Post-Game Notes: Western Michigan
9/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
• Michigan State scored 30-plus points for the ninth consecutive game, setting a school record (previous: eight straight from 1978-79).
• Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has compiled a 10-2 record (.833) in 12 season-opening games . . . Dantonio is 8-1 in season-opening games at MSU, with a 55-18 victory over UAB in his Spartan debut in 2007, a 38-31 loss at California in 2008, a 44-3 win over Montana State in 2009, a 38-14 victory over Western Michigan in 2010, a 28-6 win over Youngstown State in 2011, a 17-13 victory over No. 24 Boise State in 2012, a 26-13 win over Western Michigan in 2013, a 45-7 victory over Jacksonville State in 2014 and a 37-24 win over Western Michigan in 2015.
• Friday's game marked the 14th meeting between Michigan State and Western Michigan, and the first in Kalamazoo . . . Michigan State now leads the all-time series 12-2 . . . The Spartans have won the last 10 meetings . . . Michigan State is 5-0 against the Broncos in season openers (1997, 2003, 2010, 2013, 2015) . . . Mark Dantonio is 4-0 in his MSU career against WMU, and his teams have outscored the Broncos, 150-65 (average score: 38-16).
• MSU is 80-36-3 (.685) all-time in season openers, including a 15-2 record (.875) in its last 17 games . . . The Spartans have won their last seven season openers.
• MSU is 39-6 (.867) against current members of the Mid-American Conference (2-0 vs. Akron, 2-0 vs. Bowling Green, 6-3 vs. Central Michigan, 10-0 vs. Eastern Michigan, 1-0 vs. Kent State, 1-0 vs. UMass, 3-1 vs. Miami-Ohio, 1-0 vs. Ohio, 1-0 vs. Toledo and 12-2 vs. Western Michigan). MSU has won 30 of its last 33 games against MAC opponents.
• The Spartans have outscored their MAC opponents, 429-156, under Dantonio for an average score of 39-14.
• Michigan State has won 27 of its last 30 games, dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale.
• Friday's game marked just the second time Michigan State played a game at a Mid-American Conference school with the team as a conference member. MSU's first trip to a MAC school came on Sept. 8, 2012, as the Spartans defeated Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, 42-7.
• Connor Cook completed 15-of-31 passes for 256 yards, marking his 19th career game with at least 200 yards passing, which is third all-time at MSU . . . Cook now has 6,319 career passing yards, moving him past Brian Hoyer into fourth place all-time in the MSU record book.
• Aaron Burbridge recorded his second career 100-yard receiving game with four catches for 117 yards . . . it marked his first 100-yard receiving game since Indiana in 2012 (career-high 134 yards).
• In his Spartan debut, Madre London rushed for 59 yards on 13 carries . . . he scored the first two rushing touchdowns of his career with a 24-yarder in the first quarter and 7-yarder in the second quarter . . . London earned the start in his collegiate debut.
• True freshman LJ Scott led the Spartans with 77 rushing yards on 13 attempts . . . Scott rushed for 43 yards on six carries (7.2 avg.) during MSU's nine-play, 71-yard drive in the fourth quarter that was capped by Michael Geiger's 21-yard field goal and gave the Spartans a 37-24 advantage.
• DeAnthony Arnett scored his first touchdown as a Spartan with a 21-yard grab from Connor Cook in the third quarter . . . Arnett scored two touchdowns as a true freshman at Tennessee in 2011.
• The Spartans limited Western Michigan to 18 rushing yards . . . since 2012, no team in the NCAA FBS has held more opponents (16) to under 50 yards rushing in a game than Michigan State . . . MSU has also held opponents to under 100 yards rushing 35 times since 2011, which ranks second in the NCAA FBS only to Alabama (37).
• Riley Bullough recorded a career-high nine tackles (previous: five vs. Penn State, 2014), including three sacks . . . it marked the first time a Spartan tallied three sacks in a single game since Denicos Allen vs. Wisconsin in 2011.
• Montae Nicholson recorded his first career interception in the first quarter off a tipped pass by Lawrence Thomas.
• Michigan State recorded seven sacks (39 yards) and 11 tackles for loss (46 yards) in the game.
• Michigan State allowed a kick return for a touchdown (Darius Phillips, 100 yards, first quarter) for the first time since George Atkinson III of Notre Dame ran a kick back 89 yards for a TD in 2011.
