . . . serves as one of the football team’s representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) . . . selected as SAAC outreach chair for 2015-16 . . . named to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List (for community service combined with athletic and academic achievement) . . . also nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, recognizing college football players who exemplify a superior commitment to community service and volunteerism . . . spent 2 and 1/2 weeks in Australia (June-July 2015), participating in MSU’s study abroad International Summer Sports Program . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media . . . also a third-team All-Big Ten pick by Phil Steele . . . named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 Team; owns a 3.59 GPA as a hospitality business major . . . ranks fourth on the team and leads tight ends with 19 catches for 228 yards (12.0 avg.) in 11 games of action . . . ranks second on the team with six TD receptions . . . 15 of his 19 catches have resulted in either a touchdown or first down (78 percent) . . . missed two games (Purdue, Rutgers) with an ankle injury . . . had three receptions for 33 yards vs. Penn State . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes in the win at No. 2 Ohio State . . . caught two passes for 21 yards at Nebraska . . . had three catches for 51 yards, including a 13-yard TD grab, vs. Indiana . . . set a Spartan record for most career touchdown catches by a tight end with a 5-yard reception from Connor Cook in the second quarter against Central Michigan . . . also named Spartan Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week vs. CMU . . . had a 15-yard reception for a TD vs. Air Force . . . caught two passes for 23 yards, including a 12-yard TD reception in the first quarter, in the victory over No. 7 Oregon . . . had three catches for 49 yards in the season opener at Western Michigan, including a 9-yard TD reception. CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Has four catches for 36 yards in two bowl games . . . had three receptions for 27 yards, including an 8-yard TD pass from Cook in the fourth quarter, during MSU’s comeback victory over No. 4 Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic . . . had one 9-yard reception vs. Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl Game. PRICE’S CAREER HIGHS Catches: 5, twice (last vs. Ohio State, 11/8/14) Receiving Yards: 83, vs. Indiana (10/18/14) TD Catches: 1, 15 times
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2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
YPG 15.0 28.8 20.7 21.4
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
Jon RESCHKE
33
LB | 6-2 | 228 | SO. | 1L STERLING HEIGHTS, MICH. BROTHER RICE • HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES, MEDIA) CAREER NOTES: Third-year player is in his first season as the starting Sam linebacker . . . has 87 tackles in 21 career games . . . made the position switch from Mike to Sam during preseason camp following the season-ending injury to fifth-year senior Ed Davis . . . missed the final four games of the 2014 season due to shoulder surgery and saw limited action during spring practice, but was healthy entering preseason camp. 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Has started all 13 games at Sam linebacker . . . ranks fourth on the team with 74 tackles (5.7 avg.), including 5.5 for loss (16 yards) and 2.0 sacks (10 yards) . . . ranked fifth on the team with 126 production points during the regular season . . . second on the team with eight QB hurries . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches and media) . . . posted four stops in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa . . . had two tackles, including a half tackle for loss (2 yards), and was credited with two QB hurries vs. Penn State . . . named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after recording six tackles, including an 8-yard sack and a quarterback hurry, in MSU’s 17-14 win at No. 2 Ohio State; collected 15 production points and was named Spartan Defensive Attack Force Co-Player of the Week against the Buckeyes . . . had seven stops and two QB hurries vs. Maryland . . . credited with six tackles, including 1.5 for losses, at Nebraska . . . named Spartan Defensive Attack Force Player of the Week vs. Indiana after tallying a team-best 16 production points against the Hoosiers; had six tackles, a pass break-up and a QB hurry in the game . . . compiled 19 production points at No. 12 Michigan; delivered four tackles and broke up a pass against the Wolverines . . . had five stops at Rutgers . . . collected five tackles, including a 2-yard loss, and totaled 17 production points vs. Purdue . . . named Spartan Defensive Attack Force Player of the Week against the Boilermakers . . . posted four stops, including a 2-yard loss, against Central Michigan . . . tallied a career-high 11 stops and two QB hurries in the victory vs. No. 7 Oregon; had 16 production points against the Ducks . . . in his first career start, recorded nine tackles in the season opener at Western Michigan. RESCHKE’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 11, vs. Oregon (9/12/15) Tackles for loss: 1.5, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Sacks: 1, twice (last vs. Ohio State, 11/21/15) RESCHKE’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2014 8/0 6 7 2015 13/13 31 43 Career 21/13 37 50
TM 13 74 87
TFL 0-0 5.5-16 5.5-16
SACKS 0-0 2-10 2-10
RESCHKE’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 6 3 9 0-0 0-0 Oregon 2 9 11 0-0 0-0 Air Force 1 3 4 0.5-0 0-0 Central Michigan 3 1 4 1-2 0-0 Purdue 3 2 5 1-2 1-2 Rutgers 4 1 5 0-0 0-0 Michigan 0 4 4 0-0 0-0 Indiana 2 4 6 0-0 0-0 Nebraska 2 4 6 1.5-2 0-0 Maryland 2 5 7 0-0 0-0 Ohio State 4 2 6 1-8 1-8 Penn State 0 3 3 0.5-2 0-0 Iowa 2 2 4 0-0 0-0 Totals 31 43 74 5.5-16 2-10
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 2 2
PBU 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
FR 0-0 0-0 0-0
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FF 2 0 2
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LJ SCOTT
3
RB | 6-0 | 233 | FR. | HS HUBBARD, OHIO HUBBARD • BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM (ESPN.COM) 2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): True freshman leads the team in rushing (691 yards; 53.2 ypg.; 4.9 avg.), carries (140) and rushing touchdowns (11) . . . named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by ESPN.com . . . his 11 rushing TDs rank tied for third in the Big Ten, which is also second most by a Spartan freshman in a single season (Sedrick Irvin, 16, 1996) . . . ranks second on the team in scoring with 66 points . . . has played in all 13 games, including one start (Michigan) . . . led all rushers with 73 yards on 22 carries, including the game-winning 1-yard TD on third-and-goal with 27 seconds remaining, vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game; had 14 carries for 40 yards during MSU’s game-winning 22-play, 82-yard drive, including three third-down conversions . . . carried the ball 11 times for 41 yards, including a 6-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, in the victory over Penn State . . . rushed 13 times for 58 yards in the win at No. 2 Ohio State; had 50 yards on 10 carries in the fourth quarter . . . led team with 11 carries for 68 yards, including a 26-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, vs. Indiana . . . scored two rushing touchdowns at Michigan (11 yards in second quarter; 1 yard in fourth quarter) in his first career start . . . sat out the first half (knee) at Rutgers, but returned to action in the second half and rushed for 42 yards on nine carries, including two touchdowns (1 yard, 3 yards) . . . his 3-yard TD at Rutgers with 43 seconds remaining proved to be the game-winning score in the 31-24 win . . . named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after rushing for 146 yards – the most by a Spartan freshman since Javon Ringer in 2005 – and two touchdowns on 18 carries (8.1 avg.) against Purdue . . . ran for 54 yards on eight carries (6.8 avg.), including a 29-yard rush, vs. Central Michigan . . . collected 76 yards on 11 carries (6.9 avg.) in the win over No. 7 Oregon; scored the first two rushing TDs of his career on a 6-yard run in the third quarter and a 38-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that made it 31-21 Spartans in the eventual 31-28 win against the Ducks . . . led the Spartans with 77 rushing yards on 13 attempts (5.9 avg.) in his collegiate debut at Western Michigan. HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Ranked among the nation’s top 100 prospects in the Class of 2015 by Scout.com (No. 65), 247Sports.com (No. 78) and ESPN. com (No. 93) . . . rated among the country’s top running backs by ESPN.com (No. 7), 247Sports.com (No. 7) and Scout.com (No. 8) . . . ranked among Ohio’s top seniors by Scout.com (No. 2), ESPN.com (No. 4) and 247Sports.com (No. 4) . . . named a finalist for Ohio’s Mr. Football award, presented by The Associated Press . . . four-year starter for at Hubbard (Ohio) High School . . . rushed 295 times for a school single-season record 2,819 yards (9.6 yards per carry; 216.8 yards per game) and 38 touchdowns in 2014.
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SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES SCOTT’S CAREER HIGHS Carries: 22, vs. Iowa (12/5/15) Rushing Yards: 146, vs. Purdue (10/3/15) Rushing Touchdowns: 2, four times (last vs. Michigan, 10/17/15) SCOTT’S STATISTICS RUSHING G/GS ATT 2015 13/1 140
YDS. 691
AVG. 4.9
TD 11
LG 38
RECEIVING 2015
AVG. 5.0
TD 0
LG 9
YPG 1.2
REC. 3
YDS. 15
SCOTT’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 RUSHING ATT YDS TD Western Michigan 13 77 0 Oregon 11 76 2 Air Force 11 23 0 Central Michigan 8 54 0 Purdue 18 146 2 Rutgers 9 42 2 Michigan 8 16 2 Indiana 11 68 1 Nebraska 3 5 0 Maryland 2 12 0 Ohio State 13 58 0 Penn State 11 41 1 Iowa 22 73 1 Totals 140 691 11
R.J. SHELTON YPG 53.2
12
WR | 5-11 | 195 | JR. | 2L BEAVER DAM, WIS. BEAVER DAM • HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES)
LG 17 38 6 29 30 16 11 26 5 15 20 7 10 38
CAREER NOTES: Third-year player is listed on the depth chart as one of the starting flankers . . . is also in his third season returning kickoffs . . . was featured on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List (nation’s most versatile player) . . . has played in 39 career games, including 10 starts . . . multi-dimensional player has collected 2,480 all-purpose yards (63.6 ypg.) . . . has scored 11 career touchdowns (six receiving, four rushing, one kick return) . . . has 66 carries for 428 rushing yards (6.5 avg.) and four touchdowns . . . has 61 career catches for 663 yards (10.9 avg.) and six touchdowns . . . ranks sixth in MSU history in kick return yards (1,385) and seventh in kick returns (58). 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has seen action in all 13 games, including four starts . . . ranks second on the team with a career-high 41 receptions . . . ranks third on the team in receiving yards (484; 11.8 avg.; 37.2 ypg.) and second in all-purpose yards (1,008; 77.5 ypg.) . . . averaging 21.8 yards per kick return . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten pick by the coaches . . . had 49 all-purpose yards in the win over No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game (three catches for 34 yards; three carries for 15 yards) . . . hauled in four catches for 74 yards, including a 29-yard TD pass from Connor Cook in the first quarter, against Penn State . . . registered 77 all-purpose yards vs. Maryland (three receptions for 35 yards; 38 kick return; 4 rushing) . . . tallied 84 all-purpose yards at Nebraska, including four catches for 41 yards . . . had a game-high 153 all-purpose yards vs. Indiana; tied a career high with six receptions for a career-best 76 yards . . . also had 10 rushing yards on two carries and 67 kick return yards, including a 58-yarder, to open the second half . . . had a career-high two touchdown catches against the Hoosiers (22 yards in first quarter; 10 yards in fourth quarter) . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the week for his role in the win over Indiana . . . had four catches for 58 yards at No. 12 Michigan, including a key 27-yard sideline grab that led to MSU’s second TD of the game in the third quarter . . . hauled in five catches for 55 yards at Rutgers, including a leaping 29-yard reception on third-and-9 from the MSU 25-yard line with under four minutes remaining that kept the Spartans’ eventual game-winning drive alive in the 31-24 victory . . . named Spartan unsung hero of the week (offense) vs. Rutgers . . . led team with three receptions for 31 yards, including a 23-yard TD catch, and had 97 all-purpose yards overall against Purdue . . . recorded a career-high six receptions and had 68 receiving yards against Air Force; had 89 all-purpose yards (68 receiving, 13 kick return, 8 rushing) against the Falcons . . . collected 54 all-purpose yards in the season opener at Western Michigan (35 kick return, 13 receiving, 6 rushing). CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Ranked second on the team with 117 all-purpose yards (89 kick return; 17 receiving, 11 rushing) in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic win over No. 4 Baylor; scored on an 11-yard rush in the first quarter against the Bears . . . saw limited action vs. No. 5 Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl Game. SHELTON’S CAREER HIGHS Carries: 4, twice (last vs. Purdue, 10/11/14) Rushing Yards: 40, vs. Indiana (10/12/13) Rushing Touchdowns: 1, four times (last vs. Baylor, 1/1/15) Receptions: 6, twice (last vs. Indiana, 10/24/15) Receiving Yards: 76, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) TD Receptions: 2, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) Kick Return Yards: 135, vs. Penn State (11/29/14) Kick Return: 90, vs. Penn State (11/29/14) All-Purpose Yards: 209, vs. Oregon (9/6/14)
68
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES SHELTON’S STATISTICS RUSHING G/GS ATT 2013 13/4 21 2014 13/2 21 2015 13/4 24 Career 39/10 66
YDS. 153 148 127 428
AVG. 7.3 7.0 5.3 6.5
TD 2 2 0 4
LG 35 30 18 35
RECEIVING 2013 2014 2015 Career
YDS. 6 173 484 663
AVG. 1.5 10.8 11.8 10.9
TD 0 2 4 6
LG 7 24 29 29
YPG 0.5 13.3 37.2 17.0
ATT 9 31 18 58
YDS. 199 793 393 1,385
AVG. 22.1 25.5 21.8 23.9
TD 0 1 0 1
LG 36 90 58 90
REC. 4 16 41 61
KICKOFF RETURNS 2013 2014 2015 Career
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Rated among the nation’s Top 300 prospects by Scout.com (No. 165) . . . ranked among the country’s top cornerbacks by Scout.com (No. 20), ESPN.com (No. 66) and 247Sports.com (No. 68) . . . recorded 51 solo tackles, eight interceptions and two fumble recoveries as a senior while helping the Eaglets win the 2014 Division 3 state championship.
YPG 11.8 11.4 9.8 11.0
SMITH’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 2, vs. Nebraska (11/7/15) Pass Break-ups: 1, vs. Maryland (11/14/15) SMITH’S STATISTICS G/GS UT 2015 6/1 1
AT 2
TM 3
TFL 0-0
SACKS 0-0
INT 0-0
PBU 1
FR 0-0
FF 0
6
Damion TERRY QB | 6-3 | 235 | SO. | 1L ERIE, PA. CATHEDRAL PREP
CAREER NOTES: Third-year player is listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart . . . has 116 rushing yards on 32 carries (3.6 avg.) and has completed 14-of-26 passes for 103 yards in 14 career games . . . earned his first letter in 2014 after seeing action in five games at quarterback. 2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Has seen brief action in nine games at quarterback and wide receiver . . . has 54 rushing yards on 20 carries (2.7 avg.) . . . is 2-of-7 passing for 15 yards . . . saw extensive action in the win at No. 2 Ohio State while rotating with starter Tyler O’Connor; had 25 yards rushing on eight carries (3.1 avg.) and was 1-of-4 passing for 2 yards against the Buckeyes . . . rushed for 13 yards on three carries and was 0-for-1 passing vs. Maryland . . . completed 1-of-2 passes at Nebraska, including a 13-yard completion to Aaron Burbridge during MSU’s 16-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter; also had a 3-yard rush against the Huskers . . . rushed four times for 8 yards vs. Indiana . . . had a 5-yard rush vs. Air Force. CAREER HIGHS Pass Attempts: 8, vs. Eastern Michigan (9/20/14) Pass Completions: 6, vs. Wyoming (9/27/14) Passing Yards: 56, vs. Wyoming (9/27/14) Rushing Yards: 25, vs. Ohio State (11/21/15) Carries: 8, vs. Ohio State (11/21/15)
Tyson SMITH
15
TERRY’S STATISTICS PASSING G/GS COMP 2014 5/0 12 2015 9/0 2 Career 14/0 14 RUSHING 2014 2015 Career
ATT 12 20 32
ATT 19 7 26
YDS. 62 54 116
INT 0 0 0 AVG. 5.2 2.7 3.6
TD 0 0 0
PCT .632 .286 .538 LG 15 14 15
YDS 88 15 103
YPG 17.6 1.7 7.4
TD 0 0 0
LG 17 13 17
YPG 12.4 6.0 8.3
CB | 5-10 | 170 | FR. | HS SOUTHFIELD, MICH. ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S 2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): True freshman has played in the last six games (Indiana, Nebraska, Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa) . . . primarily sees action on special teams . . . listed as a back-up cornerback on the depth chart . . . has recorded three tackles . . . made one stop in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. No. 4 Iowa . . . broke up a pass against Maryland . . . made his first career start at Nebraska and recorded two tackles against the Huskers.
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69
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
8
Lawrence THOMAS DL | 6-4 | 305 | SR. | 3L DETROIT, MICH. RENAISSANCE • HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES)
CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior and three-year letterwinner is in his second season as a starter on the defensive line . . . listed as a starter at defensive end; also sees time on the interior of the line after starting all 13 games there last season . . . has played in 46 career games, including 26 consecutive starts . . . has 29 starts overall (three at fullback in 2012) . . . has 69 career tackles, including 9.0 for losses (49 yards) and 6.0 sacks (43 yards) . . . began his career at linebacker and moved to defensive end during his red-shirt season in 2011 . . . played fullback in 2012 before returning to the defensive line in 2013 . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology in December 2015. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has started all 13 games . . . ranked seventh on the team with 118 production points during the regular season . . . has a career-high 35 tackles, including 4.5 for losses (30 yards) and three sacks (27 yards) . . . ranks third on the team with a career-high five pass break-ups . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches) . . . recorded two stops, including a 14-yard sack, in the Senior Day victory over Penn State . . . led Spartan defensive line with 14 production points in the win at No. 2 Ohio State; had three tackles, including a half tackle for loss (1 yard), against the Buckeyes . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Maryland . . . had three stops, including a half tackle for loss, and a QB hurry and pass break-up vs. Indiana . . . tallied a career-high seven tackles and broke up a pass in win at No. 12 Michigan; named the fourth game captain against the Wolverines . . . named Spartan Defensive Attack Force Player of the Week vs. Michigan . . . led Spartan defensive linemen with 10 production points at Rutgers; tallied two tackles, including a 6-yard sack . . . compiled 14 production points vs. Purdue . . . started at defensive tackle vs. Central Michigan and had three tackles and seven production points . . . had four tackles, including a half tackle for loss (1 yard), vs. Air Force . . . led Spartan defensive linemen with 19 production points in the win over No. 7 Oregon; recorded six tackles, including a half sack on a key third down with just over a minute remaining . . . was also credited with an assisted tackle on a fourth-and-goal stop in the second quarter as MSU kept UO’s Royce Freeman out of the end zone . . . tipped a pass that led to a Montae Nicholson interception in the first quarter and set up MSU’s first touchdown of the game in the season-opening win at Western Michigan. CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Helped limit No. 4 Baylor to minus-20 yards rushing in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic; recorded a 6-yard sack with 11 seconds remaining in the game to help seal the Spartans’ 42-41 comeback victory . . . had one tackle vs. No. 5 Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl Game . . . after playing fullback during the 2012 season, saw action along the defensive line in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against TCU. THOMAS’ CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 7, vs. Michigan (10/17/15) Tackles for loss: 1, eight times (last vs. Penn State, 11/28/15) Sacks: 1, six times (last vs. Penn State, 11/28/15) THOMAS’ STATISTICS (DEFENSE) G/GS UT AT TM 2012 13/0 3 0 3 2013 7/0 1 0 1 2014 13/13 9 21 30 2015 13/13 9 26 35 Career 46/26 22 47 69
TFL 0-0 0-0 4.5-19 4.5-30 9-49
SACKS 0-0 0-0 3-16 3-27 6-43
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 0 0 1 5 6
FR 0 0 1-0 0 1-0
FF 0 0 0 0 0
THOMAS’ GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL Western Michigan 0 0 0 0-0 Oregon 0 6 6 1-7 Air Force 1 3 4 0.5-1 Central Michigan 0 3 3 0-0 Purdue 1 0 1 0-0 Rutgers 1 1 2 1-6 Michigan 3 4 7 0-0 Indiana 0 3 3 0.5-1 Nebraska 0 1 1 0-0 Maryland 1 1 2 0-0 Ohio State 0 3 3 0.5-1 Penn State 2 0 2 1-14 Iowa 0 1 1 0-0 Totals 9 26 35 4.5-30
INT 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
PBU 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 5
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
19
AJ TROUP
WR | 6-2 | 218 | SR.-5 | 1L MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. WAYZATA CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior is a back-up split end on the depth chart, behind Aaron Burbridge . . . has battled numerous knee injuries (three separate ACL surgeries) throughout his career but was fully healthy during the 2014 season to earn his first letter . . . has nine catches for 141 yards (15.7 avg.) in 21 career games . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in advertising in May 2015 . . . currently pursuing a second degree in theatre. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Has seen action in 11 games . . . has two catches for 28 yards (14.0 avg.) . . . had a 14-yard reception vs. Purdue . . . named fourth game captain vs. Air Force . . . had one catch for 14 yards in the season opener at Western Michigan. TROUP’S CAREER HIGHS Catches: 3, vs. Jacksonville State (8/29/14) Receiving Yards: 43, vs. Eastern Michigan (9/20/14) TD Catches: 1, twice TROUP’S STATISTICS RECEIVING G/GS 2014 10/0 2015 11/0 Career 21/0
70
SACKS 0-0 1-7 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-6 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-14 0-0 3-27
REC. 7 2 9
YDS. 113 28 141
AVG. 16.1 14.0 15.7
TD 2 0 2
LG 33 14 33
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
YPG 11.3 2.5 6.7
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
Delton WILLIAMS
22
26 RJ WILLIAMSON
RB | 6-1 | 228 | JR. | 2L ERIE, PA. CATHEDRAL PREP CAREER NOTES: Third-year junior has rushed for 604 yards on 116 carries (5.2 avg.) with seven touchdowns in 30 career games . . . also has seven catches for 60 yards (8.6 avg.) . . . ranked third on the team with 316 rushing yards on 54 attempts (5.9 avg.) in 2014 and had a career-best five rushing touchdowns, which also ranked third most on the team. 2015 SEASON (JUNIOR): Has rushed for 50 yards on 24 carries in seven games of action . . . returned to action in Week 6 vs. Rutgers after sitting out the first five games of the season . . . scored on a 1-yard touchdown run against Indiana . . . had eight carries for 15 yards at No. 12 Michigan . . . had two carries for 6 yards in the second half against the Scarlet Knights. WILLIAMS’ CAREER HIGHS Carries: 12, vs. Indiana (10/12/13) Rushing Yards: 103, vs. Eastern Michigan (9/20/14) Rushing Touchdowns: 3, vs. Eastern Michigan (9/20/14) WILLIAMS’ STATISTICS RUSHING G/GS ATT 2013 9/0 38 2014 13/0 54 2015 8/0 24 Career 30/0 116
YDS. 238 316 50 604
AVG. 6.3 5.9 2.1 5.2
TD 1 5 1 7
LG 42 80 6 80
RECEIVING 2013 2014 2015 Career
AVG. 6.5 10.7 7.5 8.6
TD 0 0 0 0
LG 9 17 8 17
YPG 1.4 2.5 1.9 2.0
REC. 2 3 2 7
YDS. 13 32 15 60
WILLIAMS’ GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 RUSHING ATT YDS TD Western Michigan -DNPOregon -DNPAir Force -DNPCentral Michigan -DNPPurdue -DNPRutgers 2 6 0 Michigan 8 15 0 Indiana 6 0 1 Nebraska 1 1 0 Maryland 1 3 0 Ohio State 2 7 0 Penn State 4 18 0 Iowa 0 0 0 Totals 24 50 1
LG
6 4 2 1 3 5 6 0 6
YPG 26.4 24.3 6.2 20.1
S | 6-0 | 216 | SR.-5 | 3L DAYTON, OHIO DUNBAR CAREER NOTES: Fifth-year senior injured his arm in Week 5 against Purdue and missed the last eight games of the season after undergoing bicep surgery, but is set to return for the College Football Playoff Semifinal vs. Alabama . . . has 154 tackles and 20 passes defended (eight interceptions, 12 pass break-ups) in 43 career games, including 17 starts . . . received his bachelor’s degree in advertising in August 2015 . . . one of three Spartans in school history to have scored three defensive touchdowns in his career (Shilique Calhoun; T.J. Turner) . . . had two interception returns for touchdowns in 2014 (vs. Michigan and Maryland) and had a 64-yard fumble recovery for a TD this season in Week 3 vs. Air Force. 2015 SEASON (SENIOR): Had 24 tackles, including two for losses, along with two interceptions, a pass break-up and a fumble recovery in the first five games of the season . . . had three stops vs. Purdue before exiting the game with an arm injury . . . had five tackles, including a 2-yard loss, vs. Central Michigan . . . selected by the Football Writers Association of America as the AutoNation National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Air Force in Week 3 . . . recorded five tackles, returned a fumble 64 yards for a touchdown, intercepted a pass in the red zone, and also recovered an on-side kick attempt with 2:10 left in the game to help preserve MSU’s two touchdown lead in the win over the Falcons . . . named Spartan unsung hero on defense in the win over No. 7 Oregon; tallied three tackles, including a 2-yard stop, picked off a Vernon Adams pass and also broke up a pass against the Ducks . . . recorded eight tackles in the season opener at Western Michigan. CAREER IN BOWL GAMES: Has 15 tackles in three bowl games . . . named to 2015 BTN.com All-Big Ten Postseason Team . . . led MSU with 10 tackles in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic victory over No. 4 Baylor; ran back Marcus Rush’s blocked field goal in the fourth quarter 36 yards to set up MSU’s game-winning touchdown drive in the 20-point comeback win . . . had four tackles vs. No. 5 Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl Game . . . recorded one tackle vs. TCU in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. WILLIAMSON’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 11, vs. Ohio State (11/8/14) Tackles for loss: 1.0, five times (last vs. Oregon, 9/12/15) Interceptions: 1, eight times (last vs. Air Force, 9/19/15) Pass Break-ups: 1, 12 times (last vs. Oregon, 9/12/15) WILLIAMSON’S STATISTICS G/GS UT AT 2012 11/0 19 8 2013 14/2 17 27 2014 13/10 34 25 2015 5/5 11 13 Career 43/17 81 73
TM 27 44 59 24 154
TFL 1-1 3-6 0.5-1 2-4 6.5-12
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
SACKS 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
INT 2-21 1-0 3-38 2-9 8-59
PBU 4 2 5 1 12
FR 1-0 0 0 1-64 2-64
FF 1 0 0 0 1
71
SPARTAN PLAYER UPDATES
27
Khari WILLIS
S | 5-11 | 202 | FR. | HS JACKSON, MICH. LUMEN CHRISTI 2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): True freshman played in nine games, including three starts at safety (Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska) . . . broke his foot in practice prior to the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa . . . had 11 tackles and one pass break-up . . . collected two stops at No. 2 Ohio State . . . had a career-high four tackles vs. Indiana . . . entered the starting lineup in Week 7 against Michigan; had three tackles against the Wolverines . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Michigan . . . saw his first action in Week 4 against Central Michigan.
WILLIAMSON’S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan 4 4 8 0-0 0-0 Oregon 1 2 3 1-2 0-0 Air Force 2 3 5 0-0 0-0 Central Michigan 3 2 5 1-2 0-0 Purdue 1 2 3 0-0 0-0 Rutgers -DNP-INJUREDMichigan -DNP-INJUREDIndiana -DNP-INJUREDNebraska -DNP-INJUREDMaryland -DNP-INJUREDOhio State -DNP-INJUREDPenn State -DNP-INJUREDIowa -DNP-INJUREDTotals 11 13 24 2-4 0-0
72
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Ranked among the country’s top athletes by 247Sports.com (No. 57) . . . was a three-year starter at running back for Coach Herb Brogan at Lumen Christi High School in Jackson, Michigan . . . rushed 241 times for 2,800 yards (11.6 avg.) and 31 touchdowns in 2014 . . . recorded nine 200-yard rushing games as a senior . . . carried 51 times for a school-record 421 yards in a 27-26 loss in the regional final to eventual Division 6 state champion Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central. INT 0-0 1-0 1-9 0-0 0-0
2-9
PBU 0 1 0 0 0
1
FR 0 0 1-64 0 0
1-64
FF 0 0 0 0 0
0
WILLIS’ CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 4, vs. Indiana (10/24/15) WILLIS’ STATISTICS G/GS UT 2015 8/3 2
AT 9
TM 11
TFL 0-0
SACKS 0-0
WILLIS’ GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2015 DEFENSE UT AT TM TFL SACKS Western Michigan -DNPOregon -DNPAir Force -DNPCentral Michigan 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 Purdue 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 Rutgers 1 2 3 0-0 0-0 Indiana 0 4 4 0-0 0-0 Nebraska 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 Maryland 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 Ohio State 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 Penn State 0 1 1 0-0 0-0 Iowa -DNP-INJUREDTotals 2 9 11 0-0 0-0
INT 0-0
PBU 1
FR 0
FF 0
INT
PBU
FR
FF
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0
1
0
0
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
MSUSPARTANS.COM
2 0 1 5 S TAT I S T I C S
2 0 1 5 M I C H I G A N S T A T E F O O T B A L L // @ M S U _ F O O T B A L L
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Combined Team Statistics (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games
* * * * * * * *
Date Sep 4, 2015 Sep 12, 2015 Sep 19, 2015 Sep 26, 2015 Oct 03, 2015 Oct 10, 2015 Oct 17, 2015 Oct 24, 2015 Nov 07, 2015 Nov 14, 2015 Nov 21, 2015 Nov 28, 2015 Dec 05, 2015
Opponent at Western Michigan #7 OREGON AIR FORCE CENTRAL MICHIGAN PURDUE at Rutgers at #12 Michigan INDIANA at Nebraska MARYLAND at #3 Ohio State PENN STATE vs #4 Iowa
Rushing
Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald London, Madre Shelton, R.J. Cook, Connor Terry, Damion Williams, Delton O'Connor, Tyler Burbridge, Aaron Williams, P-M Total Opponents Passing
Cook, Connor O'Connor, Tyler Terry, Damion TEAM Total Opponents Receiving
Burbridge, Aaron Shelton, R.J. Kings, Macgarrett Price, Josiah Lang, Paul Lyles, Jamal Holmes, Gerald Arnett, DeAnthony Pendleton, Trevon Scott, LJ Total Opponents Field Goals
Geiger, Michael Scoring
Geiger, Michael Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald Burbridge, Aaron Price, Josiah Kings, Macgarrett Shelton, R.J. London, Madre Arnett, DeAnthony Cox, Demetrious Total Opponents Score by Quarters Michigan State Opponents
74
gp-gs
13-1 12-6 10-6 13-4 12-12 9-0 8-0 6-1 13-12 1-0 13 13 gp-gs
12-12 6-1 9-0 12-0 13 13
att
gain loss
net
Att. 30885 76526 74211 75218 74418 50373 111740 74144 90094 73406 108975 74705 66985
avg
td
effic comp-att-int
142.16 210-369-5 119.88 13-24-1 46.57 2-7-0 0.00 0-1-0 138.80 225-401-6 126.60 245-415-15
gp-gs
no.
yds
avg
fg
pct. 01-19
20-29
12-19 63.2 0-0 fg
- 12-19 11 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 55 12-19 34 11-15 1st
15.2 11.8 12.9 12.0 11.2 16.6 10.2 17.0 23.5 5.0 13.6 12.2 4-5
kick
51-53 51-53 29-31 2nd
95 114 48 70
3rd
pct
38 53.2 43 44.5 62 48.9 19 9.8 22 6.7 14 6.0 6 6.2 11 8.0 13 2.8 10 19.0 62 160.7 72 113.1
yds
td
lg avg/g
56.9 2921 24 54.2 133 2 28.6 15 0 0.0 0 0 56.1 3069 26 59.0 2988 18 td
7 4 5 6 0 1 0 2 1 0 26 18 30-39
4-7
74 243.4 36 22.2 13 1.7 0 0.0 74 236.1 85 229.8
lg avg/g
56 93.8 29 37.2 42 41.0 31 20.7 21 8.6 26 10.2 24 6.8 25 9.4 74 7.2 9 1.2 74 236.1 85 229.8 40-49
4-5
lg blk
0-2
47
4th
93 115 68 80
OT
0 0
Total 417 266
-
pts
- 87 - 66 - 48 - 42 - 36 - 30 - 24 - 18 - 12 6 - 417 - 266
2
Home 7-0 4-0 3-0
Team Statistics FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty RUSHING YARDAGE Rushing Attempts Average Per Rush Average Per Game TDs Rushing PASSING YARDAGE Comp-Att-Int Average Per Pass Average Per Catch Average Per Game TDs Passing TOTAL OFFENSE Average Per Play Average Per Game KICK RETURNS: #-Yards PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards INT RETURNS: #-Yards FUMBLES-LOST PENALTIES-Yards PUNTS-AVG TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 3RD-DOWN Conversions 4TH-DOWN Conversions Interceptions
no.
Cox, Demetrious Nicholson, Montae Colquhoun, Arjen Williamson, RJ Bullough, Riley Copeland, Vayante Miller, Grayson McDowell, Malik
3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1
yds
14 60 7 9 61 0 0 13
8 2 10 16
24 4 28 189
Kick Returns
no.
yds
Shelton, R.J. Williams, Delton Scott, LJ Nicholson, Montae Total Opponents
Total Offense
Cook, Connor Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald London, Madre O'Connor, Tyler Total Opponents
4.7 20.0 3.5 4.5 30.5 0.0 0.0 13.0
avg
no.
Kings, Macgarrett Shelton, R.J. Total Opponents
Burbridge, Aaron Shelton, R.J. Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald Kings, Macgarrett Total Opponents
avg
lg
48 2023 42.1 61 5 192 38.4 46
Punt Returns
All Purpose
Away 4-1 3-1 1-0
MSU 284 113 153 18 2089 526 4.0 160.7 24 3069 225-401-6 7.7 13.6 236.1 26 5158 5.6 396.8 22-466 10-28 15-164 13-6 69-567 53-41.8 33:18 95/188 7/16
no. yds
Hartbarger, Jake O'Connor, Tyler
50-99
- - - - - - - - - - - - 0-3
Overall 12-1 7-1 5-0
Punting
PAT rush rcv pass dxp saf
0-1 -
Record: All games Conference Non-Conference
lg avg/g
140 708 17 691 4.9 11 108 544 10 534 4.9 8 114 520 31 489 4.3 3 24 138 11 127 5.3 0 45 177 97 80 1.8 0 20 78 24 54 2.7 0 24 57 7 50 2.1 1 14 56 8 48 3.4 0 6 36 0 36 6.0 0 4 19 0 19 4.8 0 526 2359 270 2089 4.0 24 414 1828 358 1470 3.6 14
13-12 80 1219 13-4 41 484 12-9 38 492 11-2 19 228 13-9 10 112 13-5 8 133 12-6 8 82 9-2 5 85 13-9 4 94 13-1 3 15 13 225 3069 13 245 2988
td
Score 37-24 31-28 35-21 30-10 24-21 31-24 27-23 52-26 38-39 24-7 17-14 55-16 16-13
W W W W W W W W L W W W W
yds
18 393 2 31 1 25 1 17 22 466 48 1038
g
rush
rcv
td
OPP 228 83 124 21 1470 414 3.6 113.1 14 2988 245-415-15 7.2 12.2 229.8 18 4458 5.4 342.9 48-1038 16-189 6-74 25-13 73-626 58-38.2 26:42 61/174 15/30 lg
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
14 30 7 9 44 0 0 13
tb
fc i20 50+ blk
7 11 20 15 1 0 1 0
avg
td
0 0 0 1
17 3 17 81
avg
td
lg
pr
kr
ir
3.0 2.0 2.8 11.8 21.8 15.5 25.0 17.0 21.2 21.6
Neutral 1-0 0-0 1-0
0 0
lg
0 58 0 16 0 25 0 17 0 58 1 100 total avg/g
13 36 1219 0 0 0 1255 96.5 13 127 484 4 393 0 1008 77.5 13 691 15 0 25 0 731 56.2 12 534 82 0 0 0 616 51.3 12 15 492 24 0 0 531 44.2 13 2089 3069 28 466 164 5816 447.4 13 1470 2988 189 1038 74 5759 443.0 g plays
12 13 12 10 6 13 13
rush
pass
total avg/g
414 80 2921 3001 250.1 140 691 0 691 53.2 108 534 0 534 44.5 114 489 0 489 48.9 38 48 133 181 30.2 927 2089 3069 5158 396.8 829 1470 2988 4458 342.9
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Overall Team Statistics (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games Team Statistics SCORING Points Per Game Points Off Turnovers FIRST DOWNS R us hing P as s ing Penalty RUSHING YARDAGE Yards gained rushing Yards lost rushing Rushing Attempts Average Per Rush Average Per Game TDs Rushing PASSING YARDAGE Comp-Att-Int Average Per Pass Average Per Catch Average Per Game TDs Passing TOTAL OFFENSE Total Plays Average Per Play Average Per Game KICK RETURNS: #-Yards PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards INT RETURNS: #-Yards KICK RETURN AVERAGE PUNT RETURN AVERAGE INT RETURN AVERAGE FUMBLES-LOST PENALTIES-Yards Average Per Game PUNTS-Yards Average Per Punt Net punt average KICKOFFS-Yards Average Per Kick Net kick average TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 3RD-DOWN Conversions 3rd-Down Pct 4TH-DOWN Conversions 4th-Down Pct SACKS BY-Yards MISC YARDS TOUCHDOWNS SCORED FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS ON-SIDE KICKS RED-ZONE SCORES RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS PAT-ATTEMPTS ATTENDANCE Games/Avg Per Game Neutral Site Games Score by Quarters Michigan State Opponents
1st
2nd
95 114 48 70
3rd
4th
OT
93 115 68 80
0 0
MSU
OPP
417 32.1 108 284 113 153 18 2089 2359 270 526 4.0 160.7 24 3069 225-401-6 7.7 13.6 236.1 26 5158 927 5.6 396.8 22-466 10-28 15-164 21.2 2.8 10.9 13-6 69-567 43.6 53-2215 41.8 35.2 77-4589 59.6 39.0 33: 18 95/188 51% 7/16 44% 35-227 0 55 12-19 0-0 (43-50) 86% (35-50) 70% (51-53) 96% 522628 7/74661
266 20.5 20 228 83 124 21 1470 1828 358 414 3.6 113.1 14 2988 245-415-15 7.2 12.2 229.8 18 4458 829 5.4 342.9 48-1038 16-189 6-74 21.6 11.8 12.3 25-13 73-626 48.2 58-2213 38.2 37.0 55-3396 61.7 39.2 26: 42 61/174 35% 15/30 50% 17-106 2 34 11-15 0-3 (32-38) 84% (23-38) 61% (29-31) 94% 392067 5/78413 1/66985
Total 417 266
75 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Overall Individual Statistics (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games
76
Rushing
gp-gs
Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald London, Madre Shelton, R.J. Cook, Connor Terry, Damion Williams, Delton O'Connor, Tyler Burbridge, Aaron Williams, P-M Kings, Macgarrett Allen, Jack Arnett, DeAnthony Pendleton, Trevon Lyles, Jamal Macksood, Matt Geiger, Michael TEAM Total Opponents
13-1 12-6 10-6 13-4 12-12 9- 0 8- 0 6- 1 13-12 1- 0 12-9 11-11 9- 2 13-9 13-5 13-0 13-0 12-0 13 13
att
gain loss
net avg td
140 708 17 691 4.9 11 108 544 10 534 4.9 8 114 520 31 489 4.3 3 24 138 11 127 5.3 0 45 177 97 80 1.8 0 20 78 24 54 2.7 0 24 57 7 50 2.1 1 14 56 8 48 3.4 0 6 36 0 36 6.0 0 4 19 0 19 4.8 0 4 15 0 15 3.8 0 1 9 0 9 9.0 1 1 2 0 2 2.0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 1 0 1 -1 -1.0 0 1 0 6 -6 -6.0 0 17 0 58 -58 -3.4 0 526 2359 270 2089 4.0 24 414 1828 358 1470 3.6 14
Passing
gp-gs
effic comp-att-int
Cook, Connor O'Connor, Tyler Terry, Damion TEAM Total Opponents
12-12 6- 1 9- 0 12-0 13 13
142.16 210-369-5 119.88 13-24-1 46.57 2-7-0 0.00 0-1-0 138.80 225-401-6 126.60 245-415-15 no.
pct
lg avg/g
Punt Returns
no.
yds avg td
lg
38 43 62 19 22 14 6 11 13 10 6 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 62 72
Kings, Macgarrett Shelton, R.J. Total Opponents
8 2 10 16
24 4 28 189
17 3 17 81
Interceptions
no.
yds avg td
lg
Cox, Demetrious Nicholson, Montae Williamson, RJ Colquhoun, Arjen Bullough, Riley Miller, Grayson Copeland, Vayante McDowell, Malik Total Opponents
3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 15 6
14 60 9 7 61 0 0 13 164 74
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0
14 30 9 7 44 0 0 13 44 38
Kick Returns
no.
yds avg td
lg
Shelton, R.J. Williams, Delton Nicholson, Montae Scott, LJ Total Opponents
18 393 2 31 1 17 1 25 22 466 48 1038
Fumble Returns
no.
yds td
56.9 2921 24 54.2 133 2 28.6 15 0 0.0 0 0 56.1 3069 26 59.0 2988 18
Receiving
gp-gs
yds
avg
td
lg avg/g
Burbridge, Aaron Shelton, R.J. Kings, Macgarrett Price, Josiah Lang, Paul Lyles, Jamal Holmes, Gerald Arnett, DeAnthony Pendleton, Trevon Scott, LJ Madaris, Monty Troup, AJ Williams, Delton London, Madre Davis, Felton Total Opponents
13-12 80 1219 13-4 41 484 12-9 38 492 11-2 19 228 13-9 10 112 13-5 8 133 12-6 8 82 9- 2 5 85 13-9 4 94 13-1 3 15 9- 0 2 47 11-0 2 28 8- 0 2 15 10-6 2 13 6- 0 1 22 13 225 3069 13 245 2988
15.2 11.8 12.9 12.0 11.2 16.6 10.2 17.0 23.5 5.0 23.5 14.0 7.5 6.5 22.0 13.6 12.2
7 4 5 6 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 18
56 29 42 31 21 26 24 25 74 9 34 14 8 14 22 74 85
93.8 37.2 41.0 20.7 8.6 10.2 6.8 9.4 7.2 1.2 5.2 2.5 1.9 1.3 3.7 236.1 229.8
53.2 44.5 48.9 9.8 6.7 6.0 6.2 8.0 2.8 19.0 1.2 0.8 0.2 0.0 0.0 -0.1 -0.5 -4.8 160.7 113.1 lg avg/g
74 36 13 0 74 85
243.4 22.2 1.7 0.0 236.1 229.8
Cox, Demetrious Williamson, RJ Watts-Jackson, Jalen Bullough, Riley Dowell, Andrew Total Opponents
1 1 1 1 1 5 0
3.0 2.0 2.8 11.8 4.7 20.0 4.5 3.5 30.5 0.0 0.0 13.0 10.9 12.3 21.8 15.5 17.0 25.0 21.2 21.6
0 0 0 1
0 58 0 16 0 17 0 25 0 58 1 100
yds avg td
lg
77 64 38 13 2 194 0
77 64 38 13 2 77 0
77.0 64.0 38.0 13.0 2.0 38.8 0.0
1 1 1 0 0 3 0
Aaron Burbridge leads the Big Ten in receiving (93.8 ypg.) and receptions (80).
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Overall Individual Statistics (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games
Scoring
td
Geiger, Michael Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald Burbridge, Aaron Price, Josiah Kings, Macgarrett Shelton, R.J. London, Madre Arnett, DeAnthony Allen, Jack Pendleton, Trevon Lyles, Jamal McDowell, Malik Williams, Delton Bullough, Riley Watts-Jackson, Jalen Williamson, RJ Cox, Demetrious Macksood, Matt Total Opponents
- 12-19 11 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 55 12-19 34 11-15
Field Goals
Geiger, Michael
fg
fg
kick
51-53 51-53 29-31
PAT rush rcv pass dxp saf
0-1 0-1 -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0-3
-
pct. 01-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-99
12-19 63.2 0-0
4-5
4-7
4-5
FG Sequence
Michigan State
Opponents
Western Michigan Oregon Air Force Central Michigan Purdue Rutgers Michigan Indiana Nebraska Maryland Ohio State Penn State Iowa
(21) 28,(36) 35 (47) 35,(30) 35,(30) (21) (46) (35) 43,(41) (23),52,52,(29),(47)
41,(22) 45,43,(42) (22) (38),(21),(38) 42 (44),(43) (19) (24),(43)
0-2
pts
Total Offense
- 87 - 66 - 48 - 42 - 36 - 30 - 24 - 18 - 12 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 0 - 417 - 266
g plays
rush
pass
total avg/g
Cook, Connor Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald London, Madre O'Connor, Tyler Shelton, R.J. Terry, Damion Williams, Delton Burbridge, Aaron Williams, P-M Kings, Macgarrett Allen, Jack Arnett, DeAnthony Macksood, Matt Geiger, Michael TEAM Total Opponents
12 13 12 10 6 13 9 8 13 1 12 11 9 13 13 12 13 13
lg blk
Punting
no. yds avg
lg tb
47
Hartbarger, Jake O'Connor, Tyler Total Opponents
48 2023 5 192 53 2215 58 2213
61 46 61 80
Kickoffs
no. yds avg tb ob retn
Cronin, Kevin Geiger, Michael Total Opponents
75 4499 2 90 77 4589 55 3396
2
414 80 2921 3001 250.1 140 691 0 691 53.2 108 534 0 534 44.5 114 489 0 489 48.9 38 48 133 181 30.2 24 127 0 127 9.8 27 54 15 69 7.7 24 50 0 50 6.2 6 36 0 36 2.8 4 19 0 19 19.0 4 15 0 15 1.2 1 9 0 9 0.8 1 2 0 2 0.2 1 -1 0 -1 -0.1 1 -6 0 -6 -0.5 18 -58 0 -58 -4.8 927 2089 3069 5158 396.8 829 1470 2988 4458 342.9
42.1 38.4 41.8 38.2
60.0 22 45.0 0 59.6 22 61.7 31
fc i20 50+ blk
7 11 20 15 1 0 1 0 8 11 21 15 2 18 15 8
0 0 0 1
net ydln
2 1 3 21.6 39.0 1 21.2 39.2
26 25
Numbers in (parentheses) indicate field goal was made.
Michael Geiger leads the team in scoring with 87 points.
77 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Overall Individual Statistics (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games All Purpose
g
Burbridge, A. Shelton, R.J. Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald Kings, M. London, Madre Price, Josiah Lyles, Jamal Lang, Paul Williams, D. Pendleton, T. Arnett, D. Cook, Connor Nicholson, M. Bullough, Riley Terry, Damion O'Connor, Tyler Madaris, Monty Troup, AJ Davis, Felton Williams, P-M Cox, Demetrious McDowell, M. Allen, Jack Williamson, RJ Colquhoun, A. Macksood, Matt Geiger, Michael TEAM Total Opponents
rush
rcv
13 36 1219 13 127 484 13 691 15 12 534 82 12 15 492 10 489 13 11 0 228 13 0 133 13 0 112 8 50 15 13 0 94 9 2 85 12 80 0 13 0 0 13 0 0 9 54 0 6 48 0 9 0 47 11 0 28 6 0 22 1 19 0 13 0 0 13 0 0 11 9 0 5 0 0 13 0 0 13 -1 0 13 -6 0 12 -58 0 13 2089 3069 13 1470 2988
pr
kr
ir
0 0 4 393 0 25 0 0 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 466 189 1038
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 61 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 13 0 9 7 0 0 0 164 74
total avg/g
1255 1008 731 616 531 502 228 133 112 96 94 87 80 77 61 54 48 47 28 22 19 14 13 9 9 7 -1 -6 -58 5816 5759
96.5 77.5 56.2 51.3 44.2 50.2 20.7 10.2 8.6 12.0 7.2 9.7 6.7 5.9 4.7 6.0 8.0 5.2 2.5 3.7 19.0 1.1 1.0 0.8 1.8 0.5 -0.1 -0.5 -4.8 447.4 443.0 Connor Cook has completed 57 percent of his passes for 2,921 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior in 2015.
Michigan State Passing Game-by-Game (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games #18 Cook, Connor Western Michigan Oregon Air Force Central Michigan Purdue Rutgers Michigan Indiana Nebraska Maryland Penn State Iowa TOTALS
Comp 15 20 15 11 13 24 18 30 23 6 19 16 210
Att 31 32 23 19 19 39 39 52 37 20 26 32 369
Int 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 5
Pct 48.4 62.5 65.2 57.9 68.4 61.5 46.2 57.7 62.2 30.0 73.1 50.0 56.9
Yards 256 192 247 143 139 367 328 398 335 77 248 191 2921
TD Long 2 56 2 28 4 32 1 42 1 34 2 29 1 74 4 31 4 34 0 28 3 29 0 22 24 74
Sacked 0-0 0-0 3-20 0-0 0-0 1-6 3-29 4-22 0-0 1-1 0-0 2-10 14-88
Effic 139.05 127.27 212.82 138.48 147.24 152.38 125.26 147.37 168.49 52.34 191.28 93.89 142.16
#7 O'Connor, Tyler Maryland Ohio State Penn State TOTALS
Comp 6 7 0 13
Att 11 12 1 24
Int 1 0 0 1
Pct 54.5 58.3 0.0 54.2
Yards 44 89 0 133
TD Long 1 14 1 36 0 0 2 36
Sacked 1-7 1-1 0-0 2-8
Effic 99.96 148.13 0.00 119.88
#6 Terry, Damion Nebraska Maryland Ohio State TOTALS
Comp 1 0 1 2
Att 2 1 4 7
Int 0 0 0 0
Pct 50.0 0.0 25.0 28.6
Yards 13 0 2 15
TD Long 0 13 0 0 0 2 0 13
Sacked 0-0 0-0 1-10 1-10
Effic 104.60 0.00 29.20 46.57
#TM TEAM Iowa TOTALS
Comp 0 0
Att 1 1
Int 0 0
Pct 0.0 0.0
Yards 0 0
TD Long 0 0 0 0
Sacked 0-0 0-0
Effic 0.00 0.00
78 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Overall Defensive Statistics (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games
## 30 45 9 33 7D 89 36 4 8 2 92 26 44 49 5D 23 39 98 72 93 27 8J 13 10 20 24 52 29 15 99 31 65 88 85 16 56 12 14 34
Defensive Leaders
gp-gs
ua
Bullough, Riley Harris, Darien Nicholson, Montae Reschke, Jon Cox, Demetrious Calhoun, Shilique Colquhoun, Arjen McDowell, Malik Thomas, Lawrence Hicks, Darian Heath, Joel Williamson, RJ Miller, Grayson Jones, Shane Dowell, Andrew Frey, Chris Edmondson, Jermaine Cooper, Demetrius Evans, Craig Knox, Damon Willis, Khari Jones, Evan Copeland, Vayante Morrissey, Matt Watts-Jackson, Jalen Holmes, Gerald Pepper, Taybor Meyers, Mark Smith, Tyson Cronin, Kevin Harrell, T.J. Allen, Brian Madaris, Monty Kings, Macgarrett Burbridge, Aaron Smith, Enoch Shelton, R.J. Laneaux, Chris Martinez, Drake Total Opponents
13-12 13-13 13-9 13-13 13-13 13-13 13-10 13-13 13-13 10-5 11-11 5-5 11-4 12-1 12-0 13-0 13-0 12-1 13-0 13-1 9-3 13-0 2-2 11-0 7-0 12-6 13-0 6-0 6-1 13-0 9-0 13-11 9-0 12-9 13-12 3-0 13-4 4-0 2-0 13 13
42 40 45 31 43 22 26 19 9 16 12 11 16 12 9 12 12 10 7 5 2 2 6 3 2 2 1 . 1 . 1 2 1 1 1 . 1 1 . 426 425
Tackles a tot
53 42 31 43 29 23 13 20 26 14 17 13 8 11 13 10 8 10 12 8 9 5 1 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 1 . . . . 1 . . 1 438 519
95 82 76 74 72 45 39 39 35 30 29 24 24 23 22 22 20 20 19 13 11 7 7 5 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 864 944
tfl/yds
Sacks no-yds
7.0-24 7.0-17 2.5-6 5.5-16 2.0-4 14.5-81 1.5-12 12.0-53 4.5-30 0.5-1 5.5-26 2.0-4 1.0-1 1.5-2 1.0-2 5.0-24 1.0-4 5.5-14 3.5-12 1.5-6 . 0.5-2 2.0-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87-345 64-226
4.0-20 . . 2.0-10 . 10.5-74 1.0-11 4.5-38 3.0-27 . 2.0-11 . . . . 2.5-14 . 4.0-12 1.0-5 0.5-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35-227 17-106
Pass defense int-yds brup qbh
Fumbles rcv-yds
2-61 . 3-60 . 3-14 . 2-7 1-13 . . . 2-9 1-0 . . . . . . . . . 1-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-164 6-74
2-13 . . . 1-77 . 1-0 . . . 1-0 1-64 . . 1-2 1-0 2-0 1-0 . 1-0 . . . . 1-38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-194 6-0
2 3 2 2 7 3 10 . 5 3 1 1 . . . . 2 . . . 1 . 1 . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . 44 55
5 3 . 8 . 18 . 6 5 . 1 . . 1 . 2 . 3 2 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 40
ff
blkd kick
saf
2 . 1 . . 1 2 2 . . 1 . . 2 . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 9
. . . . . 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
79 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Rushing/Receiving Game-by-Game (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games RUSHING Scott, LJ RB Holmes, Gerald RB London, Madre RB Shelton, R.J. WR Cook, Connor QB Terry, Damion QB Williams, D. RB O'Connor, Tyler QB Burbridge, A. WR Williams, P-M RB Kings, M. WR Allen, Jack C Arnett, D. WR Lyles, Jamal TE Pendleton, T. FB Macksood, Matt WR Geiger, Michael K TEAM
No-Yds/TD 140-691/11 108-534/8 114-489/3 24-127/0 45-80/0 20-54/0 24-50/1 14-48/0 6-36/0 4-19/0 4-15/0 1-9/1 1-2/0 1-0/0 1-0/0 1--1/0 1--6/0 17--58/0
WMU ORE AF 13-77/0 11-76/2 11-23/0 9-54/1 DNP 3-7/0 13-59/2 18-103/0 17-40/0 3-6/0 2-22/0 1-8/0 2-4/0 7--4/0 1-2/0 1--4/0 1-5/0 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 1-2/0 1--2/0 3--4/0 1--4/0
CMU PUR RU 8-54/0 18-146/2 9-42/2 4-22/2 5-37/0 15-73/1 17-97/0 15-27/0 2-17/0 2-10/0 2-1/0 3-16/0 5-48/0 2-4/0 DNP DNP DNP DNP 2-6/0 DNP DNP 1-6/0 DNP DNP DNP 1-3/0 DNP DNP 1-0/0 3--4/0 4--34/0 1--1/0
RECEIVING Burbridge, A. WR Kings, M. WR Shelton, R.J. WR Price, Josiah TE Lyles, Jamal TE Lang, Paul TE Pendleton, T. FB Arnett, D. WR Holmes, Gerald RB Madaris, Monty WR Troup, AJ WR Davis, Felton WR Scott, LJ RB Williams, D. RB London, Madre RB
No-Yds/TD 80-1219/7 38-492/5 41-484/4 19-228/6 8-133/1 10-112/0 4-94/1 5-85/2 8-82/0 2-47/0 2-28/0 1-22/0 3-15/0 2-15/0 2-13/0
WMU 4-117/0 2-27/0 2-13/0 3-49/1 2-36/1 1-0/0 DNP 1-14/0 DNP DNP -
CMU 4-31/0 2-46/0 1-5/1 1-26/0 1-9/0 DNP 1-17/0 DNP 1-9/0 DNP -
ORE 8-101/1 6-48/0 2--1/0 2-23/1 1-18/0 1-3/0 DNP DNP DNP DNP -
AF 8-156/3 5-68/0 1-15/1 1-8/0 DNP DNP -
PUR 1-9/0 DNP 3-31/1 DNP 2-21/0 2-14/0 2-47/0 1-14/0 1-4/0 DNP 1--1/0
MICH 8-16/2 8-33/0 DNP 1-3/0 4--23/0 1-2/0 8-15/0 1-7/0 1-9/0 DNP DNP DNP 1--4/0
RU MICH 10-156/0 9-132/0 4-58/1 3-57/1 5-55/0 4-58/0 DNP 1-7/0 1-23/0 2-34/0 1-74/0 2-41/1 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
IND NEB UMD 11-68/1 3-5/0 2-12/0 10-39/1 22-117/1 18-83/1 DNP DNP 4-6/0 2-10/0 2-10/0 2-4/0 10-18/0 4-7/0 2-7/0 4-8/0 1-3/0 3-13/0 6-0/1 1-1/0 1-3/0 DNP 4-10/0 DNP DNP DNP 2-12/0 DNP 1-0/0 1--1/0 1--6/0 DNP 2--3/0
OSU 13-58/0 14-65/1 2-4/0 2-21/0 DNP 8-25/0 2-7/0 8-25/0 DNP 1-0/0 DNP 1--2/0
PSU 11-41/1 12-64/1 1-20/0 1--5/0 DNP 4-18/0 1-6/0 3-16/0 4-19/0 1-9/1 -
IOWA 22-73/1 3-13/0 12-60/0 3-15/0 5-8/0 DNP DNP 1-5/0 DNP DNP -
IND NEB 8-128/1 10-164/1 7-69/0 4-97/2 6-76/2 4-41/0 3-51/1 2-21/0 1-11/0 1-16/1 3-35/0 2-8/0 2-28/0 1-1/0 DNP DNP DNP DNP
OSU 4-62/0 1-8/0 1-12/1 DNP 1-2/0 1-7/0 -
PSU 6-75/1 1-4/0 4-74/1 3-33/1 1-18/0 3-36/0 1-8/0 -
IOWA 5-61/0 4-30/0 3-34/0 1-13/0 1-17/0 DNP DNP 1-22/0 1-14/0
UMD 3-27/0 4-48/1 3-35/0 2-11/0 DNP -
Michigan State Total Tackles Game-by-Game (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games Total Tackles
UA-A
Total
WMU
ORE
AF
CMU
PUR
RU
MICH
IND
NEB
UMD
OSU
PSU
IOWA
Bullough, Riley LB Harris, Darien LB Nicholson, M. S Reschke, J. LB Cox, Demetrious DB Calhoun, S. DE Colquhoun, A. CB McDowell, M. DL Thomas, L. DL Hicks, Darian CB Heath, Joel DL Williamson, RJ S Miller, Grayson S Jones, Shane LB Dowell, Andrew LB Frey, Chris LB Edmondson, J. CB Cooper, D. DE Evans, Craig DT Knox, Damon DT Willis, Khari DB Jones, Evan DE Copeland, V. CB Morrissey, Matt S Watts-Jackson DB Holmes, Gerald Meyers, Mark DB Smith, Tyson DB Pepper, Taybor SN
42-53 40-42 45-31 31-43 43-29 22-23 26-13 19-20 9-26 16-14 12-17 11-13 16-8 12-11 9-13 12-10 12-8 10-10 7-12 5-8 2-9 2-5 6-1 3-2 2-3 2-2 0-3 1-2 1-2
95 82 76 74 72 45 39 39 35 30 29 24 24 23 22 22 20 20 19 13 11 7 7 5 5 4 3 3 3
7-2 7-1 4-3 6-3 3-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 2-1 4-4 DNP DNP 0-2 0-1 1-0 2-0 0-2 0-1 DNP 4-0 DNP 0-2 DNP 0-1
5-9 5-7 3-2 2-9 3-4 2-1 0-5 0-3 0-6 0-2 1-5 1-2 DNP 0-1 1-1 2-2 1-2 2-2 0-1 1-0 DNP 2-1 1-1 0-2 DNP DNP DNP -
5- 11 4-2 1-3 1-4 1-3 1-1 1-5 1-3 0-2 2-3 2-3 3-1 2-5 1-0 DNP 0-2 DNP 1-2 DNP 1-1 1-0 DNP DNP -
3-4 1-7 4-1 3-1 3-2 3-3 7-0 0-1 0-3 0-2 DNP 3-2 1-1 2-3 1-1 0-3 1-4 1-1 0-1 DNP DNP DNP -
2-3 4-4 1-1 3-2 2-1 2-4 4-1 5-1 1-0 3-1 0-2 1-2 0-1 1-0 1-0 DNP 0-1 1-0 DNP DNP -
4-0 1-0 5-0 4-1 7-1 3-1 1-0 2-0 1-1 2-0 1-0 DNP 1-0 1-0 2-0 0-1 1-0 2-0 1-1 1-0 DNP 1-0 DNP DNP -
4-3 2-4 1-1 0-4 6-2 3-2 2-0 2-1 3-4 DNP 2-2 DNP 5-1 3-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 1-2 DNP DNP DNP -
0-5 1-2 4-1 2-4 4-2 1-0 2-0 1-2 0-3 DNP 2-2 DNP 3-3 3-2 1-1 0-1 0-4 DNP 1-0 DNP 0-1 0-1 -
0-5 10-3 1-5 2-4 3-2 3-0 0-2 0-1 DNP 1-1 DNP 3-1 1-0 1-2 3-1 1-3 1-2 0-1 DNP 1-0 DNP 1-1 -
3-4 1-5 5-4 2-5 2-1 1-3 2-1 5-3 1-1 2-2 DNP DNP 2-2 0-2 1-1 0-2 1-2 0-2 1-1 0-1 DNP DNP DNP -
3-1 3-3 5-3 4-2 2-2 0-3 1-0 0-3 2-0 DNP 1-0 1-0 2-2 1-0 1-1 DNP DNP -
4-3 1-1 5-4 0-3 4-3 1-1 2-2 1-0 2-0 7-2 DNP 1-0 1-2 2-1 1-2 3-0 0-1 0-2 DNP DNP 0-1 DNP 1-0
2-3 4-5 3-4 2-2 3-4 4-2 2-2 0-2 0-1 0-2 1-1 DNP 0-1 DNP 1-0 2-0 2-0 1-0 0-1 DNP DNP DNP 0-1 0-1
80 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Team Game-by-Game (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games TEAM STATISTICS Date
Opponent
no.
Sep 4 at Western Michigan Sep 12 OREGON Sep 19 AIR FORCE Sep 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Oct 03 PURDUE Oct 10 at Rutgers Oct 17 at Michigan Oct 24 INDIANA Nov 07 at Nebraska Nov 14 MARYLAND Nov 21 at Ohio State Nov 28 PENN STATE Dec 05 vs Iowa Michigan State Opponents
Rushing yds td
40 196 3 37 197 2 42 77 0 36 181 3 47 267 2 37 122 2 33 58 2 44 142 3 34 143 1 41 141 1 51 203 1 38 188 3 46 174 1 526 2089 24 414 1470 14
td
lg
Kick Returns no. yds td lg
Punt Returns no. yds td lg
24 15 256 2 56 15-31-0 256 2 62 20 192 2 28 20-32-1 192 2 11 15 247 4 32 15-23-0 247 4 29 11 143 1 42 11-19-0 143 1 30 13 139 1 34 13-19-0 139 1 30 24 367 2 29 24-39-1 367 2 11 18 328 1 74 18-39-0 328 1 26 30 398 4 31 30-52-0 398 4 43 24 348 4 34 24-39-1 348 4 15 12 121 1 28 12-32-2 121 1 20 8 91 1 36 8-16-0 91 1 20 19 248 3 29 19-27-0 248 3 12 16 191 0 22 16-33-1 191 0 62 225 3069 26 74 225-401-6 3069 26 72 245 2988 18 85 245-415-15 2988 18
56 28 32 42 34 29 74 31 34 28 36 29 22 74 85
1 35 2 47 1 13 0 0 3 56 4 69 2 50 2 67 4 66 1 38 0 0 2 25 0 0 22 466 48 1038
0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 17 1 9 0 0 3 -15 2 12 0 0 10 28 16 189
lg
no.
