Post-Game Notes: Rutgers
11/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
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• Michigan State's captains for Saturday's game were DE Shilique Calhoun, FS Kurtis Drummond, OG Travis Jackson and OG Connor Kruse (game captain).
• Michigan State's senior class was honored before the game Saturday, and the 18-member class of 2014 became just the second Spartan senior class to win 40 games, and is second only behind the class of 2013 (42 wins) ... The 40 wins by the class since 2011 is tied for the most in the Big Ten Conference with Ohio State.
• MSU is now 6-2 on Senior Day under head coach Mark Dantonio.
• Saturday's Spartan win levels the all-time series with Rutgers at 3-3 overall as well as 2-2 in games played in East Lansing ... MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is 1-0 vs. the Scarlet Knights as head Spartans' coach, but he is now 2-1 overall against Rutgers as he had a 1-1 mark as head coach at Cincinnati.
• The Spartans have also won 41 Big Ten regular-season games since 2008, which are the most of any team in the conference.
• The Spartans are now 20-6 (.769) during November under head coach Mark Dantonio ... MSU has won 14 of its last 17 games in November.
• Michigan State has now recorded at least nine wins in a season 14 times (1905, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1965, 1966, 1987, 1999, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014), including five under MSU head coach Mark Dantonio (9 in 2008; 11 in 2010; 11 in 2011; 13 in 2013; 9 in 2014).
• Michigan State finished the 2014 home season with a 6-1 record and improved to 44-12 (.786) at home under MSU head coach Mark Dantonio ... MSU is 29-6 (.829) at home since 2010.
• Michigan State has won 51 of its last 65 games (.785), dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season ... In addition, MSU has won 24 of its last 27 games (.889), dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale.
OFFENSE
• Michigan State added to its school record for scoring, as the 2014 edition of Spartan football has now scored 483 points and 60 offensive touchdowns.
• With four rushing touchdowns vs. Rutgers, Michigan State tied the single-season record for rushing TDs with 38.
• With 520 total yards vs. Rutgers, Michigan State set the single-season record for total offense with 5,660 yards.
• MSU's 45 points was its sixth game topping the 40-point mark, as well as scoring 35 or more in a game for the ninth game ... The Spartans have score at least 27 points in all 11 games this season and they surpassed that mark in the second quarter Saturday ... MSU's 35 first-half points was its most in a half in a Big Ten Conference game this season and the fourth time this season scoring at least 35 points in the first half (49 vs. Eastern Michigan, 42 vs Wyoming, 38 vs. Jacksonville State).
• Tony Lippett played significant minutes on both sides of the football (wide receiver and cornerback) Saturday ... With his first catch of the game on a 9-yard reception in the opening quarter, Lippett surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season, becoming the eighth MSU WR with 1,000 receiving yards in a season ... Finishing the game with 72 yards on five catches and one touchdown, Lippett now has 1,071 yards on the year - the seventh-best single-season total in MSU history ... Lippett's first-quarter TD was his 10th of the season and 14th of his career ... His 10 receiving TDs in 2014 are fifth most in an MSU single-season ... The five receptions Saturday give Lippett 56 for the season and 140 for his career, moving up to No. 4 on MSU's career receptions list, passing Courtney Hawkins (1988-91) ... The 72 yards give him 2,120, moving up to No. 8 on the Spartans' career receiving yards list.
• Jeremy Langford rushed for 126 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns Saturday ... Langford went over the 100-yard mark with his first carry of the second half and his game output of 126 yards not only tied his school record of eight-straight 100-yard rushing games, but it also extends his school record 15th-consecutive 100-yard game against a Big Ten opponent and his 14th-straight in conference play ... It is also the longest active 100-yard streak in the FBS for regular-season conference games since at least 1996 ... his 126 yards Saturday update his season total to 1,242 yards, for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons after his 1,422 yards in 2013 ... The 126 yards Saturday bump up Langford's career total to 2,687, moving up to No. 9 on MSU's career rushing yards list, passing Eric Allen (1969-71) and Steve Smith (1977-80) ... Langford's two rushing touchdowns Saturday give him 35 for his career, moving up tie for No. 3 on MSU's career rushing TD list, joining Sedrick Irvin (1996-98) while passing Javon Ringer (2005-08) and Blake Ezor (1986-89) ... The 35 rushing TDs are the most-ever by a Spartan in a two-season span ... Saturday was Langford's fifth-straight game with multiple rushing touchdowns and he now has 10 career games with more than one rushing TD ... Langford has scored 13 rushing touchdowns in his last five games (three each vs. Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, two vs. Maryland and Rutgers) ... Langford's 38-yard rushing TD in the second quarter was his seventh rush this season of 30+ yards.
