Michigan State - Rice Game Notes
9/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 7, 2002
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ATTENDANCE - 74,014 - The game marks MSU's 20th straight sellout. MSU has played before a sellout crowd in 27of its last 33 home games.
SERIES - Today's game marked the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Rice. MSU holds a 1-0 lead in the all-time series after the 27-10 victory.
MR. ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD - With his 38-yard TD grab in the first quarter, junior split end Charles Rogers has now caught at least one TD pass in 11 straight games.
Rogers finished the game with nine catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns. It marked his sixth straight 100-yard receiving game, continuing to add to his school record.
HOW'S THAT LEG - Sophomore kicker Dave Rayner kicked a 45-yard field goal early in the third quarter for a career long. He then bettered that mark with a 50 yarder later in the quarter.
KNOTT BAD- Sophomore tight end Eric Knott posted his second straight game with a touchdown reception with a two-yard catch from Jeff Smoker early in the fourth quarter. For the game, Knott had four catches for 23 yards.
MR. SMOKER - Junior quarterback Jeff Smoker continues to impress. Smoker tied the MSU record with sixth-straight 200-yard passing games with 213 yards vs. Rice. Smoker equals the record set by Ed Smith, who had six straight 200-yard passing games from Oct. 7, 1978 to Nov. 11, 1978.
Smoker finished the day 16-of-26 for 213 yards and three touchdowns. The three touchdowns equals his career high.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES - * Sophomore defensive end Clifford Dukes had MSU's first sack of the 2002 season.
* Senior safety Thomas Wright, who started his team-leading 24th straight game, had his fifth career interception against Rice. The pick led to a Spartan touchdown - a touchdown pass to Charles Rogers.
* The Spartan defense had four turnovers today, after not picking up one turnover in the first game against EMU. In addition, Jason Harmon picked off a pass early in the fourth quarter and DeMario Suggs and Jason Randall each recovered fumbles off of punts.
* MSU finished with 58 rushing yards today. It marked MSU's lowest rushing total since gaining 60 yards vs. Purdue in 2001.
* Ziehl Kavanaght had a career-long 49-yard punt return in the fourth quarter. He finished with 83 punt return yards, which is more yardage than he had in his first two seasons. AS a freshman in 2000, Kavanaght had 11 returns for 60 yards and last year, he had 10 returns for 82 yards.