Receiving yds td
lg
Passing cmp-att-int yds
0 35 0 25 0 13 0 0 0 23 0 20 0 29 0 58 0 33 0 38 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 58 1 100
tot off
0 0 452 0 0 389 0 1 324 0 0 324 0 0 406 0 0 489 0 3 386 0 17 540 0 9 491 0 0 262 0 4 294 0 9 436 0 0 365 0 17 5158 1 81 4458
Games played: 13 Avg per rush: 4.0 Avg per catch: 13.6 Pass efficiency: 138.80 Kick ret avg: 21.2 Punt ret avg: 2.8 All purpose avg/game: 447.4 Total offense avg/gm: 396.8 Date
Opponent
ua
Tackles a total
26 68 52 40 24 6 28 34 36 44 20 28 32 438 519
68 102 80 74 55 47 64 60 69 74 46 65 60 864 944
tfl-yds
Sacks no-yds
Fumble ff fr-yds
Pass Defense blkd int-yds qbh brup kick
11.0-46 6.0-30 5.0-11 10.0-41 6.0-24 7.0-36 9.0-23 4.0-19 6.0-14 9.0-32 2.0-9 5.0-34 7.0-26 87.0-345 64.0-226
7.0-39 4.0-18 0.0-0 4.0-31 3.0-19 3.0-28 3.0-10 2.0-16 0.0-0 3.0-14 1.0-8 2.0-24 3.0-20 35.0-227 17.0-106
0 0-0 1 0-0 1 2-66 1 1-13 1 2-0 0 0-0 0 1-38 2 1-0 0 0-0 2 2-0 0 0-0 2 2-77 3 2-0 13 13-194 9 6-0
2-0 2-30 1-9 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 2-31 3-81 0-0 2-13 1-0 15-164 6-74
Sep 4 at Western Michigan Sep 12 OREGON Sep 19 AIR FORCE Sep 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Oct 03 PURDUE Oct 10 at Rutgers Oct 17 at Michigan Oct 24 INDIANA Nov 07 at Nebraska Nov 14 MARYLAND Nov 21 at Ohio State Nov 28 PENN STATE Dec 05 vs Iowa Michigan State Opponents
42 34 28 34 31 41 36 26 33 30 26 37 28 426 425
Date
no.
yds
avg
long
blkd
tb
fc
50+
i20
md-att
4 5 3 3 5 3 5 4 3 7 5 2 4 53 58
189 257 133 119 207 74 186 170 135 297 202 83 163 2215 2213
47.2 51.4 44.3 39.7 41.4 24.7 37.2 42.5 45.0 42.4 40.4 41.5 40.8 41.8 38.2
55 55 52 46 52 39 46 56 60 56 51 44 61 61 80
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 8 2
1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 11 18
2 4 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 15 8
2 1 1 2 2 1 0 1 1 4 3 1 2 21 15
1-1 1-2 0-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 0-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 0-0 3-5 12-19 11-15
Punting Opponent
Sep 4 at Western Michigan Sep 12 OREGON Sep 19 AIR FORCE Sep 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Oct 03 PURDUE Oct 10 at Rutgers Oct 17 at Michigan Oct 24 INDIANA Nov 07 at Nebraska Nov 14 MARYLAND Nov 21 at Ohio State Nov 28 PENN STATE Dec 05 vs Iowa Michigan State Opponents
2 6 1 7 10 3 2 5 1 6 2 7 3 55 40
4 5 0 3 4 3 4 6 4 5 1 4 1 44 55
0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 3
PAT Attempts kick rush rcv saf
4-4 4-4 5-5 3-4 3-3 4-4 3-3 7-7 5-5 3-3 2-2 7-8 1-1 51-53 29-31
Field Goals
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
pts
0 7 0 7 0 7 0 6 0 14 0 0 0 6 0 7 0 7 0 17 0 0 0 27 0 3 0 108 0 20
37 31 35 30 24 31 27 52 38 24 17 55 16 417 266
Kickoffs
long blkd
21 36 0 47 30 30 0 21 46 35 41 0 47 47 44
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
off t/o
0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
no.
yds
avg
tb
ob
7 443 6 345 6 351 6 313 5 300 6 322 4 231 9 567 7 375 4 259 3 195 9 565 5 323 77 4589 55 3396
63.3 57.5 58.5 52.2 60.0 53.7 57.8 63.0 53.6 64.8 65.0 62.8 64.6 59.6 61.7
2 1 2 1 1 0 0 4 0 1 3 4 3 22 31
0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 1
81 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Opponent Game-by-Game (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games OPPONENT STATISTICS Date
Opponent
no.
Sep 4 at Western Michigan Sep 12 OREGON Sep 19 AIR FORCE Sep 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Oct 03 PURDUE Oct 10 at Rutgers Oct 17 at Michigan Oct 24 INDIANA Nov 07 at Nebraska Nov 14 MARYLAND Nov 21 at Ohio State Nov 28 PENN STATE Dec 05 vs Iowa Opponents Michigan State
Rushing yds td
23 18 0 43 123 2 51 279 2 26 55 0 32 165 2 32 141 0 33 62 2 23 81 1 36 179 3 37 107 1 29 86 1 25 122 0 24 52 0 414 1470 14 526 2089 24
lg
no.
Receiving yds td
lg
Passing cmp-att-int yds
td
lg
12 33 365 2 44 33-50-2 365 2 44 17 22 309 1 30 22-39-2 309 1 30 22 6 149 1 44 6-9-1 149 1 44 42 26 285 1 42 26-39-0 285 1 42 68 15 136 1 35 15-31-1 136 1 35 72 15 208 3 39 15-26-0 208 3 39 27 15 168 0 32 15-25-0 168 0 32 33 23 308 3 37 23-37-1 308 3 37 21 19 320 2 43 19-33-2 320 2 43 32 17 182 0 37 17-36-3 182 0 37 10 9 46 1 16 9-16-0 46 1 16 25 27 296 2 59 27-47-2 296 2 59 14 18 216 1 85 18-27-1 216 1 85 72 245 2988 18 85 245-415-15 2988 18 85 62 225 3069 26 74 225-401-6 3069 26 74
Kick Returns no. yds td lg
Punt Returns no. yds td lg
5 4 4 4 4 5 4 4 5 3 0 4 2 48 22
1 16 4 98 1 1 1 -2 0 0 0 0 3 48 2 3 0 0 1 7 1 13 1 1 1 4 16 189 10 28
209 88 47 54 76 86 106 76 123 58 0 63 52 1038 466
1 100 0 49 0 20 0 18 0 23 0 26 0 49 0 27 0 34 0 25 0 0 0 31 0 27 1 100 0 58
0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
tot off
16 383 81 432 1 428 0 340 0 301 0 349 34 230 2 389 0 499 7 289 13 132 1 418 4 268 81 4458 17 5158
Games played: 13 Avg per rush: 3.6 Avg per catch: 12.2 Pass efficiency: 126.60 Kick ret avg: 21.6 Punt ret avg: 11.8 All purpose avg/game: 443.0 Total offense avg/gm: 342.9 Date
Opponent
ua
Tackles a total
37 56 48 50 50 20 16 50 42 36 42 44 28 519 438
67 76 79 64 77 69 55 91 78 67 76 74 71 944 864
tfl-yds
Sacks no-yds
Fumble ff fr-yds
Pass Defense blkd int-yds qbh brup kick
3.0-8 6.0-16 8.0-28 1.0-1 3.0-15 6.0-19 7.0-37 13.0-44 3.0-6 7.0-25 5.0-17 0.0-0 2.0-10 64.0-226 87.0-345
0.0-0 0.0-0 3.0-20 0.0-0 0.0-0 1.0-6 3.0-29 4.0-22 0.0-0 2.0-8 2.0-11 0.0-0 2.0-10 17.0-106 35.0-227
1 1-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 1 0-0 1 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 2 1-0 0 0-0 2 1-0 1 2-0 1 1-0 0 0-0 9 6-0 13 13-194
0-0 1-25 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-12 2-33 0-0 0-0 1-4 6-74 15-164
Sep 4 at Western Michigan Sep 12 OREGON Sep 19 AIR FORCE Sep 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Oct 03 PURDUE Oct 10 at Rutgers Oct 17 at Michigan Oct 24 INDIANA Nov 07 at Nebraska Nov 14 MARYLAND Nov 21 at Ohio State Nov 28 PENN STATE Dec 05 vs Iowa Opponents Michigan State
30 20 31 14 27 49 39 41 36 31 34 30 43 425 426
Date
no.
yds
avg
long
blkd
tb
fc
50+
i20
md-att
4 3 3 2 4 5 7 4 2 7 9 3 5 58 53
156 92 108 52 189 172 312 191 70 209 344 140 178 2213 2215
39.0 30.7 36.0 26.0 47.2 34.4 44.6 47.8 35.0 29.9 38.2 46.7 35.6 38.2 41.8
52 42 38 34 63 46 80 62 51 48 53 53 48 80 61
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 8
1 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 0 2 3 0 4 18 11
1 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 8 15
1 0 0 0 3 1 3 1 0 0 3 1 2 15 21
1-2 0-0 0-0 1-3 0-0 1-1 3-3 0-1 2-2 0-0 0-0 1-1 2-2 11-15 12-19
Punting Opponent
Sep 4 at Western Michigan Sep 12 OREGON Sep 19 AIR FORCE Sep 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Oct 03 PURDUE Oct 10 at Rutgers Oct 17 at Michigan Oct 24 INDIANA Nov 07 at Nebraska Nov 14 MARYLAND Nov 21 at Ohio State Nov 28 PENN STATE Dec 05 vs Iowa Opponents Michigan State
3 1 3 4 0 8 1 8 0 7 2 1 2 40 55
7 6 3 2 3 3 10 5 4 3 3 2 4 55 44
0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3
PAT Attempts kick rush rcv saf
3-3 4-4 3-3 1-1 3-3 3-3 2-2 2-4 3-3 1-1 2-2 1-1 1-1 29-31 51-53
Field Goals
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
pts
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 3 0 20 0 108
24 28 21 10 21 24 23 26 39 7 14 16 13 266 417
Kickoffs
long blkd
22 0 0 42 0 22 38 0 44 0 0 19 43 44 47
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
off t/o
0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
no.
yds
avg
tb
ob
5 325 5 315 3 195 3 195 4 252 5 288 6 380 5 312 7 412 2 126 3 195 3 141 4 260 55 3396 77 4589
65.0 63.0 65.0 65.0 63.0 57.6 63.3 62.4 58.9 63.0 65.0 47.0 65.0 61.7 59.6
4 3 2 3 1 0 4 3 3 1 3 0 4 31 22
0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
82 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Team Game-by-Game Comparison (as of Dec 16, 2015) All games Opponent
Western Michigan OREGON AIR FORCE CENTRAL MICHIGAN PURDUE Rutgers Michigan INDIANA Nebraska MARYLAND Ohio State PENN STATE Iowa Totals
Opponent
Western Michigan OREGON AIR FORCE CENTRAL MICHIGAN PURDUE Rutgers Michigan INDIANA Nebraska MARYLAND Ohio State PENN STATE Iowa Totals
Score
Total
37 - 24 31 - 28 35 - 21 30 - 10 24 - 21 31 - 24 27 - 23 52 - 26 38 - 39 24 - 7 17 - 14 55 - 16 16 - 13 417 - 266
26 21 22 18 20 22 20 33 25 16 17 24 20 284
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
22 26 24 17 16 15 10 20 24 16 5 20 13 228
3rd Down Conversions
10-15 3-12 7-14 4-8 5-14 11-17 3-12 13-20 8-14 6-16 7-15 8-11 10-20 95-188
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
8-18 4-13 3-8 7-15 5-13 3-12 4-15 5-11 6-12 4-16 4-14 5-15 3-12 61-174
First Downs Rush Pass
11 9 5 11 12 5 3 10 5 9 14 10 9 113
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
2 13 7 11 16 14 2 6 6 7 8 17 3 13 3 21 11 17 7 7 4 3 9 14 5 10 83 153
4th Down Conversions
0-0 2-2 1-2 0-0 0-1 1-1 0-4 0-1 1-2 0-1 1-1 0-0 1-1 7-16
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
2-2 2-6 0-1 1-3 1-3 2-3 0-1 0-1 1-1 1-3 1-1 4-5 0-0 15-30
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Rushing Number-Yards
Pen
18 2 17 1 5 3 12 1 7 1 7 0 6 4 15 2 12 3 8 0 1 0 10 0 6 1 124 18
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
2 2 3 3 3 0 1 2 1 1 0 1 2 21
40-196 37-197 42-77 36-181 47-267 37-122 33-58 44-142 34-143 41-141 51-203 38-188 46-174 526-2089
Time of Possession
28:19 33:26 33:01 28:15 37:24 34:12 30:11 38:59 32:25 32:11 38:10 29:48 36:38 432:59
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
31:41 26:34 26:59 31:45 22:36 25:48 29:49 21:01 27:35 27:49 21:50 30:12 23:22 347:01
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Passing Comp-Att-Int
23-18 43-123 51-279 26-55 32-165 32-141 33-62 23-81 36-179 37-107 29-86 25-122 24-52 414-1470
TOP Margin
-3:22 6:52 6:02 -3:30 14:48 8:24 0:22 17:58 4:50 4:22 16:20 -0:24 13:16 85:58
15-31-0 20-32-1 15-23-0 11-19-0 13-19-0 24-39-1 18-39-0 30-52-0 24-39-1 12-32-2 8-16-0 19-27-0 16-33-1 225-401-6
Avg Yds/Rush
4.9 5.3 1.8 5.0 5.7 3.3 1.8 3.2 4.2 3.4 4.0 4.9 3.8 4.0
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
0.8 2.9 5.5 2.1 5.2 4.4 1.9 3.5 5.0 2.9 3.0 4.9 2.2 3.6
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
33-50-2 256 22-39-2 192 6-9-1 247 26-39-0 143 15-31-1 139 15-26-0 367 15-25-0 328 23-37-1 398 19-33-2 348 17-36-3 121 9-16-0 91 27-47-2 248 18-27-1 191 245-415-15 3069 Avg Yds/Pass
8.3 6.0 10.7 7.5 7.3 9.4 8.4 7.7 8.9 3.8 5.7 9.2 5.8 7.7
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
7.3 7.9 16.6 7.3 4.4 8.0 6.7 8.3 9.7 5.1 2.9 6.3 8.0 7.2
Total Offense Plays-Yards
Yards
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
365 71-452 309 69-389 149 65-324 285 55-324 136 66-406 208 76-489 168 72-386 308 96-540 320 73-491 182 73-262 46 67-294 296 65-436 216 79-365 2988 927-5158
Avg Yds/Play
6.4 5.6 5.0 5.9 6.2 6.4 5.4 5.6 6.7 3.6 4.4 6.7 4.6 5.6
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
5.2 5.3 7.1 5.2 4.8 6.0 4.0 6.5 7.2 4.0 2.9 5.8 5.3 5.4
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
73-383 82-432 60-428 65-340 63-301 58-349 58-230 60-389 69-499 73-289 45-132 72-418 51-268 829-4458
Punting Number-Avg
4-47.2 5-51.4 3-44.3 3-39.7 5-41.4 3-24.7 5-37.2 4-42.5 3-45.0 7-42.4 5-40.4 2-41.5 4-40.8 53-41.8
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
4-39.0 3-30.7 3-36.0 2-26.0 4-47.2 5-34.4 7-44.6 4-47.8 2-35.0 7-29.9 9-38.2 3-46.7 5-35.6 58-38.2
Return Yards
35 77 89 13 56 69 92 84 106 119 -15 127 0 852
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
225 211 48 52 76 86 154 79 135 98 13 64 60 1301
Penalties Number-Yards
3-25 2-15 6-38 8-78 8-51 1-5 5-44 5-56 8-76 7-50 4-30 4-19 8-80 69-567
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
8-77 9-56 7-95 9-70 2-20 3-20 8-70 6-45 5-55 1-8 4-20 6-45 5-45 73-626
TurnOvers
1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 2 1 1 12
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
2 2 3 1 3 0 1 2 2 5 0 4 3 28
Sacks
7 4 0 4 3 3 3 2 0 3 1 2 3 35
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
0 0 3 0 0 1 3 4 0 2 2 0 2 17
Note: Game totals are displayed in the format TEAM/OPPONENT for each category
83 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 STATISTICS INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS Rushes Yards Rushing TD Rushes
Long Rush Pass attempts Pass completions Yards Passing TD Passes
Long Pass Receptions Yards Receiving TD Receptions Long Reception Field Goals Long Field Goal Punts Punting Avg Long Punt Punts inside 20 Long Punt Return Long Kickoff Return Tackles Sacks Tackles For Loss Interceptions
22 22 146 2 2 2 2 2 2 62 52 30 398 4 4 4 74 10 10 164 3 74 3 47 47 7 51.4 61 4 17 58 16 3.0 4.5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Holmes, Gerald at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) Scott, LJ vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) Scott, LJ vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) London, Madre at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) Scott, LJ vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) Holmes, Gerald vs Central Michigan (Sep 26, 2015) Scott, LJ vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) Scott, LJ at Rutgers (Oct 10, 2015) Scott, LJ at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) London, Madre vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) Cook, Connor vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Cook, Connor vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Cook, Connor vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Cook, Connor vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) Cook, Connor vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Cook, Connor at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) Cook, Connor at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) Burbridge, Aaron at Rutgers (Oct 10, 2015) Burbridge, Aaron at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) Burbridge, Aaron at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) Burbridge, Aaron vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) Pendleton, Trevon at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) Geiger, Michael vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) Geiger, Michael vs Central Michigan (Sep 26, 2015) Geiger, Michael vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) Hartbarger, Jake vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) Hartbarger, Jake vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) Hartbarger, Jake vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) Hartbarger, Jake vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) Kings, Macgarrett vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Shelton, R.J. vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Bullough, Riley vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) Bullough, Riley at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) McDowell, Malik vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) Nicholson, Montae at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 201 Copeland, Vayante at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 20 Nicholson, Montae vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) Williamson, RJ vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) Williamson, RJ vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) Cox, Demetrious vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) Miller, Grayson vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Cox, Demetrious at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) Bullough, Riley at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) Nicholson, Montae vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) Bullough, Riley vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) Colquhoun, Arjen vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) McDowell, Malik vs Penn State (Nov 28, 2015) Colquhoun, Arjen vs Penn State (Nov 28, 2015) Cox, Demetrious vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015)
OPPONENT INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS Rushes Yards Rushing TD Rushes
Long Rush Pass attempts Pass completions Yards Passing TD Passes Long Pass Receptions Yards Receiving TD Receptions Long Reception Field Goals Long Field Goal Punts Punting Avg Long Punt Punts inside 20
Long Punt Return Long Kickoff Return Tackles Sacks Tackles For Loss Interceptions
TEAM GAME HIGHS Rushes Yards Rushing Yards Per Rush TD Rushes
Pass attempts Pass completions Yards Passing Yards Per Pass TD Passes
Total Plays Total Offense Yards Per Play Points Sacks By First Downs Penalties
84
Penalty Yards Turnovers Interceptions By Punts Punting Avg Long Punt Punts inside 20 Long Punt Return
51 267 5.7 3 3 3 3 52 30 398 10.7 4 4 4 96 540 6.7 55 7 33 8 8 8 8 80 3 3 7 51.4 61 4 17
at Ohio State (Nov 21, 2015) vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) vs Central Michigan (Sep 26, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) vs Penn State (Nov 28, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) vs Penn State (Nov 28, 2015) at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) vs Central Michigan (Sep 26, 2015) vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015)
24 157 2 2 2 72 50 33 365 3 3 85 13 154 3 85 3 44 8 47.8 80 3 3 3 81 100 15 15 2.5 4.0 2
Freeman, Royce, vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) Jones, Markell, vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) Jones, Markell, vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) Houma, Sione, at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) Armstrong Jr., at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) James, Paul, at Rutgers (Oct 10, 2015) TERRELL, Zach, at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) TERRELL, Zach, at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) TERRELL, Zach, at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) Laviano, Chris, at Rutgers (Oct 10, 2015) Sudfeld, Nate, vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Beathard, C.J., vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) BRAVERMAN, D, at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) DAVIS, Corey, at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) Carroo, Leonte, at Rutgers (Oct 10, 2015) Smith, Tevaun, vs Iowa (Dec 05, 2015) Allen, Kenny, at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) Brown, Drew, at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) Johnston, C, at Ohio State (Nov 21, 2015) Toth, Erich, vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) O'Neill, Blake, at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) Schopper, Joe, vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) O'Neill, Blake, at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) Johnston, C, at Ohio State (Nov 21, 2015) Addison, Bralon, vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) PHILLIPS, D, at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) Simmons, T.J., vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Perry, Joshua, at Ohio State (Nov 21, 2015) Simmons, T.J., vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Simmons, T.J., vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) Nixon, A., vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015)
OPPONENT TEAM GAME HIGHS Rushes Yards Rushing Yards Per Rush TD Rushes Pass attempts Pass completions Yards Passing Yards Per Pass TD Passes Total Plays Total Offense Yards Per Play Points Sacks By First Downs Penalties Penalty Yards Turnovers Interceptions By Punts Punting Avg Long Punt Punts inside 20
Long Punt Return
51 279 5.5 3 50 33 365 16.6 3 3 82 499 7.2 39 4 26 9 9 95 5 2 9 47.8 80 3 3 3 81
vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) at Western Michigan (Sep 4, 2015) vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) at Rutgers (Oct 10, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) at Nebraska (Nov 07, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015) vs Central Michigan (Sep 26, 2015) vs Air Force (Sep 19, 2015) vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) vs Maryland (Nov 14, 2015) at Ohio State (Nov 21, 2015) vs Indiana (Oct 24, 2015) at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) vs Purdue (Oct 03, 2015) at Michigan (Oct 17, 2015) at Ohio State (Nov 21, 2015) vs Oregon (Sep 12, 2015)
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 STATISTICS 3rd-Down Conversions Date
Opponent
Sep 4, 2015 Sep 12, 2015 Sep 19, 2015 Sep 26, 2015 Oct 03, 2015 Oct 10, 2015 Oct 17, 2015 Oct 24, 2015 Nov 07, 2015 Nov 14, 2015 Nov 21, 2015 Nov 28, 2015 Dec 05, 2015
at Western Michigan OREGON AIR FORCE CENTRAL MICHIGAN PURDUE at Rutgers at Michigan INDIANA at Nebraska MARYLAND at Ohio State PENN STATE vs Iowa Michigan State Opponents
Date
Opponent
Sep 4, 2015 Sep 12, 2015 Sep 19, 2015 Sep 26, 2015 Oct 03, 2015 Oct 10, 2015 Oct 17, 2015 Oct 24, 2015 Nov 07, 2015 Nov 14, 2015 Nov 21, 2015 Nov 28, 2015 Dec 05, 2015
at Western Michigan OREGON AIR FORCE CENTRAL MICHIGAN PURDUE at Rutgers at Michigan INDIANA at Nebraska MARYLAND at Ohio State PENN STATE vs Iowa Michigan State Opponents
Date
Opponent
Sep 4, 2015 Sep 12, 2015 Sep 19, 2015 Sep 26, 2015 Oct 03, 2015 Oct 10, 2015 Oct 17, 2015 Oct 24, 2015 Nov 07, 2015 Nov 14, 2015 Nov 21, 2015 Nov 28, 2015 Dec 05, 2015
at Western Michigan OREGON AIR FORCE CENTRAL MICHIGAN PURDUE at Rutgers at Michigan INDIANA at Nebraska MARYLAND at Ohio State PENN STATE vs Iowa Michigan State
Score W W W W W W W W L W W W W
37-24 31-28 35-21 30-10 24-21 31-24 27-23 52-26 38-39 24-7 17-14 55-16 16-13
Overall
10-15 3-12 7-14 4-8 5-14 11-17 3-12 13-20 8-14 6-16 7-15 8-11 10-20 95-188 61-174
1st Qtr
66.7 25.0 50.0 50.0 35.7 64.7 25.0 65.0 57.1 37.5 46.7 72.7 50.0 50.5 35.1
5-6 0-3 2-2 1-1 3-4 1-4 2-4 3-4 0-4 2-4 1-3 2-3 1-3 23-45 18-43
2nd Qtr
83.3 0.0 100.0 100.0 75.0 25.0 50.0 75.0 0.0 50.0 33.3 66.7 33.3 51.1 41.9
1-2 1-2 3-5 1-2 0-2 4-6 0-2 4-6 4-4 1-6 2-4 1-2 1-3 23-46 16-51
50.0 50.0 60.0 50.0 0.0 66.7 0.0 66.7 100.0 16.7 50.0 50.0 33.3 50.0 31.4
3rd Qtr
3-3 2-5 0-2 1-4 1-4 3-3 0-1 3-6 2-2 2-3 1-3 4-4 2-6 24-46 11-31
4th Qtr
100.0 40.0 0.0 25.0 25.0 100.0 0.0 50.0 100.0 66.7 33.3 100.0 33.3 52.2 35.5
1-4 0-2 2-5 1-1 1-4 3-4 1-5 3-4 2-4 1-3 3-5 1-2 6-8 25-51 16-49
Overtime
25.0 0.0 40.0 100.0 25.0 75.0 20.0 75.0 50.0 33.3 60.0 50.0 75.0 49.0 32.7
0-0 0-0
0.0 0.0
4th-Down Conversions Score W W W W W W W W L W W W W
37-24 31-28 35-21 30-10 24-21 31-24 27-23 52-26 38-39 24-7 17-14 55-16 16-13
Overall
0-0 2-2 1-2 0-0 0-1 1-1 0-4 0-1 1-2 0-1 1-1 0-0 1-1 7-16 15-30
0.0 100.0 50.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 50.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 43.8 50.0
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-3 2-2
0-0 1-1 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-4 3-6
0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-3 4-5
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.3 100.0
0.0 100.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0 50.0
4th Qtr
0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.3 80.0
0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 1-1 0-0 1-1 0-0 1-1 3-6 6-17
Overtime
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 50.0 35.3
0-0 0-0
0.0 0.0
Time of Possession
W W W W W W W W L W W W W
Opponents
Score
Overall
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
Overtime
37-24 31-28 35-21 30-10 24-21 31-24 27-23 52-26 38-39 24-7 17-14 55-16 16-13 Total Avg. Total Avg.
28:19 33:26 33:01 28:15 37:24 34:12 30:11 38:59 32:25 32:11 38:10 29:48 36:38 432:59 33:18 347:01 26:41
7:59 7:07 5:33 3:19 8:00 8:10 10:57 8:49 6:04 9:26 8:08 6:18 6:37 96:27 7:25 98:33 7:34
6:09 8:42 10:03 7:37 9:52 11:00 8:12 9:29 8:45 7:40 9:18 6:01 7:07 109:55 8:27 85:05 6:32
7:12 12:18 7:06 7:52 10:32 8:43 5:20 11:28 7:37 7:29 10:46 10:24 11:15 118:02 9:04 76:58 5:55
6:59 5:19 10:19 9:27 9:00 6:19 5:42 9:13 9:59 7:36 9:58 7:05 11:39 108:35 8:21 86:25 6:38
0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00
Michigan State Inside Opponent Red-Zone
Date
Opponent
Sep 4, 2015 Sep 12, 2015 Sep 19, 2015 Sep 26, 2015 Oct 03, 2015 Oct 10, 2015 Oct 17, 2015 Oct 24, 2015 Nov 07, 2015 Nov 14, 2015 Nov 21, 2015 Nov 28, 2015 Dec 05, 2015
at Western Michigan OREGON AIR FORCE CENTRAL MICHIGAN PURDUE at Rutgers at Michigan INDIANA at Nebraska MARYLAND at Ohio State PENN STATE vs Iowa Totals 43 of 50 (86.0%)
Score W W W W W W W W L W W W W
37-24 31-28 35-21 30-10 24-21 31-24 27-23 52-26 38-39 24-7 17-14 55-16 16-13
Times Times In RZ Scored
4 5 2 4 4 6 2 7 3 4 2 4 3 50
4 4 1 4 3 4 2 6 3 3 2 4 3 43
Total Pts
TDs
Rush TDs
Pass TDs
FGs Made
23 24 7 27 17 24 14 38 21 17 14 28 13 267
3 3 1 4 2 3 2 5 3 2 2 4 1 35
2 1 0 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 20
1 2 1 1 0 1 0 4 2 1 1 1 0 15
1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 8
Failed to score inside RZ FGA Down Int Fumb Half Game
0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Opponents Inside Michigan State Red-Zone
Date
Opponent
Sep 4, 2015 Sep 12, 2015 Sep 19, 2015 Sep 26, 2015 Oct 03, 2015 Oct 10, 2015 Oct 17, 2015 Oct 24, 2015 Nov 07, 2015 Nov 14, 2015 Nov 21, 2015 Nov 28, 2015 Dec 05, 2015
at Western Michigan OREGON AIR FORCE CENTRAL MICHIGAN PURDUE at Rutgers at Michigan INDIANA at Nebraska MARYLAND at Ohio State PENN STATE vs Iowa Totals 32 of 38 (84.2%)
Score W W W W W W W W L W W W W
37-24 31-28 35-21 30-10 24-21 31-24 27-23 52-26 38-39 24-7 17-14 55-16 16-13
Times Times In RZ Scored
3 4 4 2 2 2 5 3 4 1 2 3 3 38
2 3 2 2 2 2 5 3 3 1 2 3 2 32
Total Pts
TDs
Rush TDs
Pass TDs
FGs Made
10 21 14 10 14 10 23 19 20 7 14 16 6 184
1 3 2 1 2 1 2 3 3 1 2 2 0 23
0 2 2 0 1 0 2 1 3 1 1 0 0 13
1 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 10
1 0 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 9
Failed to score inside RZ FGA Down Int Fumb Half Game
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
85
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State - Long Plays 20-YARD PLUS PLAYS Yds Type Player(s) 77* FR Cox, Demetrious 74 Pass Pendleton, Trevon from Cook, Connor 64* FR Williamson, RJ 62 Rush London, Madre 58 KR Shelton, R.J. 56 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 44* INT Bullough, Riley 43 Rush Holmes, Gerald 42 Pass Kings, Macgarrett from Cook, Connor 38* Rush Scott, LJ 38 KR Shelton, R.J. 38* FR Watts-Jackson, Jalen 36 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from O'Connor, Tyler 35 KR Shelton, R.J. 34 Pass Madaris, Monty from Cook, Connor 34* Pass Kings, Macgarrett from Cook, Connor 33* Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 33 KR Shelton, R.J. 32* Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 31 Pass Price, Josiah from Cook, Connor 31 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 30 Rush Holmes, Gerald 30* Pass Kings, Macgarrett from Cook, Connor 30 INT Nicholson, Montae 30 INT Nicholson, Montae 30 Rush Scott, LJ 29* Pass Shelton, R.J. from Cook, Connor 29 Pass Shelton, R.J. from Cook, Connor 29 KR Shelton, R.J. 29* Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 29 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 29 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 29 Rush Scott, LJ 28 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 28 Pass Kings, Macgarrett from Cook, Connor 28* Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 28 Pass Kings, Macgarrett from Cook, Connor 28 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 28 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 28 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 28 Pass Kings, Macgarrett from Cook, Connor 28 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 27 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 27 Pass Shelton, R.J. from Cook, Connor 26 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 26 Pass Lyles, Jamal from Cook, Connor 26* Rush Scott, LJ 25* Pass Arnett, DeAnthony from Cook, Connor 25 KR Scott, LJ 25 Rush Scott, LJ 25 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 25 Rush Holmes, Gerald 25 Pass Price, Josiah from Cook, Connor 25 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 25 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 24 Pass Holmes, Gerald from Cook, Connor 24* Rush London, Madre 23 Pass Shelton, R.J. from Cook, Connor 23 Pass Lyles, Jamal from Cook, Connor 23 Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 23* Pass Shelton, R.J. from Cook, Connor 23 KR Shelton, R.J. 22 KR Shelton, R.J. 22 Pass Davis, Felton from Cook, Connor 22 Rush Scott, LJ 22 KR Shelton, R.J. 22* Pass Shelton, R.J. from Cook, Connor 22* Rush Holmes, Gerald 22 Rush Cook, Connor 21* Pass Burbridge, Aaron from Cook, Connor 21 Pass Shelton, R.J. from Cook, Connor 21 Pass Lang, Paul from Cook, Connor 21 KR Shelton, R.J. 21* Pass Arnett, DeAnthony from Cook, Connor 21 Pass Shelton, R.J. from Cook, Connor 20 Rush Scott, LJ
86
Opponent Penn State Michigan Air Force Oregon Indiana Western Michigan Maryland Nebraska Central Michigan Oregon Maryland Michigan Ohio State Western Michigan Purdue Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Air Force Indiana Indiana Rutgers Michigan Oregon Maryland Purdue Penn State Rutgers Michigan Penn State Nebraska Nebraska Central Michigan Western Michigan Indiana Air Force Maryland Indiana Michigan Rutgers Nebraska Oregon Michigan Michigan Air Force Central Michigan Indiana Rutgers Oregon Purdue Michigan Nebraska Western Michigan Rutgers Rutgers Penn State Western Michigan Nebraska Rutgers Rutgers Purdue Purdue Purdue Iowa Purdue Oregon Indiana Indiana Purdue Air Force Penn State Indiana Michigan Western Michigan Maryland Ohio State
LONG PLAYS BY THE NUMBERS Long Plays By Yards No. TD 100+ 0 0 90-99 0 0 80-89 0 0 70-79 2 1 60-69 2 1 50-59 2 0 40-49 3 1 30-39 17 6 20-29 58 11 Long Plays By Type Rushing Passing Punt returns Kick returns Interceptions Fumble returns Other TOTAL
No. 17 50 0 11 3 3 0 84
TD 4 12 0 0 1 3 0 20
20-YARD PLUS BY PLAYER Player No. TD R P KR PR IR FR Burbridge, Aaron 21 5 0 21 0 0 0 0 Shelton, R.J. 18 3 0 8 10 0 0 0 Scott, LJ 8 2 7 0 1 0 0 0 Kings, Macgarrett 8 2 0 8 0 0 0 0 Holmes, Gerald 7 1 5 2 0 0 0 0 London, Madre 3 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 Arnett, DeAnthony 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 Price, Josiah 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Nicholson, Montae 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Lyles, Jamal 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Cook, Connor 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 Lang, Paul 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Cox, Demetrious 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Watts-Jackson, Jalen 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Bullough, Riley 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Williamson, RJ 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Pendleton, Trevon 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Davis, Felton 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Madaris, Monty 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 84 20 17 50 11 0 3 3 LONGEST PLAYS OF THE YEAR Rushing 62 London, Madre vs Oregon (9/12/2015) Rushing Touchdown 38 Scott, LJ vs Oregon (9/12/2015) Passing 74 Pendleton, Trevon from Cook, Connor vs Michigan (10/17/2015) Passing Touchdown 34 Kings, Macgarrett from Cook, Connor vs Nebraska (11/7/2015) Punt Return 17 Kings, Macgarrett vs Indiana (10/24/2015) Kick Return 58 Shelton, R.J. vs Indiana (10/24/2015) Interception Return 44 Bullough, Riley vs Maryland (11/14/2015) Fumble Return 77 Cox, Demetrious vs Penn State (11/28/2015) Punt 61 Hartbarger, Jake vs Iowa (12/5/2015) Field Goal 47 Geiger, Michael vs Central Michigan (9/26/2015) 47 Geiger, Michael vs Iowa (12/5/2015)
* touchdown scored on play
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State - "Money" Plays Money plays are defined as plays resulting in first down or a touchdown
MONEY RECEPTIONS Burbridge, Aaron Shelton, R.J. Kings, Macgarrett Price, Josiah Lyles, Jamal Lang, Paul Holmes, Gerald Arnett, DeAnthony Pendleton, Trevon Troup, AJ Davis, Felton Madaris, Monty London, Madre Scott, LJ TOTALS
1st 59 25 23 12 8 7 5 5 3 2 1 1 1 1 153
TD 7 4 5 6 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 26
No. 59 25 24 15 8 7 5 5 3 2 1 1 1 1 157
Rec 80 41 38 19 8 10 8 5 4 2 1 2 2 3 225
Att 77 70 70 12 9 1 282
1ST DOWN MONEY RECEPTIONS Burbridge, Aaron Shelton, R.J. Kings, Macgarrett Price, Josiah Pendleton, Trevon Lyles, Jamal Troup, AJ Holmes, Gerald TOTALS
1st 15 9 6 4 2 1 1 1 39
TD 4 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 7
No. 15 9 6 4 2 1 1 1 39
Rec 25 14 11 5 2 1 1 1 61
No. 17 16 10 3 2 2 1 1 1 53
Att 34 46 32 11 7 12 5 2 3 162
2ND DOWN MONEY RECEPTIONS Burbridge, Aaron Kings, Macgarrett Lyles, Jamal Lang, Paul Shelton, R.J. Price, Josiah Arnett, DeAnthony Holmes, Gerald Madaris, Monty Scott, LJ TOTALS
1st 22 6 6 5 5 2 3 2 1 1 53
TD 2 3 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 10
No. 22 7 6 5 5 4 3 2 1 1 56
Rec 29 11 6 7 15 7 3 4 1 3 88
TD 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
No. 13 6 5 5 4 1 1 35
Att 15 12 7 6 4 3 3 54
3RD DOWN MONEY RECEPTIONS Burbridge, Aaron Kings, Macgarrett Shelton, R.J. Price, Josiah Lang, Paul Arnett, DeAnthony Holmes, Gerald Troup, AJ Pendleton, Trevon Lyles, Jamal London, Madre Davis, Felton TOTALS
1st 20 11 11 6 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 59
TD 1 2 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9
No. 20 11 11 7 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 60
Rec 24 16 12 7 2 2 3 1 1 1 2 1 74
TD 0 0 0 0
No. 3 1 1 5
Att 4 2 2 11
4TH DOWN MONEY RECEPTIONS Burbridge, Aaron TOTALS
1st 2 2
TD 0 0
No. 2 2
Rec 2 2
MONEY RUSHERS Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald London, Madre Cook, Connor O'Connor, Tyler Shelton, R.J. Terry, Damion Williams, Delton Williams, P-M Burbridge, Aaron Allen, Jack TOTALS
1st 35 23 26 12 6 5 3 1 1 1 0 113
TD 11 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 24
No. 42 30 27 12 6 5 3 2 1 1 1 130
Att 140 108 114 31 12 24 19 24 4 6 1 509
1ST DOWN MONEY RUSHERS Scott, LJ London, Madre Holmes, Gerald Shelton, R.J. Cook, Connor Allen, Jack TOTALS
1st 7 10 5 3 1 0 26
TD 6 2 4 0 0 1 13
No. 12 11 9 3 1 1 37
2ND DOWN MONEY RUSHERS Holmes, Gerald Scott, LJ London, Madre Cook, Connor Terry, Damion Shelton, R.J. Williams, Delton Williams, P-M Burbridge, Aaron TOTALS
1st 14 16 10 3 2 2 0 1 1 49
TD 4 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 8
3RD DOWN MONEY RUSHERS Scott, LJ London, Madre Cook, Connor O'Connor, Tyler Holmes, Gerald Williams, Delton Terry, Damion TOTALS
1st 11 6 5 5 4 1 1 33
4TH DOWN MONEY RUSHERS Cook, Connor Scott, LJ O'Connor, Tyler TOTALS
1st 3 1 1 5
87 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
CAREER STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Individual Season/Career Statistics (as of Dec 08, 2015) All games SEASON Rushing
gp
Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald London, Madre Shelton, R.J. Cook, Connor Terry, Damion Williams, Delton O'Connor, Tyler Burbridge, Aaron Williams, P-M Kings, Macgarrett Allen, Jack Arnett, DeAnthony Lyles, Jamal Pendleton, Trevon Macksood, Matt Geiger, Michael TEAM Total Opponents
13 12 10 13 12 9 8 6 13 1 12 11 9 13 13 13 13 12 13 13
att
CAREER td
lg avg/g
gp
att
gain
loss
net
avg
td
lg
avg/g
140 708 17 691 4.9 11 108 544 10 534 4.9 8 114 520 31 489 4.3 3 24 138 11 127 5.3 0 45 177 97 80 1.8 0 20 78 24 54 2.7 0 24 57 7 50 2.1 1 14 56 8 48 3.4 0 6 36 0 36 6.0 0 4 19 0 19 4.8 0 4 15 0 15 3.8 0 1 9 0 9 9.0 1 1 2 0 2 2.0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 1 0 1 -1 -1.0 0 1 0 6 -6 -6.0 0 17 0 58 -58 -3.4 0 526 2359 270 2089 4.0 24 414 1828 358 1470 3.6 14
gain loss
38 53.2 43 44.5 62 48.9 19 9.8 22 6.7 14 6.0 6 6.2 11 8.0 13 2.8 10 19.0 6 1.2 9 0.8 2 0.2 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 -0.1 0 -0.5 0 -4.8 62 160.7 72 113.1
13 15 10 39 42 14 30 14 50 1 47 47 21 40 48 32 37
140 123 114 66 169 32 116 28 19 4 20 1 2 1 1 1 3
708 591 520 447 569 145 623 107 149 19 99 9 6 0 0 0 29
17 13 31 19 336 29 19 13 8 0 6 0 0 0 0 1 6
691 578 489 428 233 116 604 94 141 19 93 9 6 0 0 -1 23
4.9 4.7 4.3 6.5 1.4 3.6 5.2 3.4 7.4 4.8 4.7 9.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 -1.0 7.7
11 8 3 4 3 0 7 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
38 43 62 35 22 15 80 12 35 10 23 9 4 0 0 0 23
53.2 38.5 48.9 11.0 5.5 8.3 20.1 6.7 2.8 19.0 2.0 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6
Passing
gp
effic comp-att-int
Cook, Connor O'Connor, Tyler Terry, Damion TEAM Total Opponents
12 6 9 12 13 13
142.16 210-369-5 119.88 13-24-1 46.57 2-7-0 0.00 0-1-0 138.80 225-401-6 126.60 245-415-15 no.
net
avg
td
lg avg/g
gp
effic comp-att-int
pct
yds
td
lg
avg/g
56.9 2921 24 54.2 133 2 28.6 15 0 0.0 0 0 56.1 3069 26 59.0 2988 18
pct
yds
74 243.4 36 22.2 13 1.7 0 0.0 74 236.1 85 229.8
42 14 14
141.73 654-1131-20 138.18 34-54-2 87.12 14-26-0
57.8 63.0 53.8
8984 374 103
71 4 0
87 36 17
213.9 26.7 7.4
Receiving
gp
yds
avg
td
lg avg/g
gp
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
avg/g
Burbridge, Aaron Shelton, R.J. Kings, Macgarrett Price, Josiah Lang, Paul Lyles, Jamal Holmes, Gerald Arnett, DeAnthony Pendleton, Trevon Scott, LJ Madaris, Monty Troup, AJ Williams, Delton London, Madre Davis, Felton Total Opponents
13 80 1219 13 41 484 12 38 492 11 19 228 13 10 112 13 8 133 12 8 82 9 5 85 13 4 94 13 3 15 9 2 47 11 2 28 8 2 15 10 2 13 6 1 22 13 225 3069 13 245 2988
15.2 11.8 12.9 12.0 11.2 16.6 10.2 17.0 23.5 5.0 23.5 14.0 7.5 6.5 22.0 13.6 12.2
7 4 5 6 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 18
56 93.8 29 37.2 42 41.0 31 20.7 21 8.6 26 10.2 24 6.8 25 9.4 74 7.2 9 1.2 34 5.2 14 2.5 8 1.9 14 1.3 22 3.7 74 236.1 85 229.8
50 39 47 38 49 40 15 21 48 13 22 21 30 10 6
160 61 114 62 14 18 8 11 13 3 7 9 7 2 1
2135 663 1434 812 119 265 82 172 223 15 103 141 60 13 22
13.3 10.9 12.6 13.1 8.5 14.7 10.2 15.6 17.2 5.0 14.7 15.7 8.6 6.5 22.0
10 6 9 16 1 1 0 2 3 0 0 2 0 0 0
56 29 50 67 21 26 24 48 74 9 34 33 17 14 22
42.7 17.0 30.5 21.4 2.4 6.6 5.5 8.2 4.6 1.2 4.7 6.7 2.0 1.3 3.7
88 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
CAREER STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Individual Season/Career Statistics (as of Dec 08, 2015) All games SEASON Total Offense
g plays
rush
CAREER total avg/g
g
plays
rush
pass
total
avg/g
Cook, Connor Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald London, Madre O'Connor, Tyler Shelton, R.J. Terry, Damion Williams, Delton Burbridge, Aaron Williams, P-M Kings, Macgarrett Allen, Jack Arnett, DeAnthony Macksood, Matt Geiger, Michael TEAM Total Opponents
12 13 12 10 6 13 9 8 13 1 12 11 9 13 13 12 13 13
414 80 2921 3001 250.1 140 691 0 691 53.2 108 534 0 534 44.5 114 489 0 489 48.9 38 48 133 181 30.2 24 127 0 127 9.8 27 54 15 69 7.7 24 50 0 50 6.2 6 36 0 36 2.8 4 19 0 19 19.0 4 15 0 15 1.2 1 9 0 9 0.8 1 2 0 2 0.2 1 -1 0 -1 -0.1 1 -6 0 -6 -0.5 18 -58 0 -58 -4.8 927 2089 3069 5158 396.8 829 1470 2988 4458 342.9
pass
42 13 15 10 14 39 14 30 50 1 47 47 21 32 37
1300 140 123 114 82 67 58 116 19 4 20 1 2 1 3
233 691 578 489 94 428 116 604 141 19 93 9 6 -1 23
8984 0 0 0 374 0 103 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9217 691 578 489 468 428 219 604 141 19 93 9 6 -1 23
219.5 53.2 38.5 48.9 33.4 11.0 15.6 20.1 2.8 19.0 2.0 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.6
Scoring
td
fg
td
fg
kick
PAT rush rcv pass dxp saf
pts
Geiger, Michael Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald Burbridge, Aaron Price, Josiah Kings, Macgarrett Shelton, R.J. London, Madre Arnett, DeAnthony Williams, Delton Cox, Demetrious Bullough, Riley Williamson, RJ McDowell, Malik Allen, Jack Lyles, Jamal Pendleton, Trevon Watts-Jackson, Jalen Macksood, Matt Total Opponents
- 12-19 11 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 55 12-19 34 11-15
0-1
282 66 48 60 96 54 66 18 12 42 6 6 18 6 6 6 18 6 0
PAT rush rcv pass dxp saf
kick
51-53 51-53 29-31
0-1 0-1 -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0-3
-
pts
- 87 - 66 - 48 - 42 - 36 - 30 - 24 - 18 - 12 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 0 - 417 - 266
- 41-57 11 8 10 16 9 11 3 2 7 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 1 -
159-163 -
-
Punt Returns
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
Kings, Macgarrett Shelton, R.J. Total Opponents
8 2 10 16
24 4 28 189
3.0 2.0 2.8 11.8
0 0 0 1
17 3 17 81
48 2
352 4
7.3 2.0
0 0
43 3
Kick Returns
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
Shelton, R.J. Williams, Delton Scott, LJ Nicholson, Montae Total Opponents
18 393 2 31 1 25 1 17 22 466 48 1038
21.8 15.5 25.0 17.0 21.2 21.6
0 58 0 16 0 25 0 17 0 58 1 100
58 2 1 1
1385 31 25 17
23.9 15.5 25.0 17.0
1 0 0 0
90 16 25 17
-
-
-
89 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
CAREER STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Individual Season/Career Statistics (as of Dec 08, 2015) All games SEASON
CAREER
Interceptions
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
Cox, Demetrious Nicholson, Montae Bullough, Riley Williamson, RJ Colquhoun, Arjen McDowell, Malik Copeland, Vayante Miller, Grayson Total Opponents
3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 15 6
14 60 61 9 7 13 0 0 164 74
4.7 20.0 30.5 4.5 3.5 13.0 0.0 0.0 10.9 12.3
0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0
14 30 44 9 7 13 0 0 44 38
3 3 4 8 3 1 1 1
14 60 60 90 7 13 0 0
4.7 20.0 15.0 11.2 2.3 13.0 0.0 0.0
0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0
14 30 44 29 7 13 0 0
Fumble Returns
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
no.
yds
avg
td
lg
1 1 1 1 1 5 0
77 64 2 13 38 194 0
77.0 64.0 2.0 13.0 38.0 38.8 0.0
1 1 0 0 1 3 0
77 64 2 13 38 77 0
1 1 1 1 1
77 64 2 13 38
77.0 64.0 2.0 13.0 38.0
1 1 0 0 1
77 64 2 13 38
Cox, Demetrious Williamson, RJ Dowell, Andrew Bullough, Riley Watts-Jackson, Jalen Total Opponents All Purpose
g
Burbridge, Aaron Shelton, R.J. Scott, LJ Holmes, Gerald Kings, Macgarrett London, Madre Price, Josiah Lyles, Jamal Lang, Paul Williams, Delton Pendleton, Trevo Arnett, DeAnthon Cook, Connor Nicholson, Monta Bullough, Riley Terry, Damion O'Connor, Tyler Madaris, Monty Troup, AJ Davis, Felton Williams, P-M Cox, Demetrious McDowell, Malik Allen, Jack Williamson, RJ Colquhoun, Arjen Macksood, Matt Geiger, Michael TEAM Total Opponents
rush
rcv
pr
13 36 1219 13 127 484 13 691 15 12 534 82 12 15 492 10 489 13 11 0 228 13 0 133 13 0 112 8 50 15 13 0 94 9 2 85 12 80 0 13 0 0 13 0 0 9 54 0 6 48 0 9 0 47 11 0 28 6 0 22 1 19 0 13 0 0 13 0 0 11 9 0 5 0 0 13 0 0 13 -1 0 13 -6 0 12 -58 0 13 2089 3069 13 1470 2988
kr
ir
total avg/g
g
rush
rcv
pr
kr
ir
total
avg/g
0 0 4 393 0 25 0 0 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 466 189 1038
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 61 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 13 0 9 7 0 0 0 164 74
1255 96.5 1008 77.5 731 56.2 616 51.3 531 44.2 502 50.2 228 20.7 133 10.2 112 8.6 96 12.0 94 7.2 87 9.7 80 6.7 77 5.9 61 4.7 54 6.0 48 8.0 47 5.2 28 2.5 22 3.7 19 19.0 14 1.1 13 1.0 9 0.8 9 1.8 7 0.5 -1 -0.1 -6 -0.5 -58 -4.8 5816 447.4 5759 443.0
50 39 13 15 47 10 38 40 49 30 48 21 42 26 40 14 14 22 21 6 1 40 26 47 43 39 32 37
141 428 691 578 93 489 0 0 0 604 0 6 233 0 83 116 94 0 0 0 19 0 0 9 0 0 -1 23
2135 663 15 82 1434 13 812 265 119 60 223 172 0 0 11 0 0 103 141 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
0 4 0 0 352 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
-11 1385 25 0 16 0 0 0 0 31 19 0 0 17 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -8 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 13 0 90 7 0 0
2265 2480 731 660 1895 502 812 265 119 695 242 178 233 77 177 116 94 103 141 22 19 14 13 9 92 -1 7 23
45.3 63.6 56.2 44.0 40.3 50.2 21.4 6.6 2.4 23.2 5.0 8.5 5.5 3.0 4.4 8.3 6.7 4.7 6.7 3.7 19.0 0.3 0.5 0.2 2.1 0.0 0.2 0.6
Field Goals
att
good
long
blkd
att
good
long
blkd
Geiger, Michael Total Opponents
19 19 15
12 12 11
47 47 44
2 2 2
57
41
49
2
90 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
CAREER STATISTICS 2015 Michigan State Football Michigan State Individual Season/Career Statistics (as of Dec 08, 2015) All games SEASON
CAREER
Punting
no. yds
Hartbarger, Jake O'Connor, Tyler Total Opponents
48 5 53 58
Kickoffs
no. yds
Cronin, Kevin Geiger, Michael Total Opponents
75 4499 60.0 22 2 90 45.0 0 77 4589 59.6 22 55 3396 61.7 31
## Defensive Leaders
30 45 9 33 7D 89 4 36 8 2 92 26 44 49 23 5D 98 39 72 93 27 13 8J 10 20 24 15 29 52 65 31 99 14 85 88 16 56 12 34
Bullough, Riley Harris, Darien Nicholson, Montae Reschke, Jon Cox, Demetrious Calhoun, Shilique McDowell, Malik Colquhoun, Arjen Thomas, Lawrence Hicks, Darian Heath, Joel Williamson, RJ Miller, Grayson Jones, Shane Frey, Chris Dowell, Andrew Cooper, Demetrius Edmondson, Jermaine Evans, Craig Knox, Damon Willis, Khari Copeland, Vayante Jones, Evan Morrissey, Matt Watts-Jackson, Jalen Holmes, Gerald Smith, Tyson Meyers, Mark Pepper, Taybor Allen, Brian Harrell, T.J. Cronin, Kevin Laneaux, Chris Kings, Macgarrett Madaris, Monty Burbridge, Aaron Smith, Enoch Shelton, R.J. Martinez, Drake Total Opponents
gp
avg
2023 192 2215 2213
avg
42.1 38.4 41.8 38.2
lg blk
no.
yds
avg
lg
blk
61 46 61 80
48 2023 5 192
42.1 38.4
61 46
0 0
0 0 0 1
tb ob
ua
no.
2 1 3 1 a total
13 42 53 95 13 40 42 82 13 45 31 76 13 31 43 74 13 43 29 72 13 22 23 45 13 19 20 39 13 26 13 39 13 9 26 3 5 10 16 14 30 11 12 17 29 5 11 13 2 4 11 16 8 24 12 12 11 23 13 12 10 22 12 9 13 2 2 12 10 10 20 13 12 8 20 13 7 12 1 9 13 5 8 13 9 2 9 11 2 6 1 7 13 2 5 7 11 3 2 5 7 2 3 5 12 2 2 4 6 1 2 3 6 . 3 3 13 1 2 3 13 2 . 2 9 1 1 2 13 . 2 2 4 1 . 1 12 1 . 1 9 1 . 1 13 1 . 1 3 . 1 1 13 1 . 1 2 . 1 1 13 426 438 864 13 425 519 944
tfl sack int pbu
7.0 7.0 2.5 5.5 2.0 14.5 12.0 1.5 4.5 0.5 5.5 2.0 1.0 1.5 5.0 1.0 5.5 1.0 3.5 1.5 0.0 2.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 87 64
fr
yds
avg
tb
ob
176 10903 2 90
61.9 45.0
69 0
4 1
ff blk
4 .0 2 2 2 2 . . 3 . . . 3 2 . 1 2 .0 . 2 . . . 3 7 1 . 1 0 .5 . 3 . 1 4 .5 1 . . 2 1 .0 2 1 0 1 2 3 .0 . 5 . . . . 3 . . 2 .0 . 1 1 1 . 2 1 1 . . 1 . . . . . . . 2 2 .5 . . 1 . . . . 1 . 4 .0 . . 1 2 . . 2 2 . 1 .0 . . . . 0 .5 . . 1 . . . 1 . . . 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 15 44 13 13 17 6 55 6 9
. . . . . 1 1 . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3
gp
40 53 26 21 40 53 26 39 46 37 38 43 11 20 26 12 25 37 16 37 9 2 25 11 7 15 6 33 53 25 9 27 13 47 22 50 3 39 2
ua
58 71 63 37 65 74 29 34 22 37 23 81 16 14 20 9 15 19 7 14 2 6 2 3 2 2 1 11 2 2 1 3 2 3 2 1 . 1 .
a
69 75 44 50 39 53 25 22 47 23 35 73 8 13 21 13 15 15 13 26 9 1 6 2 3 2 2 9 8 . 1 2 . 1 1 . 1 . 1
total
1 27 1 46 1 07 87 1 04 1 27 54 56 69 60 58 1 54 24 27 41 22 30 34 20 40 11 7 8 5 5 4 3 20 10 2 2 5 2 4 3 1 1 1 1
tfl
sack int pbu
11.0 7.5 11.0 0.5 2.5 . 5.5 2.0 4.0 1.0 43.5 27.0 16.5 6.0 1.5 1.0 9.0 6.0 1.5 . 10.5 4.5 6.5 . 1.0 . 1.5 . 5.0 2.5 1.0 . 7.5 5.0 1.0 . 3.5 1.0 4.0 1.5 0.0 . 2.0 . 0.5 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 . 0.0 .
4 2 1 4 3 2 . 2 3 9 1 5 1 . 3 12 . 6 2 6 . 2 8 12 1 . . . . . . . . 1 . 2 . . . 1 . 1 1 1 . 1 . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
fr
3 1 2 . 2 5 . 1 1 . 1 2 . . 2 1 2 3 . 1 . . . . 1 . . . 1 . . . . . . 1 . . .
ff blk
2 2 1 2 1 4 2 2 . . 1 1 . 2 . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 2 1 . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
91 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 BIG TEN STANDINGS/ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS 2015 BIG TEN STANDINGS TEAM East Division 1. Michigan State Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. Penn State 5. Indiana 6. Rutgers Maryland
W
-CONFERENCEL PCT. PF
PA
W
-OVERALLL PCT. PF
PA
7 7 6 4 2 1 1
1 1 2 4 6 7 7
.875 .875 .750 .500 .250 .125 .125
268 282 256 190 281 170 178
170 119 168 184 317 334 282
12 12 9 7 6 4 3
1 1 3 5 6 8 9
.923 .923 .750 .583 .500 .333 .250
417 420 367 284 434 325 296
266 168 206 260 445 419 413
West Division 1. Iowa 2. Northwestern Wisconsin 4. Nebraska 5. Illinois Minnesota 7. Purdue
8 6 6 3 2 2 1
0 2 2 5 6 6 7
1.000 .750 .750 .375 .250 .250 .125
253 148 194 245 135 194 180
153 162 119 227 203 239 297
12 10 9 5 5 5 2
1 2 3 7 7 7 10
.923 .833 .750 .417 .417 .417 .167
417 248 325 390 272 271 301
240 197 157 333 279 313 438
BIG TEN AWARDS Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year Carl Nassib, Penn State Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year Jabrill Peppers, Michigan Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (coaches vote) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Dave McClain Coach of the Year (media vote) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year Connor Cook, Michigan State Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year Aaron Burbridge, Michigan State Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year Jake Butt, Michigan Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year Taylor Decker, Ohio State Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year Joey Bosa, Ohio State Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year Joe Schobert, Wisconsin Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Desmond King, Iowa Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year Griffin Oakes, Indiana Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year William Likely, Maryland Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (Michigan State only) Darien Harris
92
COACHES ALL-BIG TEN TEAM OFFENSE Position QB RB RB WR WR C G G T T TE
1st Connor Cook, MSU Jordan Howard, IU Ezekiel Elliott, OSU Jehu Chesson, MICH Aaron Burbridge, MSU Jack Allen, MSU Jordan Walsh, IOWA Pat Elfein, OSU Jack Conklin, MSU Taylor Decker, OSU Jake Butt, MICH
2nd C.J. Beathard, IOWA Justin Jackson, NW Saquon Barkley, PSU Jordan Westerkamp, NEB Alex Erickson, UW Austin Blythe, IOWA Dan Feeney, IU Brian Allen, MSU Jason Spriggs, IU Alex Lewis, NEB Dan Vitale, NW
3rd Nate Sudfeld, IU Josh Ferguson, ILL Jordan Canzeri, IOWA Michael Thomas, OSU Chris Godwin, PSU Jacoby Boren, OSU Donavon Clark, MSU Billy Price, OSU Erik Magnuson, MICH Tyler Marz, UW Josiah Price, MSU
DEFENSE Position Line Line Line Line LB LB LB DB DB DB DB
1st Yannick Ngakoue, UMD Shilique Calhoun, MSU Joey Bosa, OSU Carl Nassib, PSU Anthony Walker, NW Joshua Perry, OSU Joe Schobert, UW Desmond King, IOWA William Likely, UMD Jourdan Lewis, MICH Jabrill Peppers, MICH
2nd Malik McDowell, MSU Maliek Collins, NEB Dean Lowry, NW Adolphus Washington, OSU Josey Jewell, IOWA Darron Lee, OSU Raekwon McMillan, OSU Nick VanHoose, NW Eli Apple, OSU Vonn Bell, OSU Michael Caputo, UW
3rd Nate Meier, IOWA Chris Wormley, MICH Austin Johnson, PSU Anthony Zettel, PSU Riley Bullough, MSU Darien Harris, MSU Vince Biegel, UW Jordan Lomax, IOWA Demetrious Cox, MSU Eric Murray, MINN Matthew Harris, NW
2nd Marshall Koehn, IOWA Cameron Johnston, OSU Jabrill Peppers, MICH
3rd Ryan Santoso, MINN Peter Mortell, MINN Janarion Grant, RU
SPECIAL TEAMS Position 1st PK Griffin Oakes, IU P Sam Foltz, NEB Return William Likely, UMD
Honorable mention (MSU only): LB Jon Reschke, WR R.J. Shelton, DL Lawrence Thomas
MEDIA ALL-BIG TEN TEAM OFFENSE Position QB RB RB WR WR C G G T T TE
1st Connor Cook, MSU Jordan Howard, IU Ezekiel Elliott, OSU Aaron Burbridge, MSU Alex Erickson, UW Jack Allen, MSU Dan Feeney, IU Pat Elfein, OSU Jack Conklin, MSU Taylor Decker, OSU Jake Butt, MICH
2nd C.J. Beathard, IOWA Justin Jackson, NW Saquon Barkley, PSU Jordan Westerkamp, NEB Chris Godwin, PSU Austin Blythe, IOWA Jordan Walsh, IOWA Brian Allen, MSU Jason Spriggs, IU Tyler Marz, UW Dan Vitale, NW
3rd Nate Sudfeld, IU Josh Ferguson, ILL Jordan Canzeri, IOWA Michael Thomas, OSU Leonte Carroo, RU Jacoby Boren, OSU Ted Karras, ILL Kyle Kalis, UM Erik Magnuson, MICH Alex Lewis, NEB Josiah Price, MSU
DEFENSE Position Line Line Line Line LB LB LB DB DB DB DB
1st Yannick Ngakoue, UMD Shilique Calhoun, MSU Joey Bosa, OSU Carl Nassib, PSU Anthony Walker, NW Raekwon McMillan, OSU Joe Schobert, UW Desmond King, IOWA Jourdan Lewis, MICH Jabrill Peppers, MICH Vonn Bell, OSU
2nd Malik McDowell, MSU Dean Lowry, NW Adolphus Washington, OSU Austin Johnson, PSU Josey Jewell, IOWA Riley Bullough, MSU Joshua Perry, OSU Clayton Fejedelem, ILL William Likely, UMD Nick VanHoose, NW Michael Caputo, UW
3rd Nate Meier, IOWA Maliek Collins, NEB Deonte Gibson, NW Anthony Zettel, PSU Darron Lee, OSU Steve Longa, RU Vince Biegel, UW Briean Boddy-Calhoun, MINN Eric Murray, MINN Nate Gerry, NEB Matthew Harris, NW
2nd Drew Brown, IOWA Cameron Johnston, OSU Janarion Grant, RU
3rd Kenny Allen, MICH Peter Mortell, MINN Solomon Vault, NW
SPECIAL TEAMS Position 1st PK Griffin Oakes, IU P Sam Foltz, NEB Return William Likely, UMD
Honorable mention (MSU only): OG Donavon Clark, DB Demetrious Cox, LB Darien Harris, DL Joel Heath, LB Jon Reschke
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 BIG TEN STATISTICS 2015 Big Ten Conference Team Statistics Through games of Dec 06, 2015 SCORING OFFENSE 1. Indiana 2. Ohio State 3. Nebraska 4. Michigan State
Iowa
6. Michigan 7. Wisconsin 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Rutgers Purdue Maryland Penn State Illinois Minnesota Northwestern
G
TD
FG
XPT
2XP
12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
53 57 47 55 54 45 40 42 41 38 34 32 32 28
22 7 20 12 15 16 15 12 5 11 17 16 15 18
48 57 40 51 48 41 40 35 38 33 29 32 30 26
1 0 3 0 0 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0
SCORING DEFENSE 1. Wisconsin 2. Ohio State 3. Northwestern 4. Michigan 5. Iowa 6. Michigan State 7. Penn State 8. Illinois 9. Minnesota 10. Nebraska 11. Maryland 12. Rutgers 13. Purdue 14. Indiana
G
TD
FG
XPT
2XP
12 12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
19 20 24 23 26 34 34 34 38 41 53 55 57 60
8 10 10 15 19 11 8 14 16 16 14 12 14 10
19 18 21 21 25 29 32 29 35 37 51 51 52 49
0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 3
TOTAL OFFENSE 1. Indiana 2. Nebraska 3. Ohio State 4. Michigan State 5. Iowa 6. Michigan 7. Wisconsin 8. Rutgers 9. Maryland 10. Illinois 11. Purdue 12. Minnesota 13. Penn State 14. Northwestern
G
Rush
12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
2458 2014 2903 2089 2496 1832 1777 2039 2408 1551 1576 1715 1621 2319
TOTAL DEFENSE 1. Wisconsin 2. Michigan 3. Ohio State 4. Northwestern 5. Penn State 6. Iowa 7. Michigan State 8. Illinois 9. Minnesota 10. Nebraska 11. Maryland 12. Purdue 13. Rutgers 14. Indiana
G
Rush
12 12 12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
1178 1473 1528 1414 1797 1494 1470 1997 2059 1361 1953 2579 2233 2171
Pass Plays
3431 3296 2244 3069 2623 2812 2751 2485 2092 2921 2847 2570 2507 1672
954 873 807 927 866 829 856 806 829 907 921 804 754 882
Pass Plays
2027 1903 2114 2312 2094 2851 2988 2213 2189 3458 3101 2921 3311 3916
730 766 829 832 819 907 829 860 859 828 906 897 809 952
DXP Saf
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DXP Saf
Yards
5889 5310 5147 5158 5119 4644 4528 4524 4500 4472 4423 4285 4128 3991 Yards
3205 3376 3642 3726 3891 4345 4458 4210 4248 4819 5054 5500 5544 6087
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pts
Avg/G
434 420 390 417 417 367 325 325 301 296 284 272 271 248
36.2 35.0 32.5 32.1 32.1 30.6 27.1 27.1 25.1 24.7 23.7 22.7 22.6 20.7
Pts
Avg/G
157 168 197 206 240 266 260 279 313 333 413 419 438 445
13.1 14.0 16.4 17.2 18.5 20.5 21.7 23.2 26.1 27.8 34.4 34.9 36.5 37.1
Avg/P TD
6.2 6.1 6.4 5.6 5.9 5.6 5.3 5.6 5.4 4.9 4.8 5.3 5.5 4.5
49 46 53 50 50 43 39 36 35 29 40 30 33 23
Avg/P TD
4.4 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.8 4.8 5.4 4.9 4.9 5.8 5.6 6.1 6.9 6.4
17 19 20 21 30 24 32 33 34 39 50 52 55 58
Avg/G
490.8 442.5 428.9 396.8 393.8 387.0 377.3 377.0 375.0 372.7 368.6 357.1 344.0 332.6 Avg/G
267.1 281.3 303.5 310.5 324.2 334.2 342.9 350.8 354.0 401.6 421.2 458.3 462.0 507.2
RUSHING OFFENSE 1. Ohio State 2. Indiana 3. Maryland 4. Northwestern 5. Iowa 6. Rutgers 7. Nebraska 8. Michigan State 9. Michigan 10. Wisconsin 11. Minnesota 12. Penn State 13. Purdue 14. Illinois
G
Att.
