Michigan State University Athletics
No. 17 Spartans Tackle Illinois In Big Ten Opener
9/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 23, 2005
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DATE: Sept. 24, 2005
SITE: Memorial Stadium (69,249/AstroPlay), Champaign, Ill.
KICKOFF: 12:10 p.m. EDT
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE: 45-50,000
LAST WEEK: Michigan State won at No. 10/12 Notre Dame, 44-41, in overtime; Illinois lost at No. 15/15 California, 35-20.
BROADCAST COVERAGE: Radio - The Spartan Radio Network, featuring veteran play-by-play announcer George Blaha, color analyst Sherm Lewis, sideline reporter Will Tieman and broadcast host Mike Kamin, will broadcast the game to 37 affiliates throughout the state. Michigan State football broadcasts can be heard locally on flagship station WJIM (AM 1240) and WMMQ (FM 94.9). Television - ESPNU/ESPN Plus will televise the Michigan State-Illinois game live, with Wayne Larrivee handling the play-by-play, Randy Wright providing color commentary and Quint Kessenich serving as the sideline reporter.
2005 SCHEDULES & SCOREBOARDS -
MICHIGAN STATE (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Date Opponent Time/ResultSept. 3 KENT STATE (ESPN Plus) W, 49-14 Sept. 10 HAWAII (ESPNU/ESPN Plus) W, 42-14 Sept. 17 at Notre Dame (NBC) W, 44-41 (OT) Sept. 24 at llinois (ESPNU/ESPN Plus) 12:10 p.m. EDT Oct. 1 MICHIGAN (ABC) 12 p.m. EDT Oct. 15 at Ohio State TBA Oct. 22 NORTHWESTERN (Homecoming) TBA Oct. 29 INDIANA TBA Nov. 5 at Purdue TBA Nov. 12 at Minnesota TBA Nov. 19 PENN STATE TBA ILLINOIS (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Date Opponent Time/Result Sept. 3 RUTGERS W, 33-30 (OT) Sept. 10 SAN JOSE STATE W, 40-19 Sept. 17 at California L, 20-35 Sept. 24 MICHIGAN STATE 11:10 a.m. CDT Oct. 1 at Iowa TBA Oct. 8 at Indiana TBA Oct. 22 PENN STATE 6 p.m. CDT Oct. 29 WISCONSIN TBA Nov. 5 at Ohio State TBA Nov. 12 at Purdue TBA Nov. 19 NORTHWESTERN TBA
THE COACHES -
Michigan State's John L. Smith (Weber State 1971) is 16-12 (.571) in his third year with the Spartans and 126-72 (.636) in 17 seasons as a college head coach. Smith ranks No. 12 among active NCAA I-A football coaches in career victories and No. 17 in career winning percentage. Twelve of his 16 teams have participated in postseason play, including seven-straight bowl appearances from 1997-2003. He came to Michigan State following five seasons at Louisville (1998-2002) where he put together a 41-21 worksheet (.661), including five-straight bowl appearances and back-to-back C-USA titles in 2000-01. Smith posted a 16-18 ledger (.471) in three seasons at Utah State (1995-97) while leading the Aggies to consecutive Big West Conference crowns in 1996-97. His six-year mark of 53-21 (.716) at Idaho (1989-94) included five NCAA I-AA playoff appearances and five Top 20 finishes.
Illinois' Ron Zook (Miami-Ohio 1976) is 2-1 (.667) in his first year with the Fighting Illini and 25-15 (.625) in four seasons as a college head coach. Zook compiled a 23-14 record (.621) in three years as head coach at Florida (2002-04). He spent six seasons as an assistant coach in the NFL, including stints with Pittsburgh (1996-98), Kansas City (1999) and New Orleans (2000-01). His college coaching credits include stops as an assistant at Murray State (1978-80), Cincinnati (1981-82), Kansas (1983), Tennessee (1984-86), Virginia Tech (1987), Ohio State (1988-90) and Florida (1991-95).
TEAM COMPARISONS -
Michigan State IllinoisBasic Offense Spread Multiple Basic Defense Multiple 4-3 Multiple Offensive Starters Returning 8 7 Defensive Starters Returning 5 7 Specialists Returning 1 2 AVERAGE HEIGHTS & WEIGHTS (STARTERS) -
Michigan State IllinoisOffensive Line & Tight End 6-4, 301 6-5, 288 Offensive Backs & Wide Receivers 6-2, 218 6-1, 196 Defensive Line 6-3, 296 6-5, 276 Linebackers 6-1, 243 6-1, 223 Defensive Backs 5-11, 195 5-11, 188 CLASS BREAKDOWN (STARTERS) -
Michigan State Offense: 6 seniors, 3 juniors, 2 sophomores
Michigan State Defense: 4 seniors, 5 juniors, 2 sophomores
Illinois Offense: 1 senior, 5 juniors, 3 sophomores, 2 freshmen
Illinois Defense: 2 seniors, 1 junior, 6 sophomores, 2 freshmen
STAT LEADERS -
Michigan State (after three games):
Rushing - Jehuu Caulcrick (41 carries for 248 yards, 6.0 avg., 3 TDs)
Passing - Drew Stanton (59 of 82 for 925 yards, 8 TDs, 2 INTs)
Receiving - Kyle Brown (15 catches for 172 yards, 11.5 avg., 1 TD)
Tackles - Eric Smith (25 tackles, 13 solos, 12 assists, 1 INT)
Illinois (after three games):
Rushing - Pierre Thomas (37 carries for 199 yards, 5.4 avg., 3 TDs)
Passing - Tim Brasic (62 of 93 for 660 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs)
Receiving - E.B. Halsey (15 catches for 112 yards, 7.5 avg., 1 TD)
Tackles - Morris Virgil (20 tackles, 14 solos, 6 assists, 3 PBUs)
STAT COMPARISON -
Michigan State IllinoisScoring 45.0 31.0 First Downs 26.0 24.0 Total Offense 557.3 422.0 Rushing Yards 237.7 185.3 Passing Yards 319.7 236.7 Time of Possession 28:59 33:15 Third Down Conversions .515 .391 Points Allowed 23.0 28.0 Total Offense Allowed 422.7 387.7 Rushing Yards Allowed 81.3 161.3 Passing Yards Allowed 341.3 226.3
MSU/ILLINOIS SERIES NOTES -
Saturday's game marks the 41st meeting between Michigan State and Illinois. The Spartans lead the all-time series 22-16-2, including a 10-9-1 record in games played in Champaign, Ill. Michigan State has won eight in a row - including four straight in Memorial Stadium - and nine of the last 10 meetings. The Illini's last win in the series came on Nov. 21, 1992, 14-10, in Memorial Stadium. (Note: For a complete list of all-time series scores, please refer to page 133 in the 2005 MSU Football Media Guide.)
THE LAST MEETING -
Oct. 9, 2004, in East Lansing, Mich.: Drew Stanton accounted for 254 combined yards (rushing, passing and receiving) and four touchdowns to lead Michigan State to a 38-25 victory over Illinois in Spartan Stadium. It marked MSU's eighth-straight win over the Fighting Illini. Kyle Brown's 37-yard punt return to the Illini 49 set up MSU's first score. Stanton capped the nine-play, 49-yard drive with an 11-yard TD toss to Jerramy Scott with 6:19 left in the first quarter. Stanton opened the next series with a 29-yard completion down the middle to Kellen Davis to the Illini 42. Three plays later, Stanton caught an 18-yard TD pass from Scott as the Spartans built a 13-0 lead with 3:47 remaining in the first quarter. Brandon Fields mishandled the center snap on the extra-point attempt and the Illini's Kelvin Hayden returned the fumble for 2 points. Michigan State scored on its third-straight possession and took a 20-2 lead as Stanton finished off a seven-play, 80-yard drive with a 6-yard TD toss to Jason Teague with 12:54 left in the second quarter. Illinois answered on its next series and pulled to within 20-9 as Pierre Thomas raced 23 yards around left end for a touchdown with 8:30 to play in the first half. Late in the second quarter, Jon Beutjer lost the ball while being sacked by Ronald Stanley and Brandon McKinney recovered the fumble for the Spartans at the Illini 26. With four seconds left in the first half, Dave Rayner converted a 21-yard field goal as Michigan State enjoyed a 23-9 halftime advantage. Illinois opened the third period with a four-play, 80-yard drive. Thomas carried the ball four-straight times, including a 69-yard gain, and scored on a 3-yard run as the Illini closed the gap to 23-16 with 13:06 remaining in the third quarter. Michigan State put together a five-play, 80-yard drive midway through the third quarter and extended its lead to 30-16 on Stanton's 27-yard TD strike to Agim Shabaj in the right corner of the end zone. The Illini responded with a 15-play, 64-yard drive that resulted in Jason Reda's 25-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 30-19 with 27 seconds left in the third quarter. Illinois rallied to within 30-25 with 14:13 to play as Kevin Mitchell blocked a Spartan punt that Sharriff Abdullah recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Michigan State put the game out of reach with a seven-play, 62-yard drive that led to a 12-yard TD run by DeAndra Cobb. Stanton followed that score up with a 2-point pass to Teague for a 38-25 Spartan lead with 5:47 on the clock.
THE LAST MEETING IN MEMORIAL STADIUM -
Oct. 11, 2003, in Champaign, Ill.: Jeff Smoker completed 23-of-31 throws for 317 yards and two touchdowns while Tyrell Dortch ran for two scores as No. 21 Michigan State won its fourth-straight game and improved to 3-0 in the Big Ten with a 49-14 victory at Illinois. It marked Michigan State's seventh-consecutive win over the Fighting Illini. After the Illini's John Gockman missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt wide right, the Spartans responded with a six-play, 69-yard drive and took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard TD run by Jaren Hayes around right end with 8:15 left in the first quarter. Illinois managed to tie the game at 7 as Jon Beutjer capped a 15-play, 84-yard drive with a 10-yard TD toss to Mark Kornfeld on the first play of the second quarter. The complexion of the game changed when Eric Smith intercepted Beutjer and returned it 24 yards to the Illini 2. On fourth-and-goal, Dortch scored the first touchdown of his career on a 1-yard run over left tackle as the Spartans took the lead for good at 14-7 with 9:52 remaining in the second quarter. Following Smith's interception, Michigan State scored 42 unanswered points to take control of the game. The Spartans put together an eight-play, 68-yard drive and built a 21-7 advantage on Smoker's 15-yard TD strike to Jerramy Scott with 5:30 left in the first half. Michigan State scored on its first possession of the second half and moved out to a 28-7 lead as Dortch finished off an eight-play, 93-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run. Jason Harmon's 21-yard interception return to the Illini 12 set up MSU's fifth touchdown. After a holding penalty, Smoker completed his second TD pass, a 21-yarder to Aaron Alexander in the right corner of the end zone with 14:27 left in the fourth quarter. Michigan State increased its lead to 42-7 on Smoker's 1-yard sneak with 8:25 on the clock. Two minutes later, the Spartans scored a defensive touchdown as Harmon returned a fumble 52 yards. Illinois' scoring drought ended when Chris Pazan hooked up with E.B. Halsey for a 6-yard scoring pass with 1:05 left in the game. Michigan State scored 21 points off three Illinois turnovers.
MSU/ILLINOIS COACHING CONNECTIONS -
* Illinois assistant head coach and running backs coach Reggie Mitchell spent six years on the Michigan State coaching staff (1999-2004), working with the wide receivers in 1999 before taking over the running backs in 2000.
* Illinois offensive line coach Ed Warinner spent two years as a graduate assistant under George Perles at Michigan State (1985-86), working with the linebackers and defensive backs.
* Illinois quarterbacks coach Ed Zaunbrecher spent three years as an assistant coach under George Perles at Michigan State, working with the quarterbacks (1991) and inside linebackers (1992-93).
* Illinois assistant recruiting coordinator Mike Dicenzo worked as a graduate assistant coach at Michigan State in 2003-04.
BIG TEN OPENERS -
Michigan State enters its 53rd season of Big Ten competition with a 28-20-4 record (.577) in league openers. The Spartans are 6-3-1 in Big Ten openers since 1995.
Michigan State is 6-5 (.545) in Big Ten openers vs. Illinois, including a 3-3 mark in games played in Champaign. The Spartans open Big Ten play against the Fighting Illini for the first time since 1999.
Here's a look at Michigan State's results against Illinois in Big Ten openers:
Date MSU Result SiteSept. 25, 1999 W, 27-10 Champaign Sept. 22, 1984 L, 7-40 Champaign Sept. 24, 1983 L, 10-20 Spartan Stadium Sept. 11, 1982 L, 16-23 Champaign Sept. 12, 1981 L, 17-27 Spartan Stadium Sept. 13, 1980 L, 17-20 Champaign Sept. 8, 1979 W, 33-16 Spartan Stadium Sept. 16, 1972 W, 24-0 Champaign Sept. 11, 1971 W, 10-0 Spartan Stadium Oct. 1, 1966 W, 26-10 Champaign Oct. 2, 1965 W, 22-12 Spartan Stadium
SPARTANS FROM THE LAND OF LINCOLN -
Michigan State's 2005 roster features three players from Illinois: sophomore linebacker Eric Andino (Arlington Heights/Buffalo Grove), sophomore wide receiver Terry Love (Bellwood/Proviso East HS) and red-shirt freshman offensive guard Roland Martin (Chicago/Harper).
