Michigan State University Athletics
Football Puts No. 5 Ranking To Test At Purdue
10/11/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 11, 1999
No. 5/7 MICHIGAN STATE (6-0, 3-0)
vs.
No. 20/21 PURDUE (4-2, 1-2)
GAME 7: QUICK FACTS
DATE: Oct. 16, 1999
SITE: Ross-Ade Stadium (67,332), West Lafayette, Ind.
KICKOFF: 3:30 p.m. EDT
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE: 67,332-plus
LAST SATURDAY: Michigan State defeated Michigan, 34-31, Purdue lost to Ohio State, 25-22
BROADCAST COVERAGE: Radio ? The Spartan Radio Network, featuring veteran play-by-play announcer George Blaha, color analyst Larry Bielat, sideline reporter Harlon Barnett and broadcast host Scott Anderson, will broadcast the game to 31 affiliates throughout the state. Michigan State football broadcasts can be heard locally on flagship station WJIM (AM 1240, FM 97.5). Television ? ABC Sports will broadcast the MSU-Purdue game live on a regional basis. Brad Nessler will call the play-by-play with Bob Griese serving as color commentator and Leslie Gudel as sideline reporter. WLAJ-TV 53 (Lansing) is the ABC affiliate in East Lansing.
THE COACHES ? Michigan State?s Nick Saban (Kent State ?73) is 31-22-1 (.583) in his fifth season with the Spartans and 40-24-1 (.623) in his sixth season as a college head coach. Saban came to Michigan State following four seasons as the Cleveland Browns? defensive coordinator from 1991-94. He previously served as head coach at the University of Toledo where he guided the Rockets to a 9-2 record overall in 1990, including a share of the Mid-American Conference title at 7-1.
Purdue head coach Joe Tiller (Montana State ?65) is 22-9 (.710) in his third year with the Boilermakers and 61-39-1 (.609) in nine years as a college head coach. Tiller spent six years as the head coach at Wyoming prior to taking over at Purdue in 1997. Tiller, who was an assistant coach at Purdue from 1983-86, also held assistant coaching positions at Washington State, Wyoming, and Montana State. Between college stints, Tiller spent nine seasons with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (1974-82).
THE SERIES -
SERIES RECORD: MSU leads, 28-22-3IN WEST LAFAYETTE: Purdue leads, 13-11-3LAST 10 MEETINGS: MSU leads, 6-3-1LAST MEETING: Purdue 25, MSU 24 (Nov. 14, 1998 in East Lansing)LAST MSU WIN: MSU 52, Purdue 14 (Aug. 31, 1996 in East Lansing)FIRST MEETING: Purdue 14, MSU 6 (Nov. 9, 1918 in East Lansing)NICK SABAN vs. PURDUE: 1-2-1JOE TILLER vs. MICHIGAN STATE: 2-0CURRENT SERIES STREAK: 2 by Purdue (1997-98)LONGEST MSU STREAK: 6 (1985-90)LONGEST PURDUE STREAK: 5 (1978-82)
TEAM COMPARISONS ?
Michigan State PurdueBasic Offense Pro Set One-BackBasic Defense 4-3 4-3Offensive Starters Returning 8 8Defensive Starters Returning 7 5Specialists Returning 2 2
AVERAGE HEIGHTS & WEIGHTS (STARTERS) ?
Michigan State PurdueOffensive Line & Tight End 6-5, 286 6-4, 288Offensive Backs & Wide Receivers 6-2, 213 5-11, 206Defensive Line 6-3, 281 6-3, 276Linebackers 6-3, 234 6-1, 222Defensive Backs 5-11, 193 6-0, 198
CLASS BREAKDOWN (STARTERS) ?
Michigan State Offense: 5 seniors, 4 juniors, 1 sophomore, 1 freshmanMichigan State Defense: 5 seniors, 3 juniors, 3 sophomores, 0 freshmenPurdue Offense: 4 seniors, 4 juniors, 1 sophomore, 2 freshmenPurdue Defense: 5 seniors, 1 juniors, 3 sophomores, 2 freshmen
STAT LEADERS ?
Michigan State (1999 statistics):
Rushing ? Lloyd Clemons (99 carries for 542 yards, 5.5 avg., 0 TD)Passing ? Bill Burke (92 of 161 for 1309 yards, 13 TDs, 5 INT)Receiving ? Plaxico Burress (32 catches for 579 yards, 18.1 avg., 4 TDs)Tackles ? Aric Morris (64 tackles, 37 solos, 27 assists, 9 for losses, 3 sacks, 6 PBUs, 1 INT)
Purdue (1999 statistics):
Rushing ? Montrell Lowe (74 carries for 386 yards, 5.2 avg., 2 TDs)Passing ? Drew Brees (151 of 260 for 1813 yards, 11 TDs, 4 INT)Receiving ? Chris Daniels (57 catches for 562 yards, 9.9 avg., 2 TDs)Tackles ? Adrian Beasley (42 tackles, 25 solos, 17 assists, 3 INTs)
STAT COMPARISON (1999 statistics) ?