Yards
Avg/A
Long
TD
Avg/G
12 12 12 12 13 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12
513 545 441 563 530 470 434 526 445 466 407 392 417 388
2903 2458 2408 2319 2496 2039 2014 2089 1832 1777 1715 1621 1576 1551
5.7 4.5 5.5 4.1 4.7 4.3 4.6 4.0 4.1 3.8 4.2 4.1 3.8 4.0
80 79 80 68 75 72 69 62 76 58 75 75 68 78
35 25 20 15 35 17 20 24 25 26 16 15 22 13
241.9 204.8 200.7 193.2 192.0 169.9 167.8 160.7 152.7 148.1 142.9 135.1 131.3 129.2
RUSHING DEFENSE 1. Wisconsin 2. Michigan State 3. Nebraska 4. Iowa 5. Northwestern 6. Michigan 7. Ohio State 8. Penn State 9. Maryland 10. Illinois 11. Minnesota 12. Indiana 13. Rutgers 14. Purdue
G
Att.
Yards
Avg/A
Long
TD
Avg/G
12 13 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
369 414 364 435 410 410 456 469 521 468 495 441 442 504
1178 1470 1361 1494 1414 1473 1528 1797 1953 1997 2059 2171 2233 2579
3.2 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.8 3.7 4.3 4.2 4.9 5.1 5.1
56 72 68 37 41 66 79 56 66 75 69 79 80 78
11 14 17 10 16 12 8 18 23 16 21 27 33 28
98.2 113.1 113.4 114.9 117.8 122.8 127.3 149.8 162.8 166.4 171.6 180.9 186.1 214.9
PASS OFFENSE 1. Indiana 2. Nebraska 3. Illinois 4. Purdue 5. Michigan State 6. Michigan 7. Wisconsin 8. Minnesota 9. Penn State 10. Rutgers 11. Iowa 12. Ohio State 13. Maryland 14. Northwestern
12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12
PASS DEFENSE 1. Michigan 2. Wisconsin 3. Penn State 4. Ohio State 5. Minnesota 6. Illinois 7. Northwestern 8. Iowa 9. Michigan State 10. Purdue 11. Maryland 12. Rutgers 13. Nebraska 14. Indiana
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12
G Comp-Att-Int
241-409-6 244-439-21 285-519-8 290-504-16 225-401-6 238-384-10 234-390-13 227-397-10 193-362-5 202-336-12 206-336-4 185-294-8 183-388-29 160-319-9
G Comp-Att-Int
171-356-8 175-361-11 202-350-10 185-373-11 212-364-9 224-392-13 228-422-12 253-472-18 245-415-15 245-393-12 222-385-9 235-367-13 266-464-8 311-511-9
Pct.
Yds
58.9 55.6 54.9 57.5 56.1 62.0 60.0 57.2 53.3 60.1 61.3 62.9 47.2 50.2
3431 3296 2921 2847 3069 2812 2751 2570 2507 2485 2623 2244 2092 1672
Pct.
Yds
48.0 48.5 57.7 49.6 58.2 57.1 54.0 53.6 59.0 62.3 57.7 64.0 57.3 60.9
1903 2027 2094 2114 2189 2213 2312 2851 2988 2921 3101 3311 3458 3916
Avg/A TD
8.4 7.5 5.6 5.6 7.7 7.3 7.1 6.5 6.9 7.4 7.8 7.6 5.4 5.2
24 26 16 18 26 18 13 14 18 19 15 18 15 8
Avg/A TD
5.3 5.6 6.0 5.7 6.0 5.6 5.5 6.0 7.2 7.4 8.1 9.0 7.5 7.7
7 6 12 12 13 17 5 14 18 24 27 22 22 31
Avg/G
285.9 274.7 243.4 237.2 236.1 234.3 229.2 214.2 208.9 207.1 201.8 187.0 174.3 139.3 Avg/G
158.6 168.9 174.5 176.2 182.4 184.4 192.7 219.3 229.8 243.4 258.4 275.9 288.2 326.3
93 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 BIG TEN STATISTICS 2015 Big Ten Conference Team Statistics Through games of Dec 06, 2015 PASS EFFICIENCY 1. Indiana 2. Ohio State 3. Iowa 4. Michigan State 5. Rutgers 6. Michigan 7. Nebraska 8. Penn State 9. Wisconsin 10. Minnesota 11. Purdue 12. Illinois 13. Northwestern 14. Maryland
12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
PASS DEFENSE EFFIC. 1. Michigan 2. Wisconsin 3. Northwestern 4. Ohio State 5. Iowa 6. Illinois 7. Penn State 8. Minnesota 9. Michigan State 10. Nebraska 11. Purdue 12. Indiana 13. Maryland 14. Rutgers
12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12
171-356-8 175-361-11 228-422-12 185-373-11 253-472-18 224-392-13 202-350-10 212-364-9 245-415-15 266-464-8 245-393-12 311-511-9 222-385-9 235-367-13
KICKOFF RETURNS 1. Michigan 2. Northwestern 3. Iowa 4. Ohio State 5. Penn State 6. Maryland 7. Rutgers 8. Michigan State 9. Illinois 10. Purdue 11. Wisconsin 12. Minnesota 13. Indiana 14. Nebraska
G
No.
Yards
TD
Long
Avg.
12 12 13 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12
27 30 28 14 40 48 51 22 31 43 24 39 45 33
767 765 653 322 873 1039 1093 466 614 849 471 764 868 609
1 2 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
96 98 58 27 58 100 100 58 37 44 98 60 41 42
28.4 25.5 23.3 23.0 21.8 21.6 21.4 21.2 19.8 19.7 19.6 19.6 19.3 18.5
PUNT RETURN AVG 1. Maryland 2. Rutgers 3. Iowa 4. Ohio State 5. Indiana 6. Michigan 7. Nebraska 8. Illinois 9. Northwestern 10. Purdue 11. Wisconsin 12. Penn State 13. Michigan State 14. Minnesota
G
No.
Yards
TD
Long
Avg.
12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12
26 12 17 26 17 17 10 29 13 10 29 31 10 21
449 167 213 319 199 194 106 290 108 73 211 221 28 56
2 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
85 67 38 38 91 41 42 48 55 51 35 58 17 20
17.3 13.9 12.5 12.3 11.7 11.4 10.6 10.0 8.3 7.3 7.3 7.1 2.8 2.7
G Comp-Att-Int
241-409-6 185-294-8 206-336-4 225-401-6 202-336-12 238-384-10 244-439-21 193-362-5 234-390-13 227-397-10 290-504-16 285-519-8 160-319-9 183-388-29
G Comp-Att-Int
Pct.
Yds
58.9 62.9 61.3 56.1 60.1 62.0 55.6 53.3 60.0 57.2 57.5 54.9 50.2 47.2
3431 2244 2623 3069 2485 2812 3296 2507 2751 2570 2847 2921 1672 2092
Pct.
Yds
48.0 48.5 54.0 49.6 53.6 57.1 57.7 58.2 59.0 57.3 62.3 60.9 57.7 64.0
1903 2027 2312 2114 2851 2213 2094 2189 2988 3458 2921 3916 3101 3311
Avg/G TD
285.9 187.0 201.8 236.1 207.1 234.3 274.7 208.9 229.2 214.2 237.2 243.4 139.3 174.3
24 18 15 26 19 18 26 18 13 14 18 16 8 15
Avg/G TD
158.6 168.9 192.7 176.2 219.3 184.4 174.5 182.4 229.8 288.2 243.4 326.3 258.4 275.9
7 6 5 12 14 17 12 13 18 22 24 31 27 22
Effic.
145.8 141.8 139.2 138.8 133.8 133.8 128.6 125.1 123.6 118.2 110.4 109.3 96.8 90.3 Effic.
94.9 95.0 98.3 101.9 106.5 112.2 113.6 115.6 126.6 132.1 138.8 141.7 143.8 152.5
INTERCEPTIONS 1. Iowa 2. Michigan State 3. Rutgers 4. Illinois 5. Purdue 6. Northwestern 7. Ohio State 8. Wisconsin 9. Penn State 10. Minnesota 11. Indiana 12. Maryland 13. Nebraska 14. Michigan
G
No.
Yards
TD
Long
Avg.
13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
18 15 13 13 12 12 11 10 10 9 9 9 8 8
321 164 117 195 137 228 138 105 123 53 214 97 143 96
4 2 1 1 0 2 3 0 0 2 2 0 1 1
88 44 51 58 66 72 41 41 44 27 96 38 43 37
17.8 10.9 9.0 15.0 11.4 19.0 12.5 10.5 12.3 5.9 23.8 10.8 17.9 12.0
PUNTING 1. Ohio State 2. Minnesota 3. Nebraska 4. Northwestern 5. Iowa 6. Purdue 7. Indiana 8. Penn State 9. Michigan 10. Wisconsin 11. Maryland 12. Rutgers 13. Michigan State 14. Illinois
G
No.
Yards
Avg/P
Ret. Avg/R
TB
Net/P
12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12
57 71 58 79 62 67 59 75 54 65 70 62 53 75
2476 3060 2537 3030 2468 2645 2416 2963 2188 2549 2606 2476 2215 3005
43.4 43.1 43.7 38.4 39.8 39.5 40.9 39.5 40.5 39.2 37.2 39.9 41.8 40.1
43 299 207 32 117 135 175 154 161 68 96 172 189 297
7 2 6 2 4 3 5 5 4 8 2 6 8 10
40.2 38.3 38.1 37.4 36.6 36.6 36.3 36.1 36.1 35.7 35.3 35.2 35.2 33.4
KICKOFF COVERAGE 1. Ohio State 2. Wisconsin 3. Rutgers 4. Indiana 5. Minnesota 6. Michigan 7. Penn State 8. Nebraska 9. Illinois 10. Iowa 11. Michigan State 12. Northwestern 13. Maryland 14. Purdue
G
No.
Yards
Avg.
Ret.
TB
NetAvg
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12
76 65 62 83 54 70 62 73 60 80 77 57 57 54
4596 3818 3612 5267 3288 4278 3831 4399 3590 5074 4589 3349 3440 3261
60.5 58.7 58.3 63.5 60.9 61.1 61.8 60.3 59.8 63.4 59.6 58.8 60.4 60.4
753 844 825 677 528 687 791 757 723 803 1038 746 898 809
25 12 11 51 25 33 24 31 21 46 22 18 16 17
42.3 41.1 40.5 39.9 39.5 39.5 39.4 39.3 39.0 39.0 39.0 37.8 37.6 37.5
FIELD GOALS 1. Indiana 2. Penn State 3. Michigan 4. Iowa 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Minnesota Nebraska Rutgers Maryland Northwestern Illinois Michigan State Wisconsin Ohio State Purdue
0.8 4.2 3.6 0.4 1.9 2.0 3.0 2.1 3.0 1.0 1.4 2.8 3.6 4.0
G
Made
Att
Pct.
12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12
22 17 16 15 15 20 12 11 18 16 12 15 7 5
25 20 20 19 19 26 16 15 26 25 19 24 12 11
.880 .850 .800 .789 .789 .769 .750 .733 .692 .640 .632 .625 .583 .455
94 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 BIG TEN STATISTICS 2015 Big Ten Conference Team Statistics Through games of Dec 06, 2015 PAT KICKING 1. Ohio State
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Michigan Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota Nebraska Maryland Michigan State Purdue Northwestern Indiana Rutgers Iowa Penn State
SACKS BY 1. Penn State 2. Maryland
Michigan State
4. Ohio State 5. Michigan 6. Iowa 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Indiana Northwestern Wisconsin Nebraska Purdue Minnesota Illinois Rutgers
SACKS AGAINST 1. Indiana
Nebraska
3. Ohio State
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
13. 14.
Michigan State Minnesota Michigan Illinois Iowa Wisconsin Northwestern Maryland Rutgers Purdue Penn State
FIRST DOWNS 1. Indiana 2. Michigan State 3. Iowa 4. Nebraska 5. Wisconsin 6. Ohio State 7. Illinois 8. Michigan 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Purdue Rutgers Maryland Northwestern Minnesota Penn State
G
Made
Att
Pct.
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 13 12
57 41 40 32 30 40 33 51 38 26 48 35 48 29
57 41 40 32 30 41 34 53 40 28 52 38 53 33
1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 .976 .971 .962 .950 .929 .923 .921 .906 .879
G
No.
Yards
Avg/G
12 12 13 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
44 35 35 34 30 29 29 28 26 24 21 20 19 14
326 208 227 192 226 214 142 174 198 162 121 122 139 98
3.67 2.92 2.69 2.83 2.50 2.23 2.42 2.33 2.17 2.00 1.75 1.67 1.58 1.17
G
No.
Yards
Avg/G
12 12 12 13 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12
13 13 17 17 17 18 20 23 24 25 25 25 30 39
92 136 90 106 102 95 180 170 162 156 152 207 173 230
1.08 1.08 1.42 1.31 1.42 1.50 1.67 1.77 2.00 2.08 2.08 2.08 2.50 3.25
G
Rush
Pass
Pen
Total
Avg/G
12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
127 113 129 97 89 137 83 85 85 111 105 102 73 80
152 153 112 150 143 102 141 135 127 112 96 96 120 93
25 18 25 18 22 14 21 17 25 13 16 15 15 25
304 284 266 265 254 253 245 237 237 236 217 213 208 198
25.3 21.8 20.5 22.1 21.2 21.1 20.4 19.8 19.8 19.7 18.1 17.8 17.3 16.5
OPPONENT 1ST DOWNS 1. Wisconsin 2. Ohio State 3. Northwestern 4. Michigan 5. Illinois
G
Rush
Pass
Pen
Total
Avg/G
Penn State Michigan State Nebraska Minnesota Iowa Rutgers 12. Maryland 13. Purdue 14. Indiana
12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 13 12 12 12 12
56 86 85 84 102 99 83 55 102 89 93 102 122 98
95 88 102 88 94 108 124 149 115 137 145 134 141 180
16 18 14 31 21 10 21 25 17 25 13 26 28 25
167 192 202 203 217 217 228 229 234 251 251 262 291 303
13.9 16.0 16.8 16.9 18.1 18.1 17.5 19.1 19.5 19.3 20.9 21.8 24.2 25.2
3RD-DOWN CONVERSIONS 1. Michigan State 2. Michigan 3. Nebraska 4. Iowa 5. Northwestern 6. Wisconsin 7. Ohio State 8. Minnesota 9. Indiana 10. Rutgers 11. Illinois 12. Purdue 13. Maryland 14. Penn State
G
Conv.
Att.
Pct.
13 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
95 77 74 75 90 69 60 67 67 57 74 70 50 47
188 173 170 175 215 169 154 177 182 156 204 200 170 167
50.5 44.5 43.5 42.9 41.9 40.8 39.0 37.9 36.8 36.5 36.3 35.0 29.4 28.1
OPP 3RD-DN CONVERT 1. Michigan 2. Wisconsin 3. Northwestern 4. Illinois 5. Nebraska 6. Ohio State 7. Maryland 8. Michigan State 9. Iowa 10. Penn State 11. Minnesota 12. Indiana 13. Purdue 14. Rutgers
G
Conv.
Att.
Pct.
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12
43 54 60 58 59 69 61 61 74 66 81 81 73 69
168 175 194 185 176 199 175 174 200 178 196 190 169 155
25.6 30.9 30.9 31.4 33.5 34.7 34.9 35.1 37.0 37.1 41.3 42.6 43.2 44.5
G
Conv.
Att.
Pct.
12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12
6 5 6 10 24 8 12 9 11 7 6 6 7 3
8 8 10 18 44 17 26 20 25 16 16 16 21 9
75.0 62.5 60.0 55.6 54.5 47.1 46.2 45.0 44.0 43.8 37.5 37.5 33.3 33.3
7. 8. 9. 10.
4TH-DOWN CONVERSIONS 1. Wisconsin 2. Nebraska 3. Iowa 4. Ohio State 5. Purdue 6. Penn State 7. Indiana 8. Rutgers 9. Illinois 10. Michigan State 11. Minnesota
Michigan
13. Maryland
Northwestern
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
95
2015 BIG TEN STATISTICS 2015 Big Ten Conference Team Statistics Through games of Dec 06, 2015 OPP 4TH-DN CONVERT 1. Penn State 2. Wisconsin 3. Nebraska 4. Ohio State
G
Conv.
Att.
Pct.
Rutgers Michigan Northwestern Purdue Indiana Maryland Minnesota Michigan State 13. Illinois 14. Iowa
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 13
2 4 8 8 8 9 9 7 12 9 8 15 11 14
12 17 23 22 22 22 21 15 25 18 16 30 21 25
16.7 23.5 34.8 36.4 36.4 40.9 42.9 46.7 48.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 52.4 56.0
PENALTIES 1. Northwestern 2. Penn State 3. Michigan State 4. Iowa 5. Minnesota 6. Illinois 7. Ohio State 8. Rutgers 9. Purdue 10. Wisconsin 11. Indiana 12. Maryland 13. Michigan 14. Nebraska
G
No.
Yards
Avg/G
12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
55 61 69 66 72 66 72 79 65 70 84 85 83 88
481 487 567 633 586 589 611 624 647 653 724 746 748 791
40.1 40.6 43.6 48.7 48.8 49.1 50.9 52.0 53.9 54.4 60.3 62.2 62.3 65.9
OPPONENT PENALTIES 1. Wisconsin 2. Maryland 3. Penn State 4. Indiana 5. Iowa 6. Nebraska 7. Purdue 8. Michigan 9. Michigan State 10. Minnesota 11. Illinois 12. Ohio State 13. Northwestern 14. Rutgers
G
No.
Yards
Avg/G
12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12
93 86 87 78 79 77 84 67 73 63 63 65 52 50
811 757 729 718 754 695 674 591 626 552 535 513 450 437
67.6 63.1 60.8 59.8 58.0 57.9 56.2 49.2 48.2 46.0 44.6 42.8 37.5 36.4
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
TIME OF POSSESSION 1. Wisconsin 2. Michigan State 3. Michigan 4. Nebraska 5. Iowa 6. Rutgers 7. Northwestern 8. Illinois 9. Penn State 10. Ohio State
Indiana
12. Minnesota 13. Purdue 14. Maryland
G
Total possession
Avg/G
12 13 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
402:52 432:59 396:23 382:51 410:00 373:37 361:34 356:21 352:07 347:42 347:36 341:31 334:28 331:16
33:34 33:18 33:01 31:54 31:32 31:08 30:07 29:41 29:20 28:58 28:58 28:27 27:52 27:36
TURNOVER MARGIN 1. Michigan State 2. Iowa 3. Indiana 4. Northwestern
Penn State
6. Illinois 7. Ohio State 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Wisconsin Rutgers Minnesota Purdue Michigan Nebraska Maryland
Gained Fum Int Tot
13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
RED ZONE OFFENSE 1. Michigan 2. Penn State 3. Nebraska 4. Indiana 5. Purdue 6. Iowa 7. Michigan State 8. Rutgers 9. Minnesota 10. Northwestern 11. Wisconsin 12. Maryland 13. Ohio State 14. Illinois
12 12 12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
RED ZONE DEFENSE 1. Wisconsin 2. Northwestern 3. Ohio State 4. Rutgers 5. Purdue 6. Iowa 7. Nebraska 8. Michigan 9. Indiana 10. Michigan State 11. Illinois 12. Minnesota 13. Maryland 14. Penn State
12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12
ON-SIDE KICKS BY 1. Indiana 2. Nebraska 3. Maryland
Purdue Minnesota Penn State Illinois Michigan Michigan State Iowa Rutgers Ohio State Northwestern Wisconsin
13 8 10 9 12 8 8 9 3 8 9 2 5 9
15 18 9 12 10 13 11 11 13 9 12 8 8 9
G Scores
46-49 38-41 43-48 50-56 33-38 45-52 43-50 34-40 28-33 32-38 41-49 26-32 40-50 29-40
G Scores
16-22 23-31 22-28 44-55 49-61 27-33 38-46 26-31 37-44 32-38 34-39 38-43 49-54 31-34
28 26 19 21 22 21 19 20 16 17 21 10 13 18
Fum
Lost Int
6 10 5 7 12 9 9 5 6 11 10 6 5 7
6 4 6 9 5 8 8 13 12 10 16 10 21 29
Tot Margin
Per/G
12 14 11 16 17 17 17 18 18 21 26 16 26 36
1.23 0.92 0.67 0.42 0.42 0.33 0.17 0.17 -0.17 -0.33 -0.42 -0.50 -1.08 -1.50
+16 +12 +8 +5 +5 +4 +2 +2 -2 -4 -5 -6 -13 -18
Pct.
TDs
(R-P)
FGs
93.9 92.7 89.6 89.3 86.8 86.5 86.0 85.0 84.8 84.2 83.7 81.2 80.0 72.5
33 22 34 33 28 35 35 25 17 15 33 17 33 20
21-12 12-10 17-17 19-14 18-10 28-7 20-15 13-12 11-6 12-3 22-11 12-5 27-6 11-9
13-14 16-16 9-11 17-18 5-8 10-12 8-12 9-12 11-11 17-19 8-10 9-11 7-10 9-14
Pct.
TDs
(R-P)
FGs
72.7 74.2 78.6 80.0 80.3 81.8 82.6 83.9 84.1 84.2 87.2 88.4 90.7 91.2
8 16 16 36 39 17 26 13 28 23 23 28 39 25
6-2 15-1 7-9 23-13 24-15 8-9 12-14 10-3 15-13 13-10 12-11 18-10 21-18 16-9
8-13 7-10 6-8 8-11 10-15 10-10 12-15 13-13 9-10 9-9 11-13 10-13 10-13 6-6
G
Recovered
Attempts
Success%
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12
2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 4 4 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
100.0 25.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
96 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
TurnO
0 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 0 3 3 3 1 TurnO
0 3 1 4 4 4 1 0 4 4 1 2 0 1
2015 BIG TEN STATISTICS 2015 Big Ten Conference Individual Statistics Through games of Dec 06, 2015 RUSHING 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Elliott, E-OSU Howard,Jordan-IND Jackson,Justin-NU Barkley,Saquon-PSU Canzeri,Jordan-IOWA Ross,B.-MD Ferguson,Josh-ILL Jones,Markell-PUR Vaughn,Ke'Shawn-ILL Redding,Devine-IND PASSING AVG/GAME
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Sudfeld,Nate-IND Armstrong,Tommy-NEB Cook,Connor-MSU Lunt,Wes-ILL Rudock,Jake-MICH Leidner,Mitch-MINN Stave,Joel-WIS Hackenberg,C.-PSU Beathard,C.J.-IOWA Laviano,Chris-RU PASS EFFICIENCY
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Sudfeld,Nate-IND Barrett, J.T.-OSU Cook,Connor-MSU Jones, Cardale-OSU Beathard,C.J.-IOWA Rudock,Jake-MICH Laviano,Chris-RU Armstrong,Tommy-NEB Stave,Joel-WIS Hackenberg,C.-PSU
RECEPTIONS/GAME 1. Burbridge,A.-MSU 2. Erickson,Alex-WIS 3. Allison,G.-ILL
Maye,KJ-MINN
5. Godwin,Chris-PSU 7. 8. 9. 10.
Westerka,Jordan-NEB Anthrop,Danny-PUR VandeBerg,Matt-IOWA Darboh,Amara-MICH Cobbs,Simmie-IND RECEIVE YDS/GAME
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Burbridge,A.-MSU Godwin,Chris-PSU Erickson,Alex-WIS Cobbs,Simmie-IND Allison,G.-ILL Westerka,Jordan-NEB Jones,Ricky-IND Reilly,Brandon-NEB Thomas, Michael-OSU Maye,KJ-MINN
G
Att.
12 9 12 10 11 12 9 12 11 12
262 196 298 165 178 150 129 168 157 191
Yds Avg. TD
1672 1213 1344 1007 976 958 708 875 723 785
G
Comp-Att-Int
11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12
219-361-5 210-383-16 210-369-5 270-481-6 229-358-9 218-377-10 207-343-11 184-345-5 202-329-4 187-307-12
G
Comp-Att-Int
6.4 6.2 4.5 6.1 5.5 6.4 5.5 5.2 4.6 4.1
G
No.
80 72 65 65 63 63 57 61 56 54
G
No.
13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
80 63 72 54 65 63 50 37 49 65
7 3 3 4 5 7 2 3 5 4
Yds TD
1219 968 924 914 882 874 817 716 709 706
Avg/G
139.3 134.8 112.0 100.7 88.7 79.8 78.7 72.9 65.7 65.4
24 21 24 14 17 13 10 16 15 16
Yds TD
3184 781 2921 1460 2570 2739 2247 2856 2470 2386
Yds TD
1219 924 882 706 968 874 430 639 703 914
Lg
80 37 62 56 75 80 52 68 78 66
Yds TD
3184 2856 2921 2761 2739 2478 2470 2386 2570 2247
11 219-361-5 10 74-116-3 12 210-369-5 10 110-176-5 13 202-329-4 12 229-358-9 12 187-307-12 11 210-383-16 12 207-343-11 12 184-345-5 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12
19 9 4 7 12 10 3 10 6 8
7 5 3 4 3 7 5 4 8 4
Lg
56 45 53 57 56 38 41 48 39 44 Lg
56 56 45 44 53 38 71 52 50 57
24 10 24 8 15 17 16 21 10 16
Avg/G
289.5 259.6 243.4 230.1 228.2 206.5 205.8 198.8 197.7 187.2
TOTAL OFFENSE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
SCORING 1. Elliott, E-OSU 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 8. 9. 10.
6.2 6.0 5.4 5.4 5.2 5.2 4.8 4.7 4.7 4.5
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
93.8 80.7 77.0 76.2 73.5 72.8 68.1 59.7 59.1 58.8
Oakes,Griffin-IND Brown,Drew-NEB Allen,Kenny-MICH Koehn,Marshall-IOWA Gaglianone,R.-WIS Geiger,Michael-MSU Mitchell,Jack-NU Zalewski,T.-ILL Santoso,Ryan-MINN Federico,Kyle-RU
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Likely,W.-MD Marshall, Jalin-OSU King,Desmond-IOWA Paige,Mitchell-IND Peppers,J.-MICH Bentley,V.-ILL Thompkins,D.-PSU Erickson,Alex-WIS
19 0 0 0 13 0 0 10 0 11
Plays
Total
Yds/G
404 471 414 412 475 416 505 374 410 372
3225 3180 3001 2876 2729 2840 2608 2349 2302 2209
293.2 289.1 250.1 239.7 227.4 218.5 217.3 195.8 191.8 184.1
Pts
Pts/G
0 114 0 114 0 100 0 89 0 78 0 91 0 83 2 62 0 87 0 66
9.5 9.5 8.3 7.4 7.1 7.0 6.9 6.9 6.7 6.6
3184 2856 2921 2739 2478 2570 2761 2470 2386 2247 0 22 20 16 0 15 15 0 12 0
XPT
2XP
0 48 40 41 0 46 38 0 51 0
G TD Run Pass Ret Pat
12 11 9 10 12 12 13 12 10 11
19 13 10 11 11 11 11 10 8 8
19 12 9 11 2 10 11 10 7 8
0 1 1 0 8 1 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Pts Avg/G
0 114 9.5 0 78 7.1 1 62 6.9 0 66 6.6 0 66 5.5 0 66 5.5 0 66 5.1 0 60 5.0 0 48 4.8 0 48 4.4
G
PAT
FG
Pts
Avg/G
12 12 12 13 12 13 10 12 12 12
48-52 40-41 41-41 46-51 38-38 51-53 21-23 31-31 30-30 35-38
22-25 20-26 16-20 15-19 15-24 12-19 15-21 16-25 15-19 12-16
114 100 89 91 83 87 66 79 75 71
9.5 8.3 7.4 7.0 6.9 6.7 6.6 6.6 6.2 5.9
PUNT RETURN AVG
Avg/C Yds/G
15.2 15.4 12.8 16.9 13.6 13.9 16.3 19.4 14.5 10.9
Elliott, E-OSU Canzeri,Jordan-IOWA Howard,Jordan-IND Barrett, J.T.-OSU Chesson,Jehu-MICH Jones,Markell-PUR Scott,LJ-MSU Ross,B.-MD Barkley,Saquon-PSU Daniels,LeShun-IOWA
41 324 80 137 251 270 -153 -121 -84 -38
G TD FG
12 12 12 12 11 13 12 9 13 10
SCORING (KICK)
Yds/G Rec/G
93.8 77.0 73.5 58.8 80.7 72.8 35.8 49.2 58.6 76.2
Oakes,Griffin-IND Brown,Drew-NEB Allen,Kenny-MICH Canzeri,Jordan-IOWA Koehn,Marshall-IOWA Gaglianone,R.-WIS Howard,Jordan-IND Geiger,Michael-MSU Barrett, J.T.-OSU
G Rush Pass
11 11 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12
SCORING (TDs)
Eff.
153.9 143.6 142.2 141.5 139.6 138.9 131.8 127.2 124.0 123.8
Sudfeld,Nate-IND Armstrong,Tommy-NEB Cook,Connor-MSU Rudock,Jake-MICH Leidner,Mitch-MINN Beathard,C.J.-IOWA Lunt,Wes-ILL Stave,Joel-WIS Hackenberg,C.-PSU Laviano,Chris-RU
G
No.
Yds
11 11 13 12 12 12 12 12
23 24 16 17 17 26 23 24
408 306 203 199 194 238 178 176
TD Long
2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
85 38 38 91 41 48 58 35
Avg/G
17.7 12.8 12.7 11.7 11.4 9.2 7.7 7.3
97 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
2015 BIG TEN STATISTICS 2015 Big Ten Conference Individual Statistics Through games of Dec 06, 2015 KICK RETURN AVG 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Vault,Solomon-NU King,Desmond-IOWA Lewis,Jourdan-MICH Grant,Janarion-RU William,Frankie-PUR Likely,W.-MD Farmer,Koa-PSU Jamerson,N.-WIS Bentley,V.-ILL Shelton,R.J.-MSU ALL PURPOSE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Elliott, E-OSU Howard,Jordan-IND Grant,Janarion-RU Jackson,Justin-NU Likely,W.-MD Barkley,Saquon-PSU Ferguson,Josh-ILL Canzeri,Jordan-IOWA Erickson,Alex-WIS Burbridge,A.-MSU PUNTING
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Foltz,Sam-NEB Johnston, C-OSU Mortell,Peter-MINN Hartbarger,J.-MSU Toth,Erich-IND O'Neill,Blake-MICH Kidd,Dillon-IOWA Pasquariello,D-PSU Schopper,Joe-PUR Frain,Ryan-ILL FIELD GOALS
1. 2. 3. 4. 6. 8. 9. 10.
Oakes,Griffin-IND Brown,Drew-NEB Mitchell,Jack-NU Allen,Kenny-MICH Zalewski,T.-ILL Santoso,Ryan-MINN Gaglianone,R.-WIS Koehn,Marshall-IOWA Federico,Kyle-RU Geiger,Michael-MSU FIELD GOAL PCT
1. Oakes,Griffin-IND 2. Julius,Joey-PSU 3. Allen,Kenny-MICH
Craddock,B.-MD
5. Santoso,Ryan-MINN 7. 8. 9. 10.
Koehn,Marshall-IOWA Brown,Drew-NEB Federico,Kyle-RU Mitchell,Jack-NU Zalewski,T.-ILL
G
No.
Yds
TD Long
Avg/G
12 13 12 12 12 11 11 12 12 13
23 22 15 40 22 35 18 18 23 18
620 564 378 984 505 789 405 401 505 393
2 98 0 58 0 55 3 100 0 44 1 100 0 57 1 98 0 37 0 58
27.0 25.6 25.2 24.6 23.0 22.5 22.5 22.3 22.0 21.8
G Rush
12 9 12 12 11 10 9 11 12 13
1672 1213 80 1344 93 1007 708 976 111 36
G No.
11 12 12 13 19 12 13 10 11 12
53 55 70 48 58 53 53 52 58 70
Rcv PR KR
Yds
Avg/G
176 13 0 106 0 0 352 167 984 147 0 0 17 408 789 148 0 0 280 0 0 196 0 0 924 176 0 1219 0 0
1861 1319 1583 1491 1307 1155 988 1172 1211 1255
155.1 146.6 131.9 124.2 118.8 115.5 109.8 106.5 100.9 96.5
Yds
67 67 66 61 62 80 64 60 69 72
15 24 26 20 20 23 21 10 20 12
16 18 20 15 5 9 11 9 12 8
5 7 2 7 5 4 4 3 2 9
Made
Att.
Pct.
45 41 38 31 30 40 51 22 38 48
45 41 38 31 30 41 53 23 40 52
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 97.6 96.2 95.7 95.0 92.3
44.4 44.1 43.3 42.1 41.7 41.3 40.4 40.3 40.2 40.2
Att.
Long
Pct.
FG/G
25 26 21 20 25 19 24 19 16 19
51 50 49 47 51 50 49 57 48 47
88.0 76.9 71.4 80.0 64.0 78.9 62.5 78.9 75.0 63.2
1.83 1.67 1.50 1.33 1.33 1.25 1.25 1.15 1.00 0.92
22 20 15 16 16 15 15 15 12 12
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Allen,Kenny-MICH Gaglianone,R.-WIS Zalewski,T.-ILL Santoso,Ryan-MINN Brown,Drew-NEB Geiger,Michael-MSU Craddock,B.-MD Griggs,Paul-PUR Oakes,Griffin-IND
G
12 12 12 12 12 12 13 9 12 12
Lg I20 50+ TB Avg.
2352 2425 3031 2023 2416 2188 2141 2095 2332 2814
G Made
12 12 10 12 12 12 12 13 12 13
PAT KICKING PCT 1. Willoughby, J-OSU
G
Made
Att.
Long
Pct.
12 11 12 9 12 13 12 12 10 12
22 10 16 8 15 15 20 12 15 16
25 12 20 10 19 19 26 16 21 25
51 40 47 44 50 57 50 48 49 51
88.0 83.3 80.0 80.0 78.9 78.9 76.9 75.0 71.4 64.0
In addition to leading the Big Ten in catches (80) and receiving yards (1,219), Burbridge also ranks tied for fourth in touchdown receptions (7) and 10th in allpurpose yards (96.5 ypg.).
98 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 BIG TEN STATISTICS 2015 Big Ten Conference Individual Statistics Through games of Dec 06, 2015 TACKLES (All positions) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
14. 15. 16. 17. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 37. 39. 40.
44. 45. 46. 47.
50.
Fejedelem,C.-ILL Longa,Steve-RU McMillan, R-OSU Walker,Anthony-NU Jewell,Josey-IOWA Neal Jr.,T.J.-ILL Poock,Cody-MINN Fisher,Cole-IOWA Carter,J.-MD Oliver,Marcus-IND Johnson,Antonio-MINN Monheim,Mason-ILL Perry, Joshua-OSU Gause,Quentin-RU Cabinda,Jason-PSU Campbell,D.-MINN Clark,Leroy-PUR Davis,S.-MD Bullough,Riley-MSU Lomax,Jordan-IOWA Nixon,A.-MD Allen,Marcus-PSU Edwards,TJ-WIS Ezechukwu,Danny-PUR Hendy,A.-MD Bolden,Joe-MICH Schobert,Joe-WIS Harris,Darien-MSU Gerry,Nate-NEB Igwebuike,G.-NU Lynn,Jack-MINN Cockrel,Byerson-NEB Nicholson,M.-MSU Johnson,Austin-PSU Simmons,T.J.-IND Lewis,Kaiwan-RU Meier,Nate-IOWA Reschke,J.-MSU Scales,Tegray-IND Crawford,J.-IND Reeder,Troy-PSU Morgan,Desmond-MICH Kalu,Joshua-NEB Cox,Demetrious-MSU Powell, Tyvis-OSU Bell,Brandon-PSU Brooks,J.-MD Murray,Eric-MINN Biegel,Vince-WIS Henry,Traveon-NU
G Pos
12 11 12 12 13 12 11 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 12 11 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 11 13 12 12 12 13 13 10 12 12 12 12 13 12 10 12 12 12 11
DB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB SAF LB LB LB SS DB LB SAF DB
LB DB LB LB
LB
LB DE LB
LB SAF DB
LB SAF
Solo
Ast
Total
Avg/G
74 75 53 58 58 43 53 56 66 61 57 34 49 60 36 50 54 70 42 44 55 40 38 40 48 31 38 40 46 43 40 35 45 26 34 46 29 31 35 44 42 35 44 43 37 28 32 45 29 40
66 42 61 55 61 66 42 56 37 41 41 64 49 36 56 39 34 18 53 48 27 35 42 39 28 45 38 42 29 30 32 30 31 44 35 23 45 43 21 23 25 32 23 29 29 26 32 19 35 18
140 117 114 113 119 109 95 112 103 102 98 98 98 96 92 89 88 88 95 92 82 75 80 79 76 76 76 82 75 73 72 65 76 70 69 69 74 74 56 67 67 67 67 72 66 54 64 64 64 58
11.7 10.6 9.5 9.4 9.2 9.1 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.5 8.2 8.2 8.2 8.0 7.7 7.4 7.3 7.3 7.3 7.1 6.8 6.8 6.7 6.6 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.2 6.1 6.0 5.9 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.5 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3
SACKS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 8. 10. 12. 13.
17. 18. 19. 20.
Nassib,Carl-PSU Ngakoue,Y.-MD Calhoun,S.-MSU Schobert,Joe-WIS Gibson,Deonte-NU Mangieri,Nick-IND Biegel,Vince-WIS Smoot,Dawuane-ILL Lewis, Tyquan-OSU Henry,Willie-MICH Jefferson,Q.-MD Meier,Nate-IOWA Wormley,Chris-MICH Johnson,Austin-PSU Charlton,Taco-MICH Hubbard, Sam-OSU Bell,Brandon-PSU Bosa, Joey-OSU McDowell,M.-MSU Panfil,Evan-PUR
TACKLES FOR LOSS 1. Walker,Anthony-NU 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
12. 13. 15. 17. 19. 20.
Nassib,Carl-PSU Schobert,Joe-WIS Bosa, Joey-OSU Ngakoue,Y.-MD Calhoun,S.-MSU Neal Jr.,T.J.-ILL Carter,J.-MD Replogle, Jake-PUR Biegel,Vince-WIS Smoot,Dawuane-ILL Lowry,Dean-NU Lewis, Tyquan-OSU Johnson,Austin-PSU Jefferson,Q.-MD Gibson,Deonte-NU Gause,Quentin-RU Wormley,Chris-MICH McDowell,M.-MSU Clements,C.-ILL
G Pos
12 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 12 10 11 13 12
DL DE DL
DT DL DE DE DE
DL DE
G Pos
12 12 12 11 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 12
LB
DL DE LB LB
DL DL DL LB DE DL DL
Solo Ast
15 11 9 9 8 9 7 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4
1 5 3 1 2 0 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 0
Total
15.5 13.5 10.5 9.5 9.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 7.0 6.5 6.5 6.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0
Solo Ast
15 18 14 14 12 11 11 12 12 10 12 11 9 9 10 11 11 11 11 10
9 3 9 4 6 7 6 4 4 8 4 5 8 8 5 3 2 2 2 3
Total
19.5 19.5 18.5 16.0 15.0 14.5 14.0 14.0 14.0 14.0 14.0 13.5 13.0 13.0 12.5 12.5 12.0 12.0 12.0 11.5
Riley Bullough ranks among the Big Ten leaders in tackles (7.3 avg.).
MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
99
2015 BIG TEN STATISTICS 2015 Big Ten Conference Individual Statistics Through games of Dec 06, 2015 PASSES DEFENDED 1. Fant,Rashard-IND 3. 4. 5. 6. 8. 9.
13. 14.
17. 18. 20.
Lewis,Jourdan-MICH Harris,Matthew-NU King,Desmond-IOWA VanHoose,Nick-NU McEvoy,Tanner-WIS Likely,W.-MD Colquhoun,A.-MSU Wharton,Isaiah-RU Gerry,Nate-NEB Clark,Leroy-PUR Bell, Vonn-OSU Rose,Jonathan-NEB Brown,Anthony-PUR William,Frankie-PUR Peppers,J.-MICH Haley,Grant-PSU Cox,Demetrious-MSU Mabin,Greg-IOWA Fejedelem,C.-ILL INTERCEPTIONS
King,Desmond-IOWA McEvoy,Tanner-WIS Harris,Matthew-NU Cioffi,Anthony-RU Gerry,Nate-NEB Barton,Taylor-ILL Myrick,Jalen-MINN Brown,Anthony-PUR 9. Boddy-Calhoun,B-MINN 10. VanHoose,Nick-NU 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
FUMBLES FORCED 1. Nassib,Carl-PSU 2. Davis,S.-MD 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Schobert,Joe-WIS Oliver,Marcus-IND Bell,Brandon-PSU Likely,W.-MD Murray,Eric-MINN Maurice,Kevin-NEB Pinnix-Odrick-RU Longa,Steve-RU
FUMBLES RECOVERED 1. Walker,Anthony-NU 2. Sickels,G.-PSU 3. Schobert,Joe-WIS
Hubbard, Sam-OSU Smoot,Dawuane-ILL Hillary,Darius-WIS 7. Bullough,Riley-MSU Edmondson,J.-MSU 9. Orr,Chris-WIS Zanotto,B.-MD
G
BrUp
Int.
Total
Avg/G
12 12 10 13 12 12 11 13 12 12 12 12 9 12 12 12 11 13 13 12
21 19 12 12 12 6 11 10 10 7 9 9 7 6 7 10 7 7 8 7
0 2 4 8 3 6 0 2 1 4 2 2 1 4 3 0 2 3 2 2
21 21 16 20 15 12 11 12 11 11 11 11 8 10 10 10 9 10 10 9
1.75 1.75 1.60 1.54 1.25 1.00 1.00 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.89 0.83 0.83 0.83 0.82 0.77 0.77 0.75
G
No.
Yds
13 12 10 11 12 12 9 12 10 12
8 5 4 4 4 4 3 4 3 3
118 83 94 56 90 49 30 4 21 76
G
No.
Avg/G
12 12 12 12 10 11 12 9 11 11
6 5 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2
0.50 0.42 0.42 0.33 0.30 0.27 0.25 0.22 0.18 0.18
G
No.
Avg/G
12 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 9 9
3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
0.25 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.15 0.15 0.11 0.11
TD Long
1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1
88 41 71 51 43 49 27 4 16 72
Avg/G
0.62 0.42 0.40 0.36 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.30 0.25
Arjen Colquhoun ranks tied for eighth in the Big Ten in passes defended (11; 0.92 per game).
Demetrious Cox has nine passes defended and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions.
100 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 NCAA STATISTICS
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101 MSUSPARTANS.COM â&#x20AC;¢ @MSU_FOOTBALL â&#x20AC;¢ #REACHHIGHER
2015 NCAA STATISTICS
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102 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL â&#x20AC;¢ COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
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MSUSPARTANS.COM
2015 GAME RECAPS
2 0 1 5 M I C H I G A N S T A T E F O O T B A L L // @ M S U _ F O O T B A L L
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2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 1 • NO. 5/6 MICHIGAN STATE 37, WESTERN MICHIGAN 24 Game 1 | Michigan State 37, Western Michigan 24 Sept. 4, 2015 • Kalamazoo, Mich. Waldo Stadium • Att: 30,885
SCORE BY QUARTERS Michigan State (1-0) Western Michigan (0-1)
Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com.
SCORING SUMMARY
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Madre London ran for two touchdowns in the first several minutes of his college career to help the fifth-ranked Spartans build a big lead they needed to hold off Western Michigan for a 37-24 victory Friday night. The Spartans (1-0) had a 27-7 lead in the second quarter and were up by 24 points in the third. The Broncos (0-1) pulled within 10 points early in the fourth by putting together two long TD drives. After giving up a field goal and having a three-and-out possession, Western Michigan drove to the 7 with a chance to make the final minutes dramatic. Freshman cornerback Vayante Copeland, though, ended the suspense with an interception in the end zone. The Spartans set a school record by scoring 30-plus points for the ninth straight game. They surpassed the 30-point mark in eight consecutive games, spanning the 1978 and 1979 season. Connor Cook was 15-of-31 passing for 256 yards with two TDs. Cook threw a 9-yard TD pass to Josiah Price late in the first quarter and a 21-yarder to DeAnthony Arnett early in the third to give the Spartans a 34-10 lead. Michigan State’s Aaron Burbridge had four receptions for 117 yards. The Spartan had a trio of running backs, including London, combine to run for 190 yards on 35 carries. Arnett caught his first TD pass since he was a freshman at Tennessee in 2011. LJ Scott, a freshman, ran for 77 yards on 13 carries. Holmes had 54 yards on nine attempts, including an 8-yard TD run in the second quarter. Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell was 33 of 50 for 365 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Western Michigan receivers were able to separate from the Spartans’ secondary to make catches in space. Daniel Braverman had 13 receptions for 109 yards and Corey Davis caught 10 passes for 154 yards, including a 17-yard TD late in the third quarter. The Broncos failed to strike a balance in part because Jarvion Franklin ran for just 23 yards on eight carries before a hard hit sent him to the sideline in the third. Darius Phillips scored a game-tying, 100-yard kickoff return midway through the first quarter for the Broncos. Phillips took the opening kickoff to the Michigan State 30 to set his team up with an opportunity to score first, but Andrew Haldeman missed a 41-yard field goal.
1 20 7
2 7 3
3 7 7
4 3 7
-
F 37 24
FIRST QUARTER MSU (7-0) London 24-yard run (Geiger kick), 9:09 left Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:34 WMU (7-7) Phillips 100-yard kickoff return (Haldeman kick), 8:56 left MSU (13-7) London 7-yard run (Macksood rush failed), 5:07 left Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:49 MSU (20-7) Price 9-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 1:24 left Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 1:41 SECOND QUARTER MSU (27-7) Holmes 8-yard run (Geiger kick), 8:00 left Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:37 WMU (10-27) Haldeman 22-yard field goal, 2:46 left Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 5:14 THIRD QUARTER MSU (34-10) Arnett 21-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 9:25 left Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:35 WMU (17-34) Davis 17-yard pass from Terrell (Haldeman kick), 1:37 left Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 7:48 FOURTH QUARTER WMU (24-34) Mullinax 29-yard pass from Terrell (Haldeman kick), 11:09 left Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:31 MSU (37-24) Geiger 21-yard field goal, 7:42 left Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:27
TEAM STATISTICS
MSU
WMU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
26 40-196 256 15-31-0 71-452 4-47.2 1-1 3-25 28:19
22 23-18 365 33-50-2 73-383 4-39.0 0-0 8-77 31:41
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) MSU: Scott 13-77, London 13-59, Holmes 9-54, Shelton 3-6, Terry 1-2, Team 1-(-2); WMU: Franklin 8-23, Bogan 3-21, Bellamy 3-9, Terrell 9-(-35). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) MSU: Cook 15-31-0-256-2; WMU: Terrell 33-50-2-365-2. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) MSU: Burbridge 4-117, Price 3-49, Arnett 2-36, Kings 2-27, Shelton 2-13, Troup 1-14, Holmes 1-0; WMU: Braverman 13-109, Davis 10-154, Franklin 2-24, Henry 2-23, Bogan 2-9, Mullinax 1-29, Thompson 1-7, Bellamy 1-7, Johnson 1-3.
Riley Bullough recorded nine tackles and a career-high three sacks in MSU’s 37-24 season-opening win over Western Michigan.
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TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) MSU: R. Bullough 9 (7-2), Reschke 9 (6-3), Harris 8 (7-1), Williamson 8 (4-4), Nicholson 7 (4-3); WMU: Brown 10 (4-6), Atkins 9 (4-5), Lewis 9 (3-6), Sylva 7 (4-3), Two with six.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 2 • NO. 5/6 MICHIGAN STATE 31, NO. 7/5 OREGON 28 Game 2 | Michigan State 31, Oregon 28 Sept. 12, 2015 • East Lansing, Mich. Spartan Stadium • Att: 76,526 Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com. EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Connor Cook waited all offseason for another chance to win a game like this - yet Michigan State’s talented quarterback needed some help at the end. The Spartans would have to hold one more time on fourth down against Oregon’s always-dynamic offense. Vernon Adams threw incomplete to end Oregon’s final drive, and fifth-ranked Michigan State held on to beat the seventh-ranked Ducks 31-28 in college football’s marquee game of the week. The Spartans stopped Oregon four times on fourth down, including one key stand in the second quarter at the Michigan State goal line. Cook threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns, and the Spartans led 31-21 before Adams threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Byron Marshall with 3:25 remaining. After a Michigan State punt, the Ducks drove to the Spartans 33 before Adams overthrew Marshall, who had beaten his defender. The Spartans then sacked Adams for a loss of 10, and his pass on fourth-and-16 was incomplete. LJ Scott ran for two touchdowns for Michigan State, and Aaron Burbridge caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. It was the first time two teams in the AP Top 10 met at Spartan Stadium since 1966, when No. 2 Michigan State and No. 1 Notre Dame played to a 10-10 tie. The Spartans won this one, the latest big victory for a program that has become a consistent Big Ten title contender of late. The game was tied at 14 after Bralon Addison returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter, but Michigan State took the lead again on Scott’s 6-yard touchdown run. A 38-yard scoring run by Scott made it 31-21 with 10:51 remaining. Adams nearly rallied the Ducks. His scoring pass to Marshall marked the 70th consecutive game Oregon had thrown a TD pass, breaking a record the Ducks had been sharing. Texas Tech had a streak of 69 games from 2006-2011. But Michigan State held on at the end. Oregon drove 75 yards in 13 plays on the game’s first possession, taking the lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Royce Freeman. The Spartans answered with an even quicker TD. Madre London broke free for a 62-yard run on Michigan State’s first offensive play, and Cook threw a 12-yard scoring pass to Josiah Price. What looked like an offensive showcase in the making quickly simmered down. Michigan State’s Michael Geiger missed a 28-yard field-goal attempt later in the first quarter, and Adams threw an interception. Michigan State took the lead on Cook’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Burbridge early in the second quarter, and although Oregon drove all the way to the 1-yard line, the Spartans held, stopping the Ducks on fourth down. Michigan State converted each of its two fourth-down attempts, and scored touchdowns shortly after both. Cook threw a 28-yard pass to Burbridge on fourth-and-6 in the third quarter to set up Scott’s first TD, which made it 21-14.
SCORE BY QUARTERS Oregon (1-1) Michigan State (2-0)
1 7 7
2 0 7
3 7 10
4 14 7
-
F 28 31
SCORING SUMMARY FIRST QUARTER UO (7-0) Freeman 2-yard run (Schneider kick), 11:10 left Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 3:50 MSU (7-7) Price 12-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 10:02 left Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:08 SECOND QUARTER MSU (14-7) Burbridge 17-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 13:45 left Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:16 THIRD QUARTER UO (14-14) Addison 81-yard punt return (Schneider kick), 13:11 left MSU (21-14) Scott 6-yard run (Geiger kick), 8:11 left Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:00 MSU (24-14) Geiger 36-yard field goal, 1:08 left Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 5:29 FOURTH QUARTER UO (21-24) Adams 2-yard run (Schneider kick), 12:20 left Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 3:47 MSU (31-21) Scott 38-yard run (Geiger kick), 10:51 left Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:20 UO (28-31) Marshall 15-yard pass from Adams (Schneider kick), 3:25 left Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:49
TEAM STATISTICS
UO
MSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
26 43-123 309 22-39-2 82-432 3-30.7 2-0 9-56 26:34
21 37-197 192 20-32-1 69-389 5-51.4 0-0 2-15 33:26
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) UO: Freeman 24-92; Brooks-James 3-20, Adams 14-6, Nelson 1-4, Benoit 1-1; MSU: London 18-103, Scott 11-76, Shelton 2-22, Cook 2-4, Terry 1-(-4), Team 3-(-4). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) UO: Adams 22-39-2-309-1; MSU: Cook 20-32-1-192-2. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) UO: Addison 7-138, Nelson 7-79, Marshall 3-41, Freeman 3-34, Baylis 2-17; MSU: Burbridge 8-101, Kings 6-48, Price 2-23, Shelton 2-(-1), Lyles 1-18, Lang 1-3. TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) UO: Springs 13 (6-7), Walker 11 (1-10), Coleman 8 (1-7), French 7 (0-7), Daniels 6 (3-3); MSU: R. Bullough 14 (5-9), Harris 12 (5-7), Reschke 11 (2-9), Cox 7 (3-4), two with 6.
Riley Bullough had 14 tackles against Oregon and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after helping the Spartans limit the Ducks to 123 yards rushing, the lowest single-game output for UO since 2013.
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2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 3 • NO. 4/4 MICHIGAN STATE 35, AIR FORCE 21 Game 3 | Michigan State 35, Air Force 21 Sept. 19, 2015 • East Lansing, Mich. Spartan Stadium • Att: 74,211 Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com. EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - At first, it looked like a terrific catch that wouldn’t count, Aaron Burbridge leaping to haul in Connor Cook’s throw along the side of the end zone, but landing out of bounds. Replays showed Burbridge’s left foot touched inbounds as his body stretched parallel to the ground, before any other part of him hit the turf. Touchdown, Michigan State. That was the most spectacular of Burbridge’s three touchdown receptions in No. 4 Michigan State’s 35-21 win over Air Force. The senior receiver caught eight passes for 156 yards, and Cook threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns. The Spartans were coming off a big win over Oregon, and though Air Force’s option isn’t easy to prepare for, the Falcons never mounted much of an upset threat. Air Force held Michigan State to 77 yards rushing, but the Falcons left Burbridge with too much space, and Cook had little trouble finding him for several big plays. Air Force was penalized six times for 83 yards in the first half, including three chop blocks and a couple crucial defensive penalties that led to second-quarter touchdowns by Michigan State. Cook opened the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Price, and RJ Williamson scored on a 64-yard fumble return to make it 14-0. Air Force then drove 75 yards in 11 plays and scored on Ben Washington’s 1-yard run late in the first quarter, but Burbridge caught a pair of TD passes in the second - including the leaping catch that was originally ruled incomplete but overturned. It was 21-7 after that touchdown, and the Spartans caught a break when Air Force was called for a personal foul near the end of the half on a play when Cook was sacked. Instead of third-and-24, Michigan State had a new set of downs, and Cook immediately threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Burbridge with 28 seconds left in the half. Burbridge caught a 21-yard scoring pass from Cook early in the third to make it 35-7. Air Force lost quarterback Nate Romine to a leg injury in its previous game. Karson Roberts attempted only one pass in the first half against Michigan State, but the Falcons found some success through the air in the third quarter. Roberts threw a 38-yard TD pass to Jalen Robinette, and Air Force drove down the field again before stalling near the Michigan State goal line early in the fourth. On fourthand-goal from the 3, Robinette was stopped well behind the line of scrimmage. Later in the fourth, Roberts was intercepted by Williamson at the Michigan State 8. It was the first time Michigan State hosted a service academy.
SCORE BY QUARTERS Air Force (2-1) Michigan State (3-0)
1 7 14
2 0 14
3 7 7
4 7 0
-
F 21 35
SCORING SUMMARY FIRST QUARTER MSU (7-0) Price 15-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 8:48 left Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:11 MSU (14-0) Williamson 64-yard fumble recovery (Geiger kick), 6:31 left AF (7-14) Washington 1-yard run (Oehrle kick), 1:22 left Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:09 SECOND QUARTER MSU (21-7) Burbridge 28-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 10:40 left Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 5:40 MSU (28-7) Burbridge 32-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 0:28 left Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:48 THIRD QUARTER MSU (35-7) Burbridge 21-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 11:07 left Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:53 AF (14-35) Robinette 38-yard pass from Roberts (Oehrle kick), 8:38 left Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:26 FOURTH QUARTER AF (21-35) Johnson 2-yard run (Oehrle kick), 2:11 left Drive: 4 plays, 87 yards, 1:05
TEAM STATISTICS
AF
MSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
24 51-279 149 6-9-1 60-428 3-36.0 3-2 7-95 26:59
22 42-77 247 15-23-0 65-324 3-44.3 0-0 6-38 33:01
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) AF: Owens 14-72, Washington 7-52, Roberts 10-44, Rushing 3-41, Davern 5-41, Johnson 8-25, Brown 1-8, Williams 1-(-2), Robinette 2-(-2); MSU: London 17-40, Scott 11-23, Shelton 1-8, Holmes 3-7, Terry 1-5, Arnett 1-2, Cook 7-(-4), Team 1-(-4). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) AF: Roberts 6-9-1-149-1; MSU: Cook 15-23-0-247-4. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) AF: Brown 3-68, Robinette 2-82, Driskell 1-(-1); MSU: Burbridge 8-156, Shelton 5-68, Price 1-15, Arnett 1-8. TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) AF: Ladipo 11 (4-7), Steelhammer 8 (3-5), Baker 7 (3-4), Healy 6 (1-5), Ross 6 (1-5); MSU: R. Bullough 16 (5-11), A. Dowell 7 (2-5), Nicholson 6 (4-2), McDowell 6 (1-5), two with 5. Aaron Burbridge was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after recording eight catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns vs. Air Force.
106
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 4 • NO. 2/3 MICHIGAN STATE 30, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 10 Game 4 | Michigan State 30, Central Michigan 10 Sept. 26, 2015 • East Lansing, Mich. Spartan Stadium • Att: 75,128 Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com. EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Shilique Calhoun helped Michigan State disrupt Central Michigan’s offense - and its kicking game, too. The star defensive lineman had 2 1/2 sacks and blocked a field goal, and the second-ranked Spartans beat Central Michigan 30-10. It was an outstanding performance from Calhoun on a day the rest of his team looked sluggish. Gerald Holmes ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns for Michigan State. The Spartans have scored at least 30 points in a school-record 12 consecutive games, but they did not look particularly good offensively for most of this one. Connor Cook threw for only 143 yards, and the Chippewas kept their upset bid very much alive until the final period. The Spartans, who have already lost linebacker Ed Davis and cornerback Vayante Copeland to season-ending injuries, lost standout tackle Jack Conklin to an apparent knee injury, although it’s not clear how serious that is. Dantonio wouldn’t address the injury after the game. It was 17-10 in the third quarter and the Chippewas had the ball when the Spartans held on fourth-and-2 from the Michigan State 37. Cooper Rush threw incomplete under pressure from Calhoun and linebacker Riley Bullough. That was as close as Central Michigan came to tying it. The Spartans added touchdown runs of 3 and 6 yards by Holmes in the final 8:37. Cook improved to 27-3 as a starter, tying Kirk Cousins’ school record of 27 victories. The Spartans took the field with their highest AP Top 25 ranking since 1966, but Central Michigan drove to the Michigan State 23 before settling for a field goal try on fourth-and-3. After a false start pushed the kick back, Demetrius Cooper blocked it. The Spartans then drove 72 yards in six plays and took a 7-0 lead on Madre London’s 6-yard touchdown run, but the Chippewas answered with another time-consuming drive, reaching the Michigan State 21 before stalling. Central Michigan was set to go for it on fourth-and-1, but another false start forced Brian Eavey to try another field goal. Calhoun blocked this one. The Spartans led 17-0 after Cook’s 5-yard scoring pass to Josiah Price in the second quarter, but the Chippewas steadied themselves with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Rush to Anthony Rice with 8 seconds left in the half.
SCORE BY QUARTERS Central Michigan (1-3) Michigan State (4-0)
1 0 7
2 7 10
3 3 0
4 0 13
-
F 10 30
SCORING SUMMARY FIRST QUARTER MSU (7-0) London 6-yard run (Geiger kick), 8:56 left Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:50 SECOND QUARTER MSU (10-0) Geiger 47-yard field goal, 11:20 left Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:09 MSU (17-0) Price 5-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 5:13 left Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:49 CMU (7-17) Rice 1-yard pass from Rush (Eavey kick), 0:08 left Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:04 THIRD QUARTER CMU (10-17) Eavey 42-yard field goal, 6:24 left Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:48 FOURTH QUARTER MSU (24-10) Holmes 3-yard run (Geiger kick), 8:37 left Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:06 MSU (30-10) Holmes 6-yard run (Geiger kick blocked), 3:21 left Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:58
TEAM STATISTICS
CMU
MSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
17 26-56 285 26-39-0 65-340 2-26.0 1-1 9-70 31:45
18 36-181 143 11-19-0 55-324 3-39.7 1-0 8-78 28:15
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) CMU: Spalding 15-77, Hayes 3-15, Roberson 1-(-1), Walker 3-(-5), Rush 4-(-31); MSU: London 15-73, Scott 8-54, Holmes 4-22, Shelton 2-17, Cook 3-16, Kings 1-3, Team 3-(-4). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) CMU: Rush 26-39-0-285-1; MSU: Cook 11-19-0-143-1. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) CMU: Rice 8-78, Kroll 6-86, Willis 5-57, Chapman 2-52, Walker 2-3, McCord 1-7, Hayes 1-4, Spalding 1-(-2); MSU: Burbridge 4-31, Kings 2-46, Lyles 1-26, Holmes 1-17, Lang 1-9, Scott 1-9, Price 1-5. TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) CMU: Fountain 10 (3-7), Frazier 10 (2-8), Annese 9 (3-6), Hamilton 9 (3-6), Ricketts 7 (1-6); MSU: Harris 8 (1-7), Colquhoun 7 (0-7), R. Bullough 7 (3-4), Calhoun 6 (3-3), Four with 5.
Shilique Calhoun was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after recording six tackles, including three for losses with 2.5 sacks, against Central Michigan. He also blocked a field goal in the first quarter.
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2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 5 • NO. 2/2 MICHIGAN STATE 24, PURDUE 21 Game 5 | Michigan State 24, Purdue 21 Oct. 3, 2015 • East Lansing, Mich. Spartan Stadium • Att: 74,418
SCORE BY QUARTERS Purdue (1-4, 0-1) Michigan State (5-0, 1-0)
Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com.
