Post-Game Notes: Northwestern

Nov. 23, 2013

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• With the 30-6 victory at Northwestern, Michigan State clinched its second Big Ten Legends Division outright title in three seasons . . . MSU won the inaugural Big Ten Legends Division title in 2011 with a 7-1 conference record.

• MSU now leads the all-time series over Northwestern, 37-17, including a 19-10 mark in Evanston . . . the Spartans have won five straight at Ryan Field . . . MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is 5-2 against Northwestern and 4-0 against the Wildcats in Evanston.

• Under Dantonio, Michigan State has compiled a 17-5 record (.773) in November. His teams have won 11 of the last 13 games in November (3-0 in 2010; 4-0 in 2011; 1-2 in 2012, 3-0 in 2013).

• Michigan State is 7-0 in Big Ten play for just the third time in school history (1965, 1966).

• With 10 victories, this marks the fifth time MSU has recorded double-digit wins in a season (10 in 1966, 10 in 1999, 11 in 2010, 11 in 2011), including three under Dantonio.

• Michigan State's seven-game winning streak is the longest since the Spartans won their first eight games in 2010.

• Michigan State is 19-9 (.679) in Big Ten road games under Dantonio, including a six-game winning streak and a 13-3 record (.813) since 2010. MSU finished 2013 with a 4-0 in conference road games (wins at Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Northwestern). Dantonio has won at least one road game at every Big Ten stadium

• Jeremy Langford crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season with 150 yards on 25 carries . . . he now has 1,076 rushing yards this season, which currently ranks 17th most in an MSU single-season . . . Langford also recorded his sixth-straight 100-yard rushing game, a first for a Spartan since Lorenzo White accomplished the feat in seven-straight games in 1985 . . . Langford is the 14th Spartan to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season (Lorenzo White, Le'Veon Bell, Javon Ringer, Blake Ezor, Eric Allen, T.J. Duckett, Sedrick Irvin, Edwin Baker, Hyland Hickson, Levi Jackson, Marc Renaud, Everett Grandelius, Tico Duckett) . . . it also marks the 22nd time a Spartan has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season . . . Langford had two rushing TDs (20 and 37 yards) and now has 15 for the season, which is tied for ninth most in an MSU single-season.

• Connor Cook threw for a career-high 293 yards and completed 16-of-24 passes and two touchdowns . . . his 87-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler with 4:31 remaining in the second quarter gave MSU a 14-3 lead . . . it tied for the fourth-longest reception in Michigan State history.

• Michael Geiger connected on his only field attempt, a 37-yarder in the third quarter, for his 10th consecutive made field goal in a row . . . he is 12-for-13 on the season.

• MSU limited Northwestern to 80 yards rushing; the Spartans have held their opponents below 100 yards rushing in 10 of 11 games this season.

• MSU has shut out its opponent in the second half five times in seven Big Ten games (Iowa, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern) . . . overall, it has shut out its opponent in the second half six times this season (South Florida).

• Since 2010, MSU has held 15 opponents to less than 10 points (third most in FBS), including five times this season.

• MSU held Northwestern without a touchdown, marking the fifth time this season an opponent has not scored a TD against the Spartans . . . the six points were the fewest by Northwestern against Michigan State since the Spartans shut out the Wildcats 34-0 in 1999 . . . the 24-point win is also the largest margin of victory for MSU over NU since 1999.

• Dating back to last year's win over Minnesota in regular-season finale, MSU has won eight straight Big Ten games, tied for the second-longest streak in school history (record: 16, 1965-67).

• Kurtis Drummond had a career-high two interceptions (34 yards) to go along with six tackles and a pass break-up.

• Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist Darqueze Dennard had a career-high nine tackles and his fourth interception of the season.

• Michigan State, which entered the game No. 1 in the Big Ten in turnover margin, won the turnover battle against Northwestern, 3-0 . . . the Spartans had three interceptions and now have 24 takeaways this season (+14).

• The Spartans have won 39 of their last 51 games (.765), dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season.