Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Meet Northwestern In Big Ten Football Opener
9/27/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 2000
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DATE: Sept. 30, 2000
SITE: Spartan Stadium (72,027), East Lansing, Mich.
KICKOFF: 12:10 p.m. EDT
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE: 72,027 (sold out)
LAST WEEK: No. 23 Michigan State defeated No. 16 Notre Dame, 27-21, Northwestern won at No. 7 Wisconsin, 47-44, in 2OT.
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-Northwestern game live with Wayne Larrivee, Randy Wright and Jim Barbar calling the action.
THE COACHES - Michigan State's Bobby Williams (Purdue 1982) is 4-0 (1.000) 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 seassons.
Northwestern's Randy Walker (Miami-Ohio 1976) is 6-9 (.400) in his second year with the Wildcats and 65-44-5 (.592) in 11 seasons as a college head coach. Walker compiled a 59- 35-5 record (.621) in nine seasons at Miami-Ohio (1990-98) where he led the Redhawks to a share of the Mid-American Conference title in 1998 (10-1 overall, 7-1 MAC). His other coaching credits include stops as an assistant coach at Northwestern (1988-89), North Carolina (1978-87) and Miami- Ohio (1977).
MSU/NORTHWESTERN SERIES NOTES
Michigan State leads it 30-12, including a 16-3 record in games played in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans have won eight of the last 11 meetings. Northwestern's last win in Spartan Sta-dium came on Nov. 2, 1991, 16-13.
MICHIGAN STATE-NORTHWESTERN
SERIES BREAKDOWN
SERIES RECORD: MSU leads 30-12
IN EAST LANSING: MSU leads 16-3
FIRST MEETING: NU 37, MSU 11 (Nov. 18, 1905)
LAST MEETING: MSU 34, NU 0 (Nov. 13, 1999)
LAST NU WIN: NU 19, MSU 17 (Oct. 18, 1997)
BOBBY WILLIAMS vs. NU: First Meeting
RANDY WALKER vs. MSU: 0-1
CURRENT SERIES STREAK: 2 by MSU (1998-99)
LONGEST MSU STREAK: 11 (1959-69)
LONGEST NU STREAK: 3 (1905-24)