SCORING SUMMARY
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Arjen Colquhoun thought he’d sealed a win for Michigan State after defending a fourth-down pass late in the final quarter. Then his brief celebration was halted by a penalty flag: holding on Colquhoun. Moments later, it was fourth down again, and Purdue threw another pass Colquhoun’s way. He was in good position to close in on the intended receiver, the ball fell incomplete, and this time Colquhoun paused to check for a flag. The second-ranked Spartans could finally relax after Purdue’s final drive fell short, and No. 2 Michigan State beat the Boilermakers 24-21. LJ Scott ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns for the Spartans. Michigan State’s school-record streak of 12 games with at least 30 points was snapped. The Spartans led 21-0 at halftime, but Purdue had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead late in the fourth quarter. The penalty on Colquhoun gave the Boilermakers first down at their 47, but they turned the ball over on downs with about a minute remaining. Michigan State’s Connor Cook went 13 of 19 for 139 yards and a touchdown, and he became the school’s career leader with his 28th victory as the starting quarterback. Kirk Cousins won 27 games. The Boilermakers turned the ball over three times in the first half. Michigan State was without injured tackle Jack Conklin, and his backup, Dennis Finley, was carted off near the end of the first half with a broken leg. Scott opened the scoring with an 18-yard touchdown run, breaking free when Purdue safety Leroy Clark tried to grab his leg. Later in the first quarter, Michigan State drove 94 yards in eight plays to make it 14-0 on Scott’s 1-yard run. R.J. Shelton added a 23-yard touchdown in the second quarter on what looked like an end-around, but Cook flipped the ball forward as the receiver came across to take it, and the play was credited as a touchdown pass. Purdue’s Markell Jones scored on a 68-yard run to make it 21-14 with 14:10 remaining. The Spartans, keeping the ball mostly on the ground, drove 65 yards to set up Michael Geiger’s 30-yard field goal, but Purdue answered with an impressive drive of its own, and Jones’ 3-yard touchdown run with 6:44 to play made it a three-point game. Jones finished with 157 yards on 22 carries.
1 0 14
2 0 7
3 7 0
4 14 3
-
F 21 24
FIRST QUARTER MSU (7-0) Scott 18-yard run (Geiger kick), 7:11 left Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 0:47 MSU (14-0) Scott 1-yard run (Geiger kick), 0:28 left Drive: 8 plays, 94 yards, 4:01 SECOND QUARTER MSU (21-0) Shelton 23-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 11:39 left Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:15 THIRD QUARTER PUR (7-21) Phillips 2-yard pass from Blough (Griggs kick), 5:30 left Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:34 FOURTH QUARTER PUR (14-21) Jones 68-yard run (Griggs kick), 14:10 left Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:18 MSU (24-14) Geiger 30-yard field goal, 9:54 left Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:11 PUR (21-24) Jones 3-yard run (Griggs kick), 6:44 left Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:05
TEAM STATISTICS
PUR
MSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
16 32-165 136 15-31-1 63-301 4-47.2 2-2 2-20 22:36
20 47-267 139 13-19-0 66-406 5-41.4 1-0 8-51 37:24
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) PUR: Jones 22-157, Blough 8-4, Knox 2-4; MSU: Scott 18-146, London 17-97, Cook 5-48, Shelton 2-10, Pendleton 1-0, Team 4-(-34). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) PUR: Blough 15-31-1-136-1; MSU: Cook 13-19-0-139-1. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) PUR: Yancey 4-68, Anthrop 4-42, Phillips 2-10, Herdman 2-2, Jurasevich 1-6, Mahoungou 1-6, Jones 1-2; MSU: Shelton 3-31, Madaris 2-47, Lyles 2-21, Lang 2-14, Troup 1-14, Burbridge 1-9, Scott 1-4, London 1-(-1). TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) PUR: Garcia 11 (4-7), Bentley 9 (3-6), Ezechukwu 8 (1-7), Three with 7; MSU: Harris 8 (4-4), McDowell 6 (5-1), Calhoun 6 (2-4), Three with 5.
LJ Scott was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after rushing for 146 yards and two TDs on 18 carries against Purdue.
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2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 6 • NO. 4/3 MICHIGAN STATE 31, RUTGERS 24 Game 6 | Michigan State 31, Rutgers 24 Oct. 10, 2015 • Piscataway, N.J. High Point Solutions Stadium • Att: 50,373 Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com. PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - While there is no doubt No. 4 Michigan State has been dealing with injuries and mistakes this season, one thing hasn’t changed, the Spartans continue to win. Freshman LJ Scott scored on a 3-yard run with 43 seconds to play, as Michigan State finished off another victory, beating Rutgers 31-24. The tough win came just a week after the Spartans hung on for a 24-21 victory over Purdue. The Spartans had a lot of heroes in getting this one. Connor Cook completed 24of-39 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. He came up with a monster 29-yard third-down pass to R.J. Shelton on the winning 76-yard drive. Scott, who did not play in the first half because of a sore knee, also scored on a 1-yard run as the Spartans won their 10th straight game and overcame an impressive return by suspended Rutgers senior receiver Leonte Carroo, who caught three touchdown passes. Rutgers gave Michigan State everything it could handle. Chris Laviano and Carroo combined on TD passes of 5, 39 and 28. Laviano finished 15 of 24 for 208, but he capped the night by spiking the ball on fourth down, securing the win for Michigan State. Michigan State also got an 8-yard TD catch by Macgarrett Kings Jr. Scott had nine rushes for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Trailing 24-14 with less than 6 minutes left in the third quarter, Rutgers rallied and eventually tied the game with 4:21 left in regulation in a 22-yard field goal by Kyle Federico that capped a 16-play, 91-yard drive that featured a big third-down scramble by Laviano on third-and-5 and passes of 26 yards to Carrroo and an 18-yard to Justin Goodwin on fourth down at the Spartans 44. On the play before the field goal, Spartans cornerback Arjen Colquhoun knocked a pass out of Carroo’s hands to force the field goal. The 10-play winning drive featured the pass to Shelton on third-and-9 from the Spartans 25. Scott also had runs of 10, 9 and 16 yards before scoring two plays later. Carroo had closed the gap to three points with his third touchdown catch, a 28-yarder on which he was wide open. After an error-prone first half by Michigan State, Cook steadied things in the third quarter leading them on scoring drives of 73 and 51 yards. Scott, who did not play in the first half, capped the first drive with a 1-yard run and Cook found DeAnthony Arnett from 25-yards out for a 24-14 lead with 5:46 left in the half.
SCORE BY QUARTERS Michigan State (6-0, 2-0) Rutgers (2-3, 0-2)
1 7 0
2 3 14
3 14 7
4 7 3
-
F 31 24
SCORING SUMMARY FIRST QUARTER MSU (7-0) Kings 8-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 1:46 left Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:19 SECOND QUARTER RU (7-7) Carroo 5-yard pass from Laviano (Federico kick), 14:56 left Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 1:42 RU (7-14) Carroo 39-yard pass from Laviano (Federico kick), 13:11 left Drive: 2 plays, 53 yards, 0:42 MSU (10-14) Geiger 30-yard field goal, 9:14 left Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:52 THIRD QUARTER MSU (17-14) Scott 1-yard run (Geiger kick), 9:01 left Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:52 MSU (24-14) Arnett 25-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 5:46 left Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:55 RU (24-21) Carroo 28-yard pass from Laviano (Federico kick), 0:49 left Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:51 FOURTH QUARTER RU (24-24) Federico 22-yard field goal, 4:21 left Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 8:01 MSU (31-24) Scott 3-yard run (Geiger kick), 0:43 left Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 3:33
TEAM STATISTICS
MSU
RU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
22 37-122 367 24-39-1 76-489 3-24.7 0-0 1-5 34:12
15 32-141 208 15-26-0 58-349 5-34.4 2-0 3-20 25:48
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) MSU: Scott 9-42, Holmes 5-37, London 15-27, Burbridge 1-6, Williams 2-6, Cook 2-10, Shelton 2-1, Team 1-(-1); RU: James 2-74, Martin 13-61, Hicks 7-25, Grant 2-8, Goodwin 1-5, Team 1-(-1), Laviano 6-(-31). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) MSU: Cook 24-39-1-367-2; RU: Laviano 15-24-0-208-3. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) MSU: Burbridge 10-156, Shelton 5-55, Kings 4-58, Arnett 2-41, Lang 2-34, Lyles 1-23; RU: Carroo 7-134, Goodwin 3-26, Patton 2-39, Grant 2-7, Arcidiacono 1-2. TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) MSU: Cox 8 (7-1), Nicholson 5 (0-5), Reschke 5 (4-1), Bullough 4 (4-0), Calhoun 4 (3-1); RU: Longa 11 (6-5), Austin 10 (8-2), Gause 10 (6-4), Wharton 7 (6-1), Hester 6 (6-0).
Connor Cook threw for 367 yards in the win at Rutgers, the fifth-highest singlegame total in school history.
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2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 7 • NO. 7/4 MICHIGAN STATE 27, NO. 12/14 MICHIGAN 23 Game 7 | Michigan State 27, Michigan 23 Oct. 17, 2015 • Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan Stadium • Att: 111,740 Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - After the snap was flubbed on a punt attempt and the ball went flying as the final seconds ticked down, Jalen Watts-Jackson found himself in perfect position to make an unforgettable play. Watts-Jackson grabbed it and raced 38 yards into the end zone for a touchdown on the final play of the game, giving the seventh-ranked Spartans a shocking 27-23 win over No. 12 Michigan in one of college football’s most unlikely endings. With the Wolverines ahead 23-21 and 10 seconds left, Michigan punter Blake O’Neill bobbled a low snap, and spun around to try and make the kick. But he was hit, the ball popped free, Watts-Jackson caught it, avoided a few defenders in the final yards and made it into the end zone. Watts-Jackson hurt his hip after the winning score, was carted off the field and Dantonio said he was taken to a hospital. Michigan State has won seven of eight in the series, its best stretch in more than a half-century. Michigan lost for the first time since opening the season with a setback at Utah. The Wolverines were seconds away from sealing the win after Sione Houma ran for two TDs, Kenny Allen kicked three field goals and forcing the Spartans to turn the ball over on downs with 1:47 left at its 45. The Spartans had only one timeout left and used it after the next snap. Michigan had two and coach Jim Harbaugh used both, including one with 10 seconds left to set up the final punt. Michigan State moved the ball up and down the field against a team that had shut out three straight opponents, picking up 386 yards - mostly through the air - and 20 first downs. Connor Cook was 18 of 39 for 328 yards and a TD and Aaron Burbridge had nine receptions for 132 yards for the Spartans. Jake Rudock was 15 of 25 and 168 yards and avoided turning the ball over. In fact, both teams took good care of the football until the final snap. It looked like a trick play was going to lead to a setback for the Spartans. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, known for having the guts to call trick plays, called for a fake punt when no one was expecting it. Punter and backup quarterback Tyler O’Connor ran 7 yards on a fourth-and-8 from the Michigan State 31, turning the ball over on downs. Michigan took advantage, moving to a 17-7 lead early in the third quarter on Houma’s 1-yard run.
SCORE BY QUARTERS Michigan State (7-0, 3-0) Michigan (5-2, 2-1)
1 0 0
2 7 10
3 7 10
4 13 3
-
F 27 23
SCORING SUMMARY SECOND QUARTER MICH (7-0) Houma 2-yard run (Allen kick), 13:13 left Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:46 MSU (7-7) Scott 11-yard run (Geiger kick), 7:06 left Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 1:38 MICH (10-7) Allen 38-yard field goal, 5:34 left Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 1:32 THIRD QUARTER MICH (17-7) Houma 1-yard run (Allen kick), 9:17 left Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:44 MSU (14-17) Kings 30-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 7:07 left Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:10 MICH (20-14) Allen 21-yard field goal, 2:06 left Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:01 FOURTH QUARTER MICH (23-14) Allen 38-yard field goal, 9:25 left Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:26 MSU (21-23) Scott 1-yard run (Geiger kick), 8:56 left Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:29 MSU (27-23) Watts-Jackson 38-yard fumble recovery, 0:00 left
TEAM STATISTICS
MSU
MICH
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
20 33-58 328 18-39-0 72-386 5-37.2 0-0 5-44 30:11
10 33-62 168 15-25-0 58-230 7-44.6 2-1 8-70 29:49
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) MSU: Holmes 8-33, Scott 8-16, Williams 8-15, Burbridge 1-9, O’Connor 1-7, Shelton 1-3, Terry 1-2, Team 1-(-4), Cook 4-(-23); MICH: Smith 19-46, Houma 3-30, Isaac 2-5, Higdon 2-3, Kerridge 2-2, Chesson 1-1, Rudock 3-(-10), O’Neill 1-(-15). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) MSU: Cook 18-39-0-328-1; MICH: Rudock 15-25-0-168-0. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) MSU: Burbridge 9-132, Shelton 4-58, Kings 3-57, Pendleton 1-74, Price 1-7; MICH: Chesson 4-58, Darboh 3-52, Peppers 2-35, Williams 2-20, Butt 1-4, Higdon 1-3, Smith 1-(-1), Rudock 1-(-3). TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) MSU: Cox 8 (6-2), R. Bullough 7 (4-3), Thomas 7 (3-4), Miller 6 (5-1), Harris 6 (2-4); MICH: Morgan 8 (6-2), Lewis 7 (6-1), Jenk-Stone 6 (4-2), Wormley 5 (4-1), Henry 5 (3-2).
Jalen Watts-Jackson (No. 20) returned a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game as Michigan State defeated Michigan, 27-23.
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2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 8 • NO. 7/4 MICHIGAN STATE 52, INDIANA 26 Game 8 | Michigan State 52, Indiana 26 Oct. 24, 2015 • East Lansing, Mich. Spartan Stadium • Att: 74,144
SCORE BY QUARTERS Indiana (4-4, 0-4) Michigan State (8-0, 4-0)
Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com.
SCORING SUMMARY
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - For most of this game, it felt like Michigan State was always one play away from being in real trouble. Connor Cook never let it come to that. Cook threw for 398 yards and four touchdowns, and No. 7 Michigan State remained undefeated with a 52-26 win over Indiana. Cook threw all four of his touchdown passes on third down, and he fell just short of the school record of 400 yards passing, set by Bill Burke in 1999 against Michigan. The Spartans never trailed in the second half, but it was touch and go until Cook found R.J. Shelton for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 4:57 remaining to give Michigan State a 12-point lead. The Spartans then tacked on two more TDs to avoid an upset a week after their unforgettable win at Michigan. Michigan State has won 12 in a row for the first time since 1956. This run is tied for the third-longest winning streak in school history. Indiana was outscored 24-0 in the fourth quarter. Indiana’s Griffin Oakes missed two extra points and a field goal for the Hoosiers, who allowed over 50 points for the second consecutive week. Nate Sudfeld threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns for Indiana. Cook was even better. Just on third down, he went 10 of 15 for 139 yards, according to STATS. On a day when Michigan State struggled to run the ball until the very end of the game, Cook was under pressure to perform. He was brilliant. The Spartans won by double digits for the first time in Big Ten play. Their victory last weekend - when Michigan’s punter fumbled a snap on the final play and the Spartans scored a touchdown - was the talk of college football, but Michigan State didn’t need any last-second dramatics this time. Michigan State trailed 7-0 in the first quarter when Cook threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Shelton right as it began to rain hard at Spartan Stadium. The sheets of rain prevented Indiana from doing much of anything on its next possession, and then the downpour eased when Michigan State got the ball back. The Spartans took a 14-7 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Delton Williams. Sudfeld answered with an 11-yard scoring pass to Ricky Jones, but Oakes missed the extra point. Cook and Sudfeld traded touchdown passes in the final two minutes of the half, and with Michigan State up 21-20 early in the third, Cook slipped a pass to tight end Josiah Price for a 13-yard touchdown on third-and-goal. The Hoosiers breezed back down the field, scoring on Sudfeld’s 3-yard pass to Andre Booker, but another missed extra point left the score at 28-26. Indiana wouldn’t score again. Cook’s second touchdown pass to Shelton made it 38-26, and after that Michigan State finally began asserting itself on the ground. LJ Scott scored on a 26-yard run, and Gerald Holmes scored on a 22-yarder as the Spartans turned the game into a rout in the final minutes.
1 7 7
2 13 14
3 6 7
4 0 24
-
F 26 52
FIRST QUARTER IND (7-0) Howard 5-yard run (Oakes kick), 9:12 left Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:10 MSU (7-7) Shelton 22-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 5:56 left Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:10 SECOND QUARTER MSU (14-7) Williams 1-yard run (Geiger kick), 14:56 left Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:05 IND (13-14) Jones 11-yard pass from Sudfield (Oakes kick failed), 8:19 left Drive: 5 plays, 94 yards, 2:20 MSU (21-13) Burbridge 11-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 1:37 left Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:42 IND (20-21) Cobbs 37-yard pass from Sudfeld (Oakes kick), 1:07 left Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 0:25 THIRD QUARTER MSU (28-20) Price 13-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 11:07 left Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 3:44 IND (26-28) Booker 3-yard pass from Sudfeld (Oakes kick failed), 9:45 left Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:22 FOURTH QUARTER MSU (31-26) Geiger 21-yard field goal, 12:44 left Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 6:44 MSU (38-26) Shelton 10-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 4:57 left Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:22 MSU (45-26) Scott 26-yard run (Geiger kick), 2:17 left Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:46 MSU (52-26) Holmes 22-yard run (Geiger kick), 1:17 left Drive: 2 plays, 25 yards, 0:49
TEAM STATISTICS
IND
MSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
20 23-81 308 23-37-1 60-389 4-47.8 3-1 6-45 21:01
33 44-142 398 30-52-0 96-540 4-42.5 2-1 5-56 38:59
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) IND: Howard 11-78, Majette 6-21, Redding 2-5, Team 2-(-7), Sudfeld 2-(-16); MSU: Scott 11-68, Holmes 10-39, Cook 10-18, Shelton 2-10, Terry 4-8, Williams 6-0, Macksood 1-(-1). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) IND: Sudfeld 23-37-1-308-3; MSU: Cook 30-52-0-398-4. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) IND: Paige 8-99, Cobbs 5-108, Jones 5-45, Graham 2-30, Booker 2-13, Westbrook 1-13; MSU: Burbridge 8-128, Kings 7-69, Shelton 6-76, Price 3-51, Lang 3-35, Holmes 2-28, Lyles 1-11.
Connor Cook set an MSU single-game record with 416 yards of total offense and threw for a career-high 398 yards in the win over Indiana.
TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) IND: Simmons 15 (5-10), Dutra 13 (4-9), Newton 8 (5-3), Three with 7; MSU: Cox 6 (4-2), Miller 6 (3-3), Reschke 6 (2-4), Three with 5.
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2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 9 • NEBRASKA 39, NO. 6/6 MICHIGAN STATE 38 Game 9 | Nebraska 39, Michigan State 38 Nov. 7, 2015 • Lincoln, Neb. Memorial Stadium • Att: 90,094 Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Michigan State fell to the Nebraska Cornhuskers 39-38 on a Tommy Armstrong 30-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Reilly with 17 seconds left to play. Connor Cook completed 23-of-37 passes for 335 yards and Gerald Holmes ran 22 times for 117 yards. Cook’s four TD passes gave him a school-record 68 for his career, two more than Kirk Cousins had from 2008-11. Armstrong drove Nebraska 91 yards in 38 seconds, hitting Brandon Reilly with a 30-yard touchdown pass that survived a video review with 17 seconds left to hand sixthranked Michigan State a 39-38 loss. Armstrong rallied the Cornhuskers from 12 points down in the last 4 1/2 minutes. He scored on a short touchdown with 1:47 left to make it 38-33. After that TD, Michigan State (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten, No. 7 CFP) went three-and-out after recovering an onside kick. Four plays later, Armstrong found Reilly for the winning score. Reilly went out of bounds and came back in to make the catch, but officials ruled it was legal because cornerback Jermaine Edmondson forced him out. The Spartans got a final chance, but Connor Cook passed the ball out of bounds from the Nebraska 41 as time ran out. Cook matched his career high with four touchdown passes and Michigan State used a drive that lasted almost 9 minutes of the fourth quarter to go up 12 points, capped by a 1-yard Holmes touchdown run. Cook established a school record by throwing for more than 300 yards in his fourth consecutive game. Aaron Burbridge had a career-high 164 yards receiving and tied his career high with 10 catches, while Macgarrett Kings recorded a career-high 97 yards receiving on four catches, including two touchdowns.
SCORE BY QUARTERS Michigan State (8-1, 4-1) Nebraska (4-6, 2-4)
1 3 10
2 14 3
3 14 7
4 7 19
-
F 38 39
SCORING SUMMARY FIRST QUARTER NEB (7-0) Brown 44-yard field goal, 7:10 left Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 4:01 NEB (10-0) Westerkamp 38-yard pass from Armstrong (Brown kick), 2:07 left Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:28 MSU (3-10) Geiger 46-yard field goal, 0:30 left Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 1:33 SECOND QUARTER MSU (10-10) Kings 34-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 11:35 left Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 2:44 NEB (13-10) Brown 43-yard field goal, 4:21 left Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:04 MSU (17-13) Kings 18-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 0:17 left Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:04 THIRD QUARTER NEB (20-17) Cross 1-yard run (Brown kick), 12:31 left Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:26 MSU (24-20) Burbridge 33-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 9:13 left Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 3:13 MSU (31-20) Lyles 16-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 2:14 left Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:19 FOURTH QUARTER NEB (26-31) Armstrong 2-yard run (Armstrong pass failed), 13:06 left Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:08 MSU (38-26) Holmes 1-yard run (Geiger kick), 4:16 left Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 8:50 NEB (33-38) Armstrong 1-yard run (Brown kick), 1:47 left Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 2:23 NEB (39-38) Reilly 30-yard pass from Armstrong (Armstrong pass failed) Drive: 4 plays, 91 yards, 0:38
TEAM STATISTICS
MSU
NEB
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
25 34-143 348 24-39-1 73-491 3-45.0 1-0 8-76 32:25
24 36-179 320 19-33-2 69-499 2-35.0 0-0 5-55 27:35
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) MSU: Holmes 22-117, Shelton 2-10, Cook 4-7, Scott 3-5, Terry 1-3, Williams 1-1, Lyles 1-0; NEB: Cross 18-98, Janovich 4-26, Armstrong 7-19, Reilly 1-17, Moore 1-13, Newby 4-8, Team 1-(-2). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) MSU: Cook 23-37-1-335-4, Terry 1-2-0-13-0; NEB: Armstrong 19-33-2-320-2. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) MSU: Burbridge 10-164, Kings 4-97, Shelton 4-41, Price 2-21, Pendleton 2-8, Lyles 1-16, Holmes 1-1; NEB: Westerkamp 9-143, Reilly 3-87, Moore 3-65, Morgan 3-27, Allen 1-(-2). Connor Cook tied a career high with four touchdown passes at Nebraska to become MSU’s all-time leader in TD passes. Cook also set a school record by throwing for more than 300 yards in his fourth straight game.
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TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) MSU: Harris 13 (10-3), Reschke 6 (2-4), Nicholson 6 (1-5), Cox (3-2), R. Bullough 5 (05); NEB: Gerry 14 (9-5), Banderas 10 (2-8), Kalu 8 (4-4), Newby 8 (2-6), Young 6 (1-5).
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 10 • NO. 14/14 MICHIGAN STATE 24, MARYLAND 7 Game 10 | Michigan State 24, Maryland 7 Nov. 14, 2015 • East Lansing, Mich. Spartan Stadium • Att: 73,406
SCORE BY QUARTERS Maryland (2-8, 0-6) Michigan State (9-1, 5-1)
Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com.
SCORING SUMMARY
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - With Connor Cook on the sideline wearing a headset, Michigan State eased its way through the second half against Maryland. The Spartans didn’t really need their star quarterback on this day. Next weekend is a different story. Cook left the game at halftime with a shoulder problem, putting a bit of a damper on No. 14 Michigan State’s 24-7 victory over Maryland, but the senior quarterback didn’t sound too concerned about his availability for next weekend’s showdown at Ohio State. The Spartans have been dealing with injuries all season, particularly on the offensive line and in the secondary. Even with Cook out, Maryland didn’t pose much of an upset threat. The Terrapins turned the ball over five times. Cook hurt himself during the first quarter, and although he came back in the game for a bit, backup Tyler O’Connor played the second half. Cook was only 6 of 20 for 77 yards with an interception in the first half. O’Connor finished the game 6 of 11 for 44 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Maryland’s passing game wasn’t any better. The Terrapins came into the week having thrown the most interceptions (25) in the NCAA FBS, and they added three to that total against Michigan State, which is 13th in the CFP ranking. Perry Hills was 14 of 30 for 140 yards with an interception, and Caleb Rowe had two of his five attempts picked off. O’Connor actually played a bit before Cook’s injury, throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Macgarrett Kings to open the scoring. Dantonio wanted to get the back-up quarterback some work with the regular season winding down, although he didn’t tell O’Connor beforehand. Moments later, O’Connor indeed had to go back in on short notice. Maryland tied it at 7 on a 1-yard scoring run by Brandon Ross, then Cook left the game during Michigan State’s next series with his right arm dangling by his side - he’d been knocked down by Maryland’s Jesse Aniebonam while throwing a pass. Cook began throwing a bit on the sideline and was back in the game on the Spartans’ next possession, but the senior wasn’t particularly effective for the rest of the half. Almost the entire second quarter was played in Maryland territory, but Michigan State didn’t take the lead back until Riley Bullough scored on a 44-yard interception return with 2:07 left in the half. After another interception, the Spartans kicked a field goal to go into the locker room up 17-7. Gerald Holmes scored on a 3-yard run in the third quarter for Michigan State, which rebounded from its last-second loss at Nebraska.
1 7 7
2 0 10
3 0 7
4 0 0
-
F 7 24
FIRST QUARTER MSU (7-0) Kings 10-yard pass from O’Connor (Geiger kick), 6:52 left Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:45 UMD (7-7) Ross 1-yard run (Greene kick), 4:23 left Drive: 10 plays, 91 yards, 2:17 SECOND QUARTER MSU (14-7) Bullough 44-yard interception return (Geiger kick), 2:07 left MSU (17-7) Geiger 35-yard field goal, 0:00 left Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 0:51 THIRD QUARTER MSU (24-7) Holmes 3-yard run (Geiger kick), 7:20 left Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:51
TEAM STATISTICS
UMD
MSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
16 37-107 182 17-36-3 73-289 7-29.9 3-2 1-8 27:49
16 41-141 121 12-32-2 73-262 7-42.4 2-1 7-50 32:11
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) UMD: Brown 12-52, Hills 16-39, Ross 6-16, Likely 2-1, Goins 1-(-1); MSU: Holmes 18-83, Terry 3-13, Scott 2-12, Kings 2-12, O’Connor 4-10, Cook 2-7, London 4-6, Shelton 2-4, Williams 1-3, Team 2-(-3), Geiger 1-(-6). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) UMD: Hills 14-30-1-140-0, Rowe 3-5-2-42-0, Moore 0-1-0-0-0; MSU: Cook 6-20-1-77-0, O’Connor 6-11-1-44-1, Terry 0-1-0-0-0. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) UMD: Etta-Tawo 5-63, L. Jacobs 3-55, T. Jacobs 3-34, Likely 3-9, Moore 1-10, Davenport 1-6, Culmer 1-5; MSU: Kings 4-48, Shelton 3-35, Burbridge 3-27, Price 2-11. TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) UMD: Hendy 9 (6-3), Nixon 7 (3-4), Ukandu 6 (3-3), Four with 5; MSU: Nicholson 9 (5-4), McDowell 8 (5-3), R. Bullough 7 (3-4), Reschke 7 (2-5), Harris 6 (1-5).
Riley Bullough returned an interception 44 yards for his first career touchdown in Michigan State’s 24-7 win over Maryland at Spartan Stadium.
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2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 11 • NO. 9/9 MICHIGAN STATE 17, NO. 2/2 OHIO STATE 14 Game 11 | Michigan State 17, Ohio State 14 Nov. 21, 2015 • Columbus, Ohio Ohio Stadium • Att: 108,975
SCORE BY QUARTERS Michigan State (10-1, 6-1) Ohio State (10-1, 6-1)
Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com.
SCORING SUMMARY
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Playing without its star quarterback, Michigan State put the defending National Champions on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff race. Michael Geiger kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired and No. 9 Michigan State, playing without injured Connor Cook, beat No. 2 Ohio State 17-14 to snap the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak. On a rainy and windy day at Ohio Stadium, the Spartans took control of the Big Ten East, put themselves into the thick of the playoff hunt and very likely ended the Buckeyes’ chances to repeat as national champs. Ohio State managed just 132 yards against a rugged Spartans defense and lost for the first time to a Big Ten team in the regular season since Urban Meyer became coach four seasons ago. Without Cook, the Spartans completed one pass in the second half, but they gave Geiger a chance to win it with 3 seconds left and the 5-foot-8 junior curved it through. The Spartans used both backups. Tyler O’Connor started and played Damion Terry, too. Terry took a hard sack by Sam Hubbard and fumbled late in the first quarter. The Buckeyes recovered the Michigan State 32 and it led to Ezekiel Elliott’s 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal. It was easy to think Ohio State was on its way to a relatively easy victory. Michigan State had other plans. Elliott had a string of 15 straight 100-yard rushing games snapped. The Heisman contender ran for 33 yards on 12 carries. O’Connor responded with a 75-yard scoring drive, hitting Trevon Pendleton for a 9-yard touchdown to tie the score. Both teams played conservatively in the first half. Ohio State managed only 75 yards, and when the rain and wind picked up in the second half, the game became even more of a grind. It looked as if each team was waiting for the other to make a mistake, and Michigan State did just that. Macgarrett Kings muffed a punt and Terry McLaurin recovered at the Spartans 6. J.T. Barrett soft tossed to a Jalin Marshall on the next play, a jump pass where the quarterback didn’t need to jump, and it 14-7 Ohio State with 3:33 left in the third quarter. Michigan State did not throw a pass in the third quarter and basically stayed on the ground for much of the fourth, too. The Spartans turned into an option/quarterback run team. They leaned on an offensive line that was supposed to be a strength this season, but has endured numerous injuries and has started six different lineups. The Spartans marched 75 yards on 13 plays, no completed passes but a helpful offside on Ohio State, and Gerald Holmes reached the ball over the goal line for a 2-yard touchdown to tie at 14 with 12:03 left.
1 0 0
2 7 7
3 0 7
4 10 0
-
F 17 14
SECOND QUARTER OSU (7-0) Elliott 1-yard run (Nuernberger kick), 12:45 left Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 4:04 MSU (7-7) Pendleton 12-yard pass from O’Connor (Geiger kick), 7:57 left Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:48 THIRD QUARTER OSU (14-7) Marshall 6-yard pass from Barrett (Nuernberger kick), 3:33 left Drive: 1 play, 6 yards, 0:05 FOURTH QUARTER MSU (14-14) Holmes 2-yard run (Geiger kick), 12:03 left Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:30 MSU (17-14) Geiger 41-yard field goal, 0:00 left Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 4:07
TEAM STATISTICS
MSU
OSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
17 51-203 91 8-16-0 67-294 5-40.4 2-2 4-30 38:10
5 29-86 46 9-16-0 45-132 9-38.2 0-0 4-20 21:50
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) MSU: Holmes 14-65, Scott 13-58, O’Connor 8-25, Terry 8-25, Shelton 2-21, Williams 2-7, London 2-4, Kings 1-0, Team 1-(-2); OSU: Barrett 15-44, Elliott 12-33, Miller 2-9. PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) MSU: O’Connor 7-12-0-89-1, Terry 1-4-0-2-0; OSU: Barrett 9-16-0-46-1. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) MSU: Burbridge 4-62, Pendleton 1-12, Kings 1-8, Williams 1-7, Scott 1-2; OSU: Vannett 3-9, Marshall 2-22, Thomas 2-8, Samuel 1-4, Miller 1-3. TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) MSU: Nicholson 8 (5-3), Reschke 6 (4-2), Harris 6 (3-3), Four with four; OSU: Perry 15 (5-10), McMillan 8 (6-2), Lewis 8 (4-4), Powell 8 (3-5), Lee 7 (3-4).
Michael Geiger kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give Michigan State the 17-14 win at Ohio State, snapping the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak.
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2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 12 • NO. 6/6 MICHIGAN STATE 55, PENN STATE 16 Game 12 | Michigan State 55, Penn State 16 Nov. 28, 2015 • East Lansing, Mich. Spartan Stadium • Att: 74,705
SCORE BY QUARTERS Penn State (7-5, 4-4) Michigan State (11-1, 7-1)
Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com.
SCORING SUMMARY
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Connor Cook threw three touchdown passes in his return from a shoulder injury, and Michigan State (No. 5 College Football Playoff, No. 6 Associated Press) wrapped up a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game with a 55-16 rout of Penn State. The Spartans finished tied atop the Big Ten East with Ohio State, and Michigan State upset the Buckeyes last weekend with Cook on the sideline. The senior came back Saturday and was brilliant against Penn State. Cook went 19 of 26 for 248 yards. Michigan State will play in the Big Ten title game for the third time in five seasons. The Spartans kept the Land Grant Trophy with their most lopsided win in a series with Penn State that started in 1914. The final touchdown came on a 9-yard run by Michigan State center Jack Allen, who lined up in the backfield, took a handoff from Cook and capped his last home game in memorable fashion. Ohio State, which easily beat Michigan earlier Saturday, was holding out hope that Penn State would spoil the regular-season finale in East Lansing, but the Nittany Lions didn’t come close. Penn State moved the ball well in the first half but two turnovers earned Michigan State a comfortable lead. Arjen Colquhoun intercepted a pass in the end zone on the game’s first drive, and the Spartans turned that takeaway into a touchdown when Cook threw a 29-yard pass to R.J. Shelton. The extra point was no good, and Penn State kicked a short field goal early in the second quarter, but Michigan State went ahead 13-3 on a 6-yard touchdown run by Gerald Holmes. Then Demetrious Cox of the Spartans picked up a fumble and returned it 77 yards for another TD. It was 20-10 at halftime, and the Spartans scored the only two touchdowns of the third quarter. Cook threw a 29-yard scoring pass to Aaron Burbridge to make it 27-10. Burbridge came back in from out of bounds, but officials ruled he was forced out. He caught the pass around the 10, bounced off one defender and spun past another before diving into the end zone. It was 41-16 in the fourth when Malik McDowell intercepted a pass that had bounced off fellow defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun. McDowell ran it back 13 yards for a TD. After a Penn State fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the Spartans the ball at the 9, Cook took the field and started motioning for the crowd to get louder. He handed off to Allen and the Nittany Lions couldn’t stop the 296-pound lineman as he rumbled to the end zone.
1 0 6
2 10 14
3 0 14
4 6 21
-
F 16 55
FIRST QUARTER MSU (6-0) Shelton 29-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick failed), 9:35 left Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:37 SECOND QUARTER PSU (3-6) Davis 19-yard field goal, 14:14 left Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:06 MSU (13-3) Holmes 6-yard run (Geiger kick), 7:12 left Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:57 MSU (20-3) Cox 77-yard fumble return (Geiger kick), 2:36 left PSU (10-20) Godwin 8-yard pass from Hackenberg (Davis kick), 0:35 left Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 1:56 THIRD QUARTER MSU (27-10) Burbridge 29-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 11:40 left Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:20 MSU (34-10) Price 6-yard pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 3:31 left Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 7:04 FOURTH QUARTER Godwin 5-yard pass from Hackenberg (Hackenberg pass failed), 14:51 left PSU (16-34) Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:36 MSU (41-16) Scott 6-yard run (Geiger kick), 11:18 left Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:31 MSU (48-16) McDowell 13-yard interception return (Geiger kick), 9:56 left MSU (55-16) Allen 9-yard run (Geiger kick), 9:48 left Drive: 1 play, 9 yards, 0:05
TEAM STATISTICS
PSU
MSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
20 25-122 296 27-47-2 72-418 3-46.7 3-2 6-45 30:12
24 38-188 248 19-27-0 65-436 2-41.5 3-1 4-19 29:48
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) PSU: Barkley 17-103, Polk 1-25, McSorley 1-(-3), Hackenberg 6-(-3); MSU: Holmes 1264, Scott 11-41, London 1-20, P-M Williams 4-19, D. Williams 4-18, Burbridge 3-16, J. Allen 1-9, O’Connor 1-6, Cook 1-(-5). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) PSU: Hackenberg 22-39-2-257-2, McSorley 5-8-0-39-0; MSU: Cook 19-26-0-248-3, O’Connor 0-1-0-0-0. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) PSU: Godwin 11-109, Hamilton 8-78, Barkley 3-(-1), Lewis 2-14, Blacknall 1-77, Carter 1-10, Wilkerson 1-9; MSU: Burbridge 6-75, Shelton 4-74, Holmes 3-36, Price 3-33, Lyles 1-18, D. Williams 1-8, Kings 1-4.
The Spartans won their third division title in five years with a 55-16 win over Penn State on Senior Day at Spartan Stadium.
TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) PSU: Cabinda 13 (4-9), Golden 9 (2-7), Allen 6 (4-2), Five with 5; MSU: Hicks 9 (7-2), Nicholson 9 (5-4), R. Bullough 7 (4-3), Cox 7 (4-3), Colquhoun 4 (2-2).
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2015 GAME RECAPS GAME 13 • NO. 5/5 MICHIGAN STATE 16, NO. 4/3 IOWA 13 Game 13 | Michigan State 16, Iowa 13 Dec. 5, 2015 • Indianapolis, Ind. Lucas Oil Stadium • Att: 66,985
SCORE BY QUARTERS Michigan State (12-1) Iowa (12-1)
Play-by-play, post-game quotes and notes available at msuspartans.com.
SCORING SUMMARY
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - LJ Scott’s late lunge did more than put the ball across the goal line - it all but certainly put No. 5 Michigan State in the College Football Playoff. Scott kept powering forward and stretched the ball into the end zone for a touchdown with 27 seconds left that sent the Spartans past No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. Quarterback Connor Cook led the Spartans on a 22-play drive that set up Scott’s 1-yard run on third down. A half-dozen Iowa defenders tried to stop Scott, but he wouldn’t be denied. Iowa lost for the first time this season - and just barely. After settling for three field goals in the first 59 1/2 minutes, Cook moved the Spartans 82 yards and kept their national title hopes intact. Cook, the game’s MVP, methodically moved the Spartans in a drive that consumed nearly the final 9 1/2 minutes. He finished 16 of 32 for 191 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. But with the season on the line, Cook and the offense made play after play against an Iowa defense that hadn’t given up a touchdown all night - until Scott got free just long enough. Michigan State, which earned its second conference title in three years, will chase its first National Championship since splitting the title with Notre Dame in 1966. The Spartans need two more wins to earn the school’s first uncontested national title since 1952. Iowa lost for the first time with C.J. Beathard as its starting quarterback. Most expected the Big Ten champion to come out of the November showdown between Michigan State and defending National Champion Ohio State in Columbus. As it turned out, the win served as the tiebreaker for a pair of one-loss teams and sent the Spartans back to Indy for the third time in five years. For all of the talk about the league’s two best quarterbacks going head-to-head and the proficient offenses, this game had a decidedly old-school flavor. Scott ran 22 times for 73 yards against a stingy defense that stopped Michigan State on four consecutive snaps inside the Iowa 5 in the final two minutes. It looked like the Hawkeyes had him stopped again, but Scott refused to go down. Beathard finished 18 of 26 with 216 yards, one interception and an 85-yard TD pass to Tevaun Smith on the first play of the fourth quarter to give Iowa a 13-9 lead. That’s how it stayed until Scott’s score.
1 3 3
2 0 3
3 6 0
4 7 7
-
F 16 13
FIRST QUARTER MSU (3-0) Geiger 23-yard field goal, 11:11 left Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 2:58 IOWA (3-3) Koehn 24-yard field goal, 5:08 left Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 1:49 SECOND QUARTER IOWA (6-3) Koehn 43-yard field goal, 13:28 left Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:33 THIRD QUARTER MSU (6-6) Geiger 29-yard field goal, 4:23 left Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:49 MSU (9-6) Geiger 47-yard field goal, 0:57 left Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 2:38 FOURTH QUARTER IOWA (13-9) Smith 85-yard pass from Beathard (Koehn kick), 14:49 left Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 1:08 MSU (16-13) Scott 1-yard run (Geiger kick), 0:27 left Drive: 22 plays, 82 yards, 9:04
TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
MSU 20 46-174 191 16-33-1 79-365 4-40.8 0-0 8-80 36:38
IOWA
13 24-52 216 18-27-1 51-268 5-35.6 4-2 5-45 23:22
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING (CARRIES-YARDS) MSU: Scott 22-73, London 12-60, Shelton 3-15, Holmes 3-13, Cook 5-8, Burbridge 1-5; IOWA: Mitchell 4-24, Daniels 8-17, Wadley 5-14, Canzeri 2-12, Beathard 5-(-15). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) MSU: Cook 16-32-1-191-0, Team 0-1-0-0-0; IOWA: Beathard 18-26-1-216-1, Team 0-10-0-0. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) MSU: Burbridge 5-61, Kings 4-30, Shelton 3-34, Davis 1-22, Lang 1-17, London 1-14, Price 1-13; IOWA: Smith 5-110, Wadley 3-34, Krieger-Coble 3-23, Kittle 2-26, VandeBerg 2-14, Mitchell 2-1, Hillyer 1-8. TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) MSU: Harris 9 (4-5), Cox 7 (3-4), Nicholson 7 (3-4), Calhoun 6 (4-2), Bullough 5 (2-3); IOWA: Lomax 10 (7-3), Fisher 9 (4-5), Mabin 8 (6-2), Jewell 9 (4-4), Two with 6.
LJ Scott capped a 22-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds remaining as Michigan State rallied to defeat Iowa, 16-13, to win the Big Ten Championship.
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2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL
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CO A C H I N G S TA F F
2 0 1 5 M I C H I G A N S T A T E F O O T B A L L // @ M S U _ F O O T B A L L
MARK DANTONIO
Now in his ninth season at Michigan State, Mark Dantonio is one of the most accomplished head coaches in the school’s storied history, leading a program that has transformed itself into one of the nation’s perennial powers. Despite losing several key players to injuries throughout the 2015 season, MSU has collected a 12-1 overall record (7-1 Big Ten) to earn a berth in the College Football Playoff. The third-seeded Spartans will face No. 2 Alabama (12-1, 7-1 SEC) in the College Football Playoff Semifinal on Dec. 31 at AT&T Stadium in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. Dantonio led the Spartans to the 2015 Big Ten Championship with a 16-13 victory over previously undefeated and fourth-ranked Iowa. It marked Dantonio’s third Big Ten Championship (2010, 2013, 2015), establishing a school record (previous: Duffy Daugherty and George Perles with two).
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Dantonio is the first coach in Big Ten history to record five 11-win seasons in a six-year span (11 in 2010; 11 in 2011; school-record 13 in 2013, 11 in 2014; 12 in 2015). Dantonio’s five 11-win seasons are tied with Joe Paterno of Penn State for the second most in Big Ten history (Tressel with six, although the 2010 season was officially vacated; Paterno with five at PSU as Big Ten member). Prior to Dantonio’s arrival, MSU had not recorded an 11-win season in its history, and had just two 10-win seasons (1965, 1999).
Since the beginning of the decade, Michigan State has won 65 games – most in the Big Ten Conference and tied for fourth most among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Schools. During that span, MSU has claimed three Big Ten Championships (2010, 2013, 2015) and three Big Ten Division titles (2011, 2013, 2015). In addition, the Spartans have recorded a school-record four consecutive bowl victories (2012 Outback against No. 18 Georgia, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings against TCU, 2014 Rose Bowl Game against No. 5 Stanford, 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic against No. 4 Baylor), which also ties a Big Ten record. Since 2013, the Spartans have collected a 36-4 record – the third-most wins among FBS schools – and are the only program in the nation to win a Bowl Championship Series game during the 2013 season (Rose Bowl Game over No. 5 Stanford) and a New Year’s Six Game last season (Cotton Bowl Classic over No. 4 Baylor). That success has propelled Michigan State to back-to-back top-five finishes in the national polls (No. 3 in 2013, No. 5 in 2014), a first for the program since 1965-66.
A Zanesville, Ohio, native with Midwest ties, Dantonio is in his 36th year of collegiate coaching, including his 12th as a head coach and 14th in East Lansing (served as the Spartan secondary coach from 1995-2000). The 59-year-old Dantonio owns an 87-32 record (.731) at Michigan State since his arrival in 2007, and already ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in career wins (second) and winning percentage (third). Dantonio also ranks first in school history in bowl appearances (school-record nine in a row), bowl wins (four) and conference winning percentage (.722, 52-20 record, minimum 10 games). He won his 71st game at MSU on Oct. 25, 2014, against Michigan to become MSU’s second all-time winningest coach (record: Duffy Daugherty, 109). He won his 100th career game as a head coach on Oct. 17, 2015, at Michigan Stadium as the Spartans rallied to defeat the Wolverines, 27-23, on a 38-yard fumble return as time expired. Michigan State has defeated nine bowl teams this season, including four wins over AP Top 25 teams (No. 7 Oregon on Sept. 12, No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17, No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 5). MSU also beat Western Michigan, Air Force, Central Michigan, Indiana and Penn State, who are all headed to the postseason. The Spartans have won five consecutive games over ranked opponents heading into the matchup against No. 2 Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Dantonio was named a finalist for three major national coach of the year awards in 2015 (Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year: Bobby Dodd Foundation and Chick-fil-A
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
MARK DANTONIO Peach Bowl; George Munger Award: Maxwell Football Club; Eddie Robinson Award: Football Writers Association of America). Dantonio will be coaching in the 20th bowl game of his career in the Cotton Bowl, including his sixth in a New Year’s Day/New Year’s Six game as head coach at MSU (2009 Capital One Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff at Cotton Bowl). Dantonio’s nine-game bowl streak at Michigan State is tied for the fifth longest by an active head coach at the same school and is the longest in the Big Ten. He is making his 24th appearance in postseason play overall (as a graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach) and owns a 10-9 record in his previous 19 bowl games, including a 5-4 mark as head coach (4-4 at MSU).
Spartans have posted six consecutive winning seasons, a first for the program since 1985-90. In addition, Michigan State has recorded 49 Big Ten regular-season victories since 2008, the most of any team in the conference.
Dantonio has coached the third-most games of any Spartan head coach in school history (Duffy Daugherty: 183; George Perles: 139; Dantonio: 119). In addition, he is one of just six active coaches in the NCAA FBS to own at least a .700 winning percentage in at least 100 games at the same school (Les Miles, LSU; Gary Patterson, TCU; Nick Saban, Alabama; Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, Dabo Swinney, Clemson). Dantonio is the third-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten (Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: 17th season; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern: 10th season).
Since 2007, Dantonio has helped develop nine different first-team All-Americans and 11 selections overall: RB Javon Ringer (2008); LB Greg Jones (2009-10); DT Jerel Worthy (2011); RB Le’Veon Bell (2012); CB Darqueze Dennard and P Mike Sadler (2013); S Kurtis Drummond (2014); C Jack Allen (2014-15) and OT Jack Conklin (2015). Twenty-one Spartans have been chosen in the NFL Draft, including six in 2012. Dennard was a 2013 unanimous All-America selection and also won the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best defensive back. He was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft (No. 24 overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals to become the first Spartan under Dantonio to be chosen in the first round. Cornerback Trae Waynes became the highest Spartan drafted under Dantonio in 2015 as he was selected in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings at No. 11 overall. Waynes became MSU’s 35th first-round selection, including its second straight cornerback, joining Dennard. Michigan State is just the sixth school to have cornerbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in consecutive years, joining Alabama (2012-13), LSU (2011-12), Miami-Florida (2005-06), Ohio State (1999-2001) and Notre Dame (1993-94).
A two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2010, 2013), Dantonio has led Michigan State to Top 25 finishes five times in his tenure (2008: No. 24 both polls; 2010: No. 14 both polls; 2011: No. 10 USA TODAY/No. 11 AP; 2013: No. 3 both polls; 2014 No. 5 in both polls). The
From his first day on the job, Dantonio has pledged to support student-athletes as they pursue excellence, both in the classroom and on the playing field. In his first nine seasons, a total of 158 players have earned their undergraduate degrees. In addition, 114 Spartans
THE DANTONIO FILE PERSONAL DATA: Born Mark Dantonio in El Paso, Texas, on March 9, 1956. Family: wife Becky and two daughters, Kristen and Lauren. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Graduate assistant at Ohio U. (1980); graduate assistant at Purdue (1981); defensive coordinator at Butler (Kan.) Junior College (1982); graduate assistant at Ohio State (1983-84); defensive secondary coach at Akron (1985); defensive secondary coach and defensive coordinator at Youngstown State (1986-90); defensive secondary coach at Kansas (1991-94); defensive secondary coach (1995-2000) and associate head coach (2000) at Michigan State; defensive coordinator at Ohio State (2001-03); head coach at Cincinnati (2004-06). COACHING RECORD: 105-49 (.682) in his 12th season as a college head coach; 18-17 (.514) in three seasons at Cincinnati (2004-06); 87-32 (.731) in his ninth season at Michigan State (2007-); 52-20 (.722) in Big Ten games. EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in education from South Carolina in 1979; master’s degree in education from Ohio U. in 1980. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College - Three-year letterman as a defensive back at South Carolina (1976-78). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach - 1987 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 1989 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 1990 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 1983 Fiesta Bowl, 1984 Rose Bowl, 1992 Aloha Bowl, 1995 Independence Bowl, 1996 Sun Bowl, 1997 Aloha Bowl, 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl, 2002 Outback Bowl, 2003 Fiesta Bowl, 2004 Fiesta Bowl, 2004 Fort Worth Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
Dantonio’s Career Record - Head Coach Overall Year School W L 2004 Cincinnati 7 5 2005 Cincinnati 4 7 2006 Cincinnati 7 5 2007 Michigan State 7 6 2008 Michigan State 9 4 2009 Michigan State 6 7 2010 Michigan State 11 2 2011 Michigan State 11 3 2012 Michigan State 7 6 2013 Michigan State 13 1 2014 Michigan State 11 2 2015 Michigan State 12 1 Totals 105 49 * Did not coach Cincinnati in bowl game
Pct. .583 .364 .583 .538 .692 .462 .846 .786 .538 .929 .846 .923 .682
Conference W L Pct. 5 3 .625 2 5 .286 4 3 .571 3 5 .375 6 2 .750 4 4 .500 7 1 .875 7 1 .875 3 5 .375 8 0 1.000 7 1 .875 7 1 .875 63 31 .670
Finish T-2nd (C-USA) T-6th (Big East) T-7th (Big East) T-7th (Big Ten) 3rd (B1G) T-6th (B1G) T-1st (B1G) 1st (B1G Legends) 4th (B1G Legends) 1st (B1G Legends) 2nd (B1G East) 1st (B1G East)
Bowl Fort Worth Bowl Champs International Bowl* Champs Sports Bowl Capital One Bowl Alamo Bowl Capital One Bowl Outback Bowl Champs Buffalo Wild Wings Champs Rose Bowl Champs Cotton Bowl Champs CFP (Cotton Bowl) 10 bowl games (5-4)*
Rk. 24/24 14/14 11/10 3/3 5/5
ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACHES: MSU HISTORY
OVERALL Rk. Coach (Years) .................................................Wins 1. Duffy Daugherty (1954-72) ................................ 109 2. Mark Dantonio (2007-) ....................................... 87 3. Charles Bachman (1933-46)................................ 70 4. George Perles (1983-94) ..................................... 68 5. Chester Brewer (1903-10, ‘17, ‘19)...................... 58 Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Coach (Years) ........................................... Win Pct. John Macklin (1911-15) .................................... .853 Clarence “Biggie” Munn (1947-53) ................... .846 Mark Dantonio (2007-) .................................... .731 Jim Crowley (1929-32)...................................... .712 Chester Brewer (1903-10, ‘17, ‘19)................... .699
BIG TEN GAMES Rk. Coach (Years) .................................................Wins 1. Duffy Daugherty (1954-72) .................................. 72 2. George Perles (1983-94) ..................................... 53 3. Mark Dantonio (2007-) ....................................... 52 Rk. 1. 2. 3.
Coach (Years) [Min. 10 games] ............... Win Pct. Mark Dantonio (2007-) .................................... .722 Denny Stolz (1973-75) ...................................... .604 Nick Saban (1995-99) ....................................... .602
BOWL APPEARANCES Rk. Coach (Years) ...............................................Bowls 1. Mark Dantonio (2007-) ......................................... 9 2. George Perles (1983-94) ....................................... 7 BOWL WINS Rk. Coach (Years) ....................................... Bowl Wins 1. Mark Dantonio (2007-) ......................................... 4 2. George Perles (1983-94) ....................................... 3
BIG TEN COACHING HISTORY
MOST 11-WIN SEASONS Coach (School) ...........................................................Years Jim Tressel, Ohio State (6) ....... 2002-03, 2006-07, 2009-10* Joe Paterno, Penn State (5) ......1994, 1996, 2005, 2008-09^ Mark Dantonio, Michigan State (5) ......... 2010-11, 2013-15 * wins vacated in 2010; ^ as Big Ten member (15 overall)
MARK DANTONIO: HONOR ROLL
2015 (12-1, 7-1 Big Ten) • Big Ten Champions • College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl Classic) • Big Ten East Division Champions • Finalist for three national coach of the year awards: Bobby Dodd, George Munger, Eddie Robinson 2014 (11-2, 7-1 Big Ten) • 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic Champions • National ranking: No. 5 (AP/Coaches) 2013 (13-1, 8-0 Big Ten) • 2014 Rose Bowl Game Champions • Big Ten Champions • National ranking: No. 3 (AP/Coaches) • Big Ten Legends Division Champions • Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year (media) • Hayes-Schembechler Big Ten Coach of the Year (coaches) • FWAA Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award finalist • Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year finalist • Bobby Bowden National Coach of the Year Award finalist • Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award finalist • Maxwell Football Club Coach of the Year semifinalist • Sporting News Big Ten Coach of the Year • CollegeFootballNews.com Big Ten Coach of the Year • Touchdown Club of Columbus Big Ten Coach of the Year 2012 (7-6, 3-5 Big Ten) • 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Champions 2011 (11-3, 7-1 Big Ten) • 2012 Outback Bowl Champions • Big Ten Legends Division Champions • National ranking: No. 10 (Coaches), No. 11 (AP) 2010 (11-2, 7-1 Big Ten) • Big Ten Champions • National ranking: No. 14 (AP/Coaches) • CBSSports.com/Rivals.com/Scout.com National Coach of the Year • Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year finalist • Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award finalist • FWAA Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award finalist • Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year (media) • AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year • Sporting News/Rivals.com Big Ten Coach of the Year 2008 (9-4, 6-2 Big Ten) • National ranking: No. 24 (AP/Coaches) • George Munger National Coach of the Year semifinalist
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MARK DANTONIO (44), scoring average (43.0 points per game), rushing yards (3,057) and first downs (321). MSU ranked second in the Big Ten and seventh in the FBS in scoring, averaging a school-record 43.0 points per game, and also ranked second in the Big Ten and 11th in the FBS in total offense, averaging a program-best 500.8 yards per game. The Spartans were balanced offensively, ranking No. 1 in the Big Ten in passing offense (265.6 ypg.) and fifth in the Big Ten and 19th in the FBS in rushing offense (235.3 ypg.). In addition to leading the FBS in rushing defense (88.5 ypg.) and ranking eighth in total defense (315.8 ypg.), MSU also ranked No. 1 in the nation in time of possession (35:21) and No. 2 in turnover margin (+1.46).
have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, including seven Academic All-America selections (Blair White, 2009 second team; Sadler, 2014 first team, 2013 first team, 2012 second team, 2011 second team; Max Bullough, 2013 first team, 2012 second team). Michigan State has placed three student-athletes in the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Class (Kirk Cousins in 2011; Bullough in 2013; Sadler in 2014) in the past four years, equaling Duke for the most of any school in the NCAA FBS. Sadler became MSU’s first four-time Academic All-American and was a finalist for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy (nation’s top scholar-athlete). Under Dantonio, Spartan teams have produced some of the longest winning streaks in school history. MSU’s 13-game Big Ten winning streak from 2012-14 was its second-longest conference run, while MSU’s 12-game winning streak that began on Nov. 15, 2014 and ended on Nov. 7, 2015, was tied for the third longest in school history. Dantonio also had an 11-game winning streak during the 2013-14 seasons. In addition, Michigan State has produced a 51-12 record (.810) in home games since 2007, including four undefeated home seasons (2010, 2011, 2013, 2015). The Spartans are 20-1 at home the last three seasons. The Spartans have consistently produced against highly ranked teams under Dantonio. MSU is 7-1 in its last eight games against teams ranked in the AP Top 10, including a 6-1 record since 2013 (beat No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Stanford in 2013; lost to No. 3 Oregon and beat No. 4 Baylor in 2014; beat No. 7 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Iowa in 2015). The win over No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus snapped the defending National Champion Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak, and the last-second victory against Michigan marked MSU’s seventh win in the last eight years over the Wolverines. Known as one of the top defensive minds in the country, Dantonio and his staff have assembled one of the most consistently productive defenses in the FBS, year in and year out. The Spartans are the only team to rank in the NCAA FBS Top 10 in total defense the past four seasons (No. 6 in 2011, No. 4 in 2012, No. 2 in 2013, No. 8 in 2014).
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Stopping the run has been the main theme for MSU, and it led to ranking No. 1 in the NCAA FBS in rushing defense in 2014 (88.5 ypg.). Since the Big Ten began awarding stat champions in all games in 1985, Michigan State is only the second team in conference history to lead the league in rushing defense four years in a row (Michigan, 1990-93). MSU’s 88.5 rushing yards allowed in 2014 was the eighth-lowest total in school history. The Spartans have ranked in the Top 25 in rushing defense five times in the last six seasons, including four straight in the Top 10, and are currently ranked seventh this season (113.1 ypg.).
Five Michigan State players were named to the All-Big Ten First Team in 2015 and a total of 16 Spartans received all-conference recognition. The five first-team selections by the coaches matched Ohio State for the most of any school in the conference, and the four first-team honorees on offense were the most in the league. The five first-team All-Big Ten selections tie for the second most first-team All-Big Ten selections under Dantonio (six in 2013; five in 2014 and 2012). Two Spartans took home individual awards, as senior Aaron Burbridge was named the Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year and fifth-year senior Connor Cook was selected the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year. It marked the second year in a row a Spartan has won the Receiver of the Year (Tony Lippett, 2014). Cook also was named recipient of the 2015 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which has been given to the nation’s top college quarterback annually since 1987, and became the first player to win the Big Ten Championship Game MVP twice. Allen, Burbridge, Conklin, Cook and fifth-year defensive end Shilique Calhoun were first-team selections by both the coaches and media. Since 2007, Dantonio has helped produce 36 first-team All-Big Ten selections. Calhoun became the first Spartan defensive lineman in school history to earn first-team honors three times and just the eighth player at MSU to garner first-team accolades on at least three occasions. In addition, Allen (Associated Press, CBS Sports, SI.com) and Conklin (Sporting News, USA TODAY) were named first-team All-Americans, while Calhoun earned second-team honors for the third year in a row from numerous organizations. Brief year-by-year look at Dantonio’s career at MSU: 2014: 11-2, 7-1 Big Ten (2015 Cotton Bowl Champions, Final Ranking: No. 5) Michigan State, which capped off an 11-2 season with a dramatic comeback win over fourth-ranked Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic, finished the 2014 season ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press and USA TODAY/Amway Coaches Polls. MSU’s 20-point comeback win over Baylor (trailed 41-21 entering the fourth quarter) in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic was the biggest in Spartan postseason history (previous: down 16-0 at halftime to Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl). In addition, it marked the second-largest comeback win in Cotton Bowl Classic history (22 points by Notre Dame in 1979). The 2014 Spartans featured the most prolific offense in school history to go along with another Top 10 defense. Michigan State set school single-season records for points (559), total offense (6,510 yards; 500.8 yards per game), offensive touchdowns (70), rushing touchdowns
Michigan State defeated five bowl-bound teams in 2014, with victories over No. 19 Nebraska, Maryland, Rutgers, Penn State and No. 4 Baylor, and beat Michigan for the sixth time in the past seven seasons. MSU’s only two losses were against the two teams in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship Game (Oregon and Ohio State). The Spartans continued their impressive run in Big Ten games, finishing 7-1 in conference play and second in the Big Ten East Division. Five Michigan State players were named to the All-Big Ten First Team and a total of 14 Spartans received allconference recognition. The five first-team selections by the coaches were the most of any school in the conference. Two Spartans took home individual awards, as Drummond was named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, while Lippett was selected the Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year. It marked the second straight year a Spartan has won the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year Award (Dennard, 2013). Allen, Drummond, Lippett, Waynes and Calhoun were first-team selections by both the coaches and media. Four Spartans were selected in the 2015 NFL Draft: Waynes (Minnesota, first round), running back Jeremy Langford (Chicago, fourth round), Lippett (Miami, fifth round), and wide receiver Keith Mumphery (Houston, fifth round). 2013: 13-1, 8-0 Big Ten (2014 Rose Bowl Champions, Big Ten Champions, Final Ranking: No. 3) Michigan State had a record-setting season in 2013, winning a school-record 13 games, defeating No. 5 Stanford in the 100th Rose Bowl Game, beating No. 2 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game for the school’s eighth Big Ten title, and finishing No. 3 in both national polls, the highest ranking for the Spartans since 1966. Michigan State (13-1) became just the third team in Big Ten history to win 13 games in a season. Dantonio earned 2013 Big Ten Coach of the Year honors from both the media and coaches, as the Spartans finished their conference schedule with a perfect 8-0 record for the first time in school history. He also was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year, Bobby Bowden Coach of the Year and Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Awards. In addition, he was named one of 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Football Club Coach of the Year and was tabbed Big Ten Coach of the Year by Sporting News, CollegeFootballNews.com, and the Touchdown Club of Columbus. For leading the Spartans to their record-breaking season, Dantonio was honored by The Detroit News as one of 10 Michiganians of the Year in June 2014. Michigan State had the No. 1 defense in the Big Ten for the third straight season in 2013. The Spartans led the NCAA FBS in total defense for 13 straight weeks and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the FBS, allowing just 252.2 yards per game. MSU was the only school to rank in the top three in the four major defensive stat categories: No. 2 in total defense, No. 2 in rushing de-
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
MARK DANTONIO fense (86.6 ypg.), No. 3 in scoring defense (13.2 ppg.) and No. 3 in pass defense (165.6 ypg.). In addition, the Spartans led the FBS in pass efficiency defense (92.3 rating) and ranked No. 2 in opponent third-down conversions (.279) and No. 5 in first-downs defense (14.3 pg). MSU’s defense allowed just 4.04 yards per play, which also ranked No. 1 in the FBS.
Michigan State defeated five bowl-bound teams in 2013, including victories over Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Minnesota and Ohio State. The win over the second-ranked Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game snapped OSU’s school-record 24-game winning streak. 2012: 7-6 (Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Champions) Michigan State secured its third consecutive winning campaign (7-6) in 2012 with a 13-point second-half comeback victory over TCU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, defeating the Horned Frogs, 17-16.
The Spartans also led the Big Ten in nine defensive categories (total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, pass defense, pass efficiency defense, turnover margin, opponent third-down conversions, opponent fourth-down conversions, first downs defense). MSU became the first team to rank No. 1 in total defense and rushing defense three years in a row since the Big Ten began awarding conference stat champions in 1985 for overall games.
A total of 11 Spartans received All-Big Ten recognition in 2012, including Bell, who garnered first-team honors after leading the Big Ten and ranking No. 3 in the NCAA FBS in rushing with 137.9 yards per game.
Offensively, the Spartans evolved into championship form as the season progressed, culminating with strong performances against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game and Stanford in the Rose Bowl Game. The Spartans produced 438 yards of total offense against the Buckeyes and nearly 400 yards (397) against Stanford, which entered the game No. 14 in the FBS in total defense. Cook was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten Championship Game after throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns, and he topped that performance by racking up 332 passing yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinal while being named the Rose Bowl Game’s Offensive MVP.
2011: 11-3, 7-1 Big Ten (2012 Outback Bowl Champions, Big Ten Legends Division Champions, Final Ranking: No. 11/10) In 2011, thanks to its 33-30 triple-overtime victory over No. 18 Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl, Michigan State (11-3) finished No. 10 in the final USA TODAY Coaches Poll and No. 11 in the final Associated Press Poll. Michigan State’s 11 wins in 2011 tied a then-school single-season record. MSU won the inaugural Big Ten Legends Division title outright with a 7-1 conference record and came up just short of their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1988, falling to Wisconsin, 42-39, in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game.
Michigan State was rewarded for winning the 2013 Legends Division by three games, as six Spartans were named to the All-Big Ten First Team and a total of 16 players received all-conference recognition. The six first-team selections were the most for Michigan State since 1990, and the 16 honorees overall equaled the second most under Dantonio (19 in 2011, 16 in 2010). Two Spartans took home individual awards, as Dennard was named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, while Calhoun was named the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Dennard, Calhoun and Bullough were first-team selections by both the coaches and media. Drummond, Sadler and senior safety Isaiah Lewis were named firstteam All-Big Ten by the coaches. The five first-team selections on defense tied for the most in school history (1966).
Michigan State defeated five bowl-bound teams in 2011, including a victory over the fourth-ranked Badgers earlier in the season on Oct. 22 in Spartan Stadium, 37-31, on a last-second, 44-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to Keith Nichol. MSU also beat No. 11 Michigan for the fourth straight year on Oct. 15 in Spartan Stadium, 28-14, a first for the program since 1959-62. Other landmark victories included a 10-7 win at Ohio State on Oct. 1, MSU’s first win in Ohio Stadium since 1998, and a 37-21 victory at Iowa on Nov. 12, the Spartans’ first triumph in Kinnick Stadium since 1989. Following the successful 2011 campaign, six Spartans were selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, the most since 2000: Worthy (Green Bay Packers, second round), Cousins (Washington Redskins, fourth round), Keshawn Martin (Houston Texans, fourth round), Robinson (San Francisco 49ers, sixth round), B.J. Cunningham (Miami Dolphins, sixth round) and Edwin Baker (San Diego, seventh round).
2010: 11-2, 7-1 Big Ten (Big Ten Champions, Capital One Bowl, Final Ranking: No. 14/14) Dantonio, who led Michigan State to a then schoolrecord 11 wins in 2010 and a share of its first Big Ten Championship since 1990, was named the Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year, as selected by the conference’s media panel. A finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant, Eddie Robinson and Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year Awards, Dantonio helped manage the third-biggest turnaround among NCAA FBS teams during the regular season, as the Spartans improved from 6-7 in 2009 to 11-1 in 2010. He was also named the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Region 3 Coach of the Year, and earned National Coach of the Year honors from CBSSports.com, Scout. com and Rivals.com. Thanks to its 28-22 victory at Penn State in the 2010 regular-season finale, Michigan State recorded its first win in State College since 1965 and finished in a tie with Wisconsin for the 2010 Big Ten Championship. MSU also dealt the Badgers their only loss of the 2010 regular season, 34-24, in the Big Ten opener. The Spartans finished the season ranked No. 14 in both The Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches Polls and played on New Year’s Day in the 2011 Capital One Bowl. 2009: 6-7 (Alamo Bowl) The Spartans earned their third consecutive bowl bid (Alamo Bowl) in 2009. A consensus first-team All-American, linebacker Greg Jones became the first Spartan to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year accolades after recording 154 tackles, finishing first in the conference and third nationally in 2009. 2008: 9-4, 6-2 Big Ten (Capital One Bowl, Final Ranking: No. 24/24) One of 15 semifinalists for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award, Dantonio had a breakthrough season as a head coach in 2008. Under his leadership, the Spartans went 9-3 in the regular season and compiled a 6-2 record in the Big Ten, the best league mark for the program since 1999. MSU played in its first New Year’s Day bowl game in nine years by earning a bid to the 2009 Capital One Bowl against Georgia. Michigan State defeated five bowl-bound teams, with victories over Florida Atlantic, Notre Dame, Iowa, Northwestern and Wisconsin, and finished the season ranked No. 24 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls. 2007: 7-6 (2007 Champs Sports Bowl) In his first season as head coach at Michigan State, Dantonio sparked a three-game turnaround as the Spartans finished the 2007 regular season with a 7-5 record, securing the program’s first bowl bid in four years with a berth against Boston College in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Dantonio, who served as head coach at Cincinnati for three seasons prior to his return to East Lansing, became Michigan State University’s 24th head football coach on Nov. 27, 2006. He established himself as one of the nation’s up-and-coming coaches during his threeyear tenure at Cincinnati, where he compiled an 18-17 overall record. Prior to his appointment at Cincinnati, Dantonio served as the defensive coordinator under Jim Tressel at Ohio State for three seasons (2001-03), where his defensive unit helped the Buckeyes to a combined record of 32-6, including the 2002 National Championship. Dantonio spent six years (1995-2000) as Michigan State’s secondary coach, including five seasons under Saban and one under Bobby Williams. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2000. During his
six-year tenure as an assistant, the Spartans compiled a 39-30-1 record.
For Dantonio’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans. com.
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COACHING STAFF Harlon Barnett, who was promoted to assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator prior to Michigan State’s victory in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic over Baylor, is in his ninth season as the Spartans’ secondary coach. A four-year letterwinner at MSU (1986-89) as a defensive back who was named a captain and AllAmerican as a senior, Barnett returned to East Lansing with seven years of professional playing experience and nine seasons of coaching experience under his belt.
HARLON BARNETT ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/ CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/ SECONDARY NINTH SEASON
Barnett mentors one of the top secondaries in the nation, as the Spartans have ranked among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Top 25 in pass efficiency defense the past four seasons (No. 18 in 2011, No. 3 in 2012, No. 1 in 2013, No. 21 in 2014). The Spartans also finished ranked in the NCAA FBS Top 10 in pass defense in 2012 (ninth) and 2013 (third). In addition, MSU ranked second in the Big Ten and tied for 10th in the NCAA FBS with 18 interceptions last season, and is tied for second in the Big Ten once again in 2015 and tied for 21st in the FBS with 15 picks.
In his first season coordinating the defense, along with Mike Tressel, the Spartans enter the College Football Playoff ranked No. 26 in the FBS in total defense (342.9 ypg.). MSU has held six opponents under 100 yards rushing and ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally in stopping the run (113.1 ypg.). The Spartans have finished in the NCAA FBS Top 10 in both total defense and rushing defense the past four years. Barnett was named national coordinator of the week twice during the regular season; he was recognized by CoachingSearch.com after MSU beat No. 7 Oregon and held the Ducks to 123 yards on the ground, and was honored by Athlon Sports following the Spartans’ 17-14 win at No. 2 Ohio State in which the Buckeyes were limited to 132 yards of total offense, the fewest ever by an Urban Meyer-coached team. Barnett’s players have earned All-Big Ten honors 23 times since his arrival as secondary coach at MSU, including seven different first-team players (Otis Wiley in 2008; Trenton Robinson in 2011; Johnny Adams in 2011-12; Darqueze Dennard in 2011-12, Isaiah Lewis in 2013; Kurtis Drummond in 2013-14; Trae Waynes in 2014). All four of MSU’s starters in the secondary garnered All-Big Ten recognition during the 2010, 2011 and 2013 seasons, and two of the last three Big Ten Defensive Backs of the Year have come from Michigan State (Dennard in 2013, Drummond in 2014). Under Barnett, six Spartan defensive backs have been selected in the NFL Draft, including two first-rounders (Dennard, No. 24, Cincinnati Bengals, 2014; Waynes, No. 11, Minnesota Vikings, 2015), and 10 have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. Michigan State is just the sixth school to have cornerbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in consecutive years, joining Alabama (2012-13), LSU (2011-12), Miami-Florida (2005-06), Ohio State (1999-2001) and Notre Dame (1993-94). In addition to Dennard and Waynes, Jeremy Ware (2010, Oakland, seventh round), Chris L. Rucker (2011, Indianapolis, sixth round), Robinson (2012, San Francisco, sixth round) and Tony Lippett (2015, Miami, fifth round) have been chosen in the NFL Draft.
In his first year as a starting strong safety, Williamson returned two interceptions for touchdowns (vs. Michigan and Maryland) to become one of just three players in the Big Ten in 2014 to score two defensive TDs. His three career defensive TDs (64-yard fumble return vs. Air Force in Week 3 of 2015) are tied for the most in school history. In addition, Barnett helped Lippett – the Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year in 2014 – adjust back to being a starting cornerback late in the year for the first time since 2011. Lippett became the first Spartan to start both on offense and defense in the same game since 1968 and recorded four pass break-ups in just three games on defense. He was chosen in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins as a cornerback. All four of MSU’s starting defensive backs received All-Big Ten recognition in 2013, including three first-team All-Big Ten selections. The group was led by Dennard, the Thorpe Award winner who became the first-ever cornerback at Michigan State to earn unanimous firstteam All-America honors. In addition, Dennard was named the winner of the Jack Tatum Award, which is presented to college football’s top defensive back by The Touchdown Club of Columbus. The lock-down corner, who was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and named the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, ranked among the Big Ten leaders in interceptions (4), pass break-ups (10) and passes defended (14). Dennard was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft (No. 24 overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals. Lewis and Drummond were also selected All-Big Ten First Team by the coaches, while Waynes garnered honorable mention. Lewis played in the 2014 Senior Bowl, was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, and signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For his efforts in leading the Big Ten’s top pass defense in 2013, Barnett was named one of three finalists for national defensive back coach of the year by FootballScoop.
Barnett has coached three All-Americans (Dennard, Drummond, Waynes) and three Thorpe Award semifinalists (Dennard, Waynes, Wiley). A unanimous All-American, Dennard became the first Spartan to win the Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back, in 2013.
In June 2012, Barnett was one of eight football coaches to participate in the Champion Forum, the top tier of the NCAA’s coaching academy programs, held in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention in Dallas.
Barnett has had to mold a young secondary unit in 2015 that has featured seven different starting lineups, including six first-year starters and three true freshmen, due to numerous injuries. In the last four games, however, MSU has only allowed 185.0 yards per game through the air, and since Week 10 at Ohio State, the secondary has featured the same starting lineup the past three games with the return of junior Darian Hicks. Junior Demetrious Cox, who has started at both safety and cornerback this season, earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in his first year as a starter and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions. Also in his first year as a starter, senior Arjen Colquhoun ranks among the Big Ten leaders with 12 passes defended (two interceptions, 10 pass break-ups). Sophomore safety Montae Nicholson has improved throughout his second season and leads the team with 33 tackles during MSU’s four-game winning streak, while two-year starter RJ Williamson, who hasn’t played since Week 5 vs. Purdue due to bicep surgery, is slated to return to the field in the Cotton Bowl. Grayson Miller, who filled a starting role at safety for four games during the middle of the year, was named to the BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
Barnett, who spent three seasons as secondary coach on Dantonio’s staff at Cincinnati, landed his first collegiate coaching job as a graduate assistant at LSU in 2003 under Nick Saban, where he was a part of the Tigers’ National Championship campaign.
Two of MSU’s starting defensive backs earned All-America honors in 2014, as Drummond, a senior free safety, garnered first-team accolades from the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele, while Waynes, a junior cornerback, picked up second-team laurels from the Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and Athlon Sports. Drummond became only the fifth safety in school history to earn first-team All-America distinction. Waynes became the highest Spartan drafted under MSU head coach Mark Dantonio in 2015 as he was selected in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings at No. 11 overall. Waynes, who also was the highest Spartan cornerback selected in the modern era of the NFL Draft (since 1967), was MSU’s 35th first-round selection, including its second straight cornerback, joining Dennard. Named one of 15 semifinalists for the Thorpe Award, Waynes ranked second on the team with a career-best eight pass break-ups and tied for second with three interceptions.
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also ranked tied for 21st in the NCAA FBS. Drummond also led the team with 72 tackles, including five for losses (15 yards). He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season, becoming just the fifth safety at MSU to be named to the All-Big Ten First Team twice. Drummond signed a free agent contract with the Houston Texans for the 2015 season.
Drummond, who was named the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, tied for the Big Ten lead with a career-high 15 passes defended (four interceptions, 11 pass break-ups), which
A native of Cincinnati, Barnett was a three-year starter for head coach George Perles at MSU. He was a member of the 1987 Big Ten and 1988 Rose Bowl Championship team and earned first-team All-America recognition by The Sporting News as a senior in 1989. For Barnett’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE BARNETT FILE FAMILY: Wife Tammy and two children: Todd and Tori. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Ninth. Joined staff on Dec. 1, 2006, from Cincinnati. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Graduate assistant coach at LSU (2003); secondary coach at Cincinnati (2004-06). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in communication from Michigan State in 1990. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College - Four-year letterwinner as a defensive back at Michigan State (1986-89) and named captain as a senior. Professional - Spent seven seasons in the National Football League, including stints with the Cleveland Browns (1990-92), New England Patriots (1993-94) and Minnesota Vikings (1995-96). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Player - 1985 All-American Bowl, 1988 Rose Bowl, 1989 Gator Bowl, 1989 Aloha Bowl, 1994 NFL Playoffs, 1996 NFL Playoffs. Coach 2004 Sugar Bowl, 2004 Fort Worth Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
COACHING STAFF Mike Tressel, who was promoted to co-defensive coordinator prior to Michigan State’s victory in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic over Baylor, is in his ninth season as the Spartans’ linebackers coach. He also served as the program’s special teams coordinator his first eight seasons in East Lansing. Tressel has been on the same staff with Mark Dantonio for the past 12 seasons, dating back to 2004 in Cincinnati. Along with Harlon Barnett, Tressel has helped construct a defense that once again ranks among the nation’s best. The Spartans have finished in the NCAA FBS Top 10 in rushing defense the past four seasons - one of just three teams to do so, along with Alabama and Stanford - and MIKE TRESSEL enter the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic ranked No. 7 CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/ through 13 games (113.1 ypg.). The only program in the LINEBACKERS nation to rank among the FBS Top 10 in total defense the NINTH SEASON past four years, MSU checks in at No. 26 heading into the College Football Playoff, and has been impressive of late. During MSU’s current four-game winning streak, which includes two top-five wins (No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Iowa), the Spartans are only allowing 12.5 points per game and under 100 yards rushing per game (91.8 ypg.). The consistent play of the Spartan linebackers under Tressel is one of the main reasons why Michigan State has been so successful on defense. Under the guidance of Tressel, Spartan linebackers have earned All-Big Ten honors 16 times and All-America accolades on four occasions (Greg Jones: 2009-10; Denicos Allen: 2013; Max Bullough: 2013). Although MSU lost preseason All-Big Ten linebacker Ed Davis to season-ending knee injury in preseason camp and features two new starters (Riley Bullough, Jon Reschke), the unit hasn’t missed a beat. Bullough (second team, coaches), Darien Harris (third team, coaches) and Reschke (honorable mention, media and coaches) each earned All-Big Ten recognition for their solid play during MSU’s run to a Big Ten Championship. Entering 2014, Tressel had the challenge of filling two starting positions left vacant by threeyear starters and All-Americans Denicos Allen and Max Bullough, all while rotating veteran Taiwan Jones from the outside to middle linebacker. But the results remained the same, as Michigan State ranked No. 1 in the NCAA FBS in rushing defense, allowing just 88.5 yards per game. The Spartans became just the second program since the Big Ten began awarding stat champions for all games in 1985 to lead the league in rushing defense four years in a row. Michigan State, which also ranked No. 8 nationally in total defense (315.8 ypg.), is the only school in the NCAA FBS to rank in the Top 10 in total defense the past four seasons (No. 6 in 2011, No. 4 in 2012, No. 2 in 2013, No. 8 in 2014). Jones, a second-team All-Big Ten choice by the coaches, made the successful transition to the middle his senior season after starting two years at Star (weakside) linebacker. He posted career bests in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (4), and ranked second on the team in tackles (60). Jones was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and signed as a free agent with the New York Jets. In his first year as a starter at Sam (strongside) linebacker, Davis ranked tied for second on the team in tackles for loss (12), third in sacks (7) and fourth in tackles (58). The junior from Detroit, who led the team in production points during the regular season, was named honorable mention All-Big Ten.
During Michigan State’s Big Ten and Rose Bowl Championship season in 2013, the linebackers led the way for the only defense in the FBS to rank among the top three in rushing defense (No. 2 at 86.6 ypg.), total defense (No. 2 at 252.2 ypg.), scoring defense (No. 3 at 13.2 ppg.) and passing defense (No. 3 at 165.6 ypg.). Bullough, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, was the quarterback of the league’s top-ranked defense in 2013. A third-team All-America honoree by The Associated Press, Bullough ranked third on the team in both tackles (76) and tackles for loss (9.5). He closed his career with 40 starts at middle linebacker and ranked 11th in school history in tackles for loss (30.5) and 18th in tackles (299). Bullough completed his first season in the NFL in 2014 with the Houston Texans. Allen picked up second-team All-America accolades from SI.com. Allen led the team with a career-high 98 tackles as a senior and also led the team with 16.5 tackles for loss, good for seventh most in an MSU single-season. He finished his career ranked third in the school record book with 46 career tackles for loss. Allen capped his illustrious career with seven tackles, including 1.5 for losses, in the 100th Rose Bowl Game against No. 5 Stanford, and was named to the SI.com All-Bowl Team and ESPN.com Big Ten All-Bowl Team. The Spartans finished the 2012 season ranked fourth in the FBS in total defense (273.3 ypg.) and eighth in rushing defense (98.6 ypg.). Bullough, a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches in 2012, led the Spartans in tackles for the second year in a row with a career-high 111 stops as a junior. In 2011, Michigan State led the Big Ten in rushing defense (100.5 yards per game) and total defense (277.4 ypg.) en route to winning the Big Ten Legends Division title. For the first time since 1990, all three of MSU’s starting linebackers garnered All-Big Ten honors. Tressel mentored Greg Jones and Eric Gordon from 2007-10, two of the top linebackers in the nation who combined for 796 tackles in their careers. A back-to-back first-team consensus All-American, Jones led the Spartans in tackles (106), forced fumbles (3) and quarterback hurries (6) and ranked tied for first in tackles for loss (10 for 20 yards) during MSU’s Big Ten Championship season in 2010. He became just the seventh player in program history to receive first-team All-Big Ten honors three times. A model of consistency, Jones became only the second player in MSU history to lead the Spartans in tackles for four straight seasons (linebacker Dan Bass, 1976-79). The Cincinnati, Ohio, native became the first Spartan to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year accolades after collecting 154 tackles in 2009, the most in the conference and third nationally. Jones was selected in the sixth round (No. 185 overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New York Giants and was a member of the Super Bowl Champion team that defeated New England in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Gordon started 49 games, including 40 consecutive starting assignments and finished his career ranked among MSU’s all-time leaders in tackles for loss (10th with 29), tackles (12th with 331) and sacks (21st with 9.5). Tressel also oversaw a successful special teams unit from 2007-14 that was one of the best in the Big Ten under his direction. During his time as special teams coach, MSU had two first-team All-Big Ten placekickers (Dan Conroy and Brett Swenson), two first-team All-Big Ten punters (Mike Sadler and Aaron Bates), and featured conference leaders in kick returns (Devin Thomas), punt returns (Keshawn Martin), field goals (Swenson) and field-goal percentage (Swenson, Michael Geiger). Tressel comes from a bloodline of successful coaches, as his uncle Jim Tressel won four NCAA I-AA championships at Youngstown State before leading Ohio State to the 2002 National Championship. His grandfather, Lee Tressel, ranked as one of the winningest coaches in Division III history and won a National Championship at Baldwin-Wallace College. His father Richard, who spent 23 seasons as head coach at Hamline, coached 11 seasons at Ohio State. Tressel arrived at Michigan State following the 2006 regular season, as he was one of eight assistants to follow Dantonio to MSU from Cincinnati. For Tressel’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE TRESSEL FILE FAMILY: Wife Megan and two children: Logan and Quincy. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Ninth. Joined staff on Dec. 1, 2006, from Cincinnati. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – Graduate assistant coach at South Dakota (1996-97); offensive line coach (1998-2000) and offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach (2001) at Wartburg (Iowa) College; graduate assistant linebackers coach at Ohio State (2002-03); linebackers and special teams coach at Cincinnati (2004-06). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Cornell (Iowa) College in 1996; master’s degree in sports administration at South Dakota in 1998. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Four-year starter in the secondary at Cornell (Iowa) College (1992-95). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 1999 NCAA Division III Playoffs, 2003 Fiesta Bowl, 2004 Fiesta Bowl, 2004 Fort Worth Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
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COACHING STAFF Dave Warner is his third season as the co-offensive coordinator and his ninth overall at Michigan State. Warner, who also coaches the running backs, was promoted to co-offensive coordinator on March 4, 2013. He previously coached the quarterbacks for six seasons. Since Warner has been named the co-offensive coordinator, along with Jim Bollman, the Spartans have collected a 36-4 record and won two Big Ten Championships (2013, 2015).
DAVE WARNER CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/ RUNNING BACKS NINTH SEASON
Warner has been a quarterbacks coach and/or offensive coordinator or passing game coordinator for 27 of his 32 seasons as a college assistant. Warner spent two seasons (1999-2000) as the offensive coordinator at Connecticut, and was the passing game coordinator at Wyoming (1998) and Houston (2001-02).
The Spartans placed a league-best four offensive players on the All-Big Ten First Team in 2015, the most for the program since 1978. Senior Connor Cook became just the fifth Spartan quarterback to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors, and the first since 1965. He also became the first Spartan to win the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year Award since its inception in 2011. In addition, Cook was named the 2015 recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top college quarterback. The winningest quarterback in school history, Cook owns a 34-4 record as the starter the past three seasons, including a 23-2 mark against Big Ten opponents, and is the school’s all-time record holder in total offense (9,217 yards) and touchdown passes (71). Senior Aaron Burbridge, who leads the conference in receptions and receiving yards, was named the Big Ten Receiver of the Year, marking the second year in a row a Spartan has claimed the award (Tony Lippett, 2014). Center Jack Allen and left tackle Jack Conklin not only garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors, but first-team All-America honors as well. At running back, Warner had the challenge of finding a replacement for Jeremy Langford, who is now in the NFL with the Chicago Bears after rushing for a combined 40 touchdowns in 2013 and 2014. A trio of backs in sophomore Gerald Holmes (534 yards), red-shirt freshman Madre London (489) and freshman LJ Scott (691) have led the way. All three have started in the backfield this season, and they all have posted a 100-yard rushing game. Scott, who leads the team in carries (140), rushing yards (691) and rushing touchdowns (11), was an ESPN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. A total of seven Spartans landed on the All-Big Ten teams for offense, including sophomore offensive guard Brian Allen (second team, coaches and media), senior offensive guard Donavon Clark (third team, coaches) and junior tight end Josiah Price (third team, coaches and media). The Spartans rank first in the Big Ten and fifth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in thirddown conversions (.505), and also rank among the Big Ten leaders in touchdown passes (tied for first with 26), time of possession (second at 33:18), passing yards (third with 3,069) and passing efficiency (138.8 rating). Warner directed the most prolific offense in school history in 2014. The Spartans set numerous school records, including points (559), scoring average (43.0 ppg.), offensive touchdowns (70), total offense (6,510 yards; 500.8 ypg.), rushing touchdowns (44), rushing yards (3,057) and first downs (321). MSU ranked second in the Big Ten and seventh in the NCAA FBS in scoring, averaging 43.0 points per game. Michigan State also ranked second in the Big Ten and 11th in the NCAA FBS in total offense, averaging a school-record 500.8 yards per game. In addition, MSU ranked among the FBS Top 25 in third-down conversion percentage (seventh at .500), passing yards per completion (10th at 14.6), first downs (17th with 321), yards per play (17th with 6.55), passing efficiency (18th with 151.1 rating), and rushing offense (19th with 235.2 ypg.). The Spartans also featured the No. 1 passing offense in the Big Ten (265.6 ypg.). Michigan State’s improvement in scoring offense (+13.6 points per game) and total offense (+115.3 yards per game) in 2014 ranked among the Top 10 increases among teams in the FBS. Langford, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, flourished under Warner’s guidance in 2013 and 2014. Langford closed his career by rushing for more than 100 yards in a school-record 10 straight games; he also finished conference play with 16 consecutive games with over 100 yards rushing against Big Ten opponents. In just two seasons as the starter, Langford rushed for 40 touchdowns, second most in school history; his 22 rushing TDs in 2014 tied a school record (shared with Javon Ringer). Langford, who rushed for 1,422 yards as a junior, increased his total to 1,522 yards as a senior, which ranked fifth most in a Spartan single season. In addition to rushing TDs, Langford finished his career ranked among MSU’s all-time leaders in 100-yard rushing games (third with 18), rushing yards (eighth with 2,967) and carries (ninth with 577). In addition, fellow senior Nick Hill delivered his best year as a Spartan in 2014, posting career highs in rushing yards (622), carries (107) and rushing TDs (9).
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Seven Spartans garnered All-Big Ten recognition for MSU’s record-setting season on offense, including Lippett, the Big Ten Receiver of the Year who led the conference in receiving (92.2 ypg.) and ranked second in touchdown catches (11).
The Spartan offense steadily improved all season long during MSU’s record-setting campaign in 2013, culminating with strong performances against No. 2 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game and No. 5 Stanford in the Rose Bowl Game. The Spartans produced 438 yards of total offense against the Buckeyes and nearly 400 yards (397) against Stanford, which entered the game No. 14 in the FBS in total defense. Cook was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten Championship Game after throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns, and he topped that performance by racking up a 332 passing yards and two TDs against the Cardinal while being named the Rose Bowl Game’s Offensive MVP. Six starters earned All-Big Ten recognition on offense, including Cook (second team, coaches), Allen (second team, media), senior offensive guard Blake Treadwell (second team, coaches and media), senior offensive tackle Fou Fonoti (honorable mention), senior offensive guard Dan France (honorable mention) and Langford (honorable mention). Two of MSU’s starting quarterbacks under Warner when he was the quarterbacks coach from 2007-12 are now veterans in the NFL, in Kirk Cousins and Brian Hoyer. Cousins, the second-winningest quarterback in school history with 27 victories as a starter, became MSU’s career record holder in 2011 for passing touchdowns (66), passing yards (9,131), completions (723), passing efficiency (146.1 rating), total offense (9,004 yards) and 200-yard passing games (26). Cousins’ numbers were some of the best in Big Ten history, as finished his career ranked among the conference’s all-time Top 10 in completion percentage (tied for sixth at .641), passing efficiency rating (sixth), passing yards (10th) and TD passes (tied for 10th). He was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by Washington and will be entering his fourth season with the Redskins in 2015. Warner mentored Hoyer in 2007 and 2008, and Hoyer responded by becoming one of the most productive quarterbacks in Spartan history. Hoyer ranks among MSU’s career leaders in pass attempts (No. 3 at 896), passing yards (No. 4 with 6,159), pass completions (No. 4 at 500) and TD passes (No. 8 with 35). Warner also developed Hoyer’s game management skills, as the senior captain accumulated a 16-11 record and led the Spartans to back-toback bowl appearances. Hoyer signed a free agent contract with New England in April 2009 and spent three seasons serving as the back-up quarterback behind Tom Brady. Hoyer completed his sixth season in the NFL with Cleveland in 2014 and is playing in Houston in 2015. Before coaching at Cincinnati with Dantonio in 2006, Warner coached wide receivers at Southern Miss in 2003 and 2004. Warner and Dantonio also coached together for four seasons at Kansas, when Dantonio was the secondary coach for the Jayhawks from 199194. Warner spent nine total seasons as quarterbacks coach for Kansas (1988-96). Prior to KU, Warner spent four years on the staff at Kent State (1984-87), including the last two as quarterbacks coach. For Warner’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE WARNER FILE FAMILY: Wife Leigh Ann, son Jackson and daughter Alexandra. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Ninth. Joined the staff on Dec. 1, 2006, from Cincinnati. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – Graduate assistant at Syracuse (1982-83); running backs coach (1984-85) and quarterbacks coach (1986-87) at Kent State; quarterbacks coach at Kansas (1988-96); quarterbacks coach at Bucknell (1997); passing game coordinator at Wyoming (1998); offensive coordinator at Connecticut (1999-2000); passing game coordinator at Houston (2001-02); wide receivers coach at Southern Miss (2003-04); quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati (2006). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in speech communications from Syracuse in 1982; master’s degree in physical education from Syracuse in 1984. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Three-year letterwinner as a quarterback at Syracuse (1979-81). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Player – 1979 Independence Bowl. Coach – 1992 Aloha Bowl, 1995 Aloha Bowl, 2003 Liberty Bowl, 2004 New Orleans Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
COACHING STAFF Jim Bollman, who has 39 years of coaching experience, both at the collegiate and professional levels, is in his third year as the co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach for the Spartans. Bollman, who spent 11 years as the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Ohio State (2001-11), was named co-offensive coordinator on March 4, 2013. Since his arrival in East Lansing in 2013 for his second stint on the Spartan staff - he was an offensive line coach at MSU from 1995-97 - Michigan State has won 36 of 40 games, including two Big Ten Championships and victories in the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl. Bollman oversees an experienced group of tight ends, led by senior Paul Lang and junior Josiah Price. Lang has had his best year as a Spartan in 2015, catching a career-high 10 passes for 112 yards, while Price, a third-team All-Big Ten selection, has the most touchdown receptions by a tight end in school history with 16. Price has found the end zone six times this season, second most on the team and tied for sixth in the Big Ten, and has caught 19 passes for 228 yards. Junior Jamal Lyles also sees significant time at tight end for the Spartans. JIM BOLLMAN CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/ TIGHT ENDS THIRD SEASON
Bollman has been instrumental in transforming MSU’s offense into one of the most dynamic in the nation. Prior to Bollman’s arrival, the Spartans ranked 95th in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense (359.3 ypg.) and 108th in scoring offense (20.0 ppg.) in 2012. During MSU’s record-breaking season in 2014, the Spartans finished seventh in the FBS in scoring (43.0 ppg.) and 11th in total offense (500.8 ypg.). The Spartans set numerous school single-season records, including points (559), scoring average (43.0 ppg.), offensive touchdowns (70), total offense (6,510 yards; 500.8 ypg.), rushing touchdowns (44), rushing yards (3,057) and first downs (321). In addition, MSU ranked among the FBS Top 25 in third-down conversion percentage (seventh at .500), passing yards per completion (10th at 14.6), first downs (17th with 321), yards per play (17th with 6.55), passing efficiency (18th with 151.1 rating), and rushing offense (19th with 235.2 ypg.). The Spartans also featured the No. 1 passing offense in the Big Ten (265.6 ypg.). Bollman coached in his ninth BCS Bowl as the Spartans defeated No. 5 Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl Game. He was the offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes during their 2002 National Championship season and coached in three BCS National Championship Games. Ohio State compiled a 100-28 (.781) record during his tenure as offensive coordinator from 2001-11, including seven Big Ten Championships. Under the tutelage of Bollman, the Spartan tight ends showed tremendous growth during the 2013 Big Ten and Rose Bowl Chamionship season. The entire group had a combined five starts entering the season, but the trio of Price and juniors Michael Dennis and Gleichert all contributed with multiple starts in helping transform the position into a strength for the offense. Price caught 17 passes for 210 yards and ranked second on the team with four touchdown receptions. A former offensive line coach at Michigan State in the mid-1990s, Bollman’s insight has also played a critical role in developing one of the top offensive lines in the country. All five starters received postseason recognition in 2013 and three players in 2014 picked up All-Big Ten honors, including junior center Jack Allen, who was named a first-team All-American by USA TODAY. Four of MSU’s five starters garnered All-Big Ten accolades in 2015, including two first-team All-Americans in Allen and left tackle Jack Conklin. Bollman and Dantonio have coached together before on three previous occasions: Youngstown State (1986-90), Michigan State (1995-97) and Ohio State (2001-03). Bollman was the offensive line coach for three seasons (1995-97) at MSU under Nick Saban while Dantonio was the secondary coach. Dantonio and Bollman both arrived at Ohio State for the
2001 season. Dantonio spent three years (2001-03) as the defensive coordinator under Jim Tressel, while Bollman went on to coach 11 years (2001-11) for the Buckeyes, both as an offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. Dantonio and Bollman first coached together at Youngstown State for four seasons (1986-90). The Buckeyes compiled a 100-28 overall record (.781) during Bollman’s tenure as offensive coordinator from 2001-11 (Ohio State had to vacate 12 wins from the 2010 season). The Buckeyes achieved seven 10-win (or more) seasons during that stretch, and he coached in 11 bowl games, including eight BCS games (2003 BCS National Championship, 2004 Fiesta, 2006 Fiesta, 2007 BCS National Championship, 2008 BCS National Championship, 2009 Fiesta, 2010 Rose, 2011 Sugar). Under Bollman’s offensive direction at Ohio State, his players earned first-team All-Big Ten honors 23 times, including quarterback Troy Smith, who captured the 2006 Heisman Trophy and also earned the Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award, AP Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year his senior season. While at OSU, Bollman also mentored 15 linemen that went on to make NFL rosters, and he has worked with 29 players overall that have played professionally during his coaching career. In addition, six Buckeyes on the offensive side of the ball were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft during Bollman’s tenure. Prior to arriving at Ohio State, Bollman coached three seasons in the NFL. He was the tight ends coach under Ray Rhodes for one year at Philadelphia (1998) and was with the Chicago Bears for two seasons (1999-2000) as a tight ends coach under Dick Jauron. Before jumping to the professional ranks, Bollman spent three seasons as the offensive line coach at Michigan State (1995-97). Bollman tutored Flozell Adams, who was named the 1997 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and went on to become a five-time Pro Bowl selection. Spartan offensive linemen earned All-Big Ten recognition on six occasions under Bollman as Michigan State made three consecutive bowl appearances (1995 Independence, 1996 Sun, 1997 Aloha). Bollman served as the offensive line coach at Virginia for four seasons (1991-94) and helped the Cavaliers to three bowl games (1991 Gator, 1993 Carquest, 1994 Independence). At UVA, Bollman mentored two recipients of the Jacobs Trophy as the ACC’s top blocker (Ray Roberts in 1991; Mark Dixon in 1993). During Bollman’s five seasons at Youngstown State under Tressel from 1986-90, the Penguins amassed a 34-25 record (.576) and advanced to the NCAA I-AA Playoffs three times. Bollman was the defensive coordinator at YSU in 1986-88 and switched over to become the offensive coordinator in 1989-90. Dantonio was the secondary coach for the Penguins in 1986-88 and became the defensive coordinator in 1989-90 when Bollman made the change to offense. Prior to his stint at Youngstown State, Bollman was assistant head coach for three years at North Carolina State. He guided the Wolfpack’s offensive line in 1983 and ’84, and worked with the inside linebackers during the ’85 season. Bollman began his coaching career at Miami-Ohio as a graduate assistant in 1977, then served MU as offensive line coach from 1978-82. A standout offensive lineman at Ohio University where he co-captained the Bobcats as a senior, Bollman received his bachelor’s degree in business education from Ohio in 1977. Born Dec. 1, 1954, in Ashtabula, Ohio, Bollman’s family includes his wife Terri and two daughters, Courtney and Stephanie. For Bollman’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE BOLLMAN FILE FAMILY: Wife Terri and two daughters: Courtney and Stephanie. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Sixth overall. Third since rejoining staff on March 4, 2013, from Purdue. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Graduate assistant coach (1977) and offensive line coach (1978-82) at Miami-Ohio; assistant head coach and offensive line (1983-84) and linebackers (1985) at North Carolina State; defensive coordinator (198688) and offensive coordinator (1989-90) at Youngstown State; offensive line (1991-94) at Virginia; offensive line (1995-97) at Michigan State; offensive coordinator and offensive line (2001-2011) at Ohio State; offensive line/running game coordinator (2012) at Boston College; Professional – Tight ends coach (1998) at Philadelphia Eagles; tight ends coach (1999-2000) at Chicago Bears. EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in business education from Ohio in 1977. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Four-year letterman as an offensive lineman at Ohio (1972-76). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 1987 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, 1989 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, 1990 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, 1991 Gator Bowl, 1993 Carquest Bowl, 1994 Independence Bowl, 1995 Independence Bowl, 1996 Sun Bowl, 1997 Aloha Bowl, 2002 Outback, Bowl, 2003 BCS National Championship, 2004 Fiesta Bowl, 2004 Alamo Bowl, 2006 Fiesta Bowl, 2007 BCS National Championship, 2008 BCS National Championship, 2009 Fiesta Bowl, 2010 Rose Bowl, 2011 Sugar Bowl, 2012 Gator Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
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COACHING STAFF
RON BURTON DEFENSIVE LINE THIRD SEASON
Ron Burton, a 24-year coaching veteran who also played four seasons in the NFL, is in his third season as defensive line coach at Michigan State. Burton previously spent 10 seasons (2003-12) as the defensive line coach at Air Force.
Burton has previous Big Ten coaching experience, as he spent five seasons as the linebackers coach at Indiana from 1997-2001. Burton mentored two Butkus Award nominees, Jabar Robinson and Justin Smith, during his time with the Hoosiers. Robinson led the team in tackles two-straight years and is eighth in school history with 339 career tackles, while Smith played one season (2003) in the NFL and ranks ninth in IU history with 326 tackles.
Burton has made an immediate impact on the defensive line during his tenure in East Lansing. Michigan State has seen its sack total increase under his tutelage, rising from 20 before his arrival in 2012 to 32 in 2013 to a Big Ten-best 42 in 2014, which also ranked eighth most in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. This season, the Spartans are once again ranked among the nation’s leaders (No. 15) with 35 sacks.
Burton also coached linebackers at Eastern Michigan for two seasons (1995-96) and landed his first full-time coaching position as the defensive backs coach at Morehead State (1994).
The defensive line has been one of the main reasons why Michigan State ranked No. 1 in rushing defense in the NCAA FBS in 2014 and No. 2 in 2013, allowing just 88.5 ypg. and 86.6 ypg., respectively, figures which also led the Big Ten Conference. MSU enters the College Football Playoff ranked seventh in the FBS in rushing defense (113.1 ypg.) this season. During his three seasons on the Michigan State staff, Spartan defensive linemen have earned All-Big Ten recognition eight times, including three-time first-team selection Shilique Calhoun, who became the first defensive end in program history to be named first-team All-Big Ten three times.
A four-year letterman (1982-86) at North Carolina, Burton helped the Tar Heels to three bowl appearances during his career and was named team captain and best defensive lineman as a senior. He graduated from UNC with a bachelor’s degree in industrial relations in 1987. Following graduation, Burton spent four seasons playing linebacker in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys (1987-89), Phoenix Cardinals (1989) and Los Angeles Raiders (1990). Burton started 15 games for the Cowboys in 1988 and recorded two sacks, and played on the 1990 Raiders team that advanced to the 1990 AFC Championship Game. After his NFL career, Burton returned to North Carolina and spent two years as a graduate assistant (1992-93) for the Tar Heels. Burton was an all-state selection as a linebacker at Highland Springs (Va.) High School. A native of Highland Springs, Virginia., Burton and his wife, Andrea, have four children: Ronald, Ryan, Roya and Reid. For Burton’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
All four starters on the defensive line picked up Big Ten accolades in 2015: Calhoun (first team), sophomore Malik McDowell (second team), senior Joel Heath (honorable mention) and senior Lawrence Thomas (honorable mention). Calhoun, who has posted career highs his senior season in tackles for loss (14.5 for 81 yards) and sacks (10.5 for 74 yards), was also named a second-team All-American for the third year in a row. One of the most productive defensive ends to ever play at Michigan State, Calhoun ranks among MSU’s alltime leaders in sacks (second with 27) and tackles for loss (tied for fourth with 43.5). McDowell has had a breakout season at nose tackle, ranking second on the team in sacks (4.5 for 38 yards) and tackles for loss (12 for 53 yards). Last season, McDowell also saw significant playing time at defensive tackle and earned FWAA Freshman All-America honors as well as Big Ten All-Freshman Team accolades from ESPN.com and BTN.com. Burton has played a key role in the development of two-year starters Heath and Thomas, who both have recorded a career high in tackles during their last season in 2015. Burton coached the final two years of Marcus Rush’s career in East Lansing in 2013 and 2014. Rush was a model of consistency, finishing his career in 2014 with the most starts (53) of any player in MSU history. The honorable mention All-Big Ten selection ranked second on the team with a career-high 7.5 sacks and was fourth with 10.5 tackles for loss in 2014. Rush, who ranks seventh in MSU history in both sacks (18.5) and tackles for loss (37.5), has played on the practice squad for the San Francisco 49ers this season. Michigan State’s defensive line showed significant improvement in its productivity in Burton’s first year on the Spartan staff in 2013, increasing its totals in sacks (+12) and tackles for loss (+10) from 2012. In his first year as a starter, Calhoun garnered second-team All-America honors from numerous organizations and was named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year as well as the National Defensive Performer of the Year by the College Football Performance Awards. Rush garnered honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades for the third year in a row, while senior defensive tackles Micajah Reynolds and Tyler Hoover both delivered their most productive seasons wearing the Green and White. For his efforts in 2013, Burton was named the National Defensive Line Coach of the Year by FootballScoop. During his 10 seasons at Air Force, Burton helped the Falcons to a combined record of 67-57 (.540), including a school-record six consecutive postseason bowl appearances (2007-12), while developing some of the top defensive linemen in school history. Burton also served as the program’s NFL liaison. In 2008, Jake Paulson became the first-ever defensive lineman at Air Force to earn first-team All-Mountain West honors after recording 14.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. One year later, nose guard Ben Garland was a second-team All-MWC selection and signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos. In the Falcons’ 2010 Independence Bowl victory over Georgia Tech, defensive lineman Rick Ricketts, a second-team All-MWC choice, was named the defensive most valuable player of the game. Burton also coached two-time Academic All-American (defensive end) Ryan Carter. Before arriving at Air Force, Burton spent one season (2002) at Grand Valley State and helped lead the Lakers to a perfect 14-0 record and the 2002 NCAA Division II National Championship, the first in school history.
THE BURTON FILE FAMILY: Wife Andrea and four children: Ronald, Ryan, Roya and Reid. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Third. Joined staff on Feb. 8, 2013, from Air Force. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Graduate assistant coach at North Carolina (1992-93); defensive backs at Morehead State (1994); linebackers at Eastern Michigan (1995-96); linebackers at Indiana (1997-2001); defensive line at Grand Valley State (2002); defensive line at Air Force (2003-12). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in industrial relations from North Carolina in 1987. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Four-year letterman as a defensive lineman at North Carolina (1982-86). Professional - Spent four seasons in the National Football League, including stints with the Dallas Cowboys (1987-89), Phoenix Cardinals (1989) and Los Angeles Raiders (1990). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Player – 1982 Sun Bowl, 1983 Peach Bowl, 1986 Aloha Bowl; Coach – 1993 Peach Bowl, 1993 Gator Bowl, 2002 NCAA Division II Playoffs, 2007 Armed Forces Bowl, 2008 Armed Forces Bowl, 2009 Armed Forces Bowl, 2010 Independence Bowl, 2011 Military Bowl, 2012 Armed Forces Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
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COACHING STAFF Brad Salem, a former head coach at NCAA Division II Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is in his sixth year on the coaching staff at Michigan State and his third as quarterbacks coach. He is also in his fifth year as the program’s recruiting coordinator.
BRAD SALEM QUARTERBACKS/ RECRUITING COORDINATOR SIXTH SEASON
Salem has been instrumental in the development of Connor Cook, who has won 34 of the 38 games he has started all while climbing up the charts in Michigan State’s record book. Cook became the first Spartan to win the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year Award as a senior in 2015 and was also named recipient of the 2015 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which has been presented to the nation’s top college quarterback since 1987.
This season, Cook ranks among the Big Ten leaders in touchdown passes (tied for first with 24), passing efficiency (second with 142.2 rating), passing (third with 243.4 ypg.), and total offense (third with 250.1 ypg.). He became MSU’s all-time leader in touchdown passes after throwing four in the Nebraska game on Nov. 7; he has 71 overall, which is tied for seventh in Big Ten history. Cook has completed 57 percent of his passes (210-of-369) for 2,921 yards, 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 2015. He also become the school’s all-time leader in total offense during the Indiana game on Oct. 24, in which he threw for a career-high 398 yards, second most in school history, and set an MSU single-game record with 416 yards of total offense. Just the fifth Spartan quarterback to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors and the first since 1965, Cook has 24 TDs in 2015, just two away from passing Kirk Cousins (25) for the most in a Spartan single season. Cook established a school record by throwing for more than 300 yards in four consecutive games (367 vs. Rutgers; 328 vs. Michigan; career-high 398 vs. Indiana; 335 vs. Nebraska), and his 10 300-yard passing games are tied for first in school history, along with Smoker. Cook is also nearing the career mark for most passing yards in school history; he’s currently second with 8,984 yards, trailing only Cousins (9,131). Cook became the first player in Big Ten history to win the Grange-Griffin Big Ten Championship Game Most Valuable Player Award twice (also won in 2013 vs. Ohio State) as he helped lead the Spartans past No. 4 Iowa, 16-13, to claim MSU’s second Big Ten title in three years. In addition to Cook, MSU showed off its depth at quarterback in the 17-14 win at No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21. With Cook sidelined due to a sprained shoulder, the Spartans used a dual-quarterback system featuring junior Tyler O’Connor and sophomore Damion Terry that helped end the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak. In his first career start, O’Connor completed 7-of-12 passes for 89 yards and rushed for 25 yards all while managing the Spartan offense in cold, windy conditions against the nation’s ninth-ranked defense at the time. In 2014, Salem and the offensive coaching staff helped orchestrate the No. 1 offense in school history, as the Spartans set numerous program records, including points (559), scoring average (43.0 ppg.), offensive touchdowns (70), rushing touchdowns (44), total offense (6,510 yards; 500.8 ypg.) and rushing yards (3,057). Cook improved on his numbers from his sophomore season, throwing for a career-best 3,214 yards as a junior while directing the nation’s No. 7 scoring offense (43.0 ppg). He led the Big Ten in passing (247.2 ypg.), passing yards and passing yards per completion (15.2), and also ranked among the conference leaders in passing efficiency (second with 149.4 rating), touchdown passes (second with 24) and total offense (third with 253.4 ypg.). In addition, those numbers ranked among the best in the NCAA FBS: second in yards per completion, 19th in passing efficiency and 27th in touchdown passes and passing yards. Cook, who led MSU’s 20-point, fourth-quarter rally over Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl, has guided the Spartans to three straight fourth-quarter comebacks in bowl games (2014 Rose Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl). He is one of just two Spartan quarterbacks, along with Dan Enos, to win two bowl games as the starting quarterback (2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton). Cook took over the starting role in 2013 against South Florida in Week 2 and proceeded to go 12-1 as the starter and finish his sophomore year ranked among MSU’s single-season leaders in passing touchdowns (second with 22), total offense (fourth with 2,831 yards), pass attempts (fourth with 380), passing yards (fifth with 2,755) and pass completions (sixth with 223). His progress was on full display in the final two games of the season. Cook took home Most Outstanding Player honors at the Big Ten Championship Game after completing 24-of-40 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns against No. 2 Ohio State, and followed that effort by being named the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP, as he threw for 332 yards and two scores in the win over No. 5 Stanford. Cook was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches. In his role as recruiting coordinator, Salem has helped put together back-to-back Top 25 classes (2014: No. 19 Scout; No. 22 Rivals; 2015: No. 18 Scout; No. 22 Rivals).
Salem has been either an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach for 10 seasons as a college assistant. He spent his first three seasons at Michigan State (2010-12) coaching the running backs. Salem mentored one of the most productive running backs in Spartan history, Le’Veon Bell, from 2010-12. Bell had a career year in 2012, winning the Big Ten rushing title and ranking third in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, averaging 137.9 yards per game. Named a first-team All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com, Bell compiled 1,793 rushing yards, the second-highest single-season total in MSU history. Bell was selected in the second round of the 2013 National Football League Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and was named the Steelers Rookie of the Year. In 2014, he led the AFC in rushing (1,361 yards) and set the Pittsburgh single-season record for most yards from scrimmage (2,215) while being selected a first-team All-Pro. Salem coached one of the most talented backfields in the Big Ten in 2011, as junior Edwin Baker and Bell combined for 1,613 rushing yards (115.2 yards per game) – the second most of any running back duo in the conference – to go along with 18 rushing touchdowns. Under Salem’s direction in 2010, Michigan State’s running backs improved their totals from 2009. The resurgent running game was led by Baker, who became just the sixth sophomore in MSU history to reach the 1,000-yard milestone as he compiled 1,201 rushing yards. A first-team All-Big Ten honoree by the media, Baker ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 30th nationally in rushing, averaging 92.4 ypg. In five seasons (2005-09) as head coach at Augustana College, Salem compiled a 31-26 record. Salem led Augustana College to back-to-back 8-4 records and consecutive trips to the Mineral Water Bowl in 2008-09. The eight wins matched the school single-season record. Salem shares his love of coaching football with his father Joe, former head coach at South Dakota (1966-74), Northern Arizona (1975-78) and Minnesota (1979-83); as well as his older brother Tim, tight ends coach for Pittsburgh; and his twin brother Brent, offensive coordinator at O’Gorman High School. For Salem’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE SALEM FILE FAMILY: Wife Christina and two children: Elijah and Jeremiah. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Sixth. Joined staff on Feb. 19, 2010, from Augustana (S.D.) College. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Graduate assistant coach at Michigan State (1994-95); offensive and recruiting coordinator at Luther (Iowa) College (1997-98); passing game and recruiting coordinator at South Dakota (1999-2001); quarterbacks coach at Augustana College (2003); offensive coordinator at Augustana College (2004); head coach at Augustana College (2005-09). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Augustana College in 1992; master’s degree in athletic administration from Michigan State in 1996. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College - Quarterback at Northern Arizona (1988-89); quarterback and wide receiver at Augustana (1990-92). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach - 1995 Independence Bowl, 2008 Mineral Water Bowl, 2009 Mineral Water Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
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COACHING STAFF Terrence Samuel, an 18-year coaching veteran who played his collegiate football at Purdue, is in his fifth season as wide receivers coach at Michigan State. Samuel has helped develop the last two Big Ten Receivers of the Year, in Aaron Burbridge (2015) and Tony Lippett (2014). During Samuel’s five seasons in East Lansing, his players have earned All-Big Ten recognition five times, including two first-team players (Burbridge, Lippett). In addition, four Spartan wide receivers have been selected in the NFL Draft since his arrival in 2011 and five have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. TERRENCE SAMUEL WIDE RECEIVERS FIFTH SEASON
Burbridge, who is just the seventh Spartan to reach the 1,000-yard receiving milestone in a single-season, leads the Big Ten in receiving yards (1,219; 93.8 ypg.) and receptions (80; 6.2 pg.) in 2015, figures which also rank among the FBS leaders (12th in receiving yards, 27th in receptions). His team-high seven TDs are tied for fourth most in the conference. Burbridge has recorded seven 100-yard receiving games this season, one shy of the MSU single-season record (B.J. Cunningham, eight, 2011). In addition, his Big Ten-leading 1,219 receiving yards are fifth most in an MSU single-season and 74 percent of his receptions (59 of 80) have gone for either a touchdown or first down. Burbridge’s 80 catches in 2015 are a Michigan State single-season record. Samuel has also fostered the growth of senior Macgarrett Kings Jr. and junior R.J. Shelton as playmakers in the Spartan passing game. Kings has 34 catches for 462 yards and a career-high five TDs in 2015, while Shelton has already collected career highs in receptions (38), receiving yards (450) and TD catches (4). Shelton, who is also the team’s starting kickoff returner, earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades from the coaches. Samuel oversaw the transformation of Lippett from starting cornerback as a red-shirt freshman in 2011 to Big Ten Receiver of the Year as a fifth-year senior in 2014. Lippett led the Big Ten in receiving yards (1,198) and ranked second in touchdown catches (11) while compiling six 100-yard receiving games. The first-team All-Big Ten selection caught a TD pass in eight consecutive games and ranked third in the conference in receptions with a career-high 65. Lippett became just the third Spartan in school history to record at least 60 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards, 10 TD catches and five 100-yard receiving games in a single-season (Charles Rogers: 2001, 2002; Cunningham: 2011). Lippett was selected in the fifth round (No. 156 overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. The 2014 Spartans featured a deep and balanced receiving corps, as four other players had at least 15 receptions on the season. It all added up to the No. 1 passing offense in the Big Ten, averaging 265.6 yards per game. Senior Keith Mumphery, who had more than 1,300 receiving yards in his career, ranked second on the team in receiving yards (495) and tied for fourth in receptions (26), and averaged a career-best 19.0 yards per catch, good for third in the Big Ten. Mumphery was chosen by the Houston Texans in the fifth round (No. 175 overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft. Burbridge was named the offensive recipient of the team’s Tommy Love Award, which goes to the most improved player, after catching 29 passes for 358 yards. Kings ranked tied for second on the team in receptions (29) and third in receiving yards (494), while Shelton had 16 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns. A year after having to break in as many as four starters, the receiving corps solidified itself as one of the best during MSU’s Big Ten Championship season in 2013. The Spartans were one of only two teams in the conference, along with Illinois, to have seven players with at least 17 receptions. In addition, nine different Spartans caught touchdown passes in 2013, led by fifth-year senior Bennie Fowler, who hauled in six. Fowler, whose strong senior campaign in 2013 earned him a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos, led the Spartans with a career-high 622 receiving yards on 36 catches, while Lippett had 44 catches for 613 yards and Kings Jr. had 43 for 513 yards. Lippett was named to the ESPN.com Big Ten All-Bowl Team after catching five passes for 94 receiving yards in the Rose Bowl Game victory over No. 5 Stanford, including the game-winning 25-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter. Samuel made an immediate impact at MSU in his first season in 2011. He helped tutor fifthyear senior B.J. Cunningham, who became the school’s all-time leader in receptions (218) and receiving yards (3,086). Under Samuel, Cunningham had his finest season as a Spartan, setting career highs in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,306) and touchdown catches (12). Those marks also ranked among MSU’s single-season leaders in receptions (tied for first), receiving yards (third) and touchdowns (tied for third). In addition, he set an MSU singleseason record with eight 100-yard receiving games. Cunningham was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media, and also earned All-America honors from Phil Steele (fourth team) and SI.com (honorable mention).
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Keshawn Martin, an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick, also produced his best year, recording career highs in receptions (66) and receiving yards (777). A multi-dimensional threat, Martin finished his career ranked second in MSU history in punt return yards (659), eighth in kick return yards (1,100), 10th in all-purpose yards (4,013), 11th in receptions (127), 16th in receiving yards (1,714) and tied for 17th in touchdown pass receptions (10).
Cunningham (79 catches) and Martin (66) combined for 145 receptions in 2011, the most ever by a receiving duo in a Michigan State season (previous record: 124 by Charles Rogers (67) and Herb Haygood (57) in 2001). Cunningham (1,306 yards) and Martin (777) also produced the most receiving yards of any receiving duo in an MSU season, teaming up for 2,083 receiving yards in 2011 (previous record: Plaxico Burress (1,142) and Gari Scott (843) with 1,985 receiving yards in 1998). Both of those marks by Cunningham and Martin (145 receptions; 2,083 receiving yards) ranked first among receiving duos in the Big Ten in 2011. Martin was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, while Cunningham was picked in the sixth round by the Miami Dolphins. Martin is currently in his fourth season in the NFL in 2015, playing for the New England Patriots. Samuel spent the 2010 season at Central Michigan under former Spartan quarterback and assistant coach Dan Enos. During his only season at CMU, Samuel mentored Cody Wilson, who posted one of the top individual receiving seasons in school history. Wilson caught 83 passes for 1,137 yards and five touchdowns, recording just the sixth individual 1,000-yard receiving season in school history. His 83 receptions rank fifth in school history for a single season, while his 1,137 yards rank third. Prior to his stop in Mount Pleasant, Samuel coached receivers at North Dakota State for two seasons (2008-09). In 2008, he worked directly with Kole Heckendorf, who spent the 2009 season with the Detroit Lions. Samuel arrived at North Dakota State after making a second stop at Nebraska-Omaha. He was the offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Nebraska-Omaha in 2007, helping lead the Mavericks to a 10-1 overall record and North Central Conference championship. Samuel was a four-year letterman (1991-94) as a receiver for Coach Jim Colletto at Purdue. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communication and psychology from Purdue in 1995 and his master’s degree in recreation administration from Nebraska-Omaha in 2001. While at Purdue, he was the recipient of the 1994 Kiwanis Citizenship Award, which is presented to a Boilermaker football player who excels most in the combined roles of player, student and community volunteer. For Samuel’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE SAMUEL FILE FAMILY: Wife Jaclyn and two children: Brooklyn and Draven. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Fifth. Joined staff on Feb. 11, 2011, from Central Michigan. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – Graduate assistant coach at Nebraska-Omaha (1998-2000); graduate assistant coach at Arizona (2001-02); defensive backs coach (2003-04) and outside linebackers coach/special teams coordinator (2005) at Nebraska-Omaha; wide receivers at Southeast Missouri State (2006); the offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Nebraska-Omaha (2007); wide receivers coach at North Dakota State (2008-09); wide receivers coach at Central Michigan (2010). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in communication and psychology from Purdue in 1995; master’s degree in recreation administration from Nebraska-Omaha in 2001. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College - Four-year letterwinner as a wide receiver at Purdue (1991-94). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 2000 NCAA Division II Playoffs, 2005 NCAA Division II Playoffs, 2007 NCAA Division II Playoffs, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
COACHING STAFF Mark Snyder, a 27-year coaching veteran including 12 seasons as either a head coach or defensive coordinator, was named linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Michigan State on Jan. 9, 2015.
MARK SNYDER LINEBACKERS/SPECIAL TEAMS FIRST SEASON
During his first season in East Lansing, Snyder has helped continue develop the tradition of strong play at linebacker as all three of MSU’s starters earned All-Big Ten recognition (Riley Bullough: second team; Darien Harris: third team; Jon Reschke: honorable mention). The play of the linebackers has been one of the key elements in MSU ranking No. 7 in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing defense (113.1 ypg.) and No. 26 in total defense (342.9 ypg.).
Michigan State’s special teams have improved throughout the 2015 season and were a part of two game-winning plays as time expired in victories at No. 12 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State. Trailing 27-23 with 10 seconds remaining at Michigan, Jalen Watts-Jackson scooped up a fumbled snap by Michigan punter Blake O’Neill and broke several tackles en route to his 38-yard scamper to the end zone that gave MSU the dramatic win over the Wolverines. Watts-Jackson’s TD was named the No. 1 play for the 2015 season at the ESPN College Football Award Show. At Ohio State, with the score tied at 14, Michael Geiger connected on a 41-yard field goal as time ran out to end the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak. Snyder and MSU head coach Mark Dantonio have coached together before, as Snyder was the linebackers coach at Ohio State from 2001-03 while Dantonio was the defensive coordinator for the Buckeyes. Snyder served as the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M for the three seasons (2012-14) and had eight previous years of coaching experience in the Big Ten Conference (Minnesota, 1997-2000; Ohio State, 2001-04). He has coached on multiple National Championship and conference championships staffs during his longtime coaching career. During Snyder’s stint as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, two of his defensive linemen earned All-SEC honors, including consensus first-team All-American Damontre Moore in 2012. A third-round NFL Draft pick by the New York Giants (No. 81 overall) in 2013, Moore led the Aggies his junior season with 85 tackles, including 21 for losses and 12.5 sacks, to land on the All-SEC First Team. In 2014, true freshman Myles Garrett set a Texas A&M and SEC-freshman record with 11.5 sacks and was named a consensus first-team Freshman All-American as well as second-team All-SEC. During Texas A&M’s 11-2 campaign in 2012 that ended with a win in the Cotton Bowl Classic over Oklahoma, Snyder’s defense ranked 26th in the NCAA FBS in scoring defense, allowing 21.8 points per game. Snyder spent two seasons (2010-11) as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at South Florida. Both of his defenses in Tampa ranked in the FBS Top 25 in rushing defense (22nd in 2010 at 125.6 ypg. and 15th in 2011 at 107.3 ypg.). Snyder helped mentor first-team All-BIG EAST defensive tackle Terrell McClain, who was selected in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft (No. 65 overall) by the Carolina Panthers. Snyder was the head coach at Marshall for five seasons (2005-09) and helped lead the Thundering Herd transition from the Mid-American Conference to Conference USA. In Snyder’s final year in 2009, Marshall went 6-6 during the regular-season and earned a berth in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. His program produced 40 all-conference selections, including 2006 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year Albert McClellan, who had 18.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks his sophomore season. Snyder produced a 22-37 overall record at Marshall (17-23 Conference USA).
Under Snyder, running back Ahmad Bradshaw was a two-time All-C-USA pick and ran for 19 touchdowns and 1,523 yards as a junior in 2006 to earn first-team all-league honors. Bradshaw was selected in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft (No. 250 overall) by the New York Giants and won two Super Bowls with the Giants (XLII, XLVI); he is one of just eight running backs in NFL history to be the leading rusher in two Super Bowls. McClellan, who had to sit out the 2007 season due to a knee injury, returned in 2008 to earn first-team All-C-USA honors for the second time in his career. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent in 2009 and is currently playing his fourth season in the NFL, all in Baltimore. Prior to landing the head coaching position at Marshall, Snyder spent four seasons (2001-04) at Ohio State under former Buckeye coach Jim Tressel. During Snyder’s time at OSU, the Buckeyes posted a 40-11 record, including a victory over No. 1 Miami (Florida) in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl to win the 2002 National Championship. Snyder worked with Dantonio for three seasons in Columbus (2001-03) as the linebackers coach while Dantonio was the defensive coordinator. In 2003, Ohio State’s defense was the second toughest against the run, allowing 62.3 yards per game, and was ranked No. 10 in total defense (296.9 ypg.) and No. 16 in scoring defense (17.6 ppg.). Those efforts helped the Buckeyes post an 11-2 record and finish No. 4 in the final polls. Dantonio and Snyder helped assemble the defense which led Ohio State to the 2002 National Championship, as the Buckeyes ranked second in the NCAA in scoring defense (13.1 ppg) and third in rushing defense (77.7 ypg.). Upon Dantonio’s departure to coach Cincinnati, Snyder was promoted to defensive coordinator at OSU for the 2004 season before leaving to become the head coach at Marshall. The 2004 Buckeyes went 8-4 and defeated Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl, 33-7. Current Spartan co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel was a graduate assistant linebackers coach for two seasons (2002-03) under Snyder at Ohio State. In addition, current MSU co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Jim Bollman was the offensive coordinator at Ohio State during Snyder’s four seasons at OSU, and Spartan offensive line coach Mark Staten was a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes in 2002 and 2003. Snyder mentored two-time first-team All-America and three-time first-team All-Big Ten linebacker A.J. Hawk for three of his four seasons in Columbus. Hawk was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers after winning the 2005 Lombardi Award his senior year at Ohio State. Snyder also coached NFL Draft picks Bobby Carpenter, Rob Reynolds and Matt Wilhelm at linebacker at OSU. Carpenter was a 2006 first-round draft pick (No. 18 overall) by the Dallas Cowboys, Reynolds was a fifth-round choice (No. 165 overall) by the Tennessee Titans in 2004, and Wilhelm was a fourth-round selection (No. 112 overall) by the San Diego Chargers in 2003. Wilhelm was a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten linebacker on OSU’s 2002 National Championship team. Snyder also has Big Ten coaching experience at Minnesota, where he worked with the defensive ends for four seasons (1997-2000) under former Gopher coach Glen Mason. Prior to landing a position in the Big Ten at Minnesota, Snyder spent six seasons on Jim Tressel’s staff at Youngstown State (1991-96). Snyder, who was the outside linebacker coach for three years (1991-93), was given the added responsibility of special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach in 1994 and was promoted to defensive coordinator and secondary coach in 1996. During his tenure at Youngstown State, the Penguins won three NCAA Division I-AA National Championships (1991, 1993, 1994) and played in four consecutive National Championship games. In 1987, Snyder led the Southern Conference with 10 interceptions and was second on the team with 124 tackles his senior year at Marshall and helped lead the Herd to a landmark come-from-behind win at Louisville and a berth in Marshall’s first-ever National Championship game. For Snyder’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE SNYDER FILE FAMILY: Wife Beth and three children: Chelsea, Lindsay, and Shaylee. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: First. Joined staff on Jan. 9, 2015, from Texas A&M. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – Graduate assistant at Central Florida (1989); linebackers coach at Central Florida (1990); outside linebackers coach (1991-93), inside linebackers/special teams coach (1994-95) and defensive coordinator/secondary coach (1996) at Youngstown State; defensive ends coach at Minnesota (1997-2000); linebackers coach (2001-03) and defensive coordinator (2004) at Ohio State; head coach at Marshall (1995-99); defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2010-11) at South Florida; defensive coordinator at Texas A&M (2012-14). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in sport management and marketing from Marshall in 1988. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – One-year letterwinner as a free safety at Marshall (1987). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 1999 Sun Bowl; 2001 Outback Bowl; 2002 Fiesta Bowl; 2003 Fiesta Bowl; 2014 Alamo Bowl; 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl; 2013 Cotton Bowl; 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
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COACHING STAFF Mark Staten is in his ninth year on the coaching staff at Michigan State and his fifth as the offensive line coach. He was promoted to offensive line coach in February 2011 after serving as the tight ends/tackles coach and recruiting coordinator for four years. Staten adds a mix of professional playing experience with an extensive coaching background. The past three seasons, Staten has developed the top offensive lines in the coaching tenure of Mark Dantonio.
MARK STATEN OFFENSIVE LINE NINTH SEASON
The Spartans feature two first-team All-Americans, in center Jack Allen and left tackle Jack Conklin. The duo also earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades to become the first Spartan tandem to land on the All-Big Ten First Team in the same season since 1990.