Michigan State PurdueScoring 35.2 33.0First Downs 21.0 22.5Total Offense 434.2 447.3Rushing Yards 169.5 132.3 Passing Yards 264.7 315.0Time of Possession 32:08 27:32Third Down Conversions .381 .444Points Allowed 14.0 23.0Total Offense Allowed 288.0 373.7Rushing Yards Allowed 36.7 129.3Passing Yards Allowed 251.3 244.3
THE LAST MEETING ? Nov. 14, 1998 in East Lansing: Drew Brees threw two touchdown passes in the final 5:07 to give Purdue a 25-24 victory over Michigan State in Spartan Stadium. It marked the second year in a row that Purdue rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Spartans. The Spartans took a 7-3 lead on Bill Burke?s 9-yard TD pass to Gari Scott with 7:14 left in the first half. Purdue led 10-7 at halftime following Matt Mitrione?s 17-yard interception return for a touchdown. After a Purdue field goal, Michigan State scored on its first three possessions in the second half. Burke threw a 22-yard TD toss to Plaxico Burress in the left corner of the end zone with 5:00 left in the third quarter. Four minutes later, Burke threw an 8-yard TD strike to Chris Baker in the back of the end zone. Paul Edinger?s 23-yard field goal increased Michigan State?s lead to 24-13 with 11:03 left in the fourth quarter. Purdue?s rally began when Todd Stelma blocked a punt and recovered it at the MSU 20 with 6:32 remaining in the game. Five plays later, Brees hit Randall Lane with a 9-yard TD pass. Michigan State managed only one first down on its next possession and took only 2:13 off the clock. Trailing 24-19, Purdue took over at its own 30 with 2:54 left. Brees completed 6-of-7 throws for 51 yards on the game-winning drive, including a 6-yard TD toss to Isaac Jones in the right corner of the end zone with 1:21 to play. Michigan State limited Purdue, the Big Ten?s No. 1- and nation?s No. 6-ranked passing offense to 196 yards ? 155 below its season average. Burke, who left the game with a mild concussion with three-and-a-half minutes left, threw for a then-career-best 345 yards and three scores.
THE LAST TIME OUT: MICHIGAN STATE 34, MICHIGAN 31 ? Bill Burke and Plaxico Burress had record-setting days offensively while the Michigan State defense held Michigan to six yards rushing in a 34-31 victory over the Wolverines in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans built a 13-10 halftime advantage thanks to a touchdown run from T.J. Duckett ? set up by a 68-yard Burke-to-Burress flea-flicker ? and two Paul Edinger field goals. Burke threw TD passes in the third quarter to Gari Scott (19 yards) and Burress (15), giving the Spartans a 27-10 lead. An Anthony Thomas touchdown run ? the first rushing TD against the MSU defense all year ? cut the lead to 27-17, but MSU responded on its very next possession. Dawan Moss?s 14-yard run finished a six-play, 76-yard drive and gave the Spartans a 34-17 edge with 12:19 remaining. Michigan wasn?t finished, however, and two Tom Brady touchdown passes brought the Wolverines within a field goal with 2:47 to play. Burress recovered the ensuing onsides kick, and his 15-yard third-down reception four plays later sealed the win. It also gave him 255 receiving yards and Burke 400 passing yards, both MSU single-game school records.
SPARTANS OF THE WEEK ?
Offense: Plaxico Burress (10 catches for a school-record 255 yards and a TD) and Bill Burke (21-of-36, school-record 400 yards, two TDs)
Defense: Renaldo Hill (10 tackles, eight solos, two assists, three PBUs, 23 production points)
Special Teams: Herb Haygood (three kickoff returns for 72 yards)
In addition to the Spartan of the Week awards, the coaching staff presented the offensive line with the game ball.
INJURY REPORT ? OUT: OL Brian Ottney (underwent surgery on right shoulder Sept. 3, out for the season), C Josh Smith (underwent surgery Sept. 21 to repair torn tendon on the ring finger of his left hand, out four-to-six weeks), DT Joe Tate (reinjured shoulder/neck in Sept. 21 practice, out indefinitely).
QUOTING NICK SABAN ?
On the Purdue game: ?Purdue has a good football team. Purdue is coming off back-to-back losses to Michigan and Ohio State ? both on the road. And Purdue had a field goal blocked at the end of the Ohio State game, otherwise that game would have been decided in overtime.
?Drew Brees is a great athlete. He has quickness in the pocket and he gets rid of the ball in a hurry. That?s why he is so difficult to pressure and sack. Brees also has great accuracy.
?Chris Daniels is Purdue?s top receiver, and Vinny Sutherland provides a vertical threat in the offense. Sutherland?s also a dangerous punt returner.
?Purdue?s defense has improved tremendously over the last three years. So much attention is focused on Purdue?s offense that its defense doesn?t get the credit that it deserves, but that unit has gotten better every year.?
On the top five AP ranking: ?I haven?t paid much attention to the polls the first six weeks, so I?m not about to begin watching them now. It?s a nice reward for the players because they have worked extremely hard this season and they?ve met every challenge thus far. But there?s a lot of football left to be played. What matters most is where you?re ranked at the end of the season and not where you are in the middle of it.?
PERFECT START ? Michigan State is 6-0 for just the sixth time in school history and the first time since 1966, when the Spartans started 9-0 and tied Notre Dame in the season finale.
The Spartans are just one of eight remaining unbeaten teams in Division I-A.
