Michigan State University Athletics
Season in Review Notes: 2015
1/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
2015 SPARTAN FOOTBALL RECAP
(12-2, 7-1 Big Ten, Big Ten Champions, College Football Playoff)
NEWS AND NOTES â€"
• Michigan State, which finished the 2015 season with the second-most wins in school history (12-2 record), won the Big Ten Championship for the second time in three years and reached the College Football Playoff, closed the season ranked No. 6 in the final Associated Press and USA TODAY/Amway Coaches Polls, released Tuesday, Jan. 12.
• The Spartans finished ranked among the nation's Top 10 for the third year in a row (No. 3 in both polls in 2013; No. 5 in both polls in 2014) -- a program first since 1955-57 (No. 2 in 1955; No. 9 in 1956; No. 3 in 1957). The Spartans finished in the AP Top 10 a school-record four consecutive years from 1950-53 (No. 8 in 1950; No. 2 in 1951; No. 1 in 1952; No. 3 in 1953). It marked MSU's 15th Top 10 finish in the history of the AP Poll. Michigan State has been ranked in the AP Poll for a school-record 41 consecutive weeks, including 32 weeks in the Top 10. It also marked MSU's sixth Top 10 finish in the history of the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (began administering the poll in 1991), including its fourth under head coach Mark Dantonio. • MSU (No. 3, No. 5, No. 6) and Alabama (No. 7 in 2013, No. 4 in 2014, No. 1 in 2015) are the only schools to finish in the Top 10 of the last three final AP Polls.
• Michigan State, which has posted a 36-5 record since 2013, is one of only four schools in the nation to play in a Bowl Championship Series Game (2014 Rose Bowl), a New Year's Six game (2015 Cotton Bowl) and the College Football Playoff (2015 CFP Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl) in the last three seasons (Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State). MSU's 36 wins since 2013 are fourth most in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
• Michigan State closed out the season with a 12-2 record. The 12 wins are second most in school history (13 in 2013). Michigan State has posted at least 11 wins five times in the last six seasons (11 in 2010, 11 in 2011, 13 in 2013, 11 in 2014, 12 in 2015). MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is the first coach in Big Ten history to record five 11-win seasons in a six-year span; his five 11-win seasons rank second most in Big Ten history, along with Joe Paterno (five with Penn State as Big Ten member). Prior to Dantonio's arrival, the Spartans had just two 10-win seasons in school history (1965, 1999).
• Michigan State won its second Big Ten Championship in three years and ninth in school history with a 16-13 victory over No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 5. It marked Dantonio's third Big Ten Championship (2010, 2013, 2015), establishing a school record (previous: Duffy Daugherty and George Perles with two). The Spartans also won Big Ten titles in 1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987 and 1990.
• Dantonio has led Michigan State to Top 25 finishes in six of his nine seasons (2008: No. 24 in both polls; 2010: No. 14 in both polls; 2011: No. 10 USA TODAY/No. 11 AP; 2013: No. 3 in both polls; 2014: No. 5 in both polls; and 2015: No. 6 in both polls). Dantonio's six AP Top-25 finishes are tied for second most in school history (Biggie Munn, who coached from 1947-53, had six consecutive from 1948-53). Duffy Daugherty's teams posted seven Top-25 finishes during his 19-year tenure from 1954-72.
• With a 43-11 record, the 2015 senior class finished their careers as the winningest senior class in school history (previous record: 42 wins in 2013 and 2014). The 23-member 2015 senior class was a part of three bowl wins (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton), two Big Ten division titles (2013, 2015) and two Big Ten Championships (2013, 2015).
• Michigan State had its school-record four-game bowl winning streak snapped with a 38-0 loss to National Champion Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The four-game streak also tied a Big Ten record.
• Michigan State made its 26th postseason bowl appearance in 2015 and its second consecutive trip to the Cotton Bowl. MSU is one of only two Big Ten team as a conference member to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic (Ohio State, 1987). The Spartans are 11-15 overall in bowl games.
• Michigan State extended its school record by playing in a bowl game for the ninth consecutive season (2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at Cotton Bowl). The nine-year bowl streak is currently the second longest in the Big Ten and 12th longest in the NCAA FBS.
• Mark Dantonio made his ninth bowl appearance at MSU in 2015, extending his school record for most bowl appearances by a head coach (previous record: George Perles with seven from 1983-94). Dantonio is 4-5 in bowl games at Michigan State, including a school-record four-game winning streak (2012 Outback, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton). Dantonio has led his teams to 11 bowl berths in 12 seasons as a head coach (nine at MSU, two at Cincinnati). He set a school record by winning his third Big Ten Championship (2010, 2013, 2015) with the victory over Iowa.
• Michigan State defeated nine bowl teams in 2015, including four wins over AP Top 25 teams (No. 7 Oregon on Sept. 12, No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17, No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 5). It marked the first time in school history the Spartans beat three AP Top-10 teams (No. 7 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Iowa) in the same season. MSU also topped Western Michigan, Air Force, Central Michigan, Indiana and Penn State, who all played in the postseason. In the final AP rankings, MSU defeated four Top 25 teams (No. 4 Ohio State, No. 9 Iowa, No. 12 Michigan, No. 19 Oregon).
• MSU's 65 wins since 2010 are tied for fifth most among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams and most in the Big Ten during that same period. The Spartans have posted six consecutive winning seasons, a first for the program since 1985-90. MSU has won 65 of its last 81 games (65-16; .802), dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season. In addition, the Spartans have won 38 of their last 43 games (.884), dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale. MSU has won 36 games since the beginning of 2013 (36-5 record), fourth most in the FBS during that period. During conference play, Michigan State has won 25 of its last 27 games against Big Ten opponents, dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale, including 18 wins by double-figures.
DANTONIO RANKS SECOND IN WINS AT MICHIGAN STATE â€"
• Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio, a finalist for three national coach of the year awards (Bobby Dodd, George Munger, Eddie Robinson) in 2015, owns an 87-33 (.725) record in nine seasons as head coach of the Spartans. His .725 winning percentage currently ranks third best at MSU. He won his 71st game at MSU on Oct. 25, 2014, against Michigan to move into second place all-time in victories in school history (record: Duffy Daugherty, 109). Dantonio won his 100th career game as a head coach on Oct. 17, 2015, at Michigan Stadium as the Spartans rallied to defeat the Wolverines, 27-23, on a 38-yard fumble return as time expired; his career record stands at 105-50 (.677) in 12 seasons. Dantