Spartans Suffer First Loss Under Williams
9/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 30, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. - ATTENDANCE - 73,128 (sellout). Today's sellout marks the 17th capacity crowd in the last 22 contests at Spartan Stadium, including the last nine in a row.
SERIES - Michigan State holds a 30-13 series advantage over Northwestern following today's Wildcat win. MSU fell for just the fourth time in 20 meetings against Northwestern at Spartan Stadium.
Today's outcome marked the Spartans' worst home loss to Northwestern in school history. It's also the first time the Spartans have lost to the Wildcats at home since 1991 (Northwestern 16, MSU 13.)
Today's loss was MSU's largest margin of defeat vs. the Wildcats since 1976, when Northwestern beat Michigan State 42-21 in Evanston.
STREAK SNAPPED AT SPARTAN STADIUM - Michigan State saw its nine-game home win snapped with today's Northwestern win. The Spartans' last home loss prior to today occurred on Nov. 14, 1998, when Purdue edged MSU, 25-24. The nine-game win streak that ended today was MSU's longest at home since Duffy Daugherty's Spartans reeled off 12 wins at Spartan Stadium between Oct. 24, 1964-Nov. 12, 1966.
WILLIAMS' WIN STREAK ENDS - Bobby Williams suffered his first loss as MSU head coach today. The defeat prevented him from becoming the first coach in school to win his first four regular-season games with the Spartans.
MSU IN BIG TEN OPENERS - The Spartans dropped their Big Ten season openers for just the second time in nine years with today's loss to Northwestern. MSU entered today 6-1-1 over the last eight years in Big Ten season debuts.
Today's defeat also marked the first time since 1995 that MSU lost their Big Ten home opener. Michigan State sustained a 21-7 loss to Iowa at Spartan Stadium in '95.
YARD WORK - Northwestern piled up 506 total yards of offense against the Spartans today. The Wildcats amassed just 151 total yards in a 34-0 loss to MSU in Evanston last season.
DAMIEN'S OMEN - Northwestern RB Damien Anderson gained a career-high 219 yards on 25 carries today. He also scored a pair of touchdowns. Anderson is the first running back to eclipse the 200-yard mark on the ground since Ron Dayne achieved the feat in a 40-10 Wisconsin win over MSU in Madison last season.
Anderson is the fifth Big Ten player to rush for more than 200 yards this season. Wisconsin's Michael Bennett (twice), MSU's T.J. Duckett and Michigan's Anthony Thomas are the others who have turned the trick.
FAST-STARTING SPARTANS - MSU scored 10 first-quarter points today. The Spartans had tallied seven first-quarter points in their first three games this year. State, however, has allowed 34 first-quarter points through four games this season.
SECOND QUARTER SWOON - Northwestern's Damien Anderson 32-yard TD scamper in the second quarter was the first touchdown allowed by Michigan State in the second frame this season. Entering today, the Spartans had outscored opponents 16-3 in the second quarter. Northwestern reversed that trend by scoring 13 second-quarter points.
ANYONE FOR THIRDS? - Damien Anderson scored on a 41-yard run in the third quarter today, the first points given up by the MSU defense in the third stanza this year.
NOT T.J.'s DAY - MSU sophomore RB T.J. Duckett rushed for 71 yards and one touchdown today. Duckett had rushed for 100+ yards in each of the Spartans' three games this year and the last regular-season contest of the 1999 campaign.
SLINGING' SMOKER - Despite the loss, MSU freshman QB Jeff Smoker set career highs in attempts (35), completions (17) and passing yards (233).
CAREER FIRSTS - MSU WR Demont Smith caught the first touchdown pass of his Spartan career when he hauled in a 22-yard pass from Smoker that deflected off a Northwestern defender late in the fourth quarter.