SPARTAN-BOILERMAKER SERIES NOTES ?
? SR QB Bill Burke threw for 345 yards in last year?s Purdue game (28-of-40 passing), the best single-game effort for an MSU QB vs. the Boilermakers and Burke?s career high prior to last week?s 400 yards against Michigan.
? FR TB/LB T.J. Duckett?s brother, Tico, had one of his four career 200-yard rushing games vs. Purdue in 1990 (210 yards).
? Purdue has come from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to win each of the last two meetings.
? MSU is 10-3-1 against Purdue since 1985.
? Four of the last six meetings have been tied or decided by a field goal or less. Each of the last two meetings were one-point victories for Purdue.
SPARTAN-BOILERMAKER CONNECTIONS ?
? Michigan State associate head coach/running backs coach Bobby Williams was a four-year letterman for Coach Jim Young at Purdue from 1977-81. Williams, who was a tri-captain as a senior, helped the Boilermakers to a combined record of 31-17 (.646) during his five-year career. He began his college career as a running back and ranked as the team?s second-leading rusher with 362 yards (99 attempts) as a freshman in 1977 before moving to the defensive secondary in ?79. Williams had eight career interceptions and 172 tackles. He served as a graduate assistant coach at Purdue in 1982.
? Purdue defensive tackle coach Gary Emanuel worked with Michigan State tight ends/special teams coach Bob Casullo and assistant athletics director and director of football operations Mike Vollmar at Syracuse from 1991-93.
? Purdue receivers coach Kevin Sumlin and Michigan State wide receivers coach Reggie Mitchell worked together at Minnesota in 1997.
GROUNDING GROUND GAMES ? Michigan State leads the NCAA in rushing defense, allowing just 36.7 yards per game on the ground. The best rushing defense all-time at MSU in a full season is 45.6 yards per game in 1965. In the last two weeks combined, MSU has allowed just 13 yards on the ground (7 vs. Iowa, 6 vs. Michigan) and has only given up 100 yards rushing once this season (108 to Notre Dame).
Michigan State did not allowed a rushing touchdown through the first five games of the season, the first time MSU had gone five games without giving up a rushing touchdown since joining the Big Ten in 1953. After 23 quarters without allowing a rushing TD, Michigan?s Anthony Thomas scored the first and only rushing TD to this point of the season.
A year ago the Spartans finished 10th in the Big Ten in rushing defense (171.8 yards allowed per game) and had allowed 12 rushing TDs through six games.
MSU?S BEST RUSHING DEFENSES ALL-TIME Rushing Yards Per Game Allowed (National Rank in Parentheses) 1. 1999 36.7 (1) 2. 1965 45.6 (1) 3. 1966 51.4 (3) 4. 1987 61.5 (1) 4. 1963 82.0 (4)
GROUNDING GROUND GAMES ... AND WINNING ? Michigan State has held 10 opponents to 50 or fewer yards rushing in Coach Nick Saban?s five years at MSU, with five of those efforts coming in 1999. The Spartans have won all 10 of those games.
MSU?S BEST SINGLE-GAME RUSHING DEFENSE PERFORMANCES UNDER SABANDate Opponent Yds. Att. Avg. TDs ResultOct. 31, 1998 Northwestern 6 30 0.20 0 W, 29-5Oct. 9, 1999 Michigan 6 21 0.29 1 W, 34-31Oct. 2, 1999 Iowa 7 26 0.27 0 W, 49-3Sept. 28, 1996 Eastern Michigan 25 39 0.64 0 W, 47-0Sept. 2, 1999 Oregon 28 29 0.97 0 W, 27-20Sept. 11, 1999 Eastern Michigan 29 24 1.21 0 W, 51-7Sept. 6, 1997 Western Michigan 29 21 1.38 0 W, 42-10Sept. 25, 1999 Illinois 42 34 1.24 0 W, 27-10Oct. 12, 1996 Illinois 49 32 1.53 2 W, 42-14Sept. 16, 1995 Louisville 50 37 1.35 0 W, 30-7
POLL CATS ? Michigan State moved up to fifth in the latest Associated Press poll and seventh in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll after standing in 11th in both polls prior to the upset win over Michigan. It marks the first time MSU has been in the top 10 since standing eighth in both polls at the end of the 1988 season. It is the Spartans? highest ranking in the AP poll since a No. 3 ranking on Sept. 18, 1967.
SURPRISE GUYS ? Michigan State is the only team in the Associated Press top 10 which was not in the AP?s Preseason Top 25. Others in this week?s Top 25 which were not included in the preseason version are No. 12 Mississippi State, No. 15 Marshall, No. 16 Syracuse, No. 21 BYU, No. 22 Mississippi, No. 23 East Carolina and No. 25 Southern Mississippi.
RANKED TEAMS FACE OFF ? This marks just the fourth time that Michigan State and Purdue have met when both were ranked by the Associated Press and the first time since 1966. Michigan State has been the higher-ranked team in each of the previous three meetings and won all three games. The previous meetings when both teams were ranked by the AP:
Year Winning Team Losing Team 1966 #2 Michigan State 41 #9 Purdue 20 1965 #2 Michigan State 14 #6 Purdue 10 1952 #1 Michigan State 14 #8 Purdue 7
UPSET SPECIALS ? Michigan State is 5-3 in its last eight games against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including this year?s wins over 24th-ranked Notre Dame and third-ranked Michigan. All five of those wins have come while MSU was unranked or ranked below its opponent and includes the upset of No. 1 Ohio State last year in Columbus. The Spartans are 11-35 (.239) against Top 25 teams since 1988.