SPARTANS SELECTED NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK -
With its 44-41 overtime victory at No. 10 Notre Dame, Michigan State has been named the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, as selected by the panel of voters for the FWAA's Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll for games of the Sept. 17 weekend. It marked Michigan State's fifth-straight win in Notre Dame Stadium, tying Purdue (1954-62) for the longest winning streak by an Irish opponent in South Bend.
Jason Teague scored on a 19-yard run around right end on MSU's first overtime possession after Notre Dame had rallied from a 38-17 deficit to force the extra session. Notre Dame took the lead its initial overtime possession at 41-38 on D.J. Fitzpatrick's 44-yard field goal.
Spartan quarterback Drew Stanton threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score to offset the performance of his counterpart Brady Quinn, who passed for 487 yards and a Notre Dame record-tying five TDs.
The FWAA has chosen a National Team of the Week since the 2002 season.
STANTON NAMED BIG TEN OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK -
Junior quarterback Drew Stanton, who accounted for 375 total yards and four touchdowns in Michigan State's 44-41 overtime victory at No. 10 Notre Dame, has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Stanton completed 16-of-27 throws for 327 yards, including TD strikes of 20 and 65 yards to Matt Trannon and 11 yards to Kellen Davis. It marked Stanton's fourth career 300-yard passing game, his second of the 2005 season. His 327 passing yards marked the most ever by a Spartan QB in the Notre Dame series. Stanton also rushed for 48 yards on 14 carries, including a 3-yard TD run that gave MSU a 24-17 halftime lead.
BIG TEN/NCAA STAT LEADERS -
Here's a glance at how Michigan State ranks among the Big Ten and NCAA stat leaders in 2005:
Category Stat Avg. Big Ten NCAARushing Offense 237.7 3rd 15th Passing Offense 319.7 1st 9th Total Offense 557.3 1st 4th Scoring Offense 45.0 t-2nd t-10th Rushing Defense 81.3 5th 20th Passing Defense 341.3 11th 115th Total Defense 422.7 10th 93rd Scoring Defense 23.0 8th t-54th Passing Efficiency 189.7 1st 5th Pass Efficiency Defense 126.4 7th 68th Turnover Margin -0.67 8th t-82nd Net Punting 39.4 2nd 31st (37.4) Punt Returns 8.3 8th 66th Kickoff Returns 19.2 8th 79th
NCAA STAT LEADERS -
Here's a glance at how Michigan State ranks among the NCAA individual stat leaders in 2005:
Individual Statistics (Top 50)
Passing Efficiency: Drew Stanton (5th with 194.0 rating)
Total Offense: Drew Stanton (7th at 345.3 yards per game)
Receiving Yards: Terry Love (38th at 77.7 yards per game); Matt Trannon (t-42nd at 75.3 ypg.)
Punt Returns: Kyle Brown (17th at 13.8 yards per return)
Points Responsible For: Drew Stanton (11th at 19.3 points per game)
SPARTANS FEATURE EXPLOSIVE OFFENSIVE ATTACK -
Michigan State ranks among the NCAA's top 10 in three offensive categories: No. 9 in passing offense (319.7 yards per game), No. 4 in total offense (557.3 ypg.) and No. 10 (tied) in scoring offense (45.0 points per game). The Spartans also rank among the NCAA leaders in rushing offense (No. 15), averaging 237.7 yards per game.
Quarterback Drew Stanton leads the Big Ten and ranks No. 5 nationally in passing efficiency, with his 194.0 rating. The 6-foot-3, 222-pound junior has completed 59-of-82 throws (.720) for 925 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He also leads the league and ranks No. 7 in the NCAA in total offense, averaging 345.3 yards per game.
Stanton earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after accounting for 375 total yards and four TDs in MSU's 44-41 overtime victory at No. 10 Notre Dame. He completed 16-of-27 throws for 327 yards, including TD strikes of 20 and 65 yards to Matt Trannon and 11 yards to Kellen Davis. It marked Stanton's fourth career 300-yard passing game, his second of the 2005 season. His 327 passing yards marked the most ever by a Spartan QB in the Notre Dame series. His three TD passes matched his career best (vs. Hawaii, 2005; Illinois, 2004; and Minnesota, 2004). Stanton also rushed for 48 yards on 14 carries, including a 3-yard TD run that gave MSU a 24-17 halftime lead.
He hit 21-of-26 passes (.808) for 301 yards in MSU's 42-14 victory over Hawaii, including scoring tosses of 20 yards to Terry Love, 54 yards to Trannon and 20 yards to Jerramy Scott.
In MSU's 49-14 victory over Kent State in the season opener, Stanton accounted for 357 total yards, completing 22-of-29 passes for 297 yards and two scores while gaining 60 yards on 10 carries.
The Spartans feature a well-balanced ground attack as sophomore Jehuu Caulcrick, freshman Javon Ringer and senior Jason Teague have combined to rush for 573 yards and nine TDs on 91 attempts. The 6-0, 245-pound Caulcrick paces the ground game with 248 yards on 40 carries. In the season opener vs. Kent State, Caulcrick produced 140 yards on 14 carries, while scoring a career-best three TDs. Ringer has rushed 26 times for 173 yards, including a team-best four rushing TDs. The 5-9, 195-pound rookie carried 10 times for 80 yards vs. Hawaii and scored on runs of 8, 41 and 15 yards. Teague has gained 152 yards on 24 attempts and scored twice. He contributed 63 yards on nine carries vs. Notre Dame, including a 19-yard run in overtime that gave the Spartans the 44-41 victory over the 10th-ranked Irish.
SPARTANS DOMINATE FIRST-HALF ACTION -
Michigan State has outscored its first two opponents, 87-31, in the first half.
Here's a closer look at Michigan State's first-half domination:
Sept. 3 vs. Kent State: The Spartans scored touchdowns on four of their first six possessions en route to building a 27-7 lead.
Sept. 10 vs. Hawaii: Michigan State scores TDs on its first four possessions to build a 28-0 halftime lead.
Sept. 17 at Notre Dame: The Spartans scored on two of their first three drives. Drew Stanton's 3-yard TD run with 27 seconds left in the first half gave MSU a 24-17 halftime lead.
STANTON SPREADS THE BALL AROUND -
A key to Drew Stanton's throwing success in 2005 has been his ability to utilize all of the weapons at his disposal in Michigan State's spread offense. Four Spartans have at least 11 receptions, including Kyle Brown (15 for 172 yards), Jerramy Scott (13 for 184), Terry Love (11 for 233) and Matt Trannon (11 for 226). All four of those receivers have at least one touchdown grab.
STANTON RUNS OFFENSE AT FULL THROTTLE -
In Drew Stanton's 10 career starts at quarterback, Michigan State is averaging 253.2 rushing yards, 259.6 passing yards, 512.8 total yards and 35.8 points per game.
Here's a complete breakdown of Michigan State's offensive production in Stanton's 10 career starts:
Opponent (MSU Result) Rushing Yds. Passing Yds. Total Yds. Points2004@ Indiana (W) 241 172 413 30 @ Iowa (L) 204 245 449 16 Illinois (W) 253 234 487 38 Minnesota (W) 324 312 636 51 @ Michigan (L) 368 167 535 37 @ Penn State (L) 161 177 338 13 @ Hawaii (L) 268 330 598 382005 Kent State (W) 354 331 685 49 Hawaii (W) 198 301 499 42 @ Notre Dame (W) 161 327 488 4410-Game Totals 2,532 2,596 5,128 358 10-Game Averages 253.2 259.6 512.8 35.8
 SirDarean Adams returned his first career interception 30 yards for a touchdown in last week's victory at No. 10 Notre Dame.  | |
ADAMS FINDS HOME AT BANDIT POSITION -
Sophomore bandit SirDarean Adams leads the team in tackles for losses (3 for 17 yards) and ranks third in total tackles (20) and production points (37).
The 6-foot, 222-pound Adams returned his first career interception 30 yards for a touchdown vs. Notre Dame as the Spartans built a 31-17 lead early in the third quarter. He recorded a career-best 12 tackles (10 solos, 2 assists), including two for losses (14 yards), in Michigan State's 42-14 victory over Hawaii. He also posted his first career sack (10 yards) midway through the third quarter against the Warriors.
