From The Press Box
9/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 25, 2004
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MICHIGAN STATE POST-GAME NOTES
Michigan State vs. Indiana
Memorial Stadium - Bloomington, Ind.
September 25, 2004
* Michigan State now leads the all-time series against Indiana 37-14-2 and has won three in a row in the series and eight of the last nine. The Spartans are 18-8-1 in Bloomington and have won their last four games in Memorial Stadium.
* Michigan State is now 28-20-4 all-time in Big Ten openers and has won its last three. The Spartans are 4-1 when playing Indiana in their league opener, also beating the Hoosiers in 1992 (42-31 in East Lansing), 1957 (54-0 in East Lansing) and 1955 (20-13 in Bloomington). The only time Indiana beat MSU in the Big Ten opener was 1991 (31-0 in Bloomington).
* Drew Stanton became the third different Spartan to start at quarterback this season. The last time MSU had three different signal-callers start games in the same season was 1996, when Todd Schultz, Bill Burke and Gus Ornstein all started.
* Stanton became the second Spartan quarterback this season to make his first career start, joining Stephen Reaves who earned his first career start Sept. 11 vs. Central Michigan. Michigan State has now won five of its last six games when starting a quarterback for the first time in his career (other victories: Stephen Reaves vs. Central Michigan, 9/11/04; Jeff Smoker vs. Missouri, 9/16/00; Ryan Van Dyke vs. Marshall, 9/9/00; Bill Burke, 9/28/96).
* With 134 yards on 12 carries, Drew Stanton became the first Michigan State quarterback to rush for 100 yards in a game since Charlie Baggett had 120 yards rushing vs. Northwestern, Nov. 15, 1975. Stanton's yardage total was the most for a Spartan quarterback since Baggett rushed for 151 yards on 16 carries vs. Indiana, Nov. 16, 1974.
* Michigan State outscored Indiana 23-0 in the second half, including a 13-0 edge in the fourth quarter. MSU has outscored its opponents 37-3 in the fourth quarter this season.
* After being outgained 217 yards to 103 in the first half, MSU had 310 yards of offense in the second half to just 41 for Indiana. MSU outgained Indiana 135-19 in the third quarter and 175-22 in the fourth quarter.
* Matt Trannon matched a career-high with six catches, totaling 94 yards. Trannon previously had six catches in games last season against Indiana and Illinois.
* On Indiana's first possession, senior BANDIT Tyrell Dortch had the first sack of his career, dropping Matt LoVecchio for a five-yard loss.
* Brandon Fields' two punts in the first half were both season longs. His first punt traveled 63 yards, and he followed that with a 65-yard boot. His previous long this year was 62 yards.
* Drew Stanton's 43-yard gain late in the first quarter was the longest rush of his career, surpassing a 38-yard gain Sept. 11 vs. Central Michigan. It was the second-longest run of the season for MSU, trailing only Jason Teague's 46-yard burst Sept. 4 at Rutgers. Stanton added rushes of 36 and 35 yards in the fourth quarter.
* Drew Stanton's two-yard touchdown run with 14:17 left in the second quarter was his second rushing touchdown of the season and third of his career. He added his fourth career TD run and third of the season with a one-yard quarterback draw with 6:24 left in the third quarter.
* The 94-yard punt return for a touchdown by Indiana's Lance Bennett was the longest punt return ever against Michigan State. The previous long was a 92-yard return for a score by Lynn Swann of Southern California in 1972. It was also the first punt returned for a touchdown against MSU since Penn State's Bryan Johnson went 81 yards for a score Nov. 23, 2002.
* Drew Stanton's 57-yard completion to Matt Trannon in the third quarter was Michigan State's longest pass play of the season, and it was the longest pass and catch during the careers of Stanton and Trannon, respectively.
* With three field goals and three extra points in today's game, Dave Rayner now has 255 career points and 45 career field goals - numbers that move him up to fifth in each category in MSU history.
* Jason Harmon intercepted a pass with 1:53 left in the third period. It was his second interception of the season and the eighth of his career.
* Jaren Hayes had the first interception of his career with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter.
* Jason Teague's one-yard touchdown run with 9:45 remaining was his second touchdown of the season and the fifth of his career (all by rush).
* Michigan State rushed for 241 yards today, which is the most in a single game by MSU in the John L. Smith era. The previous high was 213 yards vs. Central Michigan Sept. 11.