DEFENDING THE PASS ? Purdue has led the Big Ten in passing yardage each of the past two seasons, but Michigan State has enjoyed more success than most teams against the Boilermakers? aerial assault. Last season, Purdue averaged 323.7 yards per game through the air, but managed only 196 vs. Michigan State (127.7 below its season average). In 1997, Michigan State held Purdue 96.2 yards below its season average for passing yards (189 to 285.2).
SPARTAN AIR RAID ? Michigan State has set or tied five single-school school passing or receiving records in the past two weeks.
Against Michigan, QB Bill Burke threw for a school-record 400 yards, shattering Ed Smith?s previous record of 369 yards set vs. Indiana in 1978. WR Plaxico Burress caught 10 passes for 255 yards against the Wolverines, breaking Andre Rison?s single-game record of 252 receiving yards set in the 1989 Gator Bowl vs. Georgia.
Michigan State set or tied three school records in its 49-3 victory over Iowa two weeks ago. MSU quarterbacks threw six TD passes (breaking the previous team record of five, set vs. Northwestern in 1981). QB Bill Burke threw four TD passes himself, tying the individual record he and three other Michigan State quarterbacks had set previously. WR Plaxico Burress caught three TD passes, tying the school single-game record for TD receptions previously shared by Andre Rison (vs. Georgia, 1989), Mark Ingram (vs. Iowa, 1986) and Gene Washington (vs. Indiana, 1965).
SPARTAN AIR RAID II ? Michigan State has scored more touchdowns passing than running each of the last three years. That trend is a complete reversal from the previous eight seasons. MSU?s rushing and passing TD ratio for the last 11 seasons:
1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989Rush TDs/Pass TDs 6/16 14/21 18/21 27/15 21/11 20/11 25/9 24/4 10/7 35/4 37/9
PLAX IS BACK ? Preseason first-team All-Big Ten WR Plaxico Burress had a single-game school-record 255 receiving yards vs. Michigan and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. In the last two weeks, he has averaged eight catches for 175 yards and two TDs per game. In the first four games of the year, Burress averaged four catches for 57 yards per game with no touchdowns.
Burress now leads the Big Ten with 96.5 receiving yards per game. He stood ninth in that category before the Michigan game.
Burress, who is ranked second among Biletnikoff award candidates this week by ESPN.com (trailing only Florida State?s Peter Warrick), leads MSU with 32 catches for 579 yards. He has had at least three receptions in each game this year. Twenty-five of his 32 catches have been good for first downs.
BURKE APPROACHES TD RECORD ? Senior QB Bill Burke has at least one TD pass in each game this season, and one in each of the last 10 games dating back to last year. Burke has 13 TD passes on the year, including a share of the school single-game record with four against Iowa two weeks ago. He has 39 TD passes for his career and needs just five more to set the school career record, currently shared by Dave Yarema (1982-86) and Ed Smith (1976-78) with 43 career TDs each.
Burke, who had a school-record 400 yards passing vs. Michigan, has thrown for at least 200 yards in seven of his last 10 games. MSU is 8-2 all-time when Burke throws for 200 yards.
TOSSING TO THE TIGHT ENDS ? Sophomore TE Chris Baker is second on Michigan State in receptions with 23 (254 yards and three touchdowns). Baker?s 3.83 catches per game stands tied for ninth in the Big Ten, while he has 42.3 yards receiving per game. Prior to this season, Michigan State?s most prolific pass-catching tight end of the 1980s or ?90s was Al Kimichik (3.55 catches per game, 34.8 yards per game in 1981).
Baker stands in the top 10 in the nation among tight ends in both receptions (tied for third) and receiving yards (fifth) and has a TD catch in three of the last five games.
Junior TE Ivory McCoy has also proven his worth as a pass-catcher, with 10 receptions for 152 yards and two TDs on the year, fourth on the team in all three categories.
PETERSON FOLLOWS IN SNOW?S FOOTSTEPS ? Senior LB Julian Peterson has been named one of 65 linebackers on the 1999 Butkus Award Watch List. The Butkus Award, given annually to the nation?s top linebacker, will trim that list to 10 semifinalists Oct. 21. Michigan State?s Percy Snow won the first Butkus Award in 1989.
Peterson stands second on the team in tackles with 41. He matched his career high with 11 tackles (five solos, six assists) against Oregon, including six tackles for loss (seven yards). Through six games he already has 17 tackles for losses, just one shy of the single-season school record for tackles for losses (18), which he shares with Larry Bethea. Peterson forced three fumbles in the first four games, while he climbs the MSU career charts in tackles for losses (third with 35) and sacks (fifth with 17).
HURRICANE LLOYD CONTINUES TO INFLICT DAMAGE ? Senior TB Lloyd Clemons has enjoyed three 100-yard rushing games in the first six games of the season, and has built upon his single-game career-high in each of those games.
