Michigan State vs. Iowa Game Notes
10/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 13, 2001
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MICHIGAN STATE vs. IOWA
SPARTAN STADIUM
October 13, 2001
ATTENDANCE - 73,680 (sellout). Today's sellout marks the 22nd capacity crowd in the last 27 contests at Spartan Stadium, including the last 14 in a row.
SERIES - Today marked the 35th meeting between the Hawkeyes and Spartans. Iowa holds a slim 17-16-2 lead in the all-time series after today's 31-28 Spartan victory.
DUCKETT MOVING ON UP - Junior tailback T.J. Duckett moved into a tie for 12th place on MSU's all-time career rushing touchdowns chart with 20. Duckett is tied with Rich Baes (1973-76) and Clinton Jones (1964-66), who also have 20. Next in Duckett's sight is Steve Smith (1977-80) and Charlie Baggett (1973-75), who are tied for 10th with 21 rushing touchdowns.
THE REAL MCCOY - Senior Ivory McCoy, who missed the first three games while recovering from surgery on his fifth metatarsal in his right foot on Aug. 22, returned to the Spartan lineup. McCoy saw action on both sides of the ball - playing linebacker and tight end. McCoy had a catch for 3 yards in the third quarter, and finished the game with one tackle.
LET'S HEAR IT FOR HERB - Senior wide receiver Herb Haygood had a day to remember against Iowa. Haygood returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. The 100-yard kickoff return tied the school record, which is also shared by Derrick Mason (vs. LSU, 1995 and vs. Penn State, 1994) and by Derek Hughes (vs. Oregon, 1979).
It's the first time in MSU's 106 years of competition that a player has returned kick-offs for a touchdown in back-to-back games. Haygood returned a kickoff 84 yards against Northwestern on Sept. 29.
It marked the first time since 1976 that Iowa has allowed a kick-off return for a touchdown.
Haygood moved into third place on MSU's career kickoff return yardage chart. Haygood, who now has 1382 career kickoff returns yards, surpassed Eric Allen (1969-71, 1,267) who previously held down third place. Courtney Hawkins (1988-91) is second in career kickoff return yards with 1,571.
The Sarasota, Fla., native finished with a career-best 9 catches and a career-high 119 yards. It was his first career 100-yard game. In the first three games combined this season, Haygood had 5 catches for 74 yards.
BAKER'S STREAK - Senior tight end Chris Baker kept his two active streaks alive against Iowa. With a catch in the first quarter, the Saline, Mich., native extended his streak to 16 consecutive games with a catch. The streak dates back to the 2000 Citrus Bowl against Florida. In addition, Baker has started 39 consecutive games - the longest such streak on the team.
Baker finished the day with 2 catches for 41 yards. He moved into 13th place on MSU's career receptions chart with 103, surpassing Bobby Morse (1983-86) and Gene Washington (1964-66) who each have 102.
He also needs just five more catches to become MSU's top pass-catching tight end. Mark Brammer (1976-79) is currently MSU's all-time leader with 107 catches.
A FIRST FOR MOSS - Four games into the season, junior fullback Dawan Moss picked up his first carry of the season against Iowa. Moss took a Jeff Smoker hand off and rumbled 18 yards down the sidelines for a first down.
SWAPING SPOTS - Due to injuries in the defensive backfield, sophomore Tyrell Dortch made the switch from offense to defense this week. Dortch finished the game with five tackles. He tipped an Iowa QB pass early in the fourth quarter, which was intercepted by Josh Shaw.
SPARTAN QUICK HITS - Senior defensive tackle Josh Shaw picked off his first career pass in the first quarter against Iowa. Shaw then had his second career interception in the fourth quarter.
Junior cornerback Broderick Nelson picked off this team-leading third interception of the year in the second quarter and intercepted his fourth ball of the season in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
THE KICKING GAME - Freshman kicker Dave Rayner saw his first action of his career on Saturday. Rayner was perfect on all four of his PAT attempts. He also converted a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give MSU a 10-point lead (31-21).
TODAY'S HONOREES - MSU honored the rescue workers from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and the New York Police Department (NYPD) in a special pregame ceremony. Michael Cantwell (FDNY), Kevin Gorman (FDNY), Peter Jacoutot (NYPD) and Benito Barrerio (NYPD) also rode in Friday's Homecoming Parade, accompanied by local firefighters and police officers. A special collection was taken between the first and second quarter to raise money for the officers to take back to New York City.
Also, MSU's Final Four Men's Basketball squad and Frozen Four Ice Hockey team were honored at halftime. The hockey team (33-5-4 overall, 21-4-3 CCHA) won the CCHA regular season and playoff championships, in addition to capturing their fourth-straight Great Lakes Invitational title.
The men's basketball team (28-5 overall, 13-3 Big Ten) won their fourth-straight Big Ten regular-season titles in 2000-01. MSU also has advanced to three straight Final Fours, winning the national title in 2000.
IOWA NOTES - Iowa received the opening kickoff for the 22nd straight game and for the 23 time in 28 games under Coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa opened the first two games of the season with touchdown drives. The Hawkeyes had a field goal blocked by Penn State in the third game and both Purdue and Michigan State stopped Iowa's first possession with interceptions.
OL Alonzo Cunningham started for the first time this season. Cunningham missed the first two games of the season, saw limited action against Penn State, and did not play at Purdue. He has been bothered by a sprained ankle. DB Chris Smith and OL Andy Lightfoot were both held out of action for the third straight game and TE Andy Jensen missed his first game of the season.
Sophomore Nate Kaeding punted for the first time in his career, kicking Iowa's first punt of the game. Kaeding has handled all of Iowa's PAT and field goal kicking for the last two seasons. He also was a punter at West HS in Iowa City as a prep.
The second quarter touchdown by Iowa senior QB Kyle McCann marked his first rushing TD of the season and the third of his career. McCann added his second rushing touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter. The second quarter TD reception by WR Chris Oliver was his first score of the season.
Iowa's second touchdown of the game was set up by a forced fumble by Iowa's Derrick Pickens. Pickens, who ranks among Big Ten leaders in tackles for loss and QB sacks, forced his second fumble of the season. The fumble was recovered by senior DL Aaron Kampman. Kampman in the fourth quarter forced a fumble and came up with his second recovery of the day. Kampman was credited with six tackles in the game, raising his career total to 279. He ranks 12th in career tackles.
Iowa's third touchdown was set up by a blocked punt by Tim Dodge. The block by Dodge is the first of his career and the first for Iowa since Robbertto Rickards blocked an Ohio State punt last season. Dodge has been a key special teams player for Iowa throughout his career, returning a blocked punt for a touchdown against Nebraska in 1999. Dodge is an all-America sprinter on the Iowa track team.
The kickoff return for a score by Michigan State marked the first KO return touchdown by an Iowa opponent since 1976 when Ira Mathews of Wisconsin had a 100-yard return.
The 31 points scored by Michigan State is the most allowed by Iowa's defense since Ohio State scored 38 in the eighth game of the 2000 season.
The rushing touchdown by Ladell Betts in the second quarter was the 18th of his career and he now has 114 career points. Betts is tied for eighth in career rushing TDs and he is tied for 17th in career scoring. Betts today increased his career rushing totals to 697 carries for 2,942 yards. He ranks second in career rushing attempts and third in rushing yards.