FIRST-YEAR PLAYERS IMPACT SPARTAN DEPTH CHART -
No fewer than 11 first-year players are currently listed on Michigan State's depth chart, including four on offense and seven on defense. Here's a complete breakdown of true freshmen and junior college transfers included on the depth chart:
True Freshmen (6): WR Ryan Allison, DE Brandon Long, WR Diego Oquendo, RB Javon Ringer, CB Ross Weaver and FS Otis Wiley.
Junior College Transfers (5): LB Steve Juarez, WR Kerry Reed, DE Jonal Saint-Dic, DT David Stanton and CB Demond Williams.
SPARTAN COACHING STAFF APPOINTS 2005 CAPTAINS -
Michigan State third-year head coach John L. Smith and his coaching staff have appointed four captains for the 2005 season: senior center Chris Morris, junior defensive end Clifton Ryan, senior strong safety Eric Smith and junior quarterback Drew Stanton.
RETURN TO SENDER -
Over the last two seasons, Michigan State's special teams have produced six touchdowns, including four kickoff returns and two blocked punts that have resulted in scores.
2004
Sept. 18 vs. Notre Dame: Jerramy Scott recovered a blocked punt (by Marshall Campbell) in the back of the end zone for a score early in the first quarter. DeAndra Cobb returned a kickoff 89 yards for a TD late in the third quarter.
Nov. 13 vs. Wisconsin: Travis Key recovered a blocked punt (by Marshall Campbell) at the goal line for a score midway through the first quarter.
2003
Sept. 6 vs. Rutgers: DeAndra Cobb returned a kickoff 94 yards for a TD late in the second quarter.
Oct. 18 vs. Minnesota: DeAndra Cobb returned a kickoff 100 yards for a TD with 48 seconds left in the first half.
Nov. 8 vs. Ohio State: DeAndra Cobb returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score early in the third quarter.
WINNING IN THE CLASSROOM -
Last May, six members of Michigan State's 2005 football team earned their undergraduate degrees: defensive end Michael Bazemore (interdisciplinary studies in social science - human resources), snapper Brian Bury (food industry management), linebacker Seth Mitchell (criminal justice), center Chris Morris (finance), offensive guard Gordon Niebylski (supply chain management) and strong safety Eric Smith (criminal justice). Michigan State leads the Big Ten and ranks among the NCAA's top 10 with six football players already in possession of their bachelor's degrees.
Four of those players currently are pursuing master's degrees: Bury (kinesiology), Morris (kinesiology), Niebylski (labor relations and human resources) and Smith (criminal justice). Bazemore (sociology) and Mitchell (family community services) have opted to pursue a second bachelor's degree.
WINNING IN THE CLASSROOM, PART II -
In two seasons under head coach John L. Smith, 23 student-athletes have been named Academic All-Big Ten, the highest two-year total in football program history. In 2004, a school-record 13 Spartans earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
MAGIC NUMBER 24 -
Since 1990, Michigan State is 80-19-1 (.805) when it scores at least 24 points and 13-65-1 (.171) when it scores fewer than 24 points. During that 16-year period, the Spartans have compiled an overall record of 93-84-2 (.525).
SPARTAN SINGLE-GAME BESTS UNDER SMITH -
Here's a look at the top single-game totals produced by Michigan State during head coach John L. Smith's tenure (2003-05; 28 games):
Rushing Yards: 430 vs. Wisconsin, 2004
Passing Yards: 382 vs. Indiana, 2003
Total Yards: 685 vs. Kent State, 2005
First Downs: 35 vs. Kent State, 2005
Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed: minus 2 by Rutgers, 2003
Fewest Passing Yards Allowed: 93 by Central Michigan, 2004
Fewest Total Yards Allowed: 238 by Penn State, 2003
Fewest First Downs Allowed: 12 by Ohio State and Indiana, 2004; Rutgers, 2003
Sacks By: 6 vs. Indiana and Western Michigan, 2003
Turnovers Forced: 5 vs. Louisiana Tech, 2003
Points (Game): 51 vs. Minnesota, 2004
Points (Half): 35 (1st) vs. Kent State, 2005
Points (Quarter): 24 (2nd) vs. Rutgers, 2003
Victory Margin: 35 vs. Kent State, 2005; Wisconsin, 2004; Illinois, 2003
