Michigan State University Athletics
No. 22 Spartans Try To Remain Undefeated
9/11/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 11, 2000
From the Associated Press
After ending the nation's longest winning streak last week, the Michigan State Spartans look to stay unbeaten Saturday when they play the Missouri Tigers for the first time in 55 years.
No. 22 Michigan State (1-0), which beat Missouri 14-7 in their last meeting in 1945, snapped Marshall's 18-game winning streak with a 34-24 win in East Lansing last week in its season opener.
Running back T.J. Duckett, who lost 23 pounds since the Spartans beat Florida in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day, ran for 219 yards on 26 carries to lead Michigan State.
Duckett did most of his damage in the second half, running for 185 yards on 16 carries. The 6-foot-2, 252-pound running back put the Spartans ahead 27-17 with a 36-yard touchdown run with 4:44 left in the game. His 64-yard run to begin the final quarter set up a field goal that gave the Spartans a 20-10 lead.
"I had great stamina and I got stronger as the game went on" Duckett said. "I worked hard and lost the weight just in case of situations like this."
Duckett needed to step up because starting quarterback Ryan Van Dyke left the game with a bruised right thumb in the second quarter.
"He has a bruise on his throwing hand," Spartans coach Bobby Williams said. "The X-rays came back negative, and I expect him back in a couple of days. Hopefully the pain will gone and he will be back."
Missouri (1-1) is looking to bounce back from a sloppy 62-9 loss at Clemson last Saturday, the Tigers fifth straight defeat on the road dating back to last season.
The Tigers trailed only 28-9 at halftime, but turnovers became a factor as Clemson took advantage and outscored Missouri 34-0 in an 8:33 span starting late in the second quarter. Overall, Missouri turned the ball over six times.
"The second half was a matter of turnovers. It was atrocious," Missouri coach Larry Smith said.
The game marks the seventh meeting between the teams, with the series knotted at 3-3.