Allen was a Rimington Trophy finalist (nation’s most outstanding center) for the second consecutive year and became just the third offensive lineman in school history to garner first-team All-America honors twice. Conklin is the first Spartan offensive tackle to achieve first-team All-America status since Flozell Adams in 1997. Four of MSU’s five starters picked up All-Big Ten recognition, as sophomore guard Brian Allen received second-team honors and senior guard Donavon Clark landed on the third team. Staten had to patch together an offensive line that suffered numerous injuries throughout the season and featured six different starting combinations, but the unit is hitting its stride down the stretch, as the Spartans are averaging 188.3 rushing yards in their last three games. Amid all of the lineup changes, MSU has still only allowed 17 sacks all season - third fewest in the Big Ten and 25th fewest in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision at 1.31 per game. The Spartan offensive line was named one of six finalists for the 2015 Joe Moore Award for the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football. Their determination was on full display in the Big Ten Championship Game, as the Spartans went on a game-winning 22-play, 82-yard drive in nine minutes and four seconds during the fourth quarter; the drive featured 17 rushing attempts, including the last 12 plays in a row, as LJ Scott clinched the Big Ten title with a 1-yard run with 27 seconds remaining. In 2014, the Spartans used a versatile eight-man playing rotation, which used five different starting lineups, to help clear the way for the best offensive attack in school history. Among the numerous records set last season, the Spartans rushed for the most yards (3,057) and touchdowns (44) in program history, and averaged 235.2 rushing yards per game, which ranked No. 19 in the NCAA Football Subdivision and was MSU’s highest single-season average since 2005. In addition, the Spartans featured the Big Ten’s second-ranked scoring offense (43.0 ppg.) and total offense (500.8 ypg.), figures which stood at No. 7 and No. 11 in the NCAA FBS, respectively. MSU also featured the No. 1 passing offense in the conference (265.6 ypg.). The offensive line paved the way for Jeremy Langford, who recorded a school-record 10 straight 100-yard rushing games to close out his career and tied MSU single-season records for most rushing touchdowns (22) and points (132). The eight-man rotation at offensive line gave up just 11 sacks (53 yards) in 2014, fewest in the Big Ten and tied for third fewest in the FBS. For the fourth straight season, Staten mentored a Freshman All-American, as Brian Allen earned first-team honors from the Football Writers Association of America and Scout.com. Conklin earned first-team honors from the FWAA, Sporting News and CollegeFootballNews. com in 2013, Jack Allen was a first-team selection by the FWAA and Sporting News in 2012, and Jackson garnered Freshman All-America accolades in 2011 from Phil Steele and CollegeFootballNews.com. In 2013, a versatile group which saw as many as eight linemen in the playing rotation was one of the main reasons why Michigan State continued to improve throughout the year on the offensive side of the ball in its Big Ten and Rose Bowl Championship season. All five starters received postseason recognition, including left guard Blake Treadwell (second-team All-Big Ten, coaches and media), center Jack Allen (second-team All-Big Ten, media), right tackle Fou Fonoti (honorable mention All-Big Ten), right guard Dan France (honorable mention All-Big Ten) and Conklin (first-team Freshman All-American by Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and CollegeFootballNews.com). In addition, Allen and Treadwell were each named to the ESPN.com Big Ten All-Bowl Team for their performances in the Rose Bowl Game victory over No. 5 Stanford. Jackson, Kruse and Clark also were instrumental to the line’s success. Michigan State not only protected first-year starting quarterback Connor Cook, as the line gave up just 17 sacks (second fewest in Big Ten and tied for 15th fewest in the FBS), but it also paved the way for Langford, who led the conference with 18 rushing touchdowns. When the game was on the line, the unit performed at its best – the Spartans ranked 16th in the FBS in fourth-quarter rushing (56.8 avg.) and ranked seventh in the nation in time of possession (33:19 per game).
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Michigan State had to deal with multiple injuries throughout the first half of 2012, including the loss of starters Fonoti and Jackson. The Spartans used six different starting combinations along the offensive line, but still managed to lead the way for first-team All-Big Ten selection Le’Veon Bell, who ranked first in the Big Ten and and third in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing, averaging 137.9 yards per game.
Allen earned first-team Freshman All-America honors from both Sporting News and the Football Writers Association of America. Allen started five games at left guard, then started the last seven games of the season at center while replacing Jackson, who earned Freshman All-America honors in 2011. In addition, senior right guard Chris McDonald, the only Spartan offensive lineman to start every game in 2012, earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades for the second straight year. Heading into 2011, Michigan State’s offensive line had to replace three starters, but Staten helped mold a young group that featured just one senior starter into one of the best in the Big Ten. Although the Spartans had to use four different starting combinations on the offensive line, including three different starting centers, the unit allowed just 16 sacks, second fewest in the Big Ten and 19th fewest in the FBS. Fifth-year senior Joel Foreman, who anchored the line from left guard, garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors by the coaches and media to become MSU’s first All-Big Ten first-team selection on the offensive line since 2004. Foreman also received national recognition, getting named on All-America teams by Yahoo! Sports (second team), Phil Steele (third team) and SI.com (honorable mention). He started more games (49) on the offensive line than any other Spartan in school history and tied the then-school record for most starts at any position. As tight ends/tackles coach, Staten’s players collected All-Big Ten honors on seven occasions, including second-team tackle Pete Clifford (2007), second-team tackle Jesse Miller (2008), second-team tight end Charlie Gantt (2010) and second-team tackle D.J. Young (2010). In addition, Staten also helped Kellen Davis have his most productive year as a Spartan in 2007. Davis, a fifth-round NFL Draft pick by the Chicago Bears, recorded career highs in receptions (32), receiving yards (513) and touchdowns (6) as a senior. As recruiting coordinator, Staten helped put together a 2009 recruiting class that analysts ranked among the nation’s Top 25 (MaxPreps/Tom Lemming No. 12, PrepStar No. 15, Rivals.com No. 17 and Scouts, Inc. No. 21). The Spartans followed that effort with another stellar class in 2010 that was ranked among the nation’s Top 30 (MaxPreps/Tom Lemming No. 22, Rivals.com No. 29). Following the 2006 regular season, Staten was one of eight assistant coaches to follow head coach Mark Dantonio from Cincinnati to East Lansing. For Staten’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE STATEN FILE FAMILY: Wife Dana and two children: Quinn and Maximus. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Ninth. Joined staff on Nov. 30, 2006, from Cincinnati. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – Graduate assistant coach at MiamiOhio (2001); graduate assistant coach at Ohio State (2002-03); tight ends/tackles and recruiting coordinator at Cincinnati (2004-06). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Miami-Ohio in 2001. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Four-year starter as a defensive tackle at MiamiOhio (1989-92). Professional – Spent parts of two seasons in the National Football League, with the Cincinnati Bengals (1993) and New England Patriots (1993-94). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 2003 Fiesta, 2004 Fiesta, 2004 Fort Worth, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl)..
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
COACHING STAFF Ken Mannie is in his 21st year as Michigan State’s head strength and conditioning coach for football, while additionally directing and overseeing the strength and conditioning programs for all men’s and women’s sports. A 41-year coaching veteran, Mannie is the longesttenured head football strength and conditioning coach in the Big Ten Conference.
KEN MANNIE HEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH 21ST SEASON
In July 2014, Mannie was inducted into the USA Strength/Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame, Collegiate Division, in recognition of over three decades of service and contributions to the strength and conditioning profession. In May 2015, Mannie was elected to the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) Board of Directors.
Mannie is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), the National Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (NSCA) and holds an honorary certification with the International Association of Resistance Trainers (IART). In May, 2002 at its annual conference in Salt Lake City, the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association awarded Mannie the title of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC).
Prior to his arrival at Michigan State, Mannie spent nine years in a similar capacity at the University of Toledo (1985-94). He worked for Nick Saban in 1990 when the Rockets won a share of the Mid-American Conference title and finished 9-2. He served as a graduate assistant along with MSU head football coach Mark Dantonio at Ohio State in 1984, working with the Buckeyes’ Big Ten championship football team. A native of Steubenville, Ohio, Mannie taught and coached on the high school level for 10 years (1975-84). He spent nine of those years at his alma mater Steubenville Catholic Central where he coached football, wrestling and track. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Akron in 1974, working with the offensive guards and centers. A former walk-on, Mannie became a three-year letterman and two-year starter at offensive guard for Akron from 1971-73. He started on the 1971 Zips team that finished 8-2 and ranked eighth nationally in the Division II polls. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Akron in 1974 and received a master’s degree in exercise science from Ohio State University in 1985. Married to the former Marianne Saccoccia, he and his wife have a daughter, Alaina Mannie Burghardt, who is a 2010 graduate of Michigan State University. For Mannie’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
Mannie has been a keynote speaker and roundtable participant at several national conventions and seminars. In both 2006 and 2007, he was named to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers in recognition for his numerous and ongoing educational efforts in the field of strength and conditioning and in bringing awareness to the anabolic drug abuse problem in sports. He has been recognized and is widely-published on his adamant stance against performanceenhancing drugs. In June 2007, the Michigan State Varsity S Club inducted him as an honorary member. He has written over 300 articles and four book chapters on the various aspects of strength/ conditioning, speed/power development, sports nutrition, motivation, athletics, and the anabolic drug abuse issue. Since 2000, Mannie has written the monthly column “Powerline” for Coach and Athletic Director, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious coaching publication. He is also a frequent contributor to the Championship Performance newsletter. He also serves on the advisory boards for the National Strength Professionals Association (NSPA), the information-based Athletic Strength and Power (ASAP) website, and the Ultimate Strength and Conditioning website. Mannie has coached numerous All-Americans, as well as a host of players who have gone on to have highly successful NFL careers. Additionally, he has served as a consultant to several NFL teams on training equipment, program design, and the organization and administration of testing protocols. Two of Mannie’s former graduate assistants are currently strength/conditioning assistants in the NFL; Mondray Gee (Seattle Seahawks), and Aaron McLaurin (New York Jets). The Spartan strength/conditioning coaching tree includes several former full-time, graduate assistants, or interns who are now either head or assistant strength and conditioning coaches in the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12, and MAC.
THE MANNIE FILE FAMILY: Wife Marianne and daughter Alaina. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: 21st. Joined staff on Dec. 8, 1994, from Toledo. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College — Graduate assistant at Ohio State (1984); head strength and conditioning coach at Toledo (1985-94). Also coached and taught at the high school level for 10 years. EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Akron in 1974; master’s degree in health and physical education with an emphasis in exercise science from Ohio State in 1985. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College — Three-year letterman and two-year starter at offensive guard at Akron (1971-73). BOWL EXPERIENCE: Coach — 1985 Rose Bowl, 1995 Independence Bowl, 1996 Sun Bowl, 1997 Aloha Bowl, 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl, 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic, 2003 Alamo Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
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SUPPORT STAFF Tim Allen, who previously worked together with Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio and co-offensive coordinator/ running backs coach Dave Warner at Kansas in the early 1990s, is in his eighth season as director of football operations at Michigan State. Allen oversees the day-to-day operations and budget of the football program. His duties include coordinating team travel, bowl game preparations, future scheduling and facility updates to the Skandalaris Football Center.
TIM ALLEN DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS EIGHTH SEASON
In addition, Allen manages the summer camps program and serves as Dantonio’s liaison to the equipment staff, training room, video department, field maintenance and all athletic administration. Allen previously spent 19 seasons on Glen Mason’s coaching staff at Kansas (1988-96) and Minnesota (19972006).
Allen came to Michigan State following 10 years at Minnesota where he served as assistant athletics director for football operations. During his tenure, the Golden Gophers made seven postseason bowl appearances, including five straight trips from 2002-06, and finished ranked among the nation’s Top 25 on two occasions (1999: ESPN/USA TODAY No. 17 and Associated Press No. 18; 2003: No. 17 ESPN/USA TODAY and AP No. 20). From 1999-2005, Minnesota averaged better than seven wins per season (50 total). Allen worked with Spartan linebackers/special teams coach Mark Snyder at Minnesota from 1997-2000.
THE ALLEN FILE FAMILY: Wife Rochelle and four children: Brett, Brianna, Brooke and Brandon. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Eighth. Joined staff on June 13, 2008, from Minnesota. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – Wide receivers coach (1982-83) and defensive backs coach/special teams coordinator (1984-85) at Bethel College; defensive graduate assistant (1986), administrative assistant for football operations (1987) and director of football operations (1988-96) at Kansas; assistant athletics director for football operations at Minnesota (1997-2006). EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science in health, physical education and recreation from Bethel College in 1986. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Two-year letterman as a wide receiver at Bethel College. POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 1984 NAIA Division II playoffs, 1992 Aloha Bowl, 1995 Aloha Bowl, 1999 Sun Bowl, 2000 MicronPC.com Bowl, 2002 Music City Bowl, 2003 Sun Bowl, 2004 Music City Bowl, 2005 Music City Bowl, 2006 Insight Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl). Tommy Hoke is in his 12th year as associate head strength and conditioning coach at Michigan State. He was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) in May 2010 by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), which is the highest honor given to a strength and conditioning professional.
Allen previously spent 11 seasons at Kansas, first as a defensive graduate assistant in 1986 before being promoted to administrative assistant for football operations in 1987. He was retained when Mason became the Jayhawks’ head coach in 1988. During his stint in Lawrence, Allen was part of one of college football’s most dramatic turnarounds as Kansas recorded a pair of Aloha Bowl victories (1992 over BYU and 1995 over UCLA) and two Top 25 finishes (1992: AP No. 22 and United Press International No. 23; 1995: No. 9 AP and No. 10 UPI). While at Kansas, he served as the academic liaison for football and organized the on-campus recruiting efforts in addition to his other football operations duties. From 1982-85, he worked as an assistant football coach (wide receivers, 1982-83; defensive backs/special teams coordinator, 1984-85) and admissions counselor at his alma mater, Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. In October 2003, Allen and members of the 1984 Threshers’ football team that posted an undefeated regular-season record (9-0) en route to winning the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Championship and finishing second in the NAIA Division II final rankings were inducted into the Bethel College Athletic Hall of Fame. A native of Seneca, Kansas, Allen earned two letters as a wide receiver and was elected team captain as a senior at Bethel College. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in health, physical education and recreation from Bethel College in 1986. For Allen’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
TOMMY HOKE ASSOCIATE HEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH 12TH SEASON
Along with head strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie, Hoke has been instrumental in coordinating the “Fourth Quarter” and “Bottom Line” offseason conditioning programs that have been one of the key reasons for MSU’s success in the Coach Mark Dantonio era. He has worked with multiple All-Americans at Michigan State and numerous players who have gone on to play in the NFL.
Hoke came to Michigan State following eight seasons at Appalachian State (1996-2003), including three years as an assistant before being promoted to head strength and conditioning coach in 1999 by head football coach Jerry Moore. In his role as head strength and conditioning coach, he organized workouts for Appalachian State’s 20 varsity sports. A certified strength and conditioning specialist, Hoke played an integral part in helping Appalachian State football to a combined record of 67-30 (.691) from 1996-2003, including a 48-16 record (.750) in Southern Conference games. The Mountaineers made five-straight appearances in the NCAA I-AA playoffs from 1998-2002. During his tenure, 13 Appalachian State players were invited to National Football League training camps. Prior to his second stint at Appalachian State, Hoke spent one year as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech (1995-96) where he worked primarily with the Red Raiders’ men’s basketball, women’s soccer, softball and track and field programs while assisting football.
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SUPPORT STAFF Hoke first arrived on the Appalachian State campus in 1992, working for four years as assistant strength and conditioning coach (1992-95).
THE LUNSFORD FILE
He began his coaching career as an assistant track and field coach at UNC Wilmington in 1991.
FAMILY: Wife April and one child: Wren Christopher.
A native of Durham, North Carolina, Hoke lettered in track and field at UNC Wilmington, competing in the javelin and shot put in 1990. He also participated in soccer in 1986.
YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Ninth on full-time staff as director of executive football operations.
For Hoke’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: College – Assistant to the recruiting coordinator at Michigan State (2000-03); assistant director of football operations at Michigan State (2004-05); assistant athletics director/director of football operations at Delaware State (2006).
THE HOKE FILE FAMILY: Wife Rachel and two children: Drew and Jennifer. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: 12th. Joined staff on April 26, 2004, from Appalachian State. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College — assistant track and field coach at UNC Wilmington (1991); assistant strength and conditioning coach at Appalachian State (1992-95); assistant strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech (1995-96); assistant strength and conditioning coach at Appalachian State (1996-1998); head strength and conditioning coach at Appalachian State (1999-2003).
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in public policy from Michigan State in 2004; master’s degree in sports administration from Michigan State in 2005. POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl). Former Spartan assistant coach Dino Folino is in his 14th year as director of personnel/player development and relations at Michigan State.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in physical education from UNC Wilmington in 1990; master’s degree in exercise science from Appalachian State in 1993.
Folino’s responsibilities include coordinating football student-athlete housing and summer jobs program, high school coaches clinics and football fantasy camp. In addition, he serves as the football office’s liaison to National Football League scouts, student-athlete support services, sports marketing department, MSU Football Players Association and Michigan High School Football Coaches Association.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College — Lettered in track and field at UNC Wilmington (1990). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach — 1998 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 1999 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 2000 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 2001 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 2002 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl). Brad Lunsford is in his ninth year as a full-time member of the Spartan football staff as director of executive football operations. Lunsford’s primary responsibilities include coordinating team travel, preseason camp, training table and food services as well as administrative oversight over all practice sessions.
BRAD LUNSFORD DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE FOOTBALL OPERATIONS NINTH SEASON
In addition, he supervises the comp ticket program for MSU players during the regular season and postseason; develops all administrative manuals for the program; plus assists in planning the yearly calendar as well as camps and clinics. Lunsford also organizes and coordinates all day-to-day football-related activities for head coach Mark Dantonio and serves as the football office’s liaison to the athletic communications staff.
Lunsford spent one year at Delaware State, serving as the school’s first director of football operations. In his dual role as assistant athletics director, he oversaw all operations of the Hornet program in 2006, managing day-to-day administrative tasks while arranging team travel and scheduling. Prior to spending the 2006 season at Delaware State, Lunsford worked for five years in the Michigan State football office. From September 2000 to May 2004, he was the assistant to the recruiting coordinator, managing all mailings for high school and junior college film requests, maintaining the program’s recruiting database and organizing a nationwide recruiting board. In 2003, he was employed by Palace Sports and Entertainment in Auburn Hills, Michigan, as a basketball operations intern for the WNBA’s Detroit Shock. Upon earning his bachelor’s degree in public policy from Michigan State in May 2004, Lunsford changed roles and was promoted to assistant director of football operations. Serving in a graduate assistant capacity for the 2004 and 2005 seasons, he helped former Assistant Athletics Director/Director of Football Operations Mike Vollmar in all administrative duties, including recruiting functions, team travel and managing and training student administrative and recruiting aides. Lunsford completed his master’s degree in sports administration from MSU in December 2005.
DINO FOLINO DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL/ PLAYER DEVELOPMENT & RELATIONS 14TH SEASON
Prior to accepting a position in athletics administration, he spent 27 years in the college coaching ranks. Folino returned to Michigan State following four years at Vanderbilt (1998-2001), where he coached the secondary and served as defensive coordinator under Woody Widenhofer. He worked one season as a defensive coordinator at Alma College (1997) and two years as the defensive backs coach
at Albion College (1995-96). Folino previously spent seven years as the secondary coach at Michigan State (1988-94) under George Perles. During his tenure, the Spartans made four bowl appearances (1989 Gator, 1989 Aloha, 1990 Sun and 1993 Liberty) and won a share of the 1990 Big Ten Championship. In 1994, Michigan State led the Big Ten in passing defense (103.1 rating). In addition, Folino coached three first-team All-Big Ten selections: safety John Miller (1987-88), safety Harlon Barnett (1989) and cornerback Demetrice Martin (1994). Barnett, who now serves as co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach under ninth-year Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio, also earned first-team All-America honors from The Sporting News in 1989. For Folino’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE FOLINO FILE FAMILY: Wife Anita and eight children: sons, Anthony, Chuck, John and Danny; and daughters, Alyse, Ann, Ellen and Carlyann. The couple also has 12 grandchildren: Johnny, Dano, Jack, Drew, George, Caroline, June, Charlie, Lilian, Nina, Luciano, and Gia. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: 21st overall; 14th year since rejoining staff in 2002. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Graduate assistant at Ohio State (1974-75); defensive backs coach at New Hampshiire (1976); defensive backs coach at Cincinnati (1977-80); defensive backs coach at Pittsburgh (1981-84); defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at Pennsylvania (1985-86); defensive backs coach at Rice (1986-87); defensive backs coach at Michigan State (1988-94); defensive backs at Albion College (1995-96); defensive coordinator at Alma (1997); defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt (1998-2001). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in education from Villanova in 1971; master’s degree in educational administration from Ohio State in 1975. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Three-year starter at safety for Villanova. POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 1975 Rose Bowl, 1976 Rose Bowl, 1976 NCAA Division II Playoffs, 1982 Sugar Bowl, 1983 Cotton Bowl, 1984 Fiesta Bowl, 1989 Gator Bowl, 1989 Aloha Bowl, 1990 Sun Bowl, 1993 Liberty Bowl, 1996 NCAA Division III Playoffs, 2003 Alamo Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
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SUPPORT STAFF Curtis Blackwell is in his third season at Michigan State as the director of college advancement and performance.
Former Michigan State safety Lorenzo Guess is in his fourth year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Michigan State. Guess is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and certified by USA Weightlifting as a level one sports performance coach.
Blackwell has previous coaching experience in high school (Detroit Martin Luther King, 2003-05, 2007; Detroit Mackenize, 2006) and spent nine years as the co-director of the “Sound Mind, Sound Body” Football Academy, a program devoted to high school student-athletes who aspire to play in college that emphasizes the importance of both academics and athletics.
CURTIS BLACKWELL DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT AND PERFORMANCE THIRD SEASON
One of Blackwell’s primary duties is to mentor current student-athletes, with a focus on leadership, graduation and career objectives. He also plays a key role in the development and implementation of strategic plans in football recruiting. In addition, Blackwell works on the continuing development of relationships with youth football programs throughout the state of Michigan.
A four-year letterwinner as a defensive back at Hampton University, Blackwell received his bachelor’s degree in sport management in 2000. He earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Baylor in 2002.
THE BLACKWELL FILE FAMILY: Daughter Sanyiah. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Third. Joined staff on Aug. 2, 2013. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: High School - Assistant coach at Detroit Martin Luther King (2003-05, 2007); assistant coach at Detroit Mackenzie (2006). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in sport management from Hampton in 2000; master’s degree in sports administration from Baylor in 2002. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Four-year letterwinner (1996-99) as a defensive back at Hampton University POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Player –1997 Division I-AA Playoffs, 1998 Division I-AA Playoffs, 1999 Heritage Bowl. Coach – 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl). Mike Vorkapich, who was promoted to associate head strength and conditioning coach in 2009, has added the title of director of sport science to his resume as he enters his 20th year on staff at Michigan State. A former Spartan linebacker, Vorkapich rejoins the football program in 2015 after a 10-year hiatus in which he directed the men’s basketball, hockey and both golf programs. In addition to developing the first sport science program for MSU Athletics and assisting with the football team, Vorkapich will continue to oversee hockey and golf. Vorkapich got his start at Michigan State as a graduate assistant from 1995-97.
MIKE VORKAPICH ASSOCIATE HEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH/ DIRECTOR OF SPORT SCIENCE 20TH YEAR AT MSU
In his 19-plus seasons at MSU, Vorkapich has been a part of a combined 19 conference championships, six bowl games, seven men’s basketball Final Fours, one women’s basketball Final Four, three men’s ice hockey Frozen Fours and two National Championships (2000 men’s basketball and 2007 men’s ice hockey). He has played an integral part in the development of numerous athletes who have gone on to professional careers in the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, and golf.
Between his stints at MSU, Vorkapich held similar positions at the University of Notre Dame (1998) and the University of Cincinnati (1997-1998). A native of Leamington, Ontario, Vorkapich received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education and exercise science from MSU. A published author and featured clinic speaker, Vorkapich was named a “Master Strength & Conditioning Coach” in 2010 by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA), and is also certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). One of four family members to play a sport at MSU, Vorkapich lettered as a linebacker for the Spartans during the 1994 season, while father, Mike Sr. and brother, Steve both played baseball. His nephew, Brock Makaric, is currently a walk-on wide receiver for the Spartans. A member of the board of directors for the Varsity “S” Club at MSU, Vorkapich was named recipient of the Henry Bullough Service Award by the Varsity “S” Club in 2014.
THE VORKAPICH FILE
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YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: 20th overall; 18th on full-time strength and conditioning staff; two as a graduate assistant (1995-97) on strength and conditioning staff. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – assistant strength and conditioning coach at Notre Dame (1997); assistant strength and conditioning coach at Cincinnati (1997-98 – Humanitarian Bowl). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in physical education from Michigan State in 1994; master’s degree in exercise science from Michigan State in 1997. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – One-year letterwinner (1994) as a linebacker at Michigan State. Member of 1993 Liberty Bowl team, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
Guess, who previously worked with Mark Dantonio at Cincinnati as a staff assistant in 2006, has 10 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level. Dantonio also served as Guess’ position coach for three seasons in East Lansing (1998-2000). LORENZO GUESS ASSISTANT STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH FOURTH SEASON
A native of Wayne, Michigan, Guess spent two seasons (2010-11) as an assistant director of strength and conditioning at Notre Dame while working with head coach Brian Kelly.
Guess also worked with Kelly for one season at Cincinnati as a tight ends coach, helping the Bearcats to a 12-1 record in 2009 and an appearance in the Sugar Bowl following UC’s second straight BIG EAST Championship. Guess mentored Ben Guidugli, who earned second-team All-BIG EAST honors after ranking fourth on the team with 27 receptions for 364 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to coaching at Cincinnati, Guess worked on the strength and conditioning staffs at South Florida (2009), Alcorn State (2008), Kentucky State (2007), Cincinnati (2006) and Tiffin (2005). Guess served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at South Florida while working with the men’s basketball team for one season, and was the head strength and conditioning coach at Alcorn State. In 2007, Guess was the secondary coach at Kentucky State and doubled as the football strength and conditioning coach. He held the same positions in 2005 at Tiffin. Guess earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State in 2002 and graduated from Tiffin University in 2007 with a master’s degree in business administration. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 1998. While at Michigan State, Guess was a four-year letterwinner in football (1998-2001) and also earned two letters with the basketball team. As a safety, Guess helped Michigan State defeat Florida in the 2000 Citrus Bowl and Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Bowl. He was part of two Big Ten titles and an NCAA Final Four appearance (1999) with the Spartan basketball team. Guess played in 45 career games and recorded 111 tackles, including 4.0 for loss (21 yards) and 3.0 sacks (18 yards), to go along with five interceptions (72 yards) and 14 passes defended. Guess tallied a career-high 47 tackles, six pass break-ups and four interceptions as a senior in 2001. In 1999, Guess was one of the components on a defense that ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing defense, and during the 2000 season, MSU led the conference in both total defense and pass defense. Guess attended Wayne (Michigan) Memorial High School.
THE GUESS FILE FAMILY: Wife Bianca and daughter Nadia. YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Fourth. Joined staff on June 6, 2012, from Notre Dame. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – Secondary coach/assistant strength and conditioning coach at Tiffin University (2005); staff assistant at Cincinnati (2006); secondary coach/football strength and conditioning coach at Kentucky State (2007); head strength and conditioning coach at Alcorn State (2008); assistant strength and conditioning coach at South Florida (2009); tight ends coach at Cincinnati (2009); assistant director of strength and conditioning at Notre Dame (2010-11). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary social science from Michigan State in 2002; master’s degree in business administration from Tiffin University in 2007. PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Four-year letterman as a safety at Michigan State (1998-2001). POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Player – 2000 Citrus Bowl, 2001 Silicon Valley Classic. Coach – 2007 International Bowl, 2010 Sugar Bowl, 2010 Sun Bowl, 2011 Champs Sports Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
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SUPPORT STAFF Former Cincinnati linebacker Ryan Manalac is in his fifth year working with the Michigan State football program, his first as a football operations assistant. He previously spent three seasons as a graduate assistant (2012-14) and during the 2011 season, he served as one of the football program’s video interns.
Bill Burghardt is in his fourth year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Spartans. Burghardt, who spent two seasons (2010-11) as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Michigan State, rejoined the Spartan program in July 2012 following a sixmonth stint as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Burghardt worked directly with the Cadet hockey and wrestling teams at West Point, organizing, designing and implementing all aspects of the strength and conditioning programs. BILL BURGHARDT ASSISTANT STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH FOURTH SEASON
Burghardt is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in kinesiology in 2009, Burghardt worked as a graduate student volunteer on the Spartan strength and conditioning staff in 2009-10. He received his master’s degree in kinesiology in 2011 from MSU.
THE BURGHARDT FILE FAMILY: Wife Alaina.
Manalac manages and maintains all social media networks used for recruiting. In addition, he coordinates all recruiting related special events and mailings in conjunction with the recruiting coordinator. RYAN MANALAC FOOTBALL OPERATIONS ASSISTANT FIRST SEASON
Manalac assisted the defense, primarily the linebackers, during the 2012 and 2014 seasons, and worked with the running backs during MSU’s Big Ten and Rose Bowl Championship season in 2013. He also helped coordinate the scout team.
A four-year letterman for the Bearcats from 2005-08, Manalac spent his first three years in the program playing for Mark Dantonio. He started all 14 games for Cincinnati as a senior in 2008, including the 2009 Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech, and recorded a career-best 82 tackles to lead the team. Manalac ranked second on the Bearcats in tackles as a junior with 76, including a career-high 5.5 for losses.
YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Fourth. Joined staff on July 1, 2012, from United States Military Academy.
A native of Pickerington, Ohio, Manalac earned his bachelor of business administration from Cincinnati in December 2008. As a senior, he was presented the C-Club Strothman Award for academic and athletic excellence.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: College – Strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Michigan State (2010-11); assistant strength and conditioning coach at United States Military Academy (2011).
Manalac joined the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent for preseason camp in August 2009. After being waived, he later signed with the team’s practice squad before being promoted to the 53-man roster in January 2010.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State in 2009; master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State in 2011.
Manalac received his master’s degree in kinesiology at Michigan State in December 2012 and is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in education. He is married to the former Carly Dietz. The couple have an infant daughter, Bailey.
POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl).
Simone Proulx is in her eighth year working with the Spartan football program, her second as head football coach executive administrator.
Matt Mueller is in his sixth year working with the Michigan State football program, his second as director of on-campus recruiting. He previously spent four years as an operations intern. Mueller’s main responsibility is helping organize the recruiting efforts for the Spartans. Mueller spent two years as an operations intern at Colorado before coming to MSU in 2010.
MATT MUELLER DIRECTOR OF ON-CAMPUS RECRUITING SECOND SEASON
Prior to his arrival in Colorado in 2008, he served as the wide receivers coach for a year-and-a-half (spanning two spring seasons and one fall) at Independence (Kansas) Community College. He also taught math courses at Independence.
Mueller graduated from Grand Valley State in May 2006 with a degree in physical education and a minor in elementary education. He played football one season for the Lakers as a wide receiver as the team won its first NCAA Championship in 2002. He then was a student assistant as the team defended its title in 2003 and worked with the team through his graduation in 2006.
Proulx plays a vital role in the recruiting efforts for the Spartans, helping coordinate and manage special events, official visits and mailings. She implements the strategic recruiting priorities as set by MSU head coach Mark Dantonio and the football staff. Proulx also supervises the Spartan Aide student program. Proulx joined the Spartan football staff in 2008 as a sport operations assistant. SIMONE PROULX Proulx received her bachelor’s degree in health studies with HEAD FOOTBALL COACH EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR a specialization in bioethics from Michigan State. She also earned her master’s degree from MSU in sports administraEIGHTH SEASON tion. Married to Derek Proulx, the couple have a daughter, Gemma. Former Spartan linebacker Steve Gardiner is in his second season as a graduate assistant. Gardiner assists coaching the defensive line after helping with the running backs in 2014. He also helps coordinate special teams for the second year in a row.
Mueller began his college career at Michigan Tech, redshirting the 1999 season and playing wide receiver in 2000 and 2001. A native of Negaunee, Michigan, Mueller is married to the former Elizabeth Luehmann. The couple have a daughter, Olivia.
STEVE GARDINER GRADUATE ASSISTANT / OFFENSE
A four-year letterwinner under head coach Mark Dantonio, Gardiner recorded 43 tackles in 44 career games for the Spartans from 2009-12. He registered a career-high 21 tackles during MSU’s Big Ten Championship season in 2010, including 13 on special teams. Gardiner tallied 17 stops in 13 games of action, including three starts, in 2011 as MSU tied a then-school record with 11 victories and defeated No. 18 Georgia in the Outback Bowl.
Gardiner was a three-year starter for Coach Mark Crabtree at Coffman High School in Dublin, Ohio, and set school single-season records for tackles (172) and tackles for loss (24) as a senior while helping Coffman (13-1) advance to the Division I state semifinals. He also became the Shamrocks’ all-time leader in tackles (363) in 2007. Gardiner received his bachelor’s degree in packaging from MSU in December 2012. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in kinesiology.
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SUPPORT STAFF Former Spartan fullback Andrew Hawken is in his first season as a graduate assistant at Michigan State. Hawken assists coaching the running backs under Dave Warner.
ANDREW HAWKEN GRADUATE ASSISTANT / OFFENSE
A four-year letterwinner for the Spartans from 2006-09, Hawken appeared in 49 career games, including 10 starting assignments at fullback. Originally a linebacker, Hawken switched to the offensive side of the ball upon Mark Dantonio’s arrival to East Lansing in 2007. Although primarily used as a blocker, Hawken also recorded 33 career receptions for 236 yards and three touchdowns. He was presented the team’s Iron Man Award as a senior in 2009 and played in three bowl games for the Spartans (2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl).
Hawken is one of just 22 players in Michigan State history to earn Academic All-Big Ten honors four times, and he also was a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District selection on three occasions.
Matt Adolph is in his first season at Michigan State where he assists and analyzes operations of both the recruiting department and coaching staff. Adolph previously worked with the Spartan football program in the spring of 2014. Adolph spent the 2014-2015 NFL season and draft with the San Francisco 49ers in the scouting department, assisting with both the college and professional scouting processes. Adolph earned his bachelor’s degree in business management in 2014 from Kentucky while playing long snapper for the Wildcats. During this time he was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. MATT ADOLPH RECRUITING INTERN
A four-year starter at running back for Coach Irv Sigler III at Grandville (Mich.) High School, Hawken finished his prep career with 4,029 rushing yards.
Former Toledo tight end Colby Kratch is in his first season as an offensive graduate assistant coach at Michigan State. Kratch primarily works with the offensive line under Mark Staten.
Kratch earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from UT in 2013. COLBY KRATCH GRADUATE ASSISTANT / OFFENSE
Following graduation, Kratch was an offensive intern for the Rockets in 2012 and was an offensive graduate assistant in 2013.
PARIS JOHNSON RECRUITING INTERN
Johnson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Miami in 2006 and earned his master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State in 2015. Nick Ruffing is in his sixth year with the Michigan State football program, his first as a recruiting intern.
Kratch’s father, Bob Kratch, played eight years in the NFL for the New York Giants and New England Patriots.
Ruffing served as a graduate assistant during the 2011 season, assisting offensive line coach Mark Staten, and was a video intern in 2012 and 2013.
Former NFL defensive back De’Angelo Smith is in his second year working at Michigan State, his first as a graduate assistant. He works primarily with the defensive backs under Harlon Barnett. Last season, Smith served as an operations assistant for the Spartans.
DE’ANGELO SMITH GRADUATE ASSISTANT / DEFENSE
A Chicago native, Johnson began his collegiate football career at North Iowa Community College before transferring to Miami (Ohio) University. A two-year letterwinner (1997-98) for the RedHawks as a safety, Johnson was a member of the 1998 team that went 10-1 and tied for the Mid-American Conference East Division title. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft (No. 122 overall) by Arizona and played one season (1999) with the Cardinals. Johnson also was on practice squads for the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys.
Following his playing career, Johnson spent over eight years in law enforcement (2003-11), serving as a police officer before participating in the NFL Players Association Coaching Internship Program. He was an assistant in 2012 at Central State (Ohio) University, coaching the defensive backs and special teams.
Kratch grew up in Watertown, Minnesota, where he was a three-year letterwinner in football and hockey at WatertownMayer High School. He made all-conference in football as a senior.
Smith was a three-year letterwinner as both a cornerback and safety at Cincinnati (2006-08), including three years (2004-06) under former UC coach and current MSU head coach Mark Dantonio. As a senior in 2008, Smith was named recipient of UC’s Brig Owens Award (outstanding back) after tallying 53 tackles, 10 pass break-ups and a pair of interceptions in helping the Bearcats win the Big East Championship and land a berth in the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech. As a junior in 2007, Smith earned second-team All-BIG EAST honors and set a Bearcat single-season record with eight interceptions, which also tied for most in the NCAA FBS.
His grandfather, Dave Adolph, coached in the NFL and collegiate level with over 35 years of experience.
Former NFL Draft pick Paris Johnson is in his third season working with the Michigan State football program, his first as a recruiting intern. He served as a defensive graduate assistant at MSU in 2013-14, primarily working with the defensive backs under secondary coach Harlon Barnett.
Hawken graduated from Michigan State with his bachelor’s degree in supply chain management in December 2009. He began his coaching career with assistant positions at Grandville High School and Jenison High School before joining Augustana (Ill.) College as the linebackers coach in 2012. Hawken spent the previous two seasons (2013-14) as the linebackers coach at Wartburg (Iowa) College.
A two-year letterwinner for the Rockets, Kratch played two years of junior college football at North Dakota State College of Science from 2009-10 before joining the Rockets for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
A native of Dublin, Ohio, Adolph was an honor roll student and three-sport athlete who played linebacker, tight end and long snapper at Jerome High School.
Ruffing returns to MSU after serving as the scouting/player personnel intern for the Detroit Lions in 2014. The East Lansing, Michigan, native previously spent two years (2009-10) working as a graduate assistant in the weight room under Ken Mannie. NICK RUFFING RECRUITING INTERN
Ruffing also served as an assistant coach for five years under Bill Feraco at East Lansing High School. He was a two-year letterman as an offensive tackle at East Lansing High School where he played for Coach Jeff Smith.
Ruffing earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a specialization in coaching from Michigan State in 2008. He received his master’s degree in kinesiology/sports administration from MSU in December 2011.
Smith was selected in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft (No. 143 overall) by the Dallas Cowboys. He played in seven games during the 2009 NFL season for the Detroit Lions, recording 16 tackles. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Smith earned first-team all-state honors as a senior while playing for Independence High School. He graduated from Cincinnati in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Smith is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education.
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SUPPORT STAFF Dylan Marinez is in his 10th season at Michigan State as a football equipment manager, his first as head equipment manager.
Longtime Spartan trainer and Hall of Famer Dr. Sally Nogle is in her 32nd year as a member of the Michigan State athletic training staff. Nogle, who started at MSU in October 1983, was promoted to the position of head athletic trainer at Michigan State University on July 1, 2013. Nogle was previously the associate head athletic trainer working with the Spartan football team and the staff athletic trainer for the field hockey team and men’s and women’s tennis teams.
SALLY NOGLE HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER
Nogle was honored with the Tim Kerin Award at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2015. The award recognizes one individual each year for outstanding service by an athletic trainer. The award itself is shaped like a three-leaf clover. Each leaf represents one of Tim Kerin’s finest qualities: service, dedication and integrity.
Marinez is responsible for the issuing, inventory and maintenance of all equipment for the football program. He also handles the budgeting and purchasing for the football equipment room. In addition, Marinez supervises the student managers. Prior to arriving at Michigan State, Marinez completed internships with the San Francisco 49ers and was a full-time member of the Detroit Lions equipment staff. DYLAN MARINEZ HEAD EQUIPMENT MANAGER
In June 2012, Nogle was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Hall of Fame. She was recognized in 2004 by receiving the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. She has also received the Michigan Athletic Trainers Society Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 1999, the NATA Service Award in 1998, and the Michigan Athletic Trainers Society Hall of Fame Award. In 2006, she was named a recipient of the Jack Breslin Outstanding Staff Award for Michigan State University. In April 2008, Nogle was honored with the San Diego State University Robert J. Moore Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Juan Moreno is in his sixth year working at Michigan State as an equipment manager, his first with the football program. Moreno, who has been an equipment manager at MSU since 2010, primarily worked with the baseball, field hockey and volleyball teams before moving to football. Moreno helps coordinate all of the equipment for the football program and assists with supervision of the student managers.
She was also honored in March of 2012 with the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association (GLATA) Outstanding Educator Award. The award recognizes those members who have significantly contributed to the education of the GLATA members through academic presentations, published manuscripts or editorials, and educational program development. Nogle brings international and Olympic experience to the MSU staff. In 1984, she worked with volleyball at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and in 1985 and 1986, she worked at the U.S. Olympic Sports Festivals in Baton Rouge and Houston. Nogle was the athletic trainer for the U.S. women’s basketball team at the 1987 World University Games in Yugoslavia. She was also selected to work with the U.S. Rowing Team at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea in 1988.
JUAN MORENO EQUIPMENT MANAGER
Nogle earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1979 and a master’s degree in 1983, both from San Diego State University, and her Ph.D. from MSU in 2001. Her research focused on the mastery of the NATA’s competencies and clinical proficiencies program. In addition to her sport responsibilities, she coordinates the mental health program for the student athletes, inventory of pharmaceutical supplies, and supervising the head-of-sport meetings for undergraduate student athletic trainers.
Jager was an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, from July 2012 to July 2013. He was involved with the daily health care needs of the studentathletes in the Hurricane football program.
DAVID JAGER FOOTBALL TRAINER
Prior to his work at Miami, Yager worked as the associate athletic trainer/head football ATC at Eastern Illinois University from March 2010 until July 2012, director of athletic training services at Radford University from June 2008 to March 2010, and the head athletic trainer at Ferrum College from August 2005 until May 2008.
Before arriving at Michigan State, Moreno was an equipment manager at Georgetown University, and also held intern positions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers. Moreno graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 2008. He is married to Sarah Moreno, who is from Appleton, Wisconsin. Matt Harper is in his seventh year working at Michigan State as the director of football technology. Harper coordinates all of the video filming at MSU’s practices and games, supervises the video student intern staff, and provides support for all of the digital technology in the program. In addition, he works with external companies on the maintenance of all Michigan State’s video systems and platforms in the Skandalaris Football Center.
Her family includes her husband Carlton, son, Bryce, and daughter, Tracy. Tracy was a fouryear letterwinner (2010-13) on the Spartan women’s basketball team. David Jager enters his third season working with the Spartan football program as an athletic trainer. Jager, who was hired on Aug. 1, 2013, also assists with the oversight of men’s and women’s tennis.
Marinez graduated from Michigan State with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He is married to Anne Marinez; the couple have a son, Rudy.
MATT HARPER DIRECTOR/FOOTBALL TECHNOLOGY
Harper has been named the Big Ten video coordinator of the year by the Collegiate Sports Video Association twice in his career. He first earned the award in 2009-10 and received the honor again in 2013-14 for his work during MSU’s Big Ten and Rose Bowl Championship season. Harper spent six seasons in a similar position at Northwestern (2002-05 and 2007-08).
Harper graduated from Michigan State in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunication. During his time as an undergraduate, he worked with the football program as a student manager. He is married to the former Carrie Kusiak and the couple have two children: Belle (7) and Austin (4). Justin Martin is in his third year as the assistant director of football technology at Michigan State. Martin previously worked in the football video department for four years as a video intern.
Yager completed his undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University and attained his master’s of science from Virginia Tech University.
In addition to providing support for all of the digital platforms in the Skandalaris Football Center, Martin shoots and produces original video content for both internal and external purposes. He also helps supervise the student staff, and manage various social media accounts for the football program. JUSTIN MARTIN ASST. DIR./FOOTBALL TECHNOLOGY
Martin graduated from Michigan State in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in media arts and technology.
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SUPPORT STAFF Mandy Chandler enters her 18th year as a member of Student Athlete Support Services (SASS). As an associate director of SASS, she is responsible for the oversight of one academic coordinator and the learning specialist while also serving as the academic coordinator for football and volleyball. She coordinates the bi-annual graduation open house celebrating the academic success of MSU’s recent graduates.
In his 12th year at MSU and 27th year overall in intercollegiate athletics, Todd Edwards serves as Director of Academic Services for Student-Athletes as well as head academic coordinator for the Spartan Football program. His primary responsibility is overseeing academic support, which includes detailed monitoring of degree progress and eligibility. He also assists with the overall management of the unit and supervises the seven academic coordinators that serve all MSU sport programs. Over the last 12 seasons (2004-15), Spartan football has produced 161 Academic All-Big Ten selections, including 16 in 2015. MSU had a school-record and Big Ten-best 18 AcaTODD EDWARDS demic All-Big Ten selections in 2005, and 17 during MSU’s Big Ten and Rose Bowl Championship season in 2013. During DIRECTOR / ACADEMIC that time, the Spartans have also had nine selections to the SERVICES Academic All-America team. Edwards has been one of the main reasons why 158 student-athletes have graduated under MSU head coach Mark Dantonio. Michigan State has placed three student-athletes in the National Football Foundation ScholarAthlete Class (Kirk Cousins in 2011; Max Bullough in 2013; Mike Sadler in 2014) in the past four years, equaling Duke for the most of any school in the NCAA FBS. Sadler became MSU’s first four-time Academic All-American and was a finalist for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy (nation’s top scholar-athlete). Bullough also earned first-team Academic All-America accolades in 2013 following his second-team selection in 2012. In 2009, Blair White became the program’s first Academic All-America First Team selection since 1993 with his 3.89 GPA in human biology. Two other former Spartan leaders, center Chris Morris and quarterback Drew Stanton, also received second-team Academic All-America accolades in 2005.
Chandler has also worked with the NCAA’s Life Skills program, as she organized and facilitated the MSU outreach program and assisted in the organization of the career night. Prior to coming to Michigan State, Chandler served as the Administrative Assistant for Event Management/Student Services at the University of Missouri. She is a graduate of Purdue University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in management and her master’s degree in education with an emphasis in higher education. While attending graduate school, Chandler served as a graduate assistant in Purdue’s Academic Support Services. MANDY CHANDLER ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR/ SASS
Mandy is married to MSU head wrestling coach designate Roger Chandler, and they have two daughters. She is the daughter of George Smith, who is Athletic Director and recently retired head football coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Smith’s Raiders won 361 games, six Florida State Championships and two national championships during his tenure. In 2008, Smith won the Power of Influence Award, which is given by the American Coaches Association and the American Football Coaches Foundation to honor a high school football coach for their effect on players, school and community. Cindy Mejorado is in her 17th year working with the Spartan football program and her 28th overall at Michigan State University.
Prior to arriving in East Lansing, Edwards served as academic coordinator for the football program at Colorado State University (1998-2004). During his time there, the Rams had 78 Academic All-Conference selections as well as six Academic All-America picks. The Rams also enjoyed considerable success on the field, winning three Mountain West Conference titles (1999, 2000, 2002) and earning five consecutive bowl bids (1999-2003).
Mejorado helps with the day-to-day operations of the football office and oversees the student staff. She also assists with coordinating special events and is the staff liaison to the Michigan State University Former Players Association and the Spartan Football Parent Association.
From 1989-97, Edwards coached football in various positions at Southern Illinois, Colorado State, Oklahoma, South Dakota Tech and Westmar (Iowa). A native of Stroud, Oklahoma, Edwards earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics in 1989 from Tabor College (Kansas), where he was a three-year starter as a defensive lineman. He holds an M. Ed. in education and human resource studies from Colorado State University. Edwards is a former member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) where he currently serves on the Board of Directors as Region III Director. He’s also a member of the National Football Foundation. Edwards is married to the former Kari Clifford of Sioux City, Iowa, and they have five children. Elliott Daniels enters his 13th year at Student-Athlete Support Services serving in various capacities, currently as Director of Learning and Retention for Student-Athletes at SASS. In this role, he assists the Associate Athletic Director/SASS Director with the overall management and daily operation of the Student-Athlete Services Unit, supervises full-time staff, graduate assistants and interns, and administers programming for the Spartan football program. Responsibilities include implementing academic resources and services, developing retention strategies, monitoring progress through graduation, and assisting with all academic and university related areas for at-risk and good standing student-athletes. Ensuring that all studentELLIOTT DANIELS athletes receive effective and efficient services, Daniels has DIRECTOR / LEARNING oversight of learning and retention services, which includes RETENTION learning disability services, learning assistant and tutorial programming, while managing transition programs and facets of student-athlete development programming for Spartan football. Throughout his time at MSU, Daniels has worked with various programs including balancing both the men’s basketball and football teams from 2007-2012. During this time, both teams posted highs or all-time highs in several GPA categories multiple times and have maintained high APR standards. Other programs Daniels has worked with include men’s golf, wrestling and women’s basketball. In addition, he has served as special assistant to the faculty athletic representative and chair for MSU’s Athletic Council. He also is an active member of various organizations including Minority Opportunities Athletic Administration (MOAA), National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A). He served as Chair of the N4A Ethnic Concerns Committee from 2012-2013 and received N4A Individual Certification in 2011. A native of Chicago, Daniels attended Eastern Michigan University where he was a football student-athlete. A three-year letterwinner for the Eagles (1999-2001), Daniels was one of the top scholars on the team, being awarded numerous Athletic Director Honor Roll awards while earning a spot on the All-MAC Academic Team three times. He earned a bachelor’s of business administration in management from EMU in April 2003 and completed a master’s of science in sports administration from MSU in June 2005. Daniels and his wife Tisha have a daughter.
CINDY MEJORADO ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Born in Harlingen, Texas, Mejorado resides in Lansing with Gary Tackett and their son Gary.
CODY COX GRADUATE ASST./ OPERATIONS
GARRETT BRININGSTOOL OPERATIONS ASSISTANT
RYAN SEHRER INTERN/FOOTBALL TECHNOLOGY
ANDREW KOLPACKI INTERN/ EQUIPMENT
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MSUSPARTANS.COM
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY
B OW L H I STO RY
2 0 1 5 M I C H I G A N S T A T E F O O T B A L L // @ M S U _ F O O T B A L L
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SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 1938 ORANGE BOWL
BOWL SCOREBOARD YEAR
DATE
BOWL
OPPONENT
RESULT
SCORE
1938 1954 1956 1966 1984 1985 1988 1989 1989 1990 1993 1995 1996 1997 2000 2001 2003 2007 2009 2010 2011 2012 2012 2014 2015
Jan. 1 Jan. 1 Jan. 2 Jan. 1 Dec. 22 Dec. 31 Jan. 1 Jan. 1 Dec. 25 Dec. 31 Dec. 28 Dec. 29 Dec. 31 Dec. 25 Jan. 1 Dec. 31 Dec. 29 Dec. 28 Jan. 1 Jan. 2 Jan. 1 Jan 2 Dec. 29 Jan. 1 Jan. 1
Orange Rose Rose Rose Cherry All-American Rose Gator Aloha Sun Liberty Independence Sun Aloha Citrus Silicon Valley Alamo Champs Sports Capital One Alamo Capital One Outback Buffalo Wild Wings Rose Cotton
Auburn UCLA UCLA UCLA Army Georgia Tech Southern Cal Georgia Hawaii Southern Cal Louisville Louisiana State Stanford Washington Florida Fresno State Nebraska Boston College Georgia Texas Tech Alabama Georgia TCU Stanford Baylor
L W W L L L W L W W L L L L W W L L L L L W (3OT) W W W
0-6 28-20 17-14 12-14 6-10 14-17 20-17 27-34 33-13 17-16 7-18 26-45 0-38 23-51 37-34 44-35 3-17 21-24 12-24 31-41 7-49 33-30 17-16 24-20 42-41
BOWL BREAKDOWN BOWL APPEARANCES: 25 | RECORD IN BOWL GAMES: 11-14
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Alamo Bowl ......................................................................................................................0-2 2003 / Nebraska 17, MSU 3 2010 / Texas Tech 41, MSU 31 All-American Bowl...........................................................................................................0-1 1985 / Georgia Tech 17, MSU 14 Aloha Bowl .......................................................................................................................1-1 1989 / MSU 33, Hawaii 13 1997 / Washington 51, MSU 23 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl ................................................................................................1-0 2012 / MSU 17, TCU 16 Capital One Bowl .............................................................................................................1-2 2000 / MSU 37, Florida 34 2009 / Georgia 24, MSU 12 2011 / Alabama 49, MSU 7 Champs Sports Bowl ......................................................................................................0-1 2007 / Boston College 24, MSU 21 Cherry Bowl .....................................................................................................................0-1 1984 / Army 10, MSU 6 Cotton Bowl .....................................................................................................................1-0 2015 / MSU 42, Baylor 41 Gator Bowl .......................................................................................................................0-1 1989 / Georgia 34, MSU 27 Independence Bowl.........................................................................................................0-1 1995 / Louisiana State 45, MSU 26 Liberty Bowl .....................................................................................................................0-1 1993 / Louisville 18, MSU 7 Orange Bowl ....................................................................................................................0-1 1938 / Auburn 6, MSU 0 Outback Bowl ..................................................................................................................1-0 2012 / MSU 33, Georgia 30 (3OT) Rose Bowl ........................................................................................................................4-1 1954 / MSU 28, UCLA 20 1956 / MSU 17, UCLA 14 1966 / UCLA 14, MSU 12 1988 / MSU 20, Southern Cal 17 2014 / MSU 24, Stanford 20 Silicon Valley Football Classic ......................................................................................1-0 2001 / MSU 44, Fresno State 35 Sun Bowl ..........................................................................................................................1-1 1990 / MSU 17, Southern Cal 16 1996 / Stanford 38, MSU 0
JAN. 1, 1938 | MIAMI, FLA. | ATT: 18,970 1 2 MSU AUBURN
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The fourth annual Orange Bowl game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score might indicate as Auburn dominated play on both sides of the football in recording a shutout victory, 6-0, over Michigan State. It still ranks as the lowest-scoring game in Orange Bowl history. Auburn wasted two scoring opportunities in the first quarter. Jimmy Fenton’s 25-yard run gave the Tigers a first-and-10 at the MSU 12, but the Spartan defense responded by stuffing three-straight running plays and Lyle Rockenbach broke up Fenton’s fourth-down pass. Tom McShannock’s interception and 29-yard return ended Auburn’s second scoring threat. The game’s only touchdown came in the second quarter and it was set up by George Kenmore’s 28-yard pass to Ralph O’Gwynne to the MSU 2. Auburn fullback Pel Sitz netted only 1 yard on three carries before O’Gwynne scored on a 1-yard run around left end on fourth-and-goal. The Tigers had several chances in the second half to break the game open. Auburn turned the ball over on downs at the MSU 16 in the third quarter after Dutch Heath’s 12-yard interception return to the MSU 24. Michigan State failed to record a first down until late in the third quarter when Ed Pearce broke a 29-yard run. Auburn drove inside the MSU 30 twice in the fourth quarter but failed to put points on the scoreboard. The Spartans’ only other first down came on a 23-yard pass from John Pingel to Usif Haney midway through the fourth quarter. Auburn outgained Michigan State in total yards, 278-67. Fenton and Speck Kelly combined for 137 of the Tigers’ 197 rushing yards, gaining 76 and 61 yards, respectively. Auburn held Pingel, MSU’s All-America halfback, to 12 yards rushing on seven carries. A sellout crowd of nearly 19,000 attended the game at Miami’s brand-new $360,000 Roddy Burdine Stadium. SCORING SUMMARY Second Quarter AU – Ralph O’Gwynne 1 run (kick failed). TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushing Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalty Yards
MSU 2 40 27 67 12-2-3 12-35.2 0-0 35
AU 13 197 81 278 10-4-2 10-33.7 0-0 50
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Ed Pearce 29, John Pingel 12, Arthur Harris 9, George Kovacich 8. AU: Jimmy Fenton 76, Speck Kelly 61, Dutch Heath 37, Pel Sitz 31, Ralph O’Gwynne 13, Mims 5.
Kyler Elsworth (No. 41) made the game-winning stop against Stanford fullback Ryan Hewitt on fourth-and-1 with under two minutes remaining to seal Michigan State’s 24-20 victory over the fifth-ranked Cardinal in the 100th Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 2014.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 1954 ROSE BOWL
1956 ROSE BOWL
JAN. 1, 1954 | PASADENA, CALIF. | ATT: 101,000 1 2 UCLA MSU
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Billy Wells ran for one touchdown and returned a punt for another score to lead No. 3 Michigan State to a 28-20 victory over No. 5 UCLA in the 1954 Rose Bowl. UCLA jumped out to a 14-0 lead, capitalizing on two Spartan turnovers. Midway through the first quarter, Jim Salsbury recovered a fumble on the MSU 37 and six plays later, Paul Cameron hit Bill Stits with a 13-yard TD strike to give the Bruins a 7-0 lead. Early in the second quarter, Hardiman Cureton and Bob Long combined to sack Spartan QB Earl Morrall, who fumbled, and Cureton fell on it at the MSU 18. Seven plays later, Cameron scored on a 2-yard run off left tackle. The momentum changed midway through the second quarter when Ellis Duckett blocked Cameron’s punt from the UCLA 25 and returned it 6 yards for a touchdown as the Spartans cut the deficit to 14-7 at halftime. The Spartans dominated play in the third quarter. Michigan State took the second-half kickoff and drove 78 yards in 14 plays with LeRoy Bolden scoring on a 1-yard dive to tie the game at 14. Wells capped a 10-play, 73-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run to give the Spartans their first lead at 21-14 late in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, UCLA forced another fumble and Jack Ellena recovered it at the MSU 24. Two plays later, Cameron hit Rommie Loudd with a 28-yard TD toss but Cameron’s conversion attempt sailed wide and the Bruins still trailed 21-20. Michigan State iced the game when Wells returned Cameron’s punt 62 yards for a touchdown with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter. Wells led a well-balanced Spartan running attack, picking up 80 yards on 14 carries. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter UCLA – Bill Stits 13-yard pass from Paul Cameron (John Hermann kick), 3:50 left. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards. Second Quarter UCLA – Paul Cameron 2-yard run (John Hermann kick), 10:56 left. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yds. MSU – Ellis Duckett blocked punt 6-yard return (Evan Slonac kick), 4:45 left. Third Quarter MSU – LeRoy Bolden 1-yard run (Evan Slonac kick), 8:47 left. Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards. MSU – Billy Wells 2-yard run (Evan Slonac kick), 2:45 left. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards. Fourth Quarter UCLA – Rommie Loudd 28-yard pass from Paul Cameron (kick failed), 12:36 left. Drive: 2 plays, 24 yards. MSU – Billy Wells 62-yard punt return (Evan Slonac kick), 4:51 left. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
UCLA 16 40-90 152 64-242 3-31 4-100 24-9-2 6-38.7 4-3 4-30
MSU 14 53-195 11 63-206 5-80 4-60 10-2-1 5-35.4 4-4 2-15
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING UCLA: Bill Stits 5-25, Bob Davenport 8-22, Pete Dailey 7-20, Primo Villaneuva 5-17, Don Stalwick 1-11, John Hermann 1-6, Rommie Loudd 1-(-4), Paul Cameron 12-(-7). MSU: Billy Wells 14-80, LeRoy Bolden 14-52, Evan Slonac 13-39, John Matsock 5-26, Gerald Planutis 2-11, James Ellis 2-1, Tom Yewcic 2-(-6), Earl Morrall 1-(-8).
JAN. 2, 1956 | PASADENA, CALIF. | ATT: 100,809 1 2 UCLA MSU
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Dave Kaiser converted his first career field-goal attempt, a 41-yarder with :07 left, to give No. 2 Michigan State a 17-14 win over No. 4 UCLA in the 1956 Rose Bowl. Michigan State found itself in an early hole as Earl Morrall’s pass on the first play from scrimmage was intercepted by Jim Decker and returned 4 yards to the MSU 16. Four plays later, Bob Davenport scored on a 2-yard run over left guard to give the Bruins a 7-0 lead with 11:48 left in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, Michigan State put together an 11-play, 80-yard drive to pull even at 7. Walt Kowalczyk’s 30-yard run to the UCLA 17 set up Morrall’s 13-yard touchdown toss to Clarence Peaks. On the second play of the fourth quarter, the Spartans took their first lead at 14-7 on Peaks’ 67-yard TD pass to John Lewis, who caught the ball on the 50 and took it the distance. Five minutes later, UCLA’s passing game produced a big play as Ronnie Knox hit Decker with a 47-yard bomb to the MSU 7. Three plays later, Doug Peters scored on a 1-yard plunge at center. Morrall directed an 11-play, 59-yard drive to the UCLA 24, but Gerald Planutis missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt. Five penalties were called in the closing minutes and field position shifted in Michigan State’s favor when UCLA was whistled for three-straight fouls. The Spartans’ game-winning drive started at the UCLA 19. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter UCLA – Bob Davenport 2-yard run (Jim Decker kick), 11:48 left. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards. Second Quarter MSU – Clarence Peaks 13-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Gerald Planutis kick), 5:52 left. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards. Fourth Quarter MSU – John Lewis 67-yard pass from Clarence Peaks (Gerald Planutis kick), 14:11 left. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards. UCLA – Doug Peters 1-yard run (Jim Decker kick), 6:07 left. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards. MSU – Dave Kaiser 41-yard field goal, 0:07 left. Drive: 3 plays, -5 yards. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushing-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
UCLA 13 42-136 61 52-197 2-12 2-58 10-2-2 7-39.6 2-0 8-60
MSU 18 50-251 130 68-381 6-8 3-61 18-6-2 2-40.0 4-1 10-98
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING UCLA: Sam Brown 14-63, Bob Davenport 10-26, Doug Peters 6-20, Ronnie Knox 6-12, Chuck Hollaway 1-10, Jim Decker 4-3, Doug Bradley 1-2. MSU: Walt Kowalczyk 13-88, Gerald Planutis 12-66, Clarence Peaks 11-56, Earl Morrall 10-28, Dennis Mendyk 1-5, Gary Lowe 1-4, Jim Wulff 1-3, Don Zysk 1-1. INDIVIDUAL PASSING UCLA: Ronnie Knox 8-2-1 61, Sam Brown 2-0-0 0. MSU: Clarence Peaks 2-1-0 67, Earl Morrall 15-4-2 38, Walt Kowalczyk 1-1-0 25. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING UCLA: Jim Decker 1-47, Rommie Loudd 1-14. MSU: Clarence Peaks 3-40, John Lewis 1-67, Jim Hinesly 1-13, Don Zysk 1-10.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING UCLA: Paul Cameron 22-9-1 152, Primo Villaneuva 2-0-1 0. MSU: Tom Yewcic 8-2-1 11, Earl Morrall 2-0-0 0. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING UCLA: Bill Stits 2-46, John Hermann 2-15, Bob Heydenfeldt 1-33, Rommie Loudd 1-28, Don Stalwick 1-15, Bob Long 1-10, Pete Dailey 1-5. MSU: LeRoy Bolden 1-18, Evan Slonac 1-(-7).
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SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 1966 ROSE BOWL
1984 CHERRY BOWL
JAN. 1, 1966 | PASADENA, CALIF. | ATT: 100,067 1 2 UCLA MSU
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DEC. 22, 1984 | PONTIAC, MICH. | ATT: 70,336 1 2 ARMY MSU
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Gary Beban ran for two touchdowns and threw for 147 yards to lead No. 4 UCLA to a 14-12 upset win over No. 1 Michigan State in the 1966 Rose Bowl. Michigan State committed four first-half turnovers, with the first coming late in the first quarter as Don Japinga fumbled away a punt at the Spartan 6 that UCLA’s John Erquiaga recovered. On the opening play of the second quarter, Beban scored on a 1-yard sneak to give the Bruins a 7-0 lead. UCLA then surprised the Spartans with an on-sides kick that Bruin Dallas Grider recovered at the MSU 42. Beban hooked up with Kurt Altenburg for a 27-yard pass to the MSU 1. Beban capped off the five-play, 42-yard drive with another 1-yard sneak as UCLA scored twice in 3:07 to build a 14-0 lead. Michigan State rallied late in the fourth quarter, scoring twice in the final 6:13. Steve Juday’s 42-yard strike to Gene Washington set up Bob Apisa’s 38-yard TD run. Juday’s two-point pass attempt failed and the Spartans trailed 14-6. The Spartan defense held on the next series and Bubba Smith partially blocked Larry Cox’s punt to give MSU possession at the UCLA 49. Juday finished off the 14-play scoring drive with a 1-yard sneak with :31 left. On the two-point try, Apisa was stopped short of the goal line by Grider and Bob Stiles. UCLA stopped the Spartans on fourth-and-1 plays three times in the second half, including twice in the fourth quarter. Michigan State outgained UCLA in total yards, 314-212. The Spartans picked up 204 yards on the ground, with Clinton Jones rushing for 113 yards on 20 carries.
