Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Face Badgers In Homecoming Game
10/11/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 11, 2000
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DATE: Oct. 14, 2000
SITE: Spartan Stadium (72,027), East Lansing, Mich.
KICKOFF: 12:10 p.m. EDT
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE: 72,027 (sold out)
LAST WEEK: Michigan State lost at Iowa, 21-16, No. 24 Wisconsin lost to No. 8 Ohio State, 23-7, in Madison.
BROADCAST COVERAGE:
Radio - The Spartan Radio Network, featuring veteran play-by-play announcer George Blaha, color analyst Larry Bielat, sideline reporter Will Tieman and broadcast host Matt Dery, will broadcast the game to 39 affiliates throughout the state. Michigan State football broadcasts can be heard locally on flagship station WJIM (AM 1240, FM 97.5).
Television - ESPN Regional will televise the Michigan State-Wisconsin game live with Wayne Larrivee, Randy Wright and Jim Barbar calling the action.
THE COACHES - Michigan State's Bobby Williams (Purdue 1982) is 4-2 (.667) in his first full season as a college head coach. Williams, who served as the Spartans' running backs coach for 10 years (1990-99), made his head coaching debut on Jan. 1, 2000, as he led Michigan State to a 37-34 victory over No. 10 Florida in the Florida Citrus Bowl. The Spartans finished the 1999 season with a 10-2 overall record and ranked No. 7 in the final polls. During his tenure at Michigan State, Williams coached seven 1,000-yard rushers including Sedrick Irvin, who in 1998 became the first Spartan in school history to reach the rushing milestone in each of his first three seasons. Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez (Nebraska 1969) is 73-46-4 (.610) in his 11th year with the Badgers. His Wisconsin teams have won at least a share of three Big Ten titles (1993, '98 and '99). He has compiled a 5-1 record in bowl games, including a perfect 3-0 mark in Rose Bowls. Alvarez came to Wisconsin following three seasons at Notre Dame (1987-89) where he served as linebackers coach, defensive coordinator and assistant head coach under Lou Holtz.
MICHIGAN STATE-WISCONSIN SERIES BREAKDOWN
SERIES RECORD: MSU leads 24-16
IN EAST LANSING: MSU leads 12-5
FIRST MEETING: MSU 12, Wisconsin 7 (Oct. 25, 1913)
LAST MEETING: Wisconsin 40, MSU 10 (Oct. 23, 1999)
LAST MSU WIN: MSU 30, Wisconsin 13 (Oct. 26, 1996)
BOBBY WILLIAMS vs. WISCONSIN: First Meeting
BARRY ALVAREZ vs. MSU: 4-4
CURRENT SERIES STREAK: 1 by Wisconsin (1999)
LONGEST MSU STREAK: 8 (1985-92)
LONGEST WISCONSIN STREAK: 5 (1918-54)
MSU/WISCONSIN SERIES NOTES - Michigan State leads it 24-16, including a 12-5 record in games played in East Lansing. Wisconsin has won four of the last five meetings, including a 40-10 triumph in Madison last season. Michigan State's last win in the series came on Oct. 26, 1996, 30-13, in Spartan Stadium. Wisconsin's last win in East Lansing (not including the 1994 forfeit) came on Nov. 17, 1984, 20- 10. (Note: For a complete list of all-time series scores please refer to page 180 in the 2000 MSU Football Media Guide.)
THE LAST MEETING - Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne proved why he was one of the nation's top rushers, carrying for 214 yards and two touchdowns in the Badgers' 40-10 victory over Michigan State in Madison. The Spartan rushing defense, which had given up just 39.9 yards per game entering the contest, allowed 301 yards on the ground. Dayne's rushing and a pair of interceptions sparked Wisconsin to scoring drives on each of its first four possessions, and the Badgers had a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter. Vital Pisetsky added his third field goal of the first half and Paul Edinger countered with a career-long 55-yard kick of his own to make the halftime score 23-3. Wisconsin built its lead to 33-3 before T.J. Duckett broke through for a 53-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter. Michael Bennett's 1-yard run with 4:30 left made the final score 40-10.
HOMECOMING GAMES - Michigan State is 55-26-3 (.673) in 84 Homecoming games, including a 3-4 record vs. Wisconsin. The Spartans have won four straight and are 9-3 in Homecoming games since 1988. (For a complete list of Homecoming results please refer to page 184 in the 2000 MSU Football Media Guide).
THE LAST TIME OUT - Jon Beutjer's 43-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Kasper with 2:47 left in the game gave Iowa a 21- 16 victory over Michigan State in Iowa City. It marked Iowa's first win of the season and ended a 13-game losing streak. Iowa jumped out to a 7-0 lead as Ladell Betts capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 5-yard TD run with 7:28 remaining in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, T.J. Duckett's 50-yard run set up Michigan State's first score, a 2-yard TD toss from Ryan Van Dyke to Ivory McCoy, but the Spartans failed to tie the game as David Schaefer's extra-point attempt was blocked. Michigan State took a 9-7 lead at halftime after a seven-play, 72-yard drive resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Schaefer with :08 left in the first half. The Spartans cashed in on a break late in the third quarter as a low line-drive punt by Craig Jarrett bounced off Iowa's Mikkel Brown and DeMario Suggs recovered at the Hawkeye 39. Three plays later, Duckett raced 31 yards around right end for a score as Michigan State moved out to a 16-7 lead with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter. Iowa regained the momentum on the ensuing kickoff as Kahlil Hill returned it 90 yards for a touchdown. Michigan State had a chance to add to its two-point lead midway through the fourth quarter but Schaefer's 24-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Aaron Kampman. Iowa responded with an 11-play, 84-yard drive to regain the lead on Beutjer's screen pass to Kasper. Duckett gained a career-high 248 yards on 30 attempts - the sixth-highest single-game total in Spartan history. Michigan State gained a season-high 466 total yards while holding Iowa to 231 total yards - 105 yards below the Hawkeye's season average.