Clemons, who leads MSU and stands sixth in the Big Ten with 90.3 rushing yards per game, carried 20 times for 141 yards against Illinois, a 7.1 yards-per-carry average. In 99 carries this year, he has been stopped for a loss just five times, and never for more than minus-2 yards.
HERE?S THE KICKER ? Senior PK Paul Edinger has been one of the nation?s best in 1999, converting on 12-of-14 field goals and 24-of-24 PATs, including a career-long 54-yard field goal at Illinois. Edinger made three field goals and a PAT (10 points) in the fourth quarter alone at Notre Dame.
Edinger, ranked second among candidates for the Lou Groza Award by ESPN.com this week, has made 14-of-18 field-goal attempts from 40-plus yards in his career (five-of-seven this year). Nine of Edinger?s 12 field goals in 1999 have come in the second half.
Edinger leads all Big Ten kickers and stands tied for 11th in the nation among all players in scoring with 10.0 points per game.
ARIC?S AWARD ? Senior SS Aric Morris has earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season through six weeks. He shared the award after the Notre Dame game after earning it to himself after the Oregon game. He made 11 tackles against the Irish (six solo, five assists), after setting a career-high with 19 tackles vs. Oregon.
Morris, who has 11 career double-figure tackle games, leads the Spartans in tackles with 64 (37 solos, 27 assisted), 23 more tackles than any other Spartan.
WHEN BEARS ATTACK ? Senior DE Robaire Smith had one of his best games of the year vs. Michigan, making nine tackles (five solos, four assists), including two sacks for 22 yards. Smith stands tied for third on the team and leads all defensive linemen in tackles (23-15-38). He is second on the team behind LB Julian Peterson in both sacks (six for 60 yards) and tackles for loss (10 for 66 yards).
Smith is third on MSU?s career charts in both sacks (20) and tackles for losses (34).
GREAT SCOTT ? Senior WR Gari Scott broke the Michigan State record for career punt return yards in the opener against Oregon on his career-long 49-yard return in the third quarter. He established a new career long with a 51-yard return against Eastern Michigan and now has 889 career punt return yards, 269 more yards than Derrick Mason, who stands No. 2 on the MSU career list.
Offensively, Scott leads MSU with six touchdown catches and has at least one TD catch in five of the six games. He needs just three more TD receptions to set the school single-season record (currently shared by three players with eight each) and six more TD catches to set the MSU career record (currently held by Kirk Gibson with 24 from 1975-78).
RECEIVING VOTES ? Junior WR Plaxico Burress and senior WR Gari Scott combine to form one of the nation?s best receiving duos. They have combined for 51 catches for 937 yards in six games. They have accounted for 47 percent of Michigan State?s receptions and 59 percent of its receiving yards.
Burress and Scott are both among the 35 players listed on the 1999 Biletnikoff Award watch list, making Michigan State one of only three teams in the nation and the only team in the Big Ten with multiple honorees. Florida State (Ron Dugans and Peter Warrick) and Louisville (Ibn Green and Arnold Jackson) also have two candidates for the Biletnikoff, which is awarded annually to the top wide receiver in college football. Other Big Ten receivers included are Chafie Fields (Penn State), Luke Leverson (Minnesota) and Dee Miller (Ohio State).
MAGIC NUMBER 24 ? Since 1990, Michigan State is 50-10-1 (.828) when it scores at least 24 points and 8-41-1 (.170) when it scores fewer than 24 points. During that nine-year period, the Spartans have compiled an overall record of 57-51-2 (.527).
SPARTANS PREFER ARTIFICIAL TURF ? Michigan State?s 23-13 victory at Notre Dame Sept. 18, 1999, marked the Spartans? third win on natural grass since 1993 (the others coming at Notre Dame Stadium in 1997 and Ohio Stadium in 1998). The Spartans are just 3-12-1 in their last 16 games played on natural grass. By contrast, Michigan State is 32-19 (.627) in its last 51 games on artificial turf.
FULL HOUSE ? All six Michigan State home games for 1999 have already been sold out. Michigan State fans purchased a record 60,857 season tickets for 1999, breaking the previous record of 60,145 set in 1997.
SOUP IS GOOD FOOD ? Senior CB Amp Campbell, nicknamed ?Soup? by his teammates, completed a storybook return to the field against Oregon, returning a fumble 85 yards for the game-winning TD. He has one interception this season, coming in the end zone at Notre Dame. Against Michigan, Campbell broke up four passes and held David Terrell to 8.6 yards per catch. Campbell holds the MSU career record for passes broken up (44) and leads the 1999 team with 14. He has three of the top five single-season pass breakup totals in MSU history.
Campbell suffered what was thought to be a career-ending injury last year against Oregon. He fractured his sixth and seventh vertebrae as he attempted to make a tackle on Oregon?s second touchdown. The injury required spinal-fusion surgery that night and five days later he said in an emotional press conference, ?I had a good career at Michigan State.?
His rehabilitation picked up speed around the midpoint of last season, however. This summer he was cleared to play and the NCAA granted a sixth-year waiver request. To fulfill Big Ten regulations he still needed to complete his undergraduate degree requirements, which he did this summer and earned a telecommunication degree.
BIG TEN STAT LEADERS ?