Wishbone quarterback Nate Sassaman rushed for 136 yards on 28 carries to lead Army, making its first-ever bowl appearance, to a 10-6 triumph over Michigan State in the 1984 Cherry Bowl. Michigan State had an early scoring chance after Phil Parker intercepted a rare Army pass and returned it 18 yards to the Cadet 43. Three plays netted only 8 yards and Ralf Mojsiejenko’s 52-yard field-goal attempt missed wide left. The Spartans put together a nine-play, 58-yard drive but early in the second quarter on third-and-goal from the Army 5, Dave Yarema’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by Kermit McKelvy. A Michigan State fumble near midfield led to Army’s only touchdown. Cadet Clarence Jones capped off an eight-play, 46-yard drive with a 4-yard run off right tackle to give Army a 7-0 lead with 6:41 left in the first half. Early in the third quarter, Sassaman rushed eight times for 37 yards during a 14-play, 49-yard drive, but Craig Stopa’s 32-yard field-goal try went wide right. Army converted a Spartan fumble into a field goal and a 10-0 lead in the fourth quarter as a 15-play, 59-yard drive produced a 38-yard field goal by Stopa with 8:40 remaining. A Cadet fumble gave Michigan State life as Tom Allan recovered the ball at the MSU 49. Three plays later, Yarema found Bob Wasczenski in the left corner of the end zone with a 36-yard TD strike. The two-point pass attempt failed and Michigan State trailed 10-6 with 4:19 left. Army gained 256 yards rushing on 71 attempts while controlling the clock for 34:05. The Cadets sacked Yarema six times and picked off three of his passes, including two by Doug Pavek.
SCORING SUMMARY Second Quarter UCLA – Gary Beban 1-yard run (Kurt Zimmerman kick), 14:57 left. Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards. UCLA – Gary Beban 1-yard run (Kurt Zimmerman kick), 11:50 left. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards.
SCORING SUMMARY Second Quarter ARMY – Clarence Jones 4-yard run (Craig Stopa kick), 6:31 left. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, TOP 2:51.
Fourth Quarter MSU – Bob Apisa 38-yard run (pass failed), 6:13 left. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards. MSU – Steve Juday 1-yard run (run failed), 0:31 left. Drive: 15 plays, 51 yards.
Fourth Quarter ARMY – Craig Stopa 38-yard field goal, 8:40 left. Drive: 15 plays, 59 yards, TOP 7:14. MSU – Bob Wasczenski 36-yard pass from Dave Yarema (pass failed), 4:19 left. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, TOP 0:53.
TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
UCLA 10 41-65 147 61-212 2-2 3-49 20-8-0 11-39.9 3-2 9-86
MSU 13 46-204 110 58-314 4-3 2-23 12-8-3 5-42.4 3-2 1-14
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING UCLA: Melvin Farr 10-36, Gary Beban 25-14, Paul Horgan 5-12, Ray Armstrong 1-3. MSU: Clinton Jones 20-113, Bob Apisa 4-49, Dwight Lee 15-41, James Raye 2-4, Eddie Cotton 1-3, Steve Juday 4-(-6). INDIVIDUAL PASSING UCLA: Gary Beban 20-8-0 147. MSU: Steve Juday 18-6-3 80, James Raye 4-2-0 30. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING UCLA: Kurt Altenberg 3-55, Byron Nelson 2-29, Larry Slagle 1-35, Melvin Farr 1-22, Dick Witcher 1-6. MSU: Gene Washington 4-81, Dwight Lee 3-23, Clinton Jones 1-6.
TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
ARMY 15 71-256 10 73-266 2-18 0-0 2-1-1 7-36.7 2-1 1-7
MSU 13 33-89 155 58-244 6-23 2-29 25-11-3 4-55.8 3-2 4-26
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING ARMY: Nate Sassaman 28-136, Doug Black 22-57, Clarence Jones 10-41, Jarvis Hollingsworth 10-28, Scott Spellmon 1-(-6). MSU: Lorenzo White 23-103, Keith Gates 1-3, Dave Yarema 7-(-17). INDIVIDUAL PASSING ARMY: Nate Sassaman 2-1-1 10. MSU: Dave Yarema 25-11-3 155. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING ARMY: Jarvis Hollingsworth 1-10. MSU: Butch Rolle 5-65, Bob Wasczenski 2-54, Mark Ingram 1-20, Bobby Morse 1-11, Keith Gates 1-8, Lorenzo White 1-(-3).
142 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 1985 ALL-AMERICAN BOWL DEC. 31, 1985 | BIRMINGHAM, ALA. | ATT: 45,000 1 2 MSU GEORGIA TECH
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1988 ROSE BOWL
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Malcolm King rushed for 122 yards on 16 carries and his 5-yard touchdown run with 1:50 left gave Georgia Tech a 17-14 come-from-behind victory over Michigan State in the 1985 All-American Bowl. Tim Moore’s interception late in the second quarter set up Michigan State’s first scoring drive. Dave Yarema hit Mark Ingram for a 37-yard gain on first down and three plays later, he tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Ingram to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead with 2:03 left in the first half. King’s 56-yard run set up a 1-yard sneak by Todd Rampley, who was making his first collegiate start at quarterback, as the Yellow Jackets tied the game at 7 with 11:14 remaining in the third quarter. Greg Montgomery pinned Georgia Tech back on its 2-yard line with a 31-yard punt. The Spartan defense held and forced Georgia Tech to punt out of its own end zone. Bobby Morse returned the punt 8 yards to the Yellow Jacket 37. Lorenzo White raced 11 yards around left end for a first down and on the next play, Yarema again hooked up with Ingram for a 27-yard scoring pass to give the Spartans a 14-7 lead with 4:41 left in the third quarter. Georgia Tech pulled to within 14-10 as a 14-play, 57-yard drive resulted in a 40-yard field goal by David Bell with 7:08 to play. Michigan State turned the ball over on its next possession as Pat Swilling recovered a fumble at the MSU 42. King capped off the eight-play drive with a 5-yard run off left tackle. Ingram had three catches for 70 yards and two scores to earn the game’s MVP award while White gained a game-high 158 yards on 33 rushes. SCORING SUMMARY Second Quarter MSU – Mark Ingram 6-yard pass from Dave Yarema (Chris Caudell kick), 2:03 left. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, TOP 2:03. Third Quarter GT – Todd Rampley 1-yard run (David Bell kick), 11:14 left. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, TOP 1:04. MSU – Mark Ingram 27-yard pass from Dave Yarema (Chris Caudell kick), 4:41 left. Drive: 2 plays, 38 yards, TOP 0:34. Fourth Quarter GT – David Bell 40-yard field goal, 7:08 left. Drive: 14 plays, 57 yards, TOP 5:52. GT – Malcolm King 5-yard run (David Bell kick), 1:50 left. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, TOP 3:42. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
MSU 14 39-148 85 54-233 2-14 4-47 15-6-1 6-36.7 2-1 3-28
GT 16 48-182 99 71-281 1-11 2-30 23-12-1 6-37.8 2-0 5-47
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Lorenzo White 33-158, Bobby Morse 2-8, Dave Yarema 4-(-18). GT: Malcolm King 16-122, Nate Kelsey 8-30, Jerry Mays 9-20, Cory Collier 6-10, Chuck Easley 1-2, Todd Rampley 8-(-2). INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Dave Yarema 15-6-1 85. GT: Todd Rampley 23-12-1 99. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MSU: Mark Ingram 3-70, Andre Rison 1-18, Veno Belk 1-4, Bobby Morse 1-(-7). GT: Jerry Mays 3-22, Cory Collier 3-14, Robert Massey 2-23, Nate Kelsey 2-10, Steve Davenport 1-21, Malcolm King 1-9.
JAN. 1, 1988 | PASADENA, CALIF. | ATT: 103,847 1 2 SOUTHERN CAL MSU
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John Langeloh kicked a 36-yard field goal with 4:14 left in the fourth quarter, which proved to be the game winner, as No. 8 Michigan State defeated No. 16 Southern Cal, 20-17, in the 1988 Rose Bowl. The Spartans, making their first trip to Pasadena in 22 years, ended the Big Ten’s six-game losing streak in the Rose Bowl. USC scored on its second possession as a 12-play, 52-yard drive produced a 34-yard field goal by Quin Rodriguez. MSU responded with a 15-play, 76-yard drive of its own to take a 7-3 lead on Lorenzo White’s 5-yard touchdown run around left end with :54 left in the first quarter. The Spartans built a 14-3 advantage early in the second quarter as Bobby McAllister’s 55-yard completion to Andre Rison set up White’s second TD run from 3 yards out. The Trojans cut the deficit to 14-10 early in the third quarter as Rodney Peete hit Kevin Henry with a 33-yard TD strike. Michigan State extended its lead to 17-10 on Langeloh’s 40-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. USC put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive to tie the score at 17 on Peete’s 22-yard TD toss to Henry in the back of the end zone with 8:33 remaining. Facing a third-and-8 from the MSU 30, McAllister eluded a heavy rush and completed a 36-yard pass to Rison for a first down at the USC 34. Blake Ezor carried the ball six straight times to the USC 18 to set up Langeloh’s game-winning field goal. USC took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the MSU 30, but Peete fumbled away the center snap and Todd Krumm recovered. John Miller iced the game for the Spartans, intercepting Peete’s “Hail Mary” pass at the MSU 13 with only :03 left. USC dominated the final stats, outgaining MSU, 410-276, in total yards but the Trojans committed five turnovers while the Spartans managed to play error-free football. White gained a gamehigh 113 yards rushing and scored twice. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter USC – Quin Rodriguez 34-yard field goal, 7:28 left. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, TOP 4:30. MSU – Lorenzo White 5-yard run (John Langeloh kick), 0:54 left. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, TOP 6:34. Second Quarter MSU – Lorenzo White 3-yard run (John Langeloh kick), 9:20 left. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:50. Third Quarter USC – Ken Henry 33-yard pass from Rodney Peete (Quin Rodriguez kick), 9:34 left. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:09. Fourth Quarter MSU – John Langeloh 40-yard field goal, 12:39 left. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, TOP 3:57. USC – Ken Henry 22-yard pass from Rodney Peete (Quin Rodriguez kick), 8:33 left. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:06. MSU – John Langeloh 36-yard field goal, 4:14 left. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, TOP 4:14. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
USC 21 34-161 249 76-410 7-90 4-60 42-22-4 4-45.0 4-1 4-20
MSU 11 60-148 128 67-276 2-13 4-56 7-4-0 8-47.1 0-0 5-32
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING USC: Rodney Peete 11-54, Leroy Holt 10-44, Scott Lockwood 6-41, Randy Tanner 2-10, Kevin McLean 1-8, Ricky Ervins 4-4. MSU: Lorenzo White 35-113, Blake Ezor 11-25, James Moore 1-9, Joe Pugh 1-2, Bobby McAllister 12-(-1). INDIVIDUAL PASSING USC: Rodney Peete 41-22-3 249, Kevin McLean 1-0-1 0. MSU: Bobby McAllister 7-4-0 128. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING USC: Paul Green 7-58, Ken Henry 3-66, John Jackson 3-50, Leroy Holt 3-17, Scott Lockwood 2-19, Erik Affholter 2-17, Randy Tanner 1-5, Ricky Ervins 1-7. MSU: Andre Rison 2-91, Willie Bouyer 1-29, Mike Sargent 1-8.
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SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 1989 GATOR BOWL
1989 ALOHA BOWL
JAN. 1, 1989 | JACKSONVILLE, FLA. | ATT: 76,236 1 2 3 MSU GEORGIA
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Wayne Johnson threw three touchdown passes and Rodney Hampton scored three times to lead Georgia to a 34-27 win over Michigan State in the 1989 Gator Bowl. Georgia head coach Vince Dooley went out a winner in his final game in 25 seasons. The loss ended MSU’s six-game winning streak. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 17-0 lead on Johnson’s 6-yard TD toss to Hampton, Steve Crumley’s 39-yard field goal and Johnson’s 30-yard TD strike to Hampton. The Spartans got on the scoreboard late in the first half as Bobby McAllister finished off a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard TD pass to Andre Rison. Midway through the third quarter, Georgia put together a six-play, 64-yard drive to extend its lead to 24-7 on Kirk Warner’s 18-yard TD catch from Johnson. MSU responded with an eight-play, 78-yard scoring drive as McAllister hit Rison with a 55-yard bomb. A 36-yard field goal by Crumley gave the Bulldogs a 27-13 advantage with 2:16 left in the third quarter. McAllister’s 51-yard completion to Rison set up Blake Ezor’s 3-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter as the Spartans pulled to within 27-20. Hampton’s third TD, a 32-yard run, gave Georgia a 34-20 lead with 11:58 remaining. Rison scored on a 50-yard pass from McAllister late in the fourth quarter but the Spartans’ rally fell short as Georgia controlled the clock for the final 3:42 of the game. The two teams combined for 855 total yards with the Spartans outgaining the Bulldogs, 446-409. Rison caught nine passes for 252 yards and three scores. McAllister hit 14-of-24 throws for 288 yards and three TDs while Ezor led all rushers with 146 yards on 33 attempts. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter UGA – Rodney Hampton 6-yard pass from Wayne Johnson (John Kasay kick), 0:01 left. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, TOP 2:41. Second Quarter UGA – Steve Crumley 39-yard field goal, 11:00 left. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, TOP 3:05. UGA – Rodney Hampton 30-yard pass from Wayne Johnson (John Kasay kick), 7:06 left. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, TOP 2:18. MSU – Andre Rison 4-yard pass from Bobby McAllister (John Langeloh kick), 2:55 left. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:11. Third Quarter UGA – Kirk Warner 18-yard pass from Wayne Johnson (John Kasay kick), 7:48 left. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, TOP 2:19. MSU – Andre Rison 55-yard pass from Bobby McAllister (kick failed), 3:55 left. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, TOP 3:53. UGA – Steve Crumley 36-yard field goal, 2:16 left. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:39. Fourth Quarter MSU – Blake Ezor 3-yard run (John Langeloh kick), 14:24 left. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:52. UGA – Rodney Hampton 32-yard run (John Kasay kick), 11:58 left. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, TOP 2:26. MSU – Andre Rison 50-yard pass from McAllister (John Langeloh kick), 3:49 left. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, TOP 8:09. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
MSU 22 51-158 288 75-446 0-0 5-101 24-14-0 6-42.8 1-0 8-102
UGA 22 38-182 227 65-409 3-27 5-74 27-15-0 4-34.0 0-0 5-25
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Blake Ezor 33-146, Scott Selzer 5-13, Bobby McAllister 13-(-1). UGA: Rodney Hampton 10-109, Tim Worley 11-30, Wayne Johnson 14-30, Keith Henderson 3-13.
DEC. 25, 1989 | HONOLULU, HAWAII | ATT: 50,000 1 2 3 HAWAII MSU
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Blake Ezor rushed for 179 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead No. 22 Michigan State to a 33-13 victory over No. 25 Hawaii in the 1989 Aloha Bowl. Michigan State scored its first 26 points off Rainbow Warrior turnovers. The Spartans jumped out to a 19-0 halftime lead on TD runs of 3 and 2 yards by Ezor and field goals of 30 and 34 yards by John Langeloh. Michigan State forced six turnovers in the first half and outgained the Rainbow Warriors, 205-102, in total yards. Hawaii took the second-half kickoff and a 10-play, 74-yard drive ended with Garrett Gabriel’s 11-yard TD toss to Chris Roscoe. Mike Iaquaniello’s second interception set up Michigan State’s third touchdown, a 1-yard dive by Hyland Hickson with 10:13 left in the fourth quarter, as the Spartans moved out to a 26-6 lead. Hawaii answered with a score on its next possession as Gabriel hooked up with Dane McArthur for a 23-yard TD pass. The Spartans put the game away as Ezor raced 26 yards around right end for his third touchdown with 5:36 left in the game. Ezor gained 101 yards rushing in the second half on 18 carries. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter MSU – Blake Ezor 3-yard run (kick blocked), 3:59 left. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, TOP 3:43. Second Quarter MSU – Blake Ezor 2-yard run (John Langeloh kick), 14:53 left. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, TOP 2:01. MSU – FG John Langeloh 30, 7:15 left. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, TOP 4:41. MSU – John Langeloh 34-yard field goal, 1:02 left. Drive: 7 plays, 2 yards, TOP 3:45. Third Quarter UH – Chris Roscoe 11-yard pass from Garrett Gabriel (kick blocked), 9:45 left. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, TOP 5:10. Fourth Quarter MSU – Hyland Hickson 1-yard run (John Langeloh kick), 10:13 left. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, TOP 5:06. UH – Dane McArthur 23-yard pass from Garrett Gabriel (Zehrin Khan kick), 8:07 left. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, TOP 1:59. MSU – Blake Ezor 26-yard run (John Langeloh kick), 5:36 left. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, TOP 2:30. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
UH 19 28-82 198 61-280 2-31 7-174 33-20-4 1-27.0 7-4 3-30
MSU 21 61-225 116 73-341 0-0 1-2 12-7-2 3-50.7 0-0 9-85
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING UH: Dane McArthur 2-34, Dan Ahuna 3-21, Jamal Farmer 8-18, Ken Niumatalolo 3-15, Jeff Snyder 2-14, Jeff Newman 1-(-10), Garrett Gabriel 8-(-13). MSU: Blake Ezor 41-179, Courtney Hawkins 1-31, Tico Duckett 4-18, Hyland Hickson 3-13, Dan Enos 12-(16). INDIVIDUAL PASSING UH: Garrett Gabriel 31-19-3 197, Ken Niumatalolo 2-1-1 1. MSU: Dan Enos 12-7-2 116. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING UH: Chris Roscoe 6-71, Jamal Farmer 5-25, Leonard Lau 2-34, Dane McArthur 2-25, Darrick Branch 2-22, Jeff Snyder 2-15, Dan Ahuna 1-6. MSU: James Bradley 4-85, Hyland Hickson 1-13, Duane Young 1-11, Blake Ezor 1-7.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Bobby McAllister 24-14-0 288. UGA: Wayne Johnson 27-15-0 227. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MSU: Andre Rison 9-252, Steve Montgomery 4-21, Bernard Wilson 1-15. UGA: Rodney Hampton 4-71, Tim Worley 3-36, Kirk Warner 3-28, Keith Henderson 2-53, Sean Hummings 1-21, Arthur Marshall 1-14, John Thomas 1-4.
144 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 1990 SUN BOWL
1993 LIBERTY BOWL
DEC. 31, 1990 | EL PASO, TEXAS | ATT: 50,562 1 2 SOUTHERN CAL MSU
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Courtney Hawkins accounted for 216 all-purpose yards and caught a touchdown pass to lead No. 22 Michigan State to a 17-16 win over No. 21 Southern Cal in the 1990 Sun Bowl. MSU dodged a bullet early as Mike Iaquaniello intercepted a Todd Marinovich pass in the end zone on USC’s first series. Late in the first quarter, the Trojans put together an eight-play, 60-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead on Marinovich’s 7-yard pass to Gary Wellman. After a Spartan fumble, USC was again knocking on the door, but on a fourth-and-inches play from inside the MSU 1, Marinovich mishandled the snap from center and Alan Haller recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchback. MSU took advantage of the turnover and Hyland Hickson capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with an 18-yard TD run with 2:22 left in the first half. USC opened the second half with an 18-play, 80-yard drive that lasted nine minutes but it had to settle for a 20-yard field goal from Quin Rodriguez. The Spartans responded by scoring 10-straight points. On a third-and-13 play from the MSU 26, Dan Enos hit Hawkins on a post pattern for a 41-yard gain and a first down at the USC 33. Four plays later, Hawkins scored on a 21-yard pass from Enos that gave MSU its first lead at 14-10. Freddie Wilson’s interception at the USC 34 late in the third quarter led to a 52-yard field goal by John Langeloh as the Spartans built a 17-10 advantage. The Trojans got field goals of 54 and 43 yards from Rodriguez in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 17-16. MSU iced the game with two rushing first downs in the final three minutes. Hawkins caught six passes for 106 yards and a score to earn Sun Bowl MVP honors. Enos connected on 9-of-17 throws for 131 yards, including eight-straight completions during one stretch. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter USC – Gary Wellman 7-yard pass from Todd Marinovich (Quin Rodriguez kick), 0:54 left. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, TOP 4:34. Second Quarter MSU – Hyland Hickson 18-yard run (John Langeloh kick), 2:22 left. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:05. Third Quarter USC – Quin Rodriguez 20-yard field goal, 6:00 left. Drive: 18 plays, 80 yards, TOP 9:00. MSU – Courtney Hawkins 21-yard pass from Dan Enos (John Langeloh kick), 2:53 left. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, TOP 3:07. MSU – John Langeloh 52-yard field goal, 0:42 left. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yard, TOP 2:05. Fourth Quarter USC – Quin Rodriguez 54-yard field goal, 13:07 left. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, TOP 2:35. USC – Quin Rodriquez 43-yard field goal, 3:07 left. Drive: 12 plays, 31 yards, TOP 5:54. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
USC 21 44-156 180 76-336 2-27 1-17 32-19-3 1-50.0 2-1 5-45
MSU 12 35-84 131 52-215 1-7 5-124 17-9-1 5-38.6 1-1 6-54
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING USC: Mazio Royster 32-125, Scott Lockwood 5-18, Curtis Conway 1-7, Deon Strother 1-3, Shane Foley 4-2, Todd Marinovich 1-1. MSU: Hyland Hickson 14-68, Tico Duckett 8-18, Dan Enos 12-1, Brice Abrams 1-(-3).
DEC. 28, 1993 | MEMPHIS, TENN. | ATT: 34,216 1 2 MSU LOUISVILLE
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Jeff Brohm completed 19-of-29 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown to lead Louisville to an 18-7 win over Michigan State in the 1993 Liberty Bowl. Michigan State’s only touchdown came on the game’s first series. The Spartans took the opening kickoff and drove 79 yards in 11 plays with Duane Goulbourne twisting into the end zone on a 1-yard run over left guard. Spartan QB Jim Miller started with a hot hand, hitting all four pass attempts for 50 yards on the first series. Louisville also scored on its first possession as an eight-play, 56-yard march ended with David Akers’ 31-yard field goal. Midway through the second quarter, the Spartans missed out on a scoring chance when Bill Stoyanovich misfired on a 31-yard field-goal attempt. Louisville put together a 14-play, 74-yard drive in the third quarter, but failed to put points on the scoreboard as Akers missed a 23-yard field-goal try. Brohm directed a seven-play, 59-yard drive for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter, hitting Reggie Ferguson on a crossing pattern for a 25-yard TD pass. A 24-yard interception return by Darius Watson gave Louisville the ball back at the MSU 33 but seven plays later, the Spartan defense stopped Anthony Shelman short of the goal line on fourth-and-1. The Cardinals got two points back on the next play as Joe Johnson and Tyrus McCloud tackled Spartan tailback Craig Thomas in his own end zone for a safety. Louisville iced the game with a seven-play, 54-yard drive as Ralph Dawkins scored on an 11-yard sweep around right end. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter MSU – Duane Goulbourne 1-yard run (Bill Stoyanovich kick), 10:10 left. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, TOP 4:50. UL – David Akers 31-yard field goal, 7:07 left. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, TOP 3:03. Fourth Quarter UL – Reggie Ferguson 25-yard pass from Jeff Brohm (David Akers kick), 12:05 left. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, TOP 3:38. UL – Safety, Craig Thomas tackled in end zone by Joe Johnson and Tyrus McCloud, 8:53 left. UL – Ralph Dawkins 11-yard run (kick failed), 4:57 left. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, TOP 3:56. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
MSU 18 31-114 193 59-307 1-3 4-59 28-15-1 5-29.0 0-0 5-60
UL 20 40-172 197 71-369 1-25 2-48 31-19-0 5-36.2 1-0 6-45
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Duane Goulbourne 19-63, Craig Thomas 10-57, Steve Holman 1-1, Jim Miller 1-(-7). UL: Ralph Dawkins 14-88, Anthony Shelman 17-59, Jeff Brohm 9-25. INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Jim Miller 28-15-1 193. UL: Jeff Brohm 29-19-0 197, Marty Lowe 2-0-0 0. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MSU: Mill Coleman 6-100, Scott Greene 4-49, Duane Goulbourne 3-11, Napoleon Outlaw 1-18, Brice Abrams 1-15. UL: Ralph Dawkins 8-68, Jamie Asher 4-15, Reggie Ferguson 3-68, Chris Fitzpatrick 2-17, Aaron Bailey 1-16, Kwalee Cooper 1-13.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING USC: Todd Marinovich 30-18-3 174, Shane Foley 2-1-0 6. MSU: Dan Enos 17-9-1 131. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING USC: Scott Lockwood 5-41, Johnnie Morton 3-36, Frank Griffin 3-22, Gary Wellman 3-19, Bob Crane 2-20, Joel Scott 1-24, Mazio Royster 1-16, Deon Strother 1-2. MSU: Courtney Hawkins 6-106, Rob Roy 2-14, James Bradley 1-11.
145 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 1995 INDEPENDENCE BOWL DEC. 29, 1995 | SHREVEPORT, LA. | ATT: 48,835 1 2 LSU MSU
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1996 SUN BOWL
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Kevin Faulk rushed for 234 yards on 25 carries and scored twice to lead Louisiana State to a 45-26 victory over Michigan State in the 1995 Independence Bowl. Michigan State got out of the gate early, scoring on the second play from scrimmage as Tony Banks hooked up with Muhsin Muhammad for a 78-yard touchdown pass. LSU also scored on its first possession as Kendall Cleveland capped a seven-play, 80-yard drive with a 6-yard TD run to tie the score at 7. Carl Reaves’ 17-yard interception return set up the Spartans’ second touchdown, a 3-yard run by Scott Greene for a 13-7 lead. Michigan State’s lead lasted only 14 seconds as Eddie Kennison returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. The Spartans regained the lead 13 seconds later when Derrick Mason returned the kickoff 100 yards for a score. Faulk’s 33-yard kickoff return gave LSU great field position at its own 43 and two plays later, he tied the game at 21 on a 51-yard TD run. Michigan State took a 24-21 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks to Chris Gardner’s 37-yard field goal with :01 left in the first half. LSU took control of the game in the third quarter, scoring three TDs in the first 7:16. Herb Tyler’s 49-yard completion to Kennison set up Faulk’s second TD run, a 5-yarder. Five minutes later, Gabe Northern returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown as Banks lost the ball while being sacked. Three plays later, Allen Stansbury intercepted a Banks pass and returned it 15 yards to the MSU 14. Less than a minute later, Kennison scored on a 27-yard strike from Tyler as the Tigers built a 42-24 advantage. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter MSU – Muhsin Muhammad 78-yard pass from Tony Banks (Chris Gardner kick), 14:13 left. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, TOP 0:47. LSU – Kendall Cleveland 6-yard run (Andre’ Lafleur kick), 12:07 left. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:06. Second Quarter MSU – Scott Greene 3-yard run (kick blocked), 14:44 left. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, TOP 0:04. LSU – Eddie Kennison 92-yard kickoff return (Andre’ Lafleur kick), 14:30 left. MSU – Derrick Mason 100-yard kickoff return (Scott Greene run), 14:17 left. LSU – Kevin Faulk 51-yard run (Andre’ Lafleur kick), 13:11 left. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, TOP 1:06. MSU – Chris Gardner 37-yard field goal, 0:01 left. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, TOP 1:01. Third Quarter LSU – Kevin Faulk 5-yard run (Andre’ Lafleur kick), 14:29 left. Drive: 2 plays, 74 yards, TOP 0:31. LSU – Gabe Northern 37-yard fumble return (Andre’ Lafleur kick), 9:20 left. LSU – Eddie Kennison 27-yard pass from Herb Tyler (Andre’ Lafleur kick), 7:13 left. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, TOP 0:57. Fourth Quarter LSU – Wade Richey 48-yard field goal, 8:45 left. Drive: 8 plays, 18 yards, TOP 3:19. MSU – Safety, LSU punter Chad Kessler stepped out of end zone, 5:57 left. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
LSU 17 48-272 164 68-436 2-3 4-150 20-10-1 4-44.5 2-1 5-42
MSU 23 35-100 348 79-448 2-26 7-158 44-22-3 6-37.5 4-3 9-80
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING LSU: Kevin Faulk 25-234, Kendall Cleveland 13-23, Robert Toomer 4-13, Eddie Kennison 1-6, Herb Tyler 4-(-1), Chad Kessler 1-(-3). MSU: Marc Renaud 16-79, Scott Greene 8-48, Tyrone Crenshaw 1-1, Tony Banks 10-(-28).
DEC. 31, 1996 | EL PASO, TEXAS | ATT: 42,721 1 2 STANFORD MSU
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Sun Bowl MVP Chad Hutchinson completed 22-of-28 passes for 226 yards and directed four scoring drives to lead Stanford to a 38-0 victory over Michigan State in the 1996 Sun Bowl. Stanford closed out the 1996 season with five-straight wins and recorded its first shutout since ’74. Late in the first quarter, Josh Madsen intercepted Todd Schultz at the Stanford 21 and lateraled the ball to Leroy Pruitt who carried it 50 yards for the score. Hutchinson finished off an eight-play, 75-yard drive with an 8-yard TD pass to Jon Ritchie with 10:44 left in the second quarter. Troy Walters’ 24-yard punt return to midfield set up another first-half touchdown. Three plays later, Adam Salina scored on a 1-yard run to give the Cardinal a 21-0 halftime lead. A 16-play, 71-yard drive produced a 25-yard field goal by Kevin Miller midway through the third quarter. Stanford moved out to a 31-0 lead as Damon Dunn took a double reverse 27 yards for a TD with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter. Tim Smith returned a blocked punt 9 yards for a TD to complete the scoring early in the fourth quarter. Stanford held Michigan State to a season-low 219 total yards and forced five turnovers. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter STAN – Leroy Pruitt 50-yard lateral return after Josh Madsen interception (Kevin Miller kick), 2:06 left. Second Quarter STAN – Jon Ritchie 8-yard pass from Chad Hutchinson (Kevin Miller kick), 10:44 left. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:57. STAN – Adam Salina 1-yard run (Kevin Miller kick), 0:37 left. Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, TOP 0:34. Third Quarter STAN – Kevin Miller 25-yard field goal, 7:05 left. Drive: 16 plays, 71 yards, TOP 5:31. STAN – Damon Dunn 27-yard run (Kevin Miller kick), 3:05 left. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, TOP 1:57. Fourth Quarter STAN – Tim Smith 9-yard blocked punt return (Kevin Miller kick), 12:06 left. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
STAN 25 49-257 238 79-495 7-94 0-0 30-23-1 2-52.5 3-1 1-10
MSU 13 31-68 151 64-219 2-19 3-59 33-13-3 9-41.9 3-2 5-30
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING STAN: Anthony Bookman 11-103, Mike Mitchell 16-74, Damon Dunn 1-27, Troy Walters 1-8, Jon Ritchie 2-4, Adam Salina 2-(-1), Chad Hutchinson 7-(-8). MSU: Duane Goulbourne 12-51, Sedrick Irvin 9-31, Bill Burke 5-2, Todd Schultz 5-(-16). INDIVIDUAL PASSING STAN: Chad Hutchinson 28-22-1 226, Todd Husak 2-1-0 12. MSU: Bill Burke 7-4-0 71, Todd Schultz 21-8-2 68, Gus Ornstein 4-1-1 12, Sedrick Irvin 1-0-0 0. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING STAN: Jon Ritchie 5-37, Damon Dunn 4-63, Brian Manning 3-42, Andre Kirwan 3-35, Greg Clark 3-30, Mike Mitchell 2(-11), Marlon Evans 1-26, Troy Walters 1-9, Adam Salina 1-7. MSU: Derrick Mason 4-43, Octavis Long 2-46, Nigea Carter 2-34, Sedrick Irvin 2-0, Dwayne Payne 1-12, Garett Gould 1-10, Josh Keur 1-6.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING LSU: Herb Tyler 20-10-1 164. MSU: Tony Banks 44-22-3 348. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING LSU: Eddie Kennison 5-124, David LaFleur 2-31, Robert Toomer 1-9, Kevin Faulk 1-4, Kendall Cleveland 1-(-4). MSU: Muhsin Muhammad 9-171, Derrick Mason 6-74, Marc Renaud 2-47, Napoleon Outlaw 2-24, Nigea Carter 2-16, Josh Keur 1-16.
146 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 1997 ALOHA BOWL
2000 CITRUS BOWL
DEC. 25, 1997 | HONOLULU, HAWAII | ATT: 44,598 1 2 3 WASHINGTON MSU
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Aloha Bowl MVP Rashaan Shehee rushed for 193 yards and scored twice to lead No. 21 Washington to a 51-23 victory over No. 25 Michigan State. The Huskies jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Shehee’s 33-yard run and a 15-yard pass from Brock Huard to Fred Coleman. Michigan State put together a six-play, 73-yard drive to pull to within a touchdown as Gari Scott scored on a 12-yard strike from Todd Schultz. Washington moved out to a 24-7 lead on Huard’s second TD toss to Coleman, a 22-yarder, and a 41-yard field goal from Nick Lentz. Tony Parrish returned an interception 56 yards to give the Huskies a 31-10 halftime lead. Washington opened the second half with an 11-play, 80-yard drive with Shehee scoring on a 15-yard run. Leroy McFadden’s 59-yard kickoff return set up MSU’s second touchdown, a 28-yard pass from Schultz to Scott with 8:11 left in the third quarter. Mike Reed’s 64-yard TD run on a fake punt and Lester Towns’ 66-yard interception return put the Huskies on top 51-17. The Spartans reached the end zone again with just two seconds left in the game as Bill Burke lofted a 21-yard TD pass to Lavaile Richardson. Washington produced 477 total yards, including 298 on the ground, while limiting Michigan State to a season-low 47 yards rushing. The Huskies’ 51 points marked the most ever allowed by the Spartans in a bowl game. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter UW – Rashaan Shehee 33-yard run (Nick Lentz kick), 13:57 left. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, TOP 0:52. UW – Fred Coleman 15-yard pass from Brock Huard (Nick Lentz kick), 8:47 left. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:35. MSU – Gari Scott 12-yard pass from Todd Schultz (Paul Edinger kick), 4:19 left. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, TOP 2:16. Second Quarter UW – Fred Coleman 22-yard pass from Brock Huard (Nick Lentz kick), 14:16 left. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:03. UW – Nick Lentz 41-yard field goal, 4:41 left. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, TOP 6:21. MSU – FG Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal, 1:50 left. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, TOP 2:51. UW – Tony Parrish 56-yard interception return (Nick Lentz kick), 0:18 left. Third Quarter UW – Rashaan Shehee 15-yard run (Nick Lentz kick), 9:10 left. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:50. MSU – Gari Scott 28-yard pass from Todd Schultz (Paul Edinger kick), 8:11 left. Drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, TOP 0:59. UW – Mike Reed 64-yard run (kick failed), 5:47 left. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:24. Fourth Quarter UW – Lester Towns 66-yard interception return (Nick Lentz kick), 10:02 left. MSU – Lavaile Richardson 21-yard pass from Bill Burke (kick failed), 0:02 left. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, TOP 0:55 TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
UW 23 43-298 179 73-477 2-7 1-25 30-18-0 6-39.8 2-1 13-126
MSU 15 29-47 296 64-343 4-70 8-217 35-20-3 3-30.0 6-2 4-28
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING UW: Rashaan Shehee 29-193, Mike Reed 2-70, Maurice Shaw 6-34, Jason Harris 1-5, Marques Tuiasosopo 1-5, Brock Huard 4-(-9). MSU: Sedrick Irvin 15-59, Leroy McFadden 2-10, Marc Renaud 6-5, Bill Burke 1-(-3), Todd Schultz 5-(-24). INDIVIDUAL PASSING UW: Brock Huard 30-18-0 179. MSU: Todd Schultz 24-14-3 220, Bill Burke 10-6-0 76. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING UW: Fred Coleman 5-68, Rashaan Shehee 5-8, Jerome Pathon 4-54, Cameron Cleeland 3-46, Mike Reed 1-3. MSU: Gari Scott 5-114, Lavaile Richardson 3-42, Octavis Long 3-36, Kyle Rance 2-33, Marc Renaud 2-24, Damien Hiram 1-24, Demont Smith 1-9, Sedrick Irvin 1-7, Leroy McFadden 1-6, Travis Reece 1-1.
JAN. 1, 2000 | ORLANDO, FLA. | ATT: 62,011 1 2 MSU FLORIDA
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Paul Edinger kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 9 Michigan State a 37-34 victory over No. 10 Florida in the 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl. It marked Michigan State’s first New Year’s Day bowl victory since the 1988 Rose Bowl and it ended a fourgame losing streak in postseason play. There were five lead changes in the contest. The Spartans opened the scoring as an eight-play, 36-yard drive resulted in a 46-yard field goal by Edinger. Florida took a 7-3 lead as Travis Taylor scored on a 12-yard toss from Doug Johnson. Michigan State jumped out to a 17-7 lead in the second quarter on Bill Burke’s 37-yard TD strike to Plaxico Burress and a 24-yard fumble return by T.J. Turner. The Gators pulled to within 17-14 on Johnson’s 8-yard TD pass to Taylor. Edinger’s second field goal, a 20-yarder, gave the Spartans a 20-14 lead, but Johnson scored on a 1-yard sneak to put Florida ahead at the half, 21-20. Burke directed a 10-play, 84-yard drive late in the third quarter, hooking up with Burress for a 21-yard scoring pass as MSU grabbed a 26-21 lead. Florida built a 34-26 lead on Johnson’s third TD pass to Taylor, a 39-yarder, and Rob Gillespie’s 2-yard TD run. Michigan State rallied to tie the score at 34 early in the fourth quarter as Burke found Burress alone in the end zone for a 30-yard completion and hit Gari Scott for the two-point conversion. Lloyd Clemons’ 8-yard run on third-and-2 set up Edinger’s game-winning kick from the Florida 22. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter MSU – Paul Edinger 46-yard field goal, 4:41 left. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, TOP 3:04. FLA – Travis Taylor 12-yard pass from Doug Johnson (Jeff Chandler kick), 0:58 left. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:43. Second Quarter MSU – Plaxico Burress 37-yard pass from Bill Burke (Paul Edinger kick), 13:24 left. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, TOP 2:34. MSU – T.J. Turner 24-yard fumble return (Paul Edinger kick), 12:44 left. FLA – Travis Taylor 8-yard pass from Doug Johnson (Jeff Chandler kick), 8:12 left. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, TOP 4:32. MSU – Paul Edinger 20-yard field goal, 3:09 left. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 5:03. FLA – Doug Johnson 1-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 0:33 left. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:36. Third Quarter MSU – Plaxico Burress 21-yard pass from Bill Burke (pass failed), 1:10 left. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, TOP 3:16. FLA – Travis Taylor 39-yard pass from Doug Johnson (pass failed), 0:03 left. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, TOP 1:07. Fourth Quarter FLA – Rob Gillespie 2-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 13:27 left. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, TOP 1:16. MSU – Plaxico Burress 30-yard pass from Bill Burke (Gari Scott pass from Bill Burke), 10:46 left. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, TOP 2:41. MSU – Paul Edinger 39-yard field goal, 0:00 left. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, TOP 1:35. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Total Offense Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds) Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Punts-Average Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards
MSU 25 40-143 257 75-400 1-13 6-132 35-21-2 3-43.3 3-1 7-80
FLA 27 30-67 300 81-367 0-0 6-118 51-25-0 6-35.5 4-2 10-100
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Lloyd Clemons 20-105, T.J. Duckett 14-77, Dawan Moss 1-0, Bill Burke 5-(-39). FLA: Rob Gillespie 15-74, Bo Carroll 5-14, Reche Caldwell 1-13, Travis Taylor 1-6, Rob Roberts 1-(-1), Doug Johnson 7-(-39). INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Bill Burke 35-21-2 257. FLA: Doug Johnson 50-24-0 288, Darrell Jackson 1-1-0 12. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MSU: Plaxico Burress 13-185, Chris Baker 2-21, Little John Flowers 2-(-2), Lavaile Richardson 1-18, Dawan Moss 1-16, Gari Scott 1-10, T.J. Duckett 1-9. FLA: Travis Taylor 11-156, Darrell Jackson 5-61, Alex Willis 4-53, Rob Gillespie 3-13, Doug Johnson 1-12, Erron Kinney 1-5.
147 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 2001 SILICON VALLEY FOOTBALL CLASSIC DEC. 31, 2001 | SAN JOSE, CALIF. | ATT: 30,456 1 2 MSU FRESNO STATE
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Jeff Smoker threw for a career-high 376 yards and three touchdowns, including two scoring strikes to Charles Rogers, to lead Michigan State to a 44-35 victory over No. 20 Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic. It took Fresno State 59 seconds to put its first touchdown on the scoreboard, a 5-yard TD toss from David Carr to Stephen Spach. MSU tied the game at 7 on Smoker’s 72-yard bomb to Rogers with 6:16 left in the first quarter. The Spartans scored again 22 seconds later to take a 14-7 lead as Monquiz Wedlow recovered a mishandled snap in the end zone. The Bulldogs pulled even at 14 on Carr’s 36-yard TD pass to Rodney Wright. MSU built a 24-14 lead on Dave Rayner’s 41-yard field goal and T.J. Duckett’s 5-yard TD run. Fresno State cut its deficit to 24-21 as Carr again hooked up with Wright, this time for a 79-yard scoring play. MSU responded by scoring 13-straight points to build a 37-21 halftime lead, thanks to Duckett’s 39-yard TD run and Smoker’s 69-yard TD throw to Rogers. Midway through the third quarter, Fresno State cut its deficit to 37-28 on a 2-yard TD run by Paris Gaines. A blocked punt set up Fresno State’s final score, a 15-yard screen pass from Carr to Gaines, as the Bulldogs rallied to within two at 37-35 with 6:04 remaining. The Spartans clinched the game with a seven-play, 77-yard drive that resulted in Smoker’s third TD pass, a 5-yard toss to Ivory McCoy with 1:59 left. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter FSU – Stephen Spach 5-yard pass from David Carr (Asen Asparuhov kick), 14:01 left. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, TOP 0:59. MSU – Charles Rogers 72-yard pass from Jeff Smoker (Dave Rayner kick), 6:16 left. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, TOP 0:10. MSU – Monquiz Wedlow recovers David Carr fumble in end zone (Dave Rayner kick), 5:54 left. FSU – Rodney Wright 36-yard pass from David Carr (Asen Asparuhov kick), 3:20 left. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:34. MSU – Dave Rayner 41-yard field goal, 0:05 left. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, TOP 3:15. Second Quarter MSU – T.J. Duckett 5-yard run (Dave Rayner kick), 8:53 left. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, TOP 4:17. FSU – Rodney Wright 79-yard pass from David Carr (Asen Asparuhov kick), 7:47 left. 3 plays, 83 yards, TOP 1:06. MSU – T.J. Duckett 39-yard run (Dave Rayner kick), 5:05 left. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, TOP 2:42. MSU – Charles Rogers 69-yard pass from Jeff Smoker (Dave Rayner kick failed), 3:05 left. Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, TOP 0:11. Third Quarter FSU – Paris Gaines 2-yard run (Asen Asparuhov kick), 6:54 left. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, TOP 3:50. Fourth Quarter FSU – Paris Gaines 15-yard pass from David Carr (Asen Asparuhov kick), 6:04 left. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, TOP 0:48. MSU – Ivory McCoy 5-yard pass from Jeff Smoker (Dave Rayner kick), 1:59 left. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, TOP 4:05. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes (Att-Comp-Int) Total Offense Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Punts-Average Punt Returns (No-Yds) KO Returns (No-Yds)
MSU 23 42-210 376 32-22-1 74-586 1-0 8-64 6-38.7 2-3 5-108
FSU 25 22-29 531 58-35-2 80-560 2-1 6-30 5-39.6 3-27 6-115
2003 ALAMO BOWL DEC. 29, 2003 | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS | ATT: 56,226 1 2 3 MSU NEBRASKA
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Cory Ross rushed for a career-high 138 yards and two scores to lead No. 22 Nebraska to a 17-3 victory over Michigan State in the 2003 MasterCard Alamo Bowl. Ross carried the ball seven times for 37 yards on Nebraska’s opening drive to set up David Dyches’ 29-yard field goal as the Cornhuskers took a 3-0 lead with 8:19 left in the first quarter. Michigan State answered with a 10-play, 48-yard drive, with Jeff Smoker completing 5-of-6 passes for 43 yards, and pulled even on a 46-yard field goal by Dave Rayner with 3:53 remaining in the first quarter. Jammal Lord’s 58-yard completion to Isaiah Fluellen early in the second quarter gave the Cornhuskers first-and-goal at the MSU 6. Two plays later, Ross scored on a 2-yard run as Nebraska jumped out to a 10-3 lead with 13:17 left in the first half. Late in the second quarter, Lord broke free for a 66-yard gain to the MSU 14. Two plays later, Ross raced 6 yards for a touchdown as the Cornhuskers built a 17-3 lead with 3:20 to play in the first half. The Spartan defense bounced back in the second half, allowing only 106 total yards while holding Nebraska scoreless. Michigan State’s offense came to life midway through the fourth quarter. Smoker completed five-straight passes for 39 yards and Tyrell Dortch gained 16 yards on two running plays as the Spartans marched to the Cornhusker 17. After a personal-foul penalty pushed the Spartans back 15 yards, Pat Ricketts ended the scoring threat when he picked off Smoker’s throw intended for Aaron Alexander at the Nebraska 24. The Cornhuskers limited Michigan State to a season-low 174 total yards – nearly 210 yards below its season average. Nebraska sacked Smoker five times for 37 yards and forced three interceptions. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter NEB – David Dyches 29-yard field goal, 8:19 left. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, TOP 4:23. MSU – Dave Rayner 46-yard field goal, 3:53 left. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, TOP 4:26 Second Quarter NEB – Cory Ross 2-yard run (David Dyches kick), 13:17 left. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, TOP 0:56. NEB – Cory Ross 6-yard run (David Dyches kick), 3:20 left. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, TOP 0:49. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Return Yards Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Punts-Avg. Time of Possession
MSU 13 23-18 156 39-21-3 62-174 3 0-0 5-53 8-46.4 29:31
NEB 20 54-229 160 17-8-0 71-389 30 1-0 8-69 7-42.9 30:29
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Tyrell Dortch 9-31, Jaren Hayes 6-13, Jeff Smoker 8-(-26). NEB: Cory Ross 37-138, Jammal Lord 10-79, Steve Kriewald 2-10, Judd Davies 2-4, Isaiah Fluellen 1-3, Team 2-(-5). INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Jeff Smoker 39-21-3 156. NEB: Jammal Lord 17-8-0 160. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MSU: Aaron Alexander 8-63, Kyle Brown 4-41, Agim Shabaj 4-31, Jerramy Scott 1-18, Eric Knott 1-10, Ziehl Kavanaght 1-8, Jaren Hayes 1-(-6), Tyrell Dortch 1-(-9). NEB: Isaiah Fluellen 4-84, Ross Pilkington 3-70, Dusty Keiser 1-6.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: T.J. Duckett 27-184, Jeff Smoker 9-17, Little John Flowers 5-11, Team 1-(-2). FSU: Paris Gaines 10-26, Rodney Wright 2-19, Therrian Fontenot 2-17, Josh Levi 1-6, Team 1-(6), Bernard Berrian 1-(-10), David Carr 5-(-23). INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Jeff Smoker 32-22-1 376. FSU: David Carr 56-35-2 531, Team 2-0-0 0. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MSU: Charles Rogers 10-270, Herb Haygood 5-49, Chris Baker 4-44, Ivory McCoy 2-10, BJ Lovett 1-3. FSU: Rodney Wright 13-299, Bernard Berrian 9-94, Charles Smith 5-77, Paris Gaines 2-18, Alec Greco 2-15, Deandre Gilbert 1-15, David Shabaglian 1-11, Stephen Spach 1-5, Marque Davis 1-(-3).
148 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 2007 CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL DEC. 28, 2007 | ORLANDO, FLA. | ATT: 46,554 1 2 BOSTON COLLEGE MSU
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Matt Ryan completed 22-of-47 passes for 249 yards and three scores to lead No. 14 Boston College to a 24-21 victory over Michigan State in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl. The Eagle defense forced five turnovers, including two interceptions by All-American Jamie Silva. Michigan State started the game with a bang, as Devin Thomas returned the opening kickoff 79 yards to the BC 18. Three plays later, Kellen Davis scored on an 18-yard strike from Brian Hoyer as the Spartans jumped out to a 7-0 lead. A fumble inside the MSU 20 set up BC’s first score, a 1-yard toss from Ryan to Jon Loyte that tied the game at 7 with 36 seconds left in the first quarter. Boston College took the lead for good on its next possession as a 10-play, 70-yard drive resulted in Ryan’s second TD pass, a 29-yarder to Rich Gunnell, with 8:54 remaining in the second quarter. Late in the first half, Michigan State caught a break as Johnny Ayers shanked a 12-yard punt that went out of bounds at the BC 30. Three plays netted only 8 yards and the Spartans had to settle for a 39-yard field goal from Brett Swenson to pull to within 14-10. On its opening possession of the third quarter, Michigan State put together an 11-play, 54-yard drive that resulted in Swenson’s 23-yard field goal and cut its deficit to 14-13. Boston College answered on its next series as Steve Aponavicius capped an 11-play, 69-yard drive with a 28-yard field goal to extend its lead to 17-13. Ryan’s 68-yard bomb to Gunnell early in the fourth quarter gave the Eagles a 24-13 lead. Midway through the fourth quarter, Greg Jones sacked Ryan and forced a fumble that Oren Wilson recovered at the BC 37. Three plays later, Hoyer hooked up with Deon Curry for a 14-yard scoring pass as the Spartans rallied to within 24-21 with 6:04 left in the game. Michigan State got the ball back twice in the closing minutes but failed to enter BC territory. The Spartans outgained Boston College in total yards, 303-276. MSU’s Javon Ringer rushed 21 times for 101 yards against the nation’s top-ranked rushing defense. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter MSU – Kellen Davis 18-yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Brett Swenson kick), 13:23 left. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, TOP 1:37. BC – Jon Loyte 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Steve Aponavicius kick), 0:36 left. Drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, TOP: 1:51 Second Quarter BC – Rich Gunnell 29-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Steve Aponavicius kick), 8:54 left. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:31. MSU – Brett Swenson 39-yard field goal, 2:17 left. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, TOP 1:39 Third Quarter MSU – Brett Swenson 23-yard field goal, 8:21 left. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, TOP 5:40. BC – Steve Aponavicius 28-yard field goal, 5:10 left. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, TOP 3:11. Fourth Quarter BC – Rich Gunnell 68-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Steve Aponavicius kick), 9:21 left. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:04. MSU – Deon Curry 14-yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Kellen Davis pass from Brian Hoyer), 6:04 left. Drive: 3 plays, 37 yards, TOP 0:32
JAN. 1, 2009 | ORLANDO, FLA. | ATT: 59,681 1 2 GEORGIA MSU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
MSU 18 39-172 131 14-36-4 75-303 6-42.0 3-1 1-15 32:13
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING BC: Andre Callender 12-33; L.V. Whitworth 7-19; James McCluskey 1-1; Team 1-(-2); Matt Ryan 9-(-24). MSU: Javon Ringer 21-101; Jehuu Caulcrick 15-59; Brian Hoyer 2-8; Kellen Davis 1-4. INDIVIDUAL PASSING BC: Matt Ryan 47-22-1 249. MSU: Brian Hoyer 36-14-4 131. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING BC: Rich Gunnell 6-138; Andre Callender 4-15; Brandon Robinson 3-19; Justin Jarvis 2-24; Ryan Purvis 2-18; Clarence Megwa 1-17; James McCluskey 1-9; Kevin Challenger 1-6; L.V. Whitworth 1-2; Jon Loyte 1-1. MSU: Kellen Davis 4-38; Devin Thomas 4-34; Deon Curry 2-25; Javon Ringer 1-17; Jehuu Caulcrick 1-6; Mark Dell 1-6; A.J. Jimmerson 1-5.
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Matthew Stafford completed 20-of-31 throws for 250 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 16 Georgia to a 24-12 victory over No. 19 Michigan State in the 2009 Capital One Bowl. Michigan State took the opening kickoff and drove the ball to the Georgia 39-yard line, but Dwayne Holmes was stopped short of a first down on a fake punt. The Bulldogs responded with an eight-play, 48-yard drive of their own and took a 3-0 lead on Blair Walsh’s 32-yard field goal with 9:26 left in the first quarter. Georgia’s second possession resulted in a turnover, as Kendell Davis-Clark returned his first career interception 24 yards to set up Brett Swenson’s 20-yard field goal that tied the score at 3 with 4:50 to play in the opening quarter. The Spartans forced two turnovers in the first quarter but managed to produce only a field goal. Late in the first half, another Georgia miscue – a mishandled snap by punter Brian Mimbs – gave the Spartans great field position at the UGA 40. However, Michigan State had to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Swenson and a 6-3 halftime lead after Brian Hoyer was sacked by Jarius Wynn for a 5-yard loss on a third-and-6 play from the Bulldog 10. Georgia’s offense came to life in the second half, as Stafford connected on 14-of-17 passes for 179 yards and three scores. Stafford capped off a 10-play, 96-yard drive with a 35-yard TD strike to Michael Moore as the Bulldogs took the lead for good at 10-6 with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter. Prince Miller’s 38-yard punt return plus a 15-yard personal-foul penalty set up Stafford’s second scoring pass, a 21-yarder to Aron White with 0:09 to play in the third quarter to build a 17-6 advantage. Early in the fourth quarter, Michigan State pulled to within 17-12 as Javon Ringer finished off a 10-play, 54-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge for his school-record 22nd TD run of the season. Georgia answered with an 11-play, 67-yard drive and iced the game on Stafford’s 21-yard TD toss to Knowshon Moreno, who made the grab over Greg Jones at the front corner of the end zone. The Bulldog defense held Michigan State to a season-low 236 total yards, including just 31 yards on 34 rushing attempts. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter UGA – Blair Walsh 32-yard field goal, 9:26 left. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, TOP 2:39. MSU – Brett Swenson 20-yard field goal, 4:50 left. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, TOP 1:25. Second Quarter MSU – Brett Swenson 32-yard field goal, 2:14 left. Drive: 10 plays, 24 yards, TOP 4:45. Third Quarter UGA – Michael Moore 35-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Blair Walsh kick), 3:31 left. Drive: 10 plays, 96 yards, TOP 5:51. UGA – Aron White 21-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Blair Walsh kick), 0:09 left. Drive: 1 play, 21 yards, TOP 0:06. Fourth Quarter MSU – Javon Ringer 1-yard run (pass failed), 8:50 left. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, TOP 2:20. UGA – Knowshon Moreno 21-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Blair Walsh kick), 3:43 left. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, TOP 5:03. TEAM STATISTICS
TEAM STATISTICS BC 17 30-27 249 22-47-1 77-276 9-41.7 2-1 4-22 27:47
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First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
UGA 19 33-81 250 31-20-1 64-331 5-47.4 1-1 7-53 30:00
MSU 16 34-31 205 39-22-1 73-236 5-38.0 1-0 5-50 30:00
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING UGA: Knowshon Moreno 23-62, Matthew Stafford 6-9, Brian Mimbs 1-8, A.J. Green 1-6, Team 2-(-4). MSU: Javon Ringer 20-47, Brian Hoyer 8-3, Dwayne Holmes 1-2, Keshawn Martin 2-(-3), Team 2-(-8). INDIVIDUAL PASSING UGA: Matthew Stafford 31-20-1 250. MSU: Brian Hoyer 34-18-1 169, Kirk Cousins 5-4-0 36. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING UGA: Michael Moore 6-97, Knowshon Moreno 6-63, Kris Durham 3-32, Aron White 1-21, A.J. Green 1-12, Caleb King 1-11, Mohamed Massaquoi 1-10, Demiko Goodman 1-4. MSU: B.J. Cunningham 6-52, Mark Dell 5-61, Blair White 4-31, Javon Ringer 3-30, Andrew Hawken 1-14, Garrett Celek 1-8, Josh Rouse 1-5, Jeff McPherson 1-4.
149 MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL • #REACHHIGHER
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 2011 CAPITAL ONE BOWL
2010 VALERO ALAMO BOWL JAN. 2, 2010 | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS | ATT: 64,757 1 2 3 MSU TEXAS TECH
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Steven Sheffield came off the bench to complete 9-of-11 passes for 88 yards and direct two fourth-quarter scoring drives as Texas Tech rallied from a four-point deficit for a 41-31 victory over Michigan State in the 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl. There were four lead changes in the second half as the teams combined for 72 points and 975 total yards. Texas Tech jumped out to a 7-0 lead as Baron Batch capped a nine-play, 61-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 8:00 left in the first quarter. The Spartans tied the score at 7 on Edwin Baker’s 46-yard TD run with 3:47 remaining in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, the Red Raiders built a 17-7 lead on Matt Williams’ 21-yard field goal and Taylor Potts’ 2-yard TD toss to Lyle Leong. MSU responded with a quick strike, as Kirk Cousins hooked up with Keshawn Martin for a 48-yard scoring play with 8:06 left in the first half. A 38-yard field goal by Williams gave Texas Tech a 20-14 halftime lead. The Red Raiders’ Eric Stephens fumbled the second-half kickoff and Brett Swenson recovered the ball at the Texas Tech 26. Five plays later, Keith Nichol scored his first career rushing TD on a 7-yard keeper up the middle as MSU took its first lead at 21-20. Midway through the third quarter, Texas Tech put together a nine-play, 92-yard drive and regained the lead at 27-21 on a 14-yard TD pass from Potts to Jacoby Franks. An 18-yard completion from punter Aaron Bates to Charlie Gantt on a fourth-and-5 play set up Martin’s 8-yard TD strike to Blair White as MSU took a 28-27 lead with 1:18 left in the third quarter. Baker’s 26-yard run early in the fourth quarter led to a 44-yard field goal by Swenson as the Spartans extended their lead to 31-27. Sheffield finished off an eight-play, 77-yard drive with an 11-yard TD pass to Detron Lewis as Texas Tech took the lead for good at 34-31 with 5:03 remaining in the game. MSU’s next possession resulted in a turnover, as Franklin Mitchem intercepted Cousins’ pass intended for Martin at the Spartan 35. Nine plays later, Batch iced the game with his 13-yard TD gallop. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter TT – Baron Batch 3-yard run (Matt Williams kick), 8:00 left. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, TOP 3:43. MSU – Edwin Baker 46-yard run (Brett Swenson kick), 3:47 left. Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, TOP 0:36. Second Quarter TT – Matt Williams 21-yard field goal, 14:11 left. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:36. TT – Lyle Leong 2-yard pass from Taylor Potts (Matt Williams kick), 11:01 left. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, TOP 2:00. MSU – Keshawn Martin 48-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Brett Swenson kick), 8:06 left. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, TOP 2:55. TT – Matt Williams 38-yard field goal, 0:20 left. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, TOP 2:28. Third Quarter MSU – Keith Nichol 7-yard run (Brett Swenson kick), 12:15 left. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, TOP 2:45. TT – Jacoby Franks 14-yard pass from Taylor Potts (Matt Williams kick), 6:32 left. Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, TOP 3:05. MSU – Blair White 8-yard pass from Keshawn Martin (Brett Swenson kick), 1:18 left. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:19. Fourth Quarter MSU – Brett Swenson 44-yard field goal, 8:05 left. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, TOP 5:36. TT – Detron Lewis 11-yard pass from Steven Sheffield (Matt Williams kick), 5:03 left. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, TOP 3:02. TT – Baron Batch 13-yard run (Matt Williams kick), 2:08 left. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, TOP 2:11. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
MSU 13 32-148 248 30-16-2 62-396 4-45.2 1-0 5-55 28:27
TT 31 31-119 460 54-38-1 85-579 2-44.5 2-1 9-60 31:33
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Edwin Baker 12-97, Larry Caper 11-25, Kirk Cousins 5-18, Keith Nichol 1-7, Keshawn Martin 2-3, Team 1-(-2). TT: Baron Batch 22-100, Eric Stephens 4-31, Harrison Jeffers 1-4, Team 2-(-3), Steven Sheffield 1-(-5), Taylor Potts 1-(-8). INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Kirk Cousins 27-13-2 220, Keshawn Martin 2-2-0 10, Aaron Bates 1-1-0 18. TT: Taylor Potts 43-29-1 372, Steven Sheffield 11-9-0 88.
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INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MSU: Blair White 6-114, Keshawn Martin 4-86, Charlie Gantt 2-34, Keith Nichol 2-11, Kirk Cousins 1-2, Edwin Baker 1-1. TT: Detron Lewis 10-114, Tramain Swindall 7-49, Baron Batch 6-85, Austin Zouzalik 3-75, Lyle Leong 3-58, Eric Stephens 3-33, Jacoby Franks 2-19, Alex Torres 2-15, Harrison Jeffers 2-12.