• Connor Cook threw for 254 yards on 16-of-24 passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions ... His two touchdowns give him 44 for his career, moving up to No. 5 on the Spartans' TD passes list, passing Dave Yarema (1982-86) ... Cook has now thrown for over 200 yards in each of the last seven games this season for a total of nine games on the year and 17 career games ... Cook threw multiple TD tosses for the eighth game this season and 15th of his career ... With his ninth completion Saturday, a 5-yard toss to Tony Lippett in the second quarter, Cook became the ninth MSU QB with 400 career pass completions ... The 16 completions give Cook 407 for his career.
• Nick Hill matched his career high with two rushing touchdowns, scoring on a 1-yard leap in the second quarter and a 16-yard scamper in the fourth quarter ... Hill has scored a career-best nine rushing TDs in 2014 ... The Spartan senior now has 11 career rushing TDs ... Hill ended Saturday's game with 12 carries for 59 yards.
• Michigan State started the same offensive line combination (LT Jack Conklin, LG Travis Jackson, C Jack Allen, RG Connor Kruse and RT Donavon Clark) for the fourth-straight game and fifth time this season (Oct. 11 at Purdue, Oct. 25 vs. Michigan, Nov. 8 vs. Ohio State, Nov. 15 at Maryland and Nov. 22 vs. Rutgers).
• Offensive lineman Connor Kruse collected his first career rush attempt his with fourth-quarter carry for a 1-yard gain.
• Michigan State improved to 8-0 this season when rushing for more than 200 yards (44 attempts for 251 yards and four touchdowns vs. Rutgers) ... The Spartans are now 28-3 when gaining more than 200 rushing yards under Mark Dantonio.
• Michigan State amassed more than 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in the same game for the sixth time this season ... The Spartans rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 254 yards and two more scores against Rutgers.
• Michigan State also produced more than 500 total yards for the sixth time this season (70 plays for 520 total yards).
DEFENSE
• Kurtis Drummond snared his team-leading fourth interception of the season with his first quarter pick ... It was Drummond's 12th career interception, which is not only the most among active Spartans, but it also moves Drummond up to a four-way tie for No. 7 on MSU's career interceptions list ... Drummond now has 148 interception return yards for his career, moving up to No. 11 on the Spartans' career list ... Drummond's 12 career picks are also tied for seventh among all active NCAA FBS leaders in interceptions ... Drummond posted a total of six tackles Saturday ... It marked Drummond's sixth game this season with five or more stops.
• Marcus Rush extended his school record to 51 career starts.
• Riley Bullough's second-quarter interception was his first career interception.
• Arjen Colquhoun also snared his first career interception with the pick in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
• Ed Davis led MSU in tackles for the second-straight game, recording seven stops ... Davis has lead the team in tackles three times this season (at Indiana, at Maryland and vs. Rutgers) ... Davis has tallied at least five tackles in six of his last seven games.
• Joel Heath set career highs for tackles (5), tackles for loss (2 for 7 yards) and sacks (1 for 6 yards).
• Taiwan Jones registered five stops Saturday, including a half tackle for loss ... Jones has produced at least five tackles six times this season, including the fourth time in his last five games ... Jones is tied for the team lead with 11 tackles for loss this season ... Jones now has 24 career tackles for loss.
• MSU's defense forced three turnovers Saturday - all interceptions ... It marks the 10th time in 11 games that the Spartans have forced at least one turnover ... The Spartans have forced at least one turnover in 84 of their last 104 games over the last nine seasons ... Saturday also marked the seventh time this season that the Spartans recorded multiple takeaways.
• The Spartan defense held the opposition scoreless in the first half for the fourth time this season and second time in Big Ten play (Jacksonville State, Eastern Michigan, Nebraska).
• MSU's defense has allowed three points in each of its last two Senior Days, as Saturday's three points allowed was the fewest of the 2014 season and the lowest since also giving up just three points in a 14-3 win against Minnesota last year on Nov. 30, which was also MSU Senior Day.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Michael Geiger's 23-yard field goal in the fourth quarter was his 12th field goal this season and 27th upright split of his career ... Geiger also had a 23-yard rush in the third quarter on a fake field-goal attempt ... With nine points Saturday, Geiger was just over his Big Ten leading kick scoring average of 8.9 ppg ... With six PATs Saturday, Geiger also extended his MSU single-season record with 62 extra points ... Geiger now has 101 career extra points, becoming the seventh MSU placekicker to reach the 100 extra points plateau and up to No. 7 on the Spartans' career extra points list, passing Hans Nielsen (1974-77) ... Geiger remains at No. 9 on MSU's career field goals list.
• Mike Sadler punted twice Saturday, tying his second-fewest punts in a game this season ... Sadler now has a career punting average of 42.2 yards per punt, remaining at No. 6 on MSU's career punting average list ... Sadler also took over sole possession of the No. 2 spot on the Spartans' career punting list, now with 262 career punts.