Category Stat Avg. Big Ten NCAA Total Offense 434.2 3rd 19thRushing Offense 169.5 6th 40thPassing Offense 264.7 3rd 23rdScoring Offense 35.2 2nd t-19thTotal Defense 288.0 3rd 17thRushing Defense 36.7 1st 1stPassing Defense 251.3 11th ?Pass Eff. Defense 114.4 4th 43rdScoring Defense 14.0 2nd t-9thTurnover Margin +0.17 7th ?Net Punting 39.2 3rd 20thPunt Returns 13.0 4th 15thKickoff Returns 18.6 8th ?
Category ? Individual Stat Avg. Big Ten NCAARushing Yards ? Clemons 90.3 6th 40thPassing Efficiency ? Burke 145.9 3rd 14thPassing Yards ? Burke 218.3 3rd ?Total Offense ? Burke 211.3 5th 38thReceptions ? Burress 5.33 4th t-43rdReceptions ? Baker 3.83 10th ?Receiving Yards ? Burress 96.5 1st 16thAll-Purpose Yards ? Scott 124.7 5th 35thScoring (Overall) ? Edinger 10.0 3rd 11thPunting ? Jarrett 44.0 3rd 12thPunt Returns ? Scott 12.6 5th 21stField Goal Pct. ? Edinger 85.7 2nd ?Field Goals Per Game ? Edinger 2.00 t-1st t-4thTackles ? Morris 11.0 3rd ?Tackles for loss ? Peterson 17 (total) 1st ?Sacks ? Peterson 5.5 (tot.) 7th ?Pass Breakups ? Campbell 14 (total) 1st ?
SPARTANS OF THE WEEK ?
Opponent Offense Defense Special TeamsOregon Lloyd Clemons Julian Peterson Gari ScottEastern Michigan Shaun Mason Josh Shaw Paul EdingerNotre Dame Bill Burke Renaldo Hill Shawn WrightIllinois Chris Baker Robaire Smith Duron BryanIowa Plaxico Burress Mike Austin Duron Bryan/Shawn WrightMichigan P. Burress/B. Burke Renaldo Hill Herb Haygood
SPARTAN TRENDS ?
Here?s how Michigan State has fared this year and during Nick Saban?s tenure (1995-99):
1999 Under SabanGames played in Spartan Stadium: 4-0 21-8Games played on the road/neutral site: 2-0 10-14-1
August games 0-0 1-1September games 3-0 10-5-1October games 2-0 12-6November games 0-0 7-7December games 0-0 0-3
Games decided by a TD or less 2-0 8-8Games decided by a FG or less 1-0 3-5
When scoring first: 5-0 25-10-1When opponent scores first: 1-0 6-12
When leading after first quarter: 3-0 22-5-1When trailing after first quarter: 0-0 4-10When tied after first quarter: 3-0 5-7When leading at halftime: 4-0 27-8When trailing at halftime: 1-0 3-13-1When tied at halftime 1-0 1-1When leading after three quarters: 4-0 26-3-1When trailing after three quarters: 0-0 3-16When tied after three quarters: 2-0 2-3
When gaining more first downs than opponent: 4-0 25-6When gaining fewer first downs than opponent: 2-0 6-12-1When gaining same number of first downs as opponent: 0-0 0-4
When gaining 200+ yards rushing: 2-0 19-3-1When opponent gains 200+ yards rushing: 0-0 3-11-1When an MSU player rushes for 100+ yards: 3-0 20-6-1When an opponent rushes for 100+ yards: 0-0 9-12-1When outrushing opponent: 6-0 27-5-1When being outrushed by opponent: 0-0 4-17
When gaining 200+ yards passing: 5-0 20-12-1When opponent gains 200+ yards passing: 4-0 12-12-1
When gaining more total yards than opponent: 4-0 27-6When gaining fewer total yards than opponent: 2-0 4-16-1When leading in time of possession: 5-0 22-12-1When trailing in time of possession: 1-0 9-10
1999 OPPONENTS UPDATE ?
Date vs.MSU Opponent This Week Last Week Sept. 2 Oregon (3-3) ? L at UCLA, 34-29Sept. 11 Eastern Michigan (1-4) vs. Ohio L vs. Western Mich., 40-37Sept. 18 at Notre Dame (3-3) vs. USC W vs. Arizona State, 48-17Sept. 25 at Illinois (3-2) vs. Minnesota ?Oct. 2 Iowa (1-4) at Northwestern L vs. Penn State, 31-7Oct. 9 Michigan (5-1) ? L at Michigan State, 34-31Oct. 16 at Purdue (4-2) vs. Michigan State L at Ohio State, 25-22Oct. 23 at Wisconsin (4-2) vs. Indiana W at Minnesota, 20-17 OTNov. 6 Ohio State (4-2) at Penn State W vs. Purdue, 25-22Nov. 13 at Northwestern (2-4) vs. Iowa L at Indiana, 34-17Nov. 20 Penn State (6-0) vs. Ohio State W vs. Iowa, 31-7*MSU opponents have a cumulative record of 36-21 (.632), not including games vs. the Spartans
SABAN?S RECORD BREAKDOWN (MSU and TOLEDO)?
All Games: 40-24-1 (.623)Home Games: 26-9 (.743)Road Games: 14-15-1 (.483)August Games: 1-1 (.500)September Games: 15-5-1 (.738)October Games: 15-7 (.682)November Games: 9-8 (.529)December Games: 0-3 (.000)Games decided by a TD or less: 11-10-1 (.523)Games decided by a FG or less: 3-6-1 (.350)
2 ? HERB HAYGOOD ? FL
? has four catches for 75 yards on the year with a TD (vs. Iowa)
? Green team?s offensive MVP in the spring game (eight catches, 83 yards, 1 TD)
4 ? PLAXICO BURRESS ? SE
? leads the team with 32 catches and 579 yards through six games
? tied MSU single-game record with three TD catches vs. Iowa and set single-game record with 255 yards receiving vs. Michigan
? 25 of his 32 catches have been for first downs
? ranked second among nation?s WRs by ESPN.com this week
? second-team All-Big Ten selection in ?98 (media, honorable mention by the coaches)
? ranked among the nation?s top five WRs by The Sporting News (No. 4) and Lindy?s (No. 5)
7 ? LAVAILE RICHARDSON ? SE
? has three catches for 67 yards this year
? caught at least one pass in nine games in ?98
8 ? T.J. DUCKETT ? TB/LB
? MSU?s second-leading rusher overall (43 carries, 209 yards, four TDs)
? leads MSU with four rushing TDs
? older brother, Tico, ranks as MSU?s second-leading all-time rusher (4,212 yards, 1989-92)
? wears #8 as the sum of the digits in Tico?s #35
16 ? BILL BURKE ? QB
? has a TD pass in each of his last 10 games, including an MSU-record-tying four vs. Iowa
? has thrown for 200 yards in seven of his last 10 games, including MSU single-game record 400 vs. Michigan
? one of four MSU QBs with over 4,500 yards passing, now has 4,558
? already among MSU career passing leaders in attempts (fifth at 615), completions (fifth at 335), completion percentage (seventh at .545), yards (fourth at 4,558) and TD passes (third at 39)
? needs five TD passes to set MSU career record, held by Dave Yarema and Ed Smith (43)
? MSU is 7-2 when he throws for 200-plus yards
? has started 17 straight games
22 ? SHAWN FOSTER ? TB
? led MSU vs. Iowa with 67 rushing yards
23 ? LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS ? TB
? fifth on team in rushing (19 carries for 83 yards)
36 ? LLOYD CLEMONS ? TB
? owns three 100-yard rushing games this year, including a career-best 141 yards at Illinois
? in 99 carries has only been stopped for a loss five times (all -1 or -2 yards)
? has 542 yards on 99 carries (5.5 avg.) in 1999
? was granted a sixth-year waiver by the NCAA and earned his undergraduate degree this summer
? was MSU?s second-leading rusher last year behind Sedrick Irvin with 364 yards on 73 carries
49 ? DAWAN MOSS ? FB
? made first start of career at Illinois
? scored on his first career carry vs. EMU with a 42-yard TD run
? ran for the eventual game-winning TD vs. Michigan on his only carry of the day
? first MSU FB to score a rushing TD since 1996 (Travis Reece vs. Michigan)
64 ? CASEY JENSEN ? C
? C this year after playing both RG and LG in 1998
? had a career-high grade (87 percent) vs. ND
70 ? DAVE SUCURA ? LG
? moved to left guard this year after starting every game at left tackle in 1998
? best performance of 1999 at Notre Dame, grading out at 80 percent with 20 production points
71 ? SHAUN MASON ? RG
? offensive Spartan of the Week vs. EMU (graded out at 82 percent)
? graded out with a career-best 89 percent vs. Oregon (83 percent run-blocking, 94 pass-blocking) and 84 percent at Notre Dame (14 production points)
? started the first two games of ?98 before suffering a season-ending injury (ACL/MCL right knee) in the second quarter vs. Oregon
74 ? TUPE PEKO ? LT
? a JUCO All-American at Cerritos College, he has won the starting job at left tackle
76 ? GREG
ROBINSON-RANDALL ? RT
? has started 16 straight games at right tackle
83 ? CHRIS BAKER ? TE
? second on team with 23 receptions and third in receiving yards with 254
? top 10 in nation among TEs in catches (tied for third) and yards (fifth)
? best catches and yards per game of any MSU TE in the 1980s or ?90s
? had career-best eight catches vs. Notre Dame
85 ? IVORY McCOY ? TE
? has 10 catches and 152 receiving yards
? eight of 10 catches have been for first down
? caught third career TD pass vs. Illinois
86 ? GARI SCOTT ? FL
? six of his 19 catches this year have gone for TDs and nine of 19 have come on third down
? second on team with 358 receiving yards and has at least one TD catch in five of six games
? with six TDs in ?99, just three shy of setting MSU single-season record (currently eight)
? owns the MSU record for career punt return yardage (889 yards)
? has at least one catch in each of last 30 games
? leads all MSU players with 32 career starts
? rated among the nation?s top kick returners (No. 4) and wide receivers (No. 14) by Lindy?s
? preseason all-conference pick by Street & Smith?s (first team) and Lindy?s (second team)
DEFENSIVE QUICK BIOS
3 ? AMP CAMPBELL ? CB