JAN. 1, 2011 | ORLANDO, FLA. | ATT: 61,519 1 2 ALABAMA MSU
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Mark Ingram and Eddie Lacy combined to rush for 145 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 15 Alabama to a 49-7 victory over No. 7 Michigan State in the 2011 Capital One Bowl. Alabama scored on its first four possessions to build a 28-0 halftime lead. The Crimson Tide took the opening kickoff and drove 79 yards in 11 plays and jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Ingram’s 1-yard TD run. On its opening series, Michigan State drove to the Alabama 24 but on a third-and-18 play, Kirk Cousins’ pass attempt was intercepted by Robert Lester. Trent Richardson capped off an eight-play, 62-yard drive with an 8-yard TD run with 14:33 left in the second quarter. Trailing 14-0, a 28-yard completion from Cousins to Brian Linthicum gave MSU a first-and-goal at the Crimson Tide 7. Facing third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Cousins fumbled while being sacked by Courtney Upshaw as the play resulted in a 30-yard loss and took the Spartans out of field-goal range. Ingram reached paydirt on a 6-yard run and Julio Jones scored on a 35-yard reverse around left end as Alabama took a 28-0 lead to the locker room. Greg McElroy hooked up with Marquis Maze for a 37-yard scoring play and Lacy added TD runs of 12 and 62 yards as the Crimson Tide built a 49-0 lead. The Spartans avoided a shutout as Bennie Fowler scored on a 49-yard pass from Keith Nichol with 5:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Alabama limited MSU to a season-low 171 total yards – nearly 236 yards below its regular-season average. Upshaw recorded five tackles with three resulting in losses (29 yards), including two sacks, to earn game MVP honors. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter ALA – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (Jeremy Shelley kick), 8:20 left. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, TOP 6:40. Second Quarter ALA – Trent Richardson 8-yard run (Jeremy Shelley kick), 14:33 left. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, TOP 2:48. ALA – Mark Ingram 6-yard run (Jeremy Shelley kick), 6:46 left. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:22. ALA – Julio Jones 35-yard run (Jeremy Shelley kick), 3:50 left. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, TOP 1:20. Third Quarter ALA – Marquis Maze 37-yard pass from Greg McElroy (Jeremy Shelley kick), 12:00 left. Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, TOP 1:23. ALA – Eddie Lacy 12-yard run (Jeremy Shelley kick), 1:09 left. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, TOP 5:00. Fourth Quarter ALA – Eddie Lacy 62-yard run (Jeremy Shelley kick), 8:58 left. Drive: 3 plays, 84 yards, TOP 1:19. MSU – Bennie Fowler 49-yard pass from Keith Nichol (Dan Conroy kick), 5:45 left. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, TOP 3:05. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
ALA 25 44-275 271 23-19-0 67-546 2-39.5 1-0 3-25 32:22
MSU 12 28-(-48) 219 29-14-1 57-171 7-43.4 2-0 8-45 27:38
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING ALA: Eddie Lacy 5-86, Mark Ingram 12-59, Trent Richardson 10-42, Julio Jones 2-36, Demetrius Goode 10-36, Darius Hanks 1-6, Greg McElroy 1-4, A.J. McCarron 1-4, Jalston Fowler 1-3, Team 1-(-1). MSU: Edwin Baker 12-14, Le’Veon Bell 4-13, Larry Caper 1-1, Keshawn Martin 4-0, Andrew Maxwell 1-(-8), Team 1-(-12), Kirk Cousins 5-(-56). INDIVIDUAL PASSING ALA: Greg McElroy 17-13-0 220, A.J. McCarron 6-6-0 51. MSU: Kirk Cousins 18-10-1 120, Andrew Maxwell 6-2-0 43, Keith Nichol 5-2-0 56. INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING ALA: Marquis Maze 4-77, Dial Preston 4-55, Julio Jones 3-49, Brad Smelley 2-20, Mark Ingram 1-30, Demetrius Goode 1-17, Trent Richardson 1-12, Earl Alexander 1-7, Michael Williams 1-3, Chris Underwood 1-1. MSU: Keshawn Martin 3-41, Keith Nichol 3-22, Bennie Fowler 2-56, Charlie Gantt 2-40, Mark Dell 2-27, Brian Linthicum 1-28, Larry Caper 1-5.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 2012 OUTBACK BOWL JAN. 2, 2012 | TAMPA, FLA. | ATT: 49,429 1 2 3 MSU GEORGIA
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Dan Conroy converted a 28-yard field goal in the third overtime and Anthony Rashad White blocked Blair Walsh’s 47-yard field-goal attempt to give No. 12 Michigan State a 33-30 victory over No. 18 Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl. The Spartans rallied from a 16-0 halftime deficit to snap a five-game bowl losing streak. Georgia jumped out to a 16-0 lead as Brandon Boykin tackled Keshawn Martin for a 2-yard loss and a safety on MSU’s first play from scrimmage, Aaron Murray hit Tavarres King for an 80-yard touchdown, and Boykin returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown. The Spartan defense helped set the tone in the second half, as Georgia’s first possession ended with Darqueze Dennard’s interception at the Bulldog 48. Nine plays later, Le’Veon Bell scored on an 8-yard run around right end, and with Kirk Cousins’ 2-point pass to Brian Linthicum, the Spartans had cut Georgia’s lead in half at 16-8. Late in the third quarter, Dennard returned his second interception 38 yards for a touchdown as MSU pulled to within 16-14. Trailing 19-14 early in the fourth quarter, Cousins’ 50-yard completion to Linthicum set up his 7-yard TD strike to Keith Nichol on a third-and-goal play. The Bulldogs responded with a five-play, 81-yard drive to take a 27-20 lead on Murray’s 13-yard TD toss to Boykin. Down seven with 1:55 remaining and no timeouts, Cousins engineered a 10-play, 85-yard drive, as the Spartans rallied to send the game into overtime on Bell’s 1-yard TD run with 14 seconds left in regulation. Cousins accounted for 84 of MSU’s 85 yards on the scoring drive, connecting on 6-of-8 passes for 64 yards and scrambling for another 20 yards. After a scoreless first overtime, the teams traded field goals in the second overtime. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter UGA – Brandon Boykin safety, 12:07 left. Second Quarter UGA – Tavarres King 80-yard pass from Aaron Murray (Blair Walsh kick), 3:06 left. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, TOP: 0:12. UGA – Brandon Boykin 92-yard punt return (Blair Walsh kick), 1:39 left. Third Quarter MSU – Le’Veon Bell 8-yard run (Brian Linthicum pass from Kirk Cousins), 7:52 left. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, TOP: 2:47. MSU – Darqueze Dennard 38-yard interception return (Kirk Cousins pass failed), 1:47 left. Fourth Quarter UGA – Blair Walsh 32-yard field goal, 9:58 left. Drive: 4 plays, -3 yards, TOP: 1:23. MSU – Keith Nichol 7-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Kirk Cousins pass failed), 8:22 left. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, TOP: 1:36. UGA – Brandon Boykin 13-yard pass from Aaron Murray (Malcom Mitchell pass from Aaron Murray), 6:44 left. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, TOP: 1:38. MSU – Le’Veon Bell 1-yard run (Dan Conroy kick), 0:14 left. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, TOP: 1:41. Overtime UGA – Blair Walsh 47-yard field goal. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards. MSU – Dan Conroy 35-yard field goal. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards. MSU – Dan Conroy 28-yard field goal. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
MSU 15 29-73 318 51-28-3 80-391 8-50.1 0-0 8-50 28:26
UGA 15 39-51 288 32-20-2 71-339 7-43.7 1-1 5-15 31:34
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Le’Veon Bell 17-48, Kirk Cousins 4-23, Edwin Baker 6-10, Keshawn Martin 2-(-8). UGA: Ken Malcome 12-51, Brandon Boykin 2-8, Isaiah Crowell 3-3, Branden Smith 2-3, Richard Samuel 9-0, Carlton Thomas 2-0, Team 1-(-1), Aaron Murray 8-(-13). INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Kirk Cousins 50-27-3 300, Keshawn Martin 1-1-0 18. UGA: Aaron Murray 32-20-2 288.
DEC. 29, 2012 | TEMPE, ARIZ. | ATT: 44,617 1 2 TCU MSU
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Dan Conroy hit a game-winning 47-yard field goal with 1:01 remaining in the fourth quarter as Michigan State defeated TCU, 17-16, in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Le’Veon Bell led all players with 145 yards rushing on 32 carries, including a 4-yard touchdown run, and was named the Offensive Player of the Game. William Gholston earned Defensive Player of the Game honors after leading MSU with a season-high nine tackles, including a 5-yard sack. TCU jumped out to a 7-0 lead as Matthew Tucker capped a nine-play, 73-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run with 5:45 left in the first quarter. The Horned Frogs added to their lead after Jared Oberkrom connected on field goals of 47 and 31 yards in the second quarter. Michigan State got on the board with 34 seconds left in the third quarter as Connor Cook capped MSU’s longest touchdown drive of the season and longest in bowl history (14 plays, 90 yards) with his first career TD pass, a 15-yard strike to Aaron Burbridge. Trailing 13-7 midway through the fourth quarter, the Spartans took advantage of a crucial TCU turnover as RJ Williamson recovered a fumbled punt return by Skye Dawson at the TCU 4-yard line. Two plays later, Bell scored on a 4-yard run, giving MSU a 14-13 lead with 7:00 remaining. TCU regained the lead, 16-14, on Oberkrom’s 53-yard field goal with 2:42 left in the game, but Cook led MSU on an eight-play, 45-yard scoring drive capped by Conroy’s 47-yard field goal with just over a minute remaining. On the ensuing possession, the Spartans held the Horned Frogs without a first down to seal the 17-16 win. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter TCU – Matthew Tucker 4-yard run (Jaden Oberkrom kick), 5:45 left. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, TOP: 4:31. Second Quarter TCU – Jaden Oberkrom 47-yard field goal, 13:25 left. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, TOP: 3:47. TCU – Jaden Oberkrom 31-yard field goal, 8:18 left. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, TOP: 2:55. Third Quarter MSU – Aaron Burbridge 15-yard pass from Connor Cook (Dan Conroy kick), 0:34 left. Drive: 14 plays, 90 yards, TOP: 6:34 Fourth Quarter MSU – Le’Veon Bell 4-yard run (Dan Conroy kick), 7:00 left. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, TOP: 0:13. TCU – Jaden Oberkrom 53-yard field goal, 2:42 left. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 1:44. MSU – Dan Conroy 47-yard field goal, 1:01 left. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 1:41. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
TCU 13 30-87 201 29-13-1 59-288 7-39.3 1-1 5-39 26:57
MSU 13 42-123 104 27-11-0 69-227 11-43.7 1-0 7-72 33:03
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING TCU: Trevone Boykin 13-37, Matthew Tucker 8-28, B.J. Catalon 7-20, Skye Dawson 1-2, Team 1-0; MSU: Le’Veon Bell 32-145, Connor Cook 3-0, Nick Hill 1-(-1), Team 1-(-2), Andrew Maxwell 5-(-19). INDIVIDUAL PASSING TCU: Trevone Boykin 29-13-1 201; MSU: Andrew Maxwell 15-6-0 28, Connor Cook 11-4-0 47, Le’Veon Bell 1-1-0 29. RECEIVING TCU: Josh Boyce 5-91, LaDarius Brown 2-34, Brandon Carter 2-11, Matthew Tucker 2-0; MSU: Dion Sims 3-24, Aaron Burbridge 3-22, Le’Veon Bell 2-13, TyQuan Hammock 1-29, Tony Lippett 1-12, Keith Mumphery 1-4.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MSU: Brian Linthicum 7-115, B.J. Cunningham 7-66, Le’Veon Bell 5-39, Keith Nichol 4-53, Keshawn Martin 4-35, Todd Anderson 1-10. UGA: Malcom Mitchell 7-51, Tavarres King 6-205, Brandon Boykin 1-13, Marlon Brown 1-6, Ken Malcome 1-6, Isaiah Crowell 1-4, Michael Bennett 1-4, Orson Charles 1-2, Aaron Murray 1-(-3).
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SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY 2014 ROSE BOWL
2015 COTTON BOWL
JAN. 1, 2014 | PASADENA, CALIF. | ATT: 95,173 1 2 STANFORD MSU
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Fourth-ranked Michigan State won its first Rose Bowl in 26 years and fourth in program history with a 24-20 comeback victory over fifth-ranked and defending Rose Bowl Champion Stanford in the 100th Rose Bowl Game. Connor Cook, who completed 22-of-36 passes for a 332 yards to earn Offensive MVP honors, hit Tony Lippett with the game-winning, 25-yard touchdown pass with 13:22 left in the fourth quarter that put Michigan State on top, 24-17. Stanford scored on the game’s opening drive as Tyler Gaffney’s 16-yard touchdown run capped a seven-play, 77-yard drive for the Cardinal. Jordan Williamson’s 34-yard field goal with 1:40 left in the first quarter extended Stanford’s lead to 10-0. The Spartans got on the board with 10:45 on the clock in the second quarter as Jeremy Langford’s 2-yard TD run cut MSU’s deficit to 10-7. Stanford pushed its advantage back to 10 points at 17-7 on a Kevin Anderson 40-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:07 remaining in the second, but the Spartans quickly responded with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that concluded with a 2-yard pass from Connor Cook to Trevon Pendleton just 28 seconds before halftime. MSU tied the score at 17 on Michael Geiger’s 31-yard field goal with 12:56 left in the third quarter. A 19-yard punt return by Macgarrett Kings Jr. late in the third quarter gave Michigan State great field position on the Cardinal 27-yard line, and the Spartans took advantage as Cook found Lippett for a 25-yard TD pass on a third-and-8 play early in the fourth. Stanford trimmed the margin to 24-20 on a 39-yard field goal by Williamson with 4:15 remaining. The Cardinal got the ball one last time on its own 25-yard line with 3:06 to play, but couldn’t convert a first down, as Kyler Elsworth sealed the victory for MSU by leaping over the pile at the line of scrimmage and stopping fullback Ryan Hewitt on fourth-and-1. Elsworth, who collected four tackles including 1.5 for losses in his first career start at linebacker, was named the Rose Bowl Game Defensive MVP. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter STAN – Tyler Gaffney 16-yard run (Jordan Williamson kick), 11:16 left. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, TOP: 3:44. STAN – Jordan Williamson 34-yard field goal, 1:40 left. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, TOP: 2:41. Second Quarter MSU – Jeremy Langford 2-yard run (Michael Geiger kick), 10:45 left. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP: 5:55. STAN – Kevin Anderson 40-yard interception return (Jordan Williamson kick), 2:07 left. MSU – Trevon Pendleton 2-yard pass from Connor Cook (Michael Geiger kick), 0:28 left. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP: 1:39. Third Quarter MSU – Michael Geiger 31-yard field goal, 12:56 left. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, TOP: 2:04. Fourth Quarter MSU – Tony Lippett 25-yard pass from Connor Cook, 13:22 left. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, TOP: 1:28. STAN – Jordan Williamson 39-yard field goal, 4:15 left. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, TOP: 4:46. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
STAN 11 36-162 143 18-10-1 54-305 5-49.8 2-0 8-55 28:49
MSU 21 35-65 332 36-22-1 71-397 6-45.5 1-1 4-35 31:11
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING STAN: Tyler Gaffney 24-91, Kevin Hogan 8-41, Michael Rector 1-27, Ricky Seale 1-4, Ryan Hewitt 1-0, Team 1-(-1); MSU: Jeremy Langford 23-84, Macgarrett Kings Jr. 2-7, Bennie Fowler 1-(-5), Team 3-(-6), Connor Cook 6-(-15). INDIVIDUAL PASSING STAN: Kevin Hogan 18-10-1 143; MSU: Connor Cook 36-22-1 332.
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RECEIVING STAN: Ty Montgomery 3-21, Michael Rector 2-44, Devon Cajuste 1-51, Barry Sanders 1-11, Ryan Hewitt 1-11, Anthony Wilkerson 1-7, Tyler Gaffney 1-(-2); MSU: Tony Lippett 5-94, Jeremy Langford 5-17, Macgarrett Kings Jr. 4-52, Bennie Fowler 2-97, Trevon Pendleton 2-21, Keith Mumphery 1-20, Andrew Gleichert 1-17, Josiah Price 1-9, Jamal Lyles 1-5.
JAN. 1, 2015 | ARLINGTON, TEXAS | ATT: 71,464 1 2 MSU BAYLOR
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Michigan State (No. 7 AP, No. 8 CFP) staged its biggest comeback in bowl history with a thrilling 42-41 victory over Baylor (No. 4 AP, No. 5 CFP) in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. The game was the highest-scoring Cotton Bowl ever. Down 20 points entering the fourth quarter, 41-21, the Spartans outscored the Bears 21-0 in the final 15 minutes, including the game-winning touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Connor Cook to Keith Mumphery with just 17 seconds remaining. MSU extended its school-record bowl winning streak to four games, which also tied a Big Ten record. Cook completed 24-of-42 throws for 314 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jeremy Langford extended his school-record streak to 10 straight 100-yard rushing games, with 27 carries for 162 yards, marking the third-highest single-game rushing total by a Spartan in a bowl game. He also tied a career high and a Spartan bowl record with three rushing TDs. Langford’s career-long 65-yard run off left tackle on the third play from scrimmage set up his first rushing TD of game, a 2-yard score just 2:33 into the game. Baylor quickly responded on a 49-yard pass from Bryce Petty to KD Cannon to tie the game midway through the first. The teams traded TDs again in the first quarter as R.J. Shelton scored on an 11-yard run at the 5:06 mark and Jay Lee connected with Corey Coleman on a 53-yard scoring strike at the 2:32 mark. The Bears took a 24-14 lead into halftime after Petty rushed for a 1-yard TD and Chris Callahan made a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter. Baylor pushed its lead to 34-14 early in the third as Petty again found Cannon on a deep scoring pass, this time for 74 yards, just 28 seconds into the second half, and Callahan kicked a 46-yard field goal with 11:23 remaining. The Spartans got back on the board as Langford scored his second rushing TD of the game (2 yards) at the 6:50 mark, but the Bears went back up by 20 on Petty’s 18-yard TD pass to offensive lineman LaQuan McGowan with 4:03 left to make it 41-21. The Spartans started their comeback in the fourth when Cook hooked up with Josiah Price for an 8-yard TD pass less than three minutes into the quarter. Langford cut the Spartan deficit to 41-35 on a 1-yard rush with 4:55 left in the game. With Baylor still leading 41-35 and just over a minute remaining, Callahan lined up for a 43-yard field goal – and essentially the win – but Marcus Rush blocked the kick, and RJ Williamson scooped up the ball and ran 36 yards down the Spartan sideline to the Baylor 45, setting up MSU’s game-winning TD drive. Cook completed a key fourth-and-10 pass to Tony Lippett for 17 yards that kept the drive alive with 33 seconds left, then found Mumphery in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal with 17 seconds left to tie the game at 41. Michael Geiger followed the TD by making his sixth point-after attempt to give the Spartans a 42-41 lead. With one final chance to win the game, Baylor was sacked twice on its last drive before Riley Bullough iced the victory on a diving interception with just two seconds remaining. SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter MSU – Jeremy Langford 2-yard run (Michael Geiger kick), 12:27 left. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP: 2:33. BU – KD Cannon 49-yard pass from Bryce Petty (Chris Callahan kick), 8:56 left. Drive: 10 plays, 93 yards, TOP: 3:28. MSU – R.J. Shelton 11-yard run (Michael Geiger kick), 5:06 left. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, TOP: 3:42. BU – Corey Coleman 53-yard pass from Jay Lee (Chris Callahan kick), 2:32 left. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, TOP: 0:35. Second Quarter BU – Bryce Petty 1-yard run (Chris Callahan kick), 8:13 left. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP: 2:50. BU – Chris Callahan 25-yard field goal, 3:14 left. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, TOP: 1:48. Third Quarter BU – KD Cannon 74-yard pass from Bryce Petty (Chris Callahan kick), 14:32 left. Drive: 2 plays, 76 yards, TOP: 0:19. BU – Chris Callahan 46-yard field goal, 11:23 left. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 1:58. MSU – Jeremy Langford 2-yard run (Michael Geiger kick), 6:50 left. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, TOP: 4:26. BU – LaQuan McGowan 18-yard pass from Bryce Petty (Chris Callahan kick), 4:03 left. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP: 2:47. Fourth Quarter MSU – Josiah Price 8-yard pass from Connor Cook (Michael Geiger kick), 12:09 left. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, TOP: 2:09. MSU – Jeremy Langford 1-yard run (Michael Geiger kick), 4:55 left. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, TOP: 4:20. MSU – Keith Mumphery 10-yard pass from Connor Cook (Michael Geiger kick), 0:17 left. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 0:48. TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
MSU 29 46-238 314 42-24-2 88-552 3-39.7 1-0 7-75 36:42
BU 25 22-(-20) 603 52-37-1 74-583 1-48.0 1-0 11-105 23:18
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING MSU: Jeremy Langford 27-162, Nick Hill 7-26, Tony Lippett 1-19, Connor Cook 6-11, R.J. Shelton 2-11, Michael Geiger 1-6, Macgarrett Kings 1-4 Team 1-(-1); BU: Shock Linwood 11-26, Johnny Jefferson 2-(-2), Devin Chafin 1-(-2), Team 1-(-6), Bryce Petty 7-(-36). INDIVIDUAL PASSING MSU: Connor Cook 42-24-2 314; BU: Bryce Petty 51-36-1 550, Jay Lee 1-1-0 53. RECEIVING MSU: Tony Lippett 5-74, Keith Mumphery 4-87, Aaron Burbridge 4-57, Josiah Price 3-27, Macgarrett Kings 3-19, Jeremy Langford 2-7, Jamal Lyles 1-21, R.J. Shelton 1-17, Delton Williams 1-5; BU: Antwan Goodley 9-93, KD Cannon 8-197, Corey Coleman 7-150, Levi Norwood 6-64, Jay Lee 2-37, Clay Fuller 2-25, LaQuan McGowan 1-18, Shock Linwood 1-14, Tre’Von Armstead 1-5.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY MSU / INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-GAME BOWL HIGHS RUSHING ATTEMPTS 41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake Ezor (179 yards) vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lorenzo White (113) vs. Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake Ezor (146) vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lorenzo White (158) vs. Georgia Tech, 1985 All-American 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Le’Veon Bell (145) vs. TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings RUSHING YARDS 184 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T.J. Duckett (27 rushes) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 179 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake Ezor (41) vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 162 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy Langford (27) vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 158 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lorenzo White (33) vs. Georgia Tech, 1985 All-American 146 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake Ezor (33) vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy Langford vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake Ezor vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Three times (last: Le’Veon Bell vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback)
Jeremy Langford tied a Spartan bowl record with three rushing touchdowns in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic victory over Baylor, and his 162 rushing yards were the third most by a Spartan in a bowl game. Langford tied Blake Ezor for the most rushing touchdowns in Spartan bowl history with four. Langford’s 65-yard run on the third play from scrimmage against Baylor was the longest rush in MSU bowl history.
PASSES ATTEMPTED 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kirk Cousins (27 comp.) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tony Banks (22) vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connor Cook (24) vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff Smoker (21) vs. Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connor Cook (22) vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Hoyer (14) vs. Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports PASSES COMPLETED 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kirk Cousins (50 attempts) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connor Cook (42) vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connor Cook (36) vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smoker (32) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tony Banks (44) vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence PASSING YARDS 376 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smoker vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 348 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tony Banks vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 332 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connor Cook vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose 314 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Connor Cook vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kirk Cousins vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback PASSES HAD INTERCEPTED 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brian Hoyer vs. Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kirk Cousins vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smoker vs. Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Todd Schultz vs. Washington, 1997 Aloha 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tony Banks vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Yarema vs. Army, 1984 Cherry 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Juday vs. UCLA, 1966 Rose
Connor Cook is one of only two Spartan quarterbacks to win two bowl games as the starter (Cook: 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton; Dan Enos: 1989 Aloha, 1990 Sun). Cook also led the Spartans on a game-winning drive in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against TCU; he has led the Spartans to three straight fourth-quarter comebacks in bowl games. In leading MSU to back-to-back bowl wins over No. 5 Stanford and No. 4 Baylor (Associated Press final regular-season ranking), Cook hit 46-of-78 throws (.590) for 646 yards (323.0 yards per game), four TDs and three interceptions. In three postseason bowl appearances, he owns MSU career records for passing yards (693), TD passes (5) and total yards (689).
TOUCHDOWN PASSES 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smoker vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Burke vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bobby McAllister vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator RECEPTIONS 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plaxico Burress (185 yards) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Rogers (270) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Muhsin Muhammad (171) vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andre Rison (252) vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron Alexander (63) vs. Nebraska, 2003 Alamo RECEIVING YARDS 270 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charles Rogers (10 catches) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 252 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andre Rison (9) vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator 185 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plaxico Burress (13) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 171 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Muhsin Muhammad (9) vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 115 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Linthicum (7) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plaxico Burress vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andre Rison vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator
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SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY PUNTS 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Sadler vs. TCU (481 yards), 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Sadler vs. Georgia (401 yards), 2012 Outback 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Edinger vs. Stanford (377), 1996 Sun 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Montgomery vs. Southern Cal (377), 1988 Rose 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron Bates vs. Alabama (304), 2011 Capital One PUNTING YARDS 481 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Sadler (11 punts) vs. TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 401 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Sadler (8) vs. Georgia, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 377 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Edinger (8) vs. Stanford, 1996 Sun 377 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Montgomery (8) vs. Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 304 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron Bates (7) vs. Alabama, 2011 Capital One PUNTING AVERAGE (MIN. 3 PUNTS) 55.8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ralf Mojsiejenko (4-223) vs. Army, 1984 Cherry 50.7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Langeloh (3-152) vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 50.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Sadler (8-401) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 48.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brandon Fields (5-240) vs. Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 47.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Edinger (8-377) vs. Stanford, 1996 Sun 47.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Montgomery (8-377) vs. Southern Cal, 1988 Rose PUNT RETURNS 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Devin Thomas (8 yards) vs. Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don Japinga (3) vs. UCLA, 1966 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Macgarrett Kings Jr. (21) vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sedrick Irvin (50) vs. Washington, 1997 Aloha 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bobby Morse (14) vs. Army, 1984 Cherry 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Billy Wells (70) vs. UCLA, 1954 Rose PUNT RETURN YARDS 70 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Billy Wells (3 returns) vs. UCLA, 1954 Rose 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sedrick Irvin (3) vs. Washington, 1997 Aloha 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Derrick Mason (2) vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Macgarrett Kings Jr. (3) vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose KICKOFF RETURNS 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keshawn Martin (149 yards) vs. Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Herb Haygood (132) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Devin Thomas (178) vs. Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Herb Haygood (108) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bennie Fowler (105) vs. Alabama, 2011 Capital One 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marc Renaud (41) vs. Washington, 1997 Aloha 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Derrick Mason (132) vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtney Hawkins (81) vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Craig Johnson (56) vs. Southern California, 1988 Rose
KICKOFF RETURN YARDS 178 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Devin Thomas (5 returns) vs. Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 149 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keshawn Martin (6) vs. Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 132 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Herb Haygood (6) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 132 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Derrick Mason (4) vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Herb Haygood (5) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley INTERCEPTIONS 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Darqueze Dennard (38 yards) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Iaquaniello (21) vs. Southern Cal, 1990 Sun 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Iaquaniello (13) vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Miller (4) vs. Southern California, 1988 Rose 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Matsock (67) vs. UCLA, 1954 Rose
FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Edinger (made 3) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brett Swenson (2) vs. Georgia, 2009 Capital One 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 times – last: Dan Conroy (made 2) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback TOTAL OFFENSE 393 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff Smoker (41 plays) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 325 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connor Cook (48) vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 323 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kirk Cousins (54) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 320 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tony Banks (54) vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 317 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connor Cook (42) vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose ALL-PURPOSE YARDS 270 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Rogers vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 252 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andre Rison vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator 238 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keshawn Martin vs. Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 232 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Derrick Mason vs. Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 220 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Devin Thomas vs. Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports TACKLES 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Percy Snow (15-2) vs. Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chuck Bullough (9-7) vs. Southern Cal, 1990 Sun 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shane Bullough (9-7) vs. Georgia Tech, 1985 All-American 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Morrissey (7-9) vs. Army, 1984 Cherry 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tim Moore (8-7) vs. Georgia Tech, 1985 All-American TACKLES FOR LOSSES 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Gholston (16 yards) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julian Peterson (32) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reggie Garnett (5) vs. Stanford, 1996 Sun SACKS 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julian Peterson (30 yards) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Gholston (10) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Wright (19) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rich Glover (17) vs. Louisville, 1993 Liberty FUMBLES RECOVERED 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Vanderbeek vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha EXTRA POINTS 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Geiger (6 att.) vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Rayner (6 att.) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brett Swenson (4) vs. Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evan Slonac (4) vs. UCLA, 1954 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Three times (last: Michael Geiger (3) vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose) EXTRA-POINT ATTEMPTS 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Geiger (6 made) vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Rayner (5 made) vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Four times (last: Brett Swenson (4) vs. Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo) POINTS SCORED 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy Langford vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plaxico Burress vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake Ezor vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andre Rison vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator
INTERCEPTION RETURN YARDS 67 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Matsock vs. UCLA, 1954 Rose 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darqueze Dennard vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Isaiah Lewis vs. TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom McShannock vs. Auburn, 1938 Orange 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kendell Davis-Clark vs. Georgia, 2009 Capital One
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FIELD GOALS MADE 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Edinger (46, 20, 39) vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Conroy (35, 28) vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brett Swenson (20, 32) vs. Georgia, 2009 Capital One 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brett Swenson (39, 23) vs. Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Langeloh (30, 34) vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Langeloh (40, 36) vs. Southern Cal, 1988 Rose
T.J. Duckett rushed for a Spartan bowl-record 184 yards vs. Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic, including this 39-yard touchdown run late in the first half.
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY MSU / CAREER BOWL RECORDS RUSHING Rushing Attempts: 91, Lorenzo White (374 yards) in 1984 Cherry, ’85 All-American,’88 Rose Rushing Yards: 374, Lorenzo White (91 rushes) in 1984 Cherry, ’85 All-American,’88 Rose Rushing Touchdowns: 4 (Jeremy Langford in 2014 Rose, ‘15 Cotton; Blake Ezor in 1988 Rose, ’89 Gator, ’89 Aloha). PASSING Pass Attempts: 100, Kirk Cousins (54 completions) in 2009 Capital One, ’10 Alamo, ’11 Capital One, ’12 Outback Pass Completions: 54, Kirk Cousins (100 attempts) in 2009 Capital One, ’10 Alamo, ’11 Capital One, ’12 Outback Completion Percentage (Min. 30 Attempts): .606, Jeff Smoker (43 of 71) in 2001 Silicon Valley, ’03 Alamo Passes Had Intercepted: 6, Kirk Cousins in 2009 Capital One, ’10 Alamo, ’11 Capital One, ’12 Outback Passing Yards: 693, Connor Cook (50 of 89) in 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, ’14 Rose, ’15 Cotton Touchdown Passes: 5, Connor Cook (50 of 89) in 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, ’14 Rose, ’15 Cotton RECEIVING Pass Receptions: 13, B.J. Cunningham (118 yards) in 2009 Capital One and ’12 Outback; Plaxico Burress (185 yards) in 2000 Florida Citrus Pass Receiving Yards: 361, Andre Rison (12 receptions) in 1985 All-American,’88 Rose, ’89 Gator Touchdown Receptions: 3, Plaxico Burress in 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl and Andre Rison in 1985 All-American, ’88 Rose, ’89 Gator TOTAL OFFENSE Total Offense Attempts: 115, Kirk Cousins (651 yards) in 2009 Capital One, ’10 Alamo, ’11 Capital One, ’12 Outback Total Offense Yards: 689, Connor Cook (104 attempts) in 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, ’14 Rose, ’15 Cotton
Kirk Cousins owns Spartan bowl records for most pass attempts (100), total offense attempts (115) and pass completions (54). He led MSU to a win in the 2012 Outback Bowl against Georgia.
SCORING Points: 25, John Langeloh (5 FGs, 10 PATs) in 1988 Rose, ’89 Gator, ’89 Aloha, ’90 Sun Touchdowns: 4 (Jeremy Langford in 2014 Rose, ‘15 Cotton; Blake Ezor in 1988 Rose, ’89 Gator, ’89 Aloha). Extra Points: 10, John Langeloh (12 attempts) in 1988 Rose, ’89 Gator, ’89 Aloha, ’90 Sun Field Goals: 5, Brett Swenson (7 attempts) in 2007 Champs Sports, ’09 Capital One, ’10 Alamo; John Langeloh (6) in 1988 Rose, ’89 Gator, ’89 Aloha, ’90 Sun RETURNS Interceptions: 4, Mike Iaquaniello (34 yards) in 1989 Aloha, ’90 Sun Interception Return Yards: 49, John Matsock (1 return) in 1954 Rose Punt Returns: 5, Devin Thomas (8 yards) in 2007 Champs Sports Punt Return Yards: 70, Billy Wells (3 returns) in 1954 Rose Kickoff Returns: 11, Herb Haygood (240 yards) in 2000 Florida Citrus, ’01 Silicon Valley Kickoff Return Yards: 240, Herb Haygood (11 returns) in 2000 Florida Citrus, ’01 Silicon Valley ALL-PURPOSE YARDS All-Purpose Yards: 369, Derrick Mason in 1993 Liberty, ’95 Independence, ’96 Sun PUNTING Punts: 25, Mike Sadler (1,155 yards) in 2012 Outback, ’12 Buffalo Wild Wings, ’14 Rose Punting Average: 55.8, Ralf Mojsiejenko (4 for 223) in 1984 Cherry TACKLES Total Tackles: 40, Percy Snow (25 solos, 15 assists) in 1988 Rose, ’89 Gator, ’89 Aloha
Percy Snow recorded 40 tackles in three bowl appearances, including 14 stops vs. Georgia in the 1989 Gator Bowl. His 17 tackles against USC in the 1988 Rose Bowl is a Spartan single-game bowl record.
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SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY MSU / BOWL LONGEST PLAYS RUSHING Player vs. Opponent (Year, Bowl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yards Jeremy Langford vs. Baylor (2015 Cotton) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 T.J. Duckett vs. Fresno State (2001 Silicon Valley). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Edwin Baker vs. Texas Tech (2010 Alamo). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *46 T.J. Duckett vs. Fresno State (2001 Silicon Valley). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *39 Bob Apisa vs. UCLA (1966 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *38 Courtney Hawkins vs. Hawaii (1989 Aloha). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Sedrick Irvin vs. Washington (1997 Aloha) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Walt Kowalczyk vs. UCLA (1956 Rose). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Ed Pearce vs. Auburn (1938 Orange) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Lorenzo White vs. Georgia Tech (1985 All-American). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Billy Wells vs. UCLA (1954 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 PASSING Passer-Receiver vs. Opponent (Year, Bowl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yards Tony Banks-Muhsin Muhammad vs. Louisiana State (1995 Independence). . . . . . . . . . *78 Jeff Smoker-Charles Rogers vs. Fresno State (2001 Silicon Valley) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *72 Jeff Smoker-Charles Rogers vs. Fresno State (2001 Silicon Valley) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *69 Clarence Peaks-John Lewis vs. UCLA (1956 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *67 Connor Cook-Bennie Fowler vs. Stanford (2014 Rose). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Bobby McAllister-Andre Rison vs. Georgia (1989 Gator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *55 Bobby McAllister-Andre Rison vs. Southern Cal (1988 Rose). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Bobby McAllister-Andre Rison vs. Georgia (1989 Gator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Connor Cook-Keith Mumphery (2015 Cotton) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Kirk Cousins-Brian Linthicum vs. Georgia (2012 Outback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Bobby McAllister-Andre Rison vs. Georgia (1989 Gator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *50 INTERCEPTION RETURNS Player vs. Opponent (Year, Bowl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yards John Matsock vs. UCLA (1954 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Darqueze Dennard vs. Georgia (2012 Outback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *38 Isaiah Lewis vs. TCU (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Tom McShannock vs. Auburn (1938 Orange) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Kendell Davis-Clark vs. Georgia (2009 Capital One). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Billy Wells, the 1954 Rose Bowl MVP, returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to ice Michigan State’s 28-20 victory over UCLA. It still stands as the longest punt return ever by a Spartan in a bowl game.
FUMBLE RETURNS Player vs. Opponent (Year, Bowl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yards T.J. Turner vs. Florida (2000 Florida Citrus) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *24 KICKOFF RETURNS Player vs. Opponent (Year, Bowl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yards Derrick Mason vs. Louisiana State (1995 Independence) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *100 Devin Thomas vs. Boston College (2007 Champs Sports) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Leroy McFadden vs. Washington (1997 Aloha). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Courtney Hawkins vs. Southern Cal (1990 Sun) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Leroy McFadden vs. Washington (1997 Aloha). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 PUNT RETURNS Player vs. Opponent (Year, Bowl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yards Billy Wells vs. UCLA (1954 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *62 Sedrick Irvin vs. Washington (1997 Aloha) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Derrick Mason vs. Louisiana State (1995 Independence) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Gari Scott vs. Washington (1997 Aloha) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 PUNTS Player vs. Opponent (Year, Bowl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yards Brandon Fields vs. Nebraska (2003 Alamo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Greg Montgomery vs. Southern Cal (1988 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Ralf Mojsiejenko vs. Army (1984 Cherry). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Ralf Mojsiejenko vs. Army (1984 Cherry). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Ralf Mojsiejenko vs. Army (1984 Cherry). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
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Darqueze Dennard tied a Spartan single-game bowl record with two interceptions in the 2012 Outback Bowl victory over Georgia, including this 38-yard interception return for a touchdown.
FIELD GOALS Player vs. Opponent (Year, Bowl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yards John Langeloh vs. Southern Cal (1990 Sun). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Dan Conroy vs. TCU (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Paul Edinger vs. Florida (2000 Florida Citrus) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Brett Swenson vs. Texas Tech (2010 Alamo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Paul Edinger vs. Washington (1997 Aloha) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 *Touchdown
2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY OPPONENT / INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-GAME BOWL HIGHS RUSHING ATTEMPTS 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cory Ross (138 yards), Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mazio Royster (125), Southern Cal, 1990 Sun 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rashaan Shehee (193), Washington, 1997 Aloha 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nate Sassaman (136), Army, 1984 Cherry 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Faulk (234), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary Beban (14), UCLA, 1966 Rose RUSHING YARDS 234 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Faulk (25 rushes), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 193 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rashaan Shehee (29), Washington, 1997 Aloha 138 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cory Ross (37), Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 136 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nate Sassaman (28), Army, 1984 Cherry 125 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mazio Royster (32), Southern Cal, 1990 Sun RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Ingram, Alabama, 2011 Capital One 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eddie Lacy, Alabama, 2011 Capital One 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baron Batch, Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cory Ross, Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rashaan Shehee, Washington, 1997 Aloha 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kevin Faulk, Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary Beban, UCLA, 1966 Rose PASSES ATTEMPTED 56 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Carr (35 completions), Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryce Petty (36), Baylor, 2015 Cotton 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doug Johnson (24), Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Ryan (22), Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Potts (29), Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo PASSES COMPLETED 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryce Petty (51 attempts), Baylor, 2015 Cotton 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Carr (56), Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Potts (43), Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doug Johnson (50), Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 22 (three times) . . . . . . .Last time: Matt Ryan (47), Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports PASSING YARDS 550 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bryce Petty, Baylor, 2015 Cotton Bowl 531 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Carr, Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 372 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Taylor Potts, Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 288 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron Murray, Georgia, 2012 Outback 288 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doug Johnson, Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus PASSES HAD INTERCEPTED 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Todd Marinovich, Southern Cal, 1990 Sun 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garrett Gabriel, Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rodney Peete, Southern Cal, 1988 Rose TOUCHDOWN PASSES 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Carr, Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bryce Petty, Baylor, 2015 Cotton Bowl 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Stafford, Georgia, 2009 Capital One 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Ryan, Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doug Johnson, Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wayne Johnson, Georgia, 1989 Gator RECEPTIONS 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rodney Wright (299 yards), Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Taylor (156), Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Detron Lewis (114), Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antwan Goodley (93), Baylor, 2015 Cotton 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bernard Berrian (94), Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley RECEIVING YARDS 299 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rodney Wright (13 catches), Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 205 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tavarres King (6), Georgia, 2012 Outback 197 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KD Cannon (8), Baylor, 2015 Cotton 156 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Taylor (11), Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corey Coleman (7), Baylor, 2015 Cotton
TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Taylor, Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KD Cannon, Baylor, 2015 Cotton 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rich Gunnell, Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rodney Wright, Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fred Coleman, Washington, 1997 Aloha 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rodney Hampton, Gerogia, 1989 Gator 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ken Henry, Southern Cal, 1988 Rose PUNTS 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johnny Ayers (375 yards), Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larry Cox (374), UCLA, 1966 Rose 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ethan Perry (275), TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Drew Butler (306), Georgia, 2012 Outback 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kyle Larson (300), Nebraska, 2003 Alamo PUNTING YARDS 375 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johnny Ayers (9 punts), Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 374 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larry Cox (9), UCLA, 1966 Rose 306 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Drew Butler (7), Georgia, 2012 Outback 300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kyle Larson (7), Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 275 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ethan Perry (7), TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings PUNTING AVERAGE (MIN. 3 PUNTS) 49.8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ben Rhyne (5-249), Stanford, 2014 Rose 49.2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Mimbs (4-197), Georgia, 2009 Capital One 45.8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sean O’Laughlin (5-229), Washington, 1997 Aloha 45.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Sperle (4-180), Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 44.5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chad Kessler (4-178), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 44.5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronnie Knox (4-178), UCLA, 1956 Rose PUNT RETURNS 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy Tanner (90 yards), Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troy Walters (64), Stanford, 1996 Sun PUNT RETURN YARDS 92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brandon Boykin (1 return), Georgia, 2012 Outback 90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy Tanner (7), Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troy Walters (5), Stanford, 1996 Sun 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prince Miller (1), Georgia, 2009 Capital One 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jamie Silva (4), Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports KICKOFF RETURNS 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Snyder (174 yards), Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bernard Berrian (97), Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Capel (109), Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ty Montgomery (94), Stanford, 2014 Rose 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brandon Boykin (70), Georgia, 2012 Outback 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim Worley (59), Georgia, 1989 Gator 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Cameron (100), UCLA, 1954 Rose KICKOFF RETURN YARDS 174 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Snyder (7 returns), Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 116 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eddie Kennison (2), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 109 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Capel (5), Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Cameron (4), UCLA, 1954 Rose 97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bernard Berrian (5), Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley INTERCEPTIONS 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jamie Silva (40 yards), Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tony Parrish (56), Washington, 1997 Aloha 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug Pavek (0), Army, 1984 Cherry 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Stiles (42), UCLA, 1966 Rose 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dutch Heath (22), Auburn, 1938 Orange INTERCEPTION RETURN YARDS 66 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lester Towns (1 return), Washington, 1997 Aloha 56 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tony Parrish (2), Washington, 1997 Aloha 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shawn Williams (1), Georgia, 2012 Outback 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Stiles (2), UCLA, 1966 Rose 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Anderson (1), Stanford, 2014 Rose 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jamie Silva (2), Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports
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SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY OPPONENT / INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-GAME BOWL HIGHS (continued) FIELD GOALS MADE 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Quin Rodriguez (20, 54, 43), Southern Cal, 1990 Sun 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jaden Oberkrom (47, 31, 53), TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 2 (five times). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last time: Chris Callahan (25, 46), Baylor, 2015 Cotton FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Callahan (made 2), Baylor, 2015 Cotton 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Blair Walsh (made 2), Georgia, 2012 Outback 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Quin Rodriguez (3), Southern Cal, 1990 Sun 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jaden Oberkrom (made 3), TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matt Williams (2), Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo TOTAL OFFENSE 514 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryce Petty (58 plays), Baylor, 2015 Cotton 508 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Carr (61), Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 364 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Taylor Potts (44), Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 303 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rodney Peete (52), Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 275 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron Murray (40), Georgia, 2012 Outback ALL-PURPOSE YARDS 318 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rodney Wright, Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 271 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Faulk, Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 234 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Snyder, Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 205 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tavarres King, Georgia, 2012 Outback 201 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rashaan Shehee, Washington, 1997 Aloha TACKLES 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allen Stansberry (11-7), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Young (5-10), Baylor, 2015 Cotton 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryce Hager (6-7), Baylor, 2015 Cotton 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alec Ogletree (12-1), Georgia, 2012 Outback 12 (four times) . . . . . . . . . . Last time: Jason Verrett (5-7), TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings TACKLES FOR LOSSES 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shayne Skov (10 yards), Stanford, 2014 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtney Upshaw (29 yards), Alabama, 2011 Capital One 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demorrio Williams (17), Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerard Warren (13), Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kailee Wong (19), Stanford, 1996 Sun 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Gillyard (18), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gabe Northern (17), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Johnson (10), Louisville, 1993 Liberty 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Jennings (20), Army, 1984 Cherry
OPPONENT / BOWL LONGEST PLAYS RUSHING Player, Opponent (Year, Bowl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yards Kevin Faulk, Louisiana State (1995 Independence) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Jammal Lord, Nebraska (2003 Alamo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Mike Reed, Washington (1997 Aloha) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *64 Eddie Lacy, Alabama (2011 Capital One) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*62 Malcolm King, Georgia Tech (1985 All-American). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 PASSING Passer-Receiver, Opponent (Year, Bowl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yards Aaron Murray-Tavarres King, Georgia (2012 Outback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*80 David Carr-Rodney Wright, Fresno State (2001 Silicon Valley) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*79 Bryce Petty-KD Cannon, Baylor (2015 Cotton) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*74 Matt Ryan-Rich Gunnell, Boston College (2007 Champs Sports) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *68 Trevone Boykins-Josh Boyce, TCU (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 INTERCEPTION RETURNS Player, Opponent (Year, Bowl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yards Josh Madsen (29)/Leroy Pruitt (50), Stanford (1996 Sun). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *79 Lester Towns, Washington (1997 Aloha). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *66 Tony Parrish, Washington (1997 Aloha) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *56 Shawn Williams, Georgia (2012 Outback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Bob Stiles, UCLA (1966 Rose). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 FUMBLE RETURNS Player, Opponent (Year, Bowl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yards Gabe Northern, Louisiana State (1995 Independence) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *37 KICKOFF RETURNS Player, Opponent (Year, Bowl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yards Eddie Kennison, Louisiana State (1995 Independence) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *92 Ramarcus Brown, Georgia (2009 Capital One) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 John Capel, Florida (2000 Florida Citrus) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Bernard Berrian, Fresno State (2001 Silicon Valley) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Jeff Snyder, Hawaii (1989 Aloha). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Paul Cameron, UCLA (1954 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 PUNT RETURNS Player, Opponent (Year, Bowl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yards Brandon Boykin, Georgia (2012 Outback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*92 Randy Tanner, Southern Cal (1988 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Prince Miller, Georgia (2009 Capital One) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Aaron Bailey, Louisville (1993 Liberty). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Troy Walters, Stanford (1996 Sun) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 PUNTS
SACKS 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Gillyard (18 yards), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by 13 players; most recent: Courtney Upshaw (17), Alabama, 2011 Capital One EXTRA POINTS 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy Shelley (7 attempts), Alabama, 2011 Capital One 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Lentz (7), Washington, 1997 Aloha 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andre’ Lafleur (6), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 5 (four times) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last time: Chris Callahan (5), Baylor, 2015 EXTRA-POINT ATTEMPTS 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy Shelley (7 made), Alabama, 2011 Capital One 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Lentz (6), Washington, 1997 Aloha 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andre’ Lafleur (6), Louisiana State, 1995 Independence 5 (four times) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last time: Chris Callahan, Baylor, 2015 Cotton POINTS SCORED 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Taylor, Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rodney Hampton, Georgia, 1989 Gator
Player, Opponent (Year, Bowl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yards Ronnie Knox, UCLA (1956 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Brian Mimbs, Georgia (2009 Capital One). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Ben Rhyne, Stanford (2014 Rose). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Brandon Brookfield, Louisville (1993 Liberty). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Paul Cameron, UCLA (1954 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Kyle Larson, Nebraska (2003 Alamo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Chris Sperle, Southern Cal (1988 Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 FIELD GOALS Player, Opponent (Year, Bowl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yards Quin Rodriguez, Southern Cal (1990 Sun) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Jaden Oberkrom, TCU (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Wade Richey, Louisiana State (1995 Independence) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Jaden Oberkrom, TCU (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Blair Walsh, Georgia (2012 Outback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 *Touchdown
158 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY MSU / TEAM SINGLE-GAME BOWL HIGHS
HAD INTERCEPTED
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU, 1995 Independence 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator
4 . . . . . . . . . . vs. Boston College, 2007 Champs Sports 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Washington, 1997 Aloha 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Stanford, 1996 Sun 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU, 1995 Independence 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Army, 1984 Cherry 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA, 1966 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Auburn, 1938 Orange
RUSHING FIRST DOWNS 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA, 1956 Rose 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA, 1954 Rose 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Baylor, 2015 Baylor 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus
TOTAL OFFENSIVE PLAYS 88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor (552 yards), 2015 Cotton 80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (391), 2012 Outback 75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (448), 1995 Independence 75 . . . . vs. Boston College (303), 2007 Champs Sports 75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Florida (400), 2000 Florida Citrus 75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (446), 1989 Gator
PASSING FIRST DOWNS 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU, 1995 Independence 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley
TOTAL NET YARDS 586 . . . vs. Fresno State (74 plays), 2001 Silicon Valley 552 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor (88), 2015 Cotton 448 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (79), 1995 Independence 446 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (75), 1989 Gator 400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Florida (75), 2000 Florida Citrus
PENALTY FIRST DOWNS 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 2 (four times) . . . . Last: vs. Georgia, 2009 Capital One
FUMBLES 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Washington (lost 2),1997 Aloha 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (3), 1995 Independence 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (4), 1954 Rose
RUSHING ATTEMPTS 61 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii (225 yards), 1989 Aloha 60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Southern Cal (148), 1988 Rose 53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (195), 1954 Rose 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (158), 1989 Gator 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (251), 1956 Rose NET YARDS RUSHING 251 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (50 rushes), 1956 Rose 238 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Baylor (46), 2015 Cotton 225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii (61), 1989 Aloha 210 . . . . . . . . vs. Fresno State (42), 2001 Silicon Valley 204 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (46), 1966 Rose NET YARDS PASSING 376 . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 348 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU, 1995 Independence 332 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Stanford, 2014 Rose 318 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Georgia, 2012 Outback 314 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton PASSES ATTEMPTED 51 . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Georgia (28 comp.), 2012 Outback 44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. LSU (22), 1995 Indepedence 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor (24), 2015 Cotton 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (22), 2009 Capital One 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Nebraska (21), 2003 Alamo PASSES COMPLETED 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (51 att.), 2012 Outback 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Baylor (42), 2015 Cotton 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Stanford (36), 2014 Rose 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (39), 2009 Capital One 22 . . . . . . . . . vs. Fresno State (32), 2001 Silicon Valley 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (44), 1995 Independence
FUMBLES LOST 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA, 1954 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU, 1995 Independence PENALTIES 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (78 yards), 1956 Rose 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (80), 1995 Independence 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii (85), 1989 Aloha 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (50), 2012 Outback 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Alabama (45), 2011 Capital One 8 . . . . . . . . . . vs. Fresno State (64), 2001 Silicon Valley 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (102), 1989 Gator PENALTY YARDS 102 . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (8 penalties), 1989 Gator 85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii (9), 1989 Aloha 80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Florida (7), 2000 Florida Citrus 80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (9), 1995 Independence 78 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (10), 1956 Rose PUNTS 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Auburn (422 yards), 1938 Orange 11 . . . . . vs. TCU (481 yards), 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Stanford (377), 1996 Sun 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (401), 2012 Outback 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Nebraska (371), 2003 Alamo 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Southern Cal (377), 1988 Rose PUNTING YARDS 481 . . . . . vs. TCU (11 punts), 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 401 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (8), 2012 Outback 377 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Stanford (9), 1996 Sun 377 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Southern Cal (8), 1988 Rose 371 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Nebraska (8), 2013 Alamo PUNTING AVERAGE (MIN. 3 PUNTS)
PUNT RETURNS 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Army (23 yards), 1984 Cherry 5 . . . . . . . vs. Boston College (8), 2007 Champs Sports 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (8), 1956 Rose PUNT RETURN YARDS 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (4 returns), 1954 Rose 70 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Washington (4), 1997 Aloha 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (2), 1995 Independence 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Army (6), 1984 Cherry KICKOFF RETURNS 8 . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Texas Tech (169 yards), 2010 Alamo 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Washington (217), 1997 Aloha 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Alabama (171), 2011 Capital One 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (158), 1995 Independence 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Florida (132), 2000 Florida Citrus KICKOFF RETURN YARDS 217 . . . . . . . . . . vs. Washington (8 returns), 1997 Aloha 178 . . . . . vs. Boston College (5), 2007 Champs Sports 171 . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Alabama (7), 2011 Capital One 169 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Texas Tech (8), 2010 Alamo 158 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (7), 1995 Independence INTERCEPTIONS 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Southern Cal, 1990 Sun INTERCEPTION RETURN YARDS 67 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. UCLA (2 returns), 1954 Rose 43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii (4), 1989 Aloha 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (2), 2012 Outback 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Auburn (2), 1938 Orange 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. TCU (1), 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings TIME OF POSSESSION 36:42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor, 2015 Cotton 35:57. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 34:43. . . . . . . . . . .vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 34:31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia, 1989 Gator 33:03. . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings SACKS BY 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Baylor (39 yards), 2015 Cotton 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Florida (42), 2000 Florida Citrus 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. TCU (17), 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (16), 2012 Outback 3 . . . . . . vs. Boston College (39), 2007 Champs Sports 3 . . . . . . . . . . vs. Fresno State (20), 2001 Silicon Valley 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Stanford (20), 1996 Sun 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Louisville (25), 1993 Liberty TOTAL POINTS SCORED 44 . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Baylor, 2015 Baylor 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (3OT), 2012 Outback 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii, 1989 Aloha POINTS SCORED IN A QUARTER 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Baylor (4), 2015 Cotton 20 . . . . . . . . . . vs. Fresno State (2), 2001 Silicon Valley 17 . . . . . . . . . . vs. Fresno State (1), 2001 Silicon Valley 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Florida (2), 2000 Florida Citrus 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. LSU (2), 1995 Independence
55.8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Army (4-223), 1984 Cherry 50.7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Hawaii (3-152), 1989 Aloha 50.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . vs. Georgia (8-401), 2012 Outback 47.1. . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Southern Cal (8-377), 1988 Rose 46.4. . . . . . . . . . . . . .vs. Nebraska (8-371), 2003 Alamo
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SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY OPPONENT/ TEAM SINGLE-GAME BOWL HIGHS TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 25 (four times) . . . . . . . . . . Last: by Baylor, 2015 Cotton RUSHING FIRST DOWNS 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Army, 1984 Cherry 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford, 1996 Sun 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Alabama, 2011 Capital One 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Washington, 1997 Aloha 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Louisville, 1993 Liberty 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Southern Cal, 1990 Sun PASSING FIRST DOWNS 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Baylor, 2015 Cotton 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia, 2009 Capital One PENALTY FIRST DOWNS 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by TCU, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus RUSHING ATTEMPTS 71 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Army (256 yards), 1984 Cherry 54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Nebraska (229), 2003 Alamo 49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (257), 1996 Sun 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by LSU (272), 1995 Independence 48 . . . . . . . . . by Georgia Tech (182), 1985 All-American NET YARDS RUSHING 298 . . . . . . . . . . by Washington (43 rushes), 1997 Aloha 275 . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Alabama (44), 2011 Capital One 272 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by LSU (48), 1995 Independence 257 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (49), 1996 Sun 256 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Army (71), 1984 Cherry NET YARDS PASSING 603 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Baylor, 2015 Cotton 531 . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley 460 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo 300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Florida, 2000 Florida Citrus 288 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Georgia, 2012 Outback PASSES ATTEMPTED 58 . . . . .by Fresno State (35 comp.), 2001 Silicon Valley 54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Texas Tech (38), 2010 Alamo 52 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Baylor (37), 2015 Cotton 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Florida (25), 2000 Florida Citrus 47 . . . . . . by Boston College (22), 2007 Champs Sports PASSES COMPLETED 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Texas Tech (54 att.), 2010 Alamo 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Baylor (52), 2015 Cotton 35 . . . . . . . . . . by Fresno State (58), 2001 Silicon Valley 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Florida (51), 2000 Florida Citrus 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (30), 1996 Sun HAD INTERCEPTED 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Southern Cal, 1988 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Southern Cal, 1990 Sun
TOTAL OFFENSIVE PLAYS 85 . . . . . . . . . . .by Texas Tech (579 yards), 2010 Alamo 81 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Florida (367), 2000 Florida Citrus 80 . . . . . . . . . by Fresno State (560), 2001 Silicon Valley 79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (495), 1996 Sun 77 . . . . . by Boston College (276), 2007 Champs Sports TOTAL NET YARDS 583 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Baylor (74 plays), 2015 Cotton 579 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Texas Tech (85), 2010 Alamo 560 . . . . . . . . . by Fresno State (80), 2001 Silicon Valley 546 . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Alabama (67), 2011 Capital One 495 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (79), 1996 Sun FUMBLES 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Hawaii (lost 4), 1989 Aloha 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Florida (2), 2000 Florida Citrus 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Southern Cal (1), 1988 Rose 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by UCLA (3), 1954 Rose FUMBLES LOST 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by UCLA, 1954 Rose PENALTIES 13 . . . . . . . . . . . by Washington (126 yards), 1997 Aloha 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Baylor (105), 2015 Cotton 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Florida (100), 2000 Florida Citrus 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Texas Tech (60), 2010 Alamo 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by UCLA (86), 1966 Rose PENALTY YARDS 126 . . . . . . . . . . . . by Washington (13 pen.), 1997 Aloha 105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Baylor (11), 2015 Baylor 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Florida (10), 2000 Florida Citrus 86 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by UCLA (9), 1966 Rose 69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Nebraska (8), 2003 Alamo PUNTS 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by UCLA (439 yards), 1966 Rose 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Auburn (337), 1938 Orange 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . by TCU (275), 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia (306), 2012 Outback 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Nebraska (300), 2003 Alamo 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Army (257), 1984 Cherry 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by UCLA (277), 1956 Rose PUNTING YARDS 439 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by UCLA (11 punts), 1966 Rose 375 . . . . . . by Boston College (9), 2007 Champs Sports 337 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Auburn (10), 1938 Orange 306 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia (7), 2012 Outback 300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Nebraska (7), 2003 Alamo PUNTING AVERAGE (MIN. 3 PUNTS) 49.8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (5-249), 2014 Rose 47.4. . . . . . . . . . . .by Georgia (5-237), 2009 Capital One 45.0. . . . . . . . . . . . .by Southern Cal (4-180), 1988 Rose 44.5. . . . . . . . . . . . .by LSU (4-178), 1995 Independence 43.7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia (7-306), 2012 Outback
KICKOFF RETURNS 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Hawaii (174 yards), 1989 Aloha 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia (94), 2012 Outback 6 . . . . . . . . . . by Fresno State (115), 2001 Silicon Valley 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Florida (118), 2000 Florida Citrus 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Texas Tech (120), 2010 Alamo 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia (74), 1989 Gator KICKOFF RETURN YARDS 174 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Hawaii (7 returns), 1989 Aloha 150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by LSU (4), 1995 Independence 120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Texas Tech (5), 2010 Alamo 118 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Florida (6), 2000 Florida Citrus INTERCEPTIONS 4 . . by Boston College (59 yards), 2007 Champs Sports 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia (55), 2012 Outback 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Nebraska (2), 2003 Alamo 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Washington (122), 1997 Aloha 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (79), 1996 Sun 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by LSU (23), 1995 Independence 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Army (7), 1984 Cherry 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by UCLA (42), 1966 Rose 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Auburn (22), 1938 Orange INTERCEPTION RETURN YARDS 122 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Washington (3 int.), 1997 Aloha 79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (3), 1996 Sun 58 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Baylor (2), 2015 Cotton TIME OF POSSESSION 36:14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Washington, 1997 Aloha 35:45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Southern Cal, 1990 Sun 35:42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford, 1996 Sun 35:05. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Army, 1984 Cherry 35:03. . . . . . . . . . . .by Georgia Tech, 1985 All-American SACKS BY 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia, 2009 Capital One 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by LSU, 1995 Independence 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Hawaii, 1989 Aloha 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Army, 1984 Cherry 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Alabama, 2011 Capital One 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Nebraska, 2003 Alamo 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford, 1996 Sun 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Southern Cal, 1988 Rose TOTAL POINTS SCORED 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Washington, 1997 Aloha 49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Alabama, 2011 Capital One 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by LSU, 1995 Independence 41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Baylor, 2015 Cotton 41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Texas Tech, 2010 Alamo POINTS SCORED IN A QUARTER 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Alabama (2), 2011 Capital One 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by LSU (3), 1995 Independence 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Baylor (3), 2015 Cotton 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Washington (2), 1997 Aloha
PUNT RETURNS 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (94 yards), 1996 Sun 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Southern Cal (90), 1988 Rose PUNT RETURN YARDS 94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Stanford (7 returns), 1996 Sun 92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Georgia (1), 2012 Outback 90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Southern Cal (7), 1988 Rose
160 2015 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL â&#x20AC;˘ COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL VS. ALABAMA
MSUSPARTANS.COM
SPARTAN BOWL HISTORY
IN THE MEDIA
2 0 1 5 M I C H I G A N S T A T E F O O T B A L L // @ M S U _ F O O T B A L L
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Michigan State philosophy culminates in epic game-winning drive over Iowa By Brian Hamilton, Sports Illustrated INDIANAPOLIS — One minute into a new day for Michigan State football, LJ Scott tugged at the yellow, blue and pink strands of paper dangling off his right shoulder. These festive streamers occupied a very important spot for any player in this program: The shoulder is, after all, real estate usually reserved for The Chip, the representation of all the contrived slights and perceived affronts driving the Spartans in their work. Judging by the vaguely irritated look on Scott’s face, it was apparent the freshman tailback felt the celebratory frou-frou had been there long enough. One minute after midnight, and the player who reached for the touchdown that sent his team to a Big Ten title and the College Football Playoff was letting flimsy symbols of success float to the ground, making room for whatever will push him tomorrow. It won’t be enough that Michigan State is a conference champion after a bracing 16–13 victory over unbeaten Iowa on Saturday. It won’t be enough that the Spartans won the league for the third time under coach Mark Dantonio on a swarthy, domineering 22-play, nine-minute, fourthquarter drive that was almost comical in how perfectly emblematic it was of what has been built in East Lansing. It won’t be enough that Michigan State almost assuredly earned the right to pursue a national championship starting on New Year’s Eve. It of course should be enough, in many ways. It should be enough that all this means the conversation about the nation’s best college football programs has a new entrant, that Michigan State’s standing is now explicit in that regard. That’s worth wearing the confetti failing from the sky. It should be enough, but it won’t be, because it never is. How else would the Spartans spend the many minutes that would follow after midnight if they weren’t unsatisfied by every minute before? “We’re at the elite status we want to be at,” Michigan State linebacker Darien Harris said. “We’re a national contender year in and year out. I think we’ve proven that. But there’s still a lot left to do. This isn’t the end-all, be-all goal. We want to take it all now.” If we’re being honest, and if the Spartans dare to be honest with themselves, the doubts and chips were stampeded into dust across 82 yards of Lucas Oil Stadium turf late Saturday. Michigan State has won 12 games after losing one of its best defensive players to a torn ACL in preseason camp; it has won while using six different offensive line combinations and seven different starting lineups in the secondary; it has won when it was forced to deploy two backup quarterbacks with a combined 14 pass attempts in order to beat the defending national champions on the road in November. None of it seemed as daunting as the space between the program and a playoff berth with nine and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter against the Hawkeyes, when
an offense with an injured quarterback needed the touchdown it couldn’t muster all night. You have to find the inches, Dantonio often says whenever he’s discussing why some teams succeed and others fail. Now his team needed 2,952 of them in the worst way, and it damn near came by them one at a time. “We got together and said, ‘This is it,’” left tackle Jack Conklin said. “We can win and go to the playoff, or we can go home sad.” The Spartans began at their own 18-yard line. They ran 22 plays. Seventeen of them were rushes, 14 of which went to Scott, the 233-pound freshman. They converted five third downs overall, and one fourth down in maybe the most preposterous way imaginable. During a timeout that followed a stuffed third-and-two rush from the Iowa five-yard line, Michigan State coaches mulled their options. They arrived at one not a single soul in the building expected: an option run for Connor Cook, their pro-style quarterback with the limited wheels and a bum shoulder that was, as one staff member put it afterwards, maybe 70% healthy for the game. Can you do this? Dantonio recalled asking Cook in the huddle. I can get it, Cook replied. The senior did, essentially lunging forward for the required two yards. As officials reviewed the spot of the ball, center Jack Allen looked over at Scott. There was condensation all over the freshman’s helmet visor; Scott was breathing so hard that he fogged up his own line of sight. “But he pushed through,” Allen said, almost literally correct. Three plays after Cook’s fourth-down conversion, Allen, a 296-pounder, set up in the backfield in a jumbo set, as he had done on previous short-yardage snaps. Allen went in motion, and then Scott ran away from the movement instead of behind it, running into two Iowa defenders. He spun, just enough out of their grasp, to reach the ball out and across the goal line, with Hawkeyes defensive end Melvin Spears diving just a fraction too low to stymie Scott’s forward progress. He had scored. Twenty-two plays. Eighty-two yards. Nine minutes and nine seconds. “I can guarantee I’ve never had one at the end of a game like that to win a conference championship,” offensive coordinator Dave Werner said. “The magnitude of it is pretty special.” “A 22-play drive in the fourth quarter just doesn’t happen,” linebacker Riley Bullough said. “But they made it happen.” “We found a way,” Dantonio said. It was utterly unbelievable, and it was so utterly Michigan State, one last imposition of the forces that brought about the game-winning fumbled punt return at Michigan and the game-winning field goal at Ohio State. Dantonio also talks to his team about maintaining its composure in the storm and then repurposing that elemental power for its own use.
“You couldn’t ask for a better way to go out,” Conklin said. “On that last drive, you saw us take over and become the storm.” In the forecast for Dec. 31 and beyond, Michigan State will find doubts hard to come by. The offense indeed sputtered for most of the Big Ten championship game, but Cook should be in far better condition for the playoff semifinal and less prone to airmail throws he typically hits with precision. A defense wracked by injuries early on has matured and settled into a rhythm, allowing just 8.8 points per game over its last four. Against Iowa, the Spartans’ defensive line was particularly malicious, led by the marauding Shilique Calhoun, who collected three of the defensive front’s four sacks on the night. By the time New Year’s Eve arrives, basically, the Spartans should look like the team many expected might get there. Of course, those were the expectations set before this season, after the program had won 10 or more games in four of five years. The evidence had mounted. But it was long before then that Dantonio had that vision, long before the Spartans stood on a dais Saturday night as their fans at Lucas Oil Stadium pointed to the sky and chanted “Yes! Yes! Yes!” in a full-throated, cathartic roar. Dantonio would tell you that he always thought Michigan State would get here, where it would mingle with the blue-blood programs of the sport. He said it again, in fact, just outside the locker room in the wee hours after a championship. He remembered the date—Nov. 27, 2007—when he pledged to bring this program exactly here. “When I stood up there and made that statement, everybody scoffed,” Dantonio said. “Nobody believed.” “The way he does things, he always has an answer,” athletic director Mark Hollis said. “You can look at him on the sideline and see the gleam in his eye. He gave me a little glance with about two minutes left in the game, and I’m like, all right, we’re good.” There is no doubt now, of course, that Michigan State is good, no matter what Michigan State might have you think. After Saturday, after the inexorable march of 22 plays and nine-plus minutes, after the streamers and confetti were left behind, this is one of the best programs in the country, and it will play for a national championship it very well could win. “Here we go,” Dantonio said just before ducking into the locker room at 1:02 a.m., looking like someone happy to find a way straight through whatever comes next.