? has made a courageous comeback from a cervic-spinal injury suffered last year at Oregon and capped it off with the game-winning TD vs. the Ducks this year on an 85-yard fumble return
? owns MSU career record for pass breakups (44), including team-leading 14 this year
? granted a sixth-year waiver by the NCAA and earned his undergraduate degree this summer
? presented the Biggie Munn Award last year as the team?s most inspirational player
? has 32 games (and 31 starts) under his belt
? has six career INTs (five as a junior in 1997 when he was a second-team All-Big Ten selection)
5 ? LORENZO GUESS ? S
? returned first career INT for TD vs. EMU
? had career-high five tackles vs. Michigan
? plays guard for MSU?s Final Four basketball team
8 ? T.J. DUCKETT ? LB/TB
? has made nine tackles (six solo, three assists) at LB and on special teams
? one of the nation?s most highly touted freshmen
9 ? ARIC MORRIS ? SS
? two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
? made career-best 19 tackles (12 solo) vs. Oregon, including four for losses
? MSU?s leading tackler (37-27-64)
? in his third year as MSU?s starting SS
? has 11 career double-figure tackle games
? hon. mention All-Big Ten pick (media) in ?98
? had three INTs last year, has four for his career
? MSU?s co-captain, along with Gari Scott
15 ? RENALDO HILL ? CB
? tied career high with 10 tackles vs. Michigan
? tied for lead among active Spartans with six career INTs, including one which clinched the win vs. Oregon
? WR Plaxico Burress calls him the best CB in the Big Ten
? brother, Ray, is a former Spartan and current Miami Dolphin
25 ? MIKE AUSTIN ? LB
? an experienced senior with 23 career starts
? started the first five games of 1998 and returned for the season finale
32 ? RICHARD NEWSOME ? FS
? tied for third on team in tackles with 23-15-38
? made second career start vs. Oregon and had career-high 10 tackles (six solos, four assists)
35 ? T.J. TURNER ? LB
? made 10 stops (4-6-10) at Illinois
? in his second year as starter at MIKE LB
? had double-figures in tackles in four of the last five games of 1998
37 ? CEDRIC HENRY ? CB
? missed the first three games but returned against Illinois with 2-2-4 tackles and one pass breakup
? ran his first career punt return back 70 yards for a TD vs. Iowa
? second on the team in ?98 with 13 PBUs
50 ? JOSH THORNHILL ? LB
? career-best 18 tackles (eight solo, 10 assists) at Illinois
? fifth on team with 15-20-35 tackles
? second-team freshman All-America pick by The Sporting News in 1998
66 ? DESMOND THOMAS ? DT
? has already surpassed last year?s sack total with three through six games
75 ? NICK MYERS ? DE
? called by defensive coordinator Bill Miller the biggest pleasant surprise of preseason camp, he has produced 20 tackles and a sack
80 ? JACE SAYLER ? DT
? playing DT after starting 12 games at DE in ?98
? missed start of preseason camp with mono
89 ? HUBERT THOMPSON ? DE
? made his debut vs. Oregon after red-shirting last year and sitting out freshman season due to academics
? has 8-12-20 tackles, two sacks and two pass breakups through six games
91 ? ROBAIRE SMITH ? DE
? second on team in TFLs (10) and sacks (6)
? tied for third on team and first among DLs with 23-15-38 tackles
? had his second career INT, a fumble recovery and two sacks vs. Illinois
? equaled his career-high with 10 tackles vs. Oregon (five solo), including two TFLs and one sack
? already among MSU career leaders in sacks (fourth at 20) and TFLs (fourth at 34)
? a Playboy All-America pick
? preseason first-team All-Big Ten pick by Street & Smith?s, Lindy?s and Athlon
95 ? JOSH SHAW ? DT
? tied for fifth on team with 13-22-35 tackles
? starting LT led MSU in tackles vs. EMU with 4-5-9, including one for loss and one pass breakup
? played all 12 games in ?98 as a true freshman
98 ? JULIAN PETERSON ? LB
? second on the team with 23-18-41 tackles
? 17 of his tackles have been for losses, just one shy of the MSU single-season record he set last year (18)
? has forced three fumbles this year
? owns the top two TFL games in MSU history (seven vs. Ohio State, 1998, six vs. Oregon, 1999)
? posted career-best 5-6-11 tackles vs. Oregon and forced the fumble which Amp Campbell returned for the game-winning TD
SPECIALISTS
1 ? PAUL EDINGER ? PK
? 12-for-14 in FGs and 24-for-24 in PATs in ?99
? ranked No. 2 among nation?s PKs this week by ESPN.com
? ranked among nation?s top 10 kickers by Lindy?s (No. 5) and The Sporting News (No. 7)
? has hit 14-of-18 attempts from 40-plus yards in his career (5-of-7 in 1999)
? second-team All-Big Ten selection in 1998, when he set an MSU record for field goal percentage (.846, 22 of 26)
? 11 of 41 KOs have been touchbacks in ?99
12 ? CRAIG JARRETT ? P
? ranks third in the Big Ten and 12th nationally with 44.0 punting average
? has hit eight punts 50-plus yards and had seven downed inside the 20-yard line in 1999
? second-team All-Big Ten (media) in ?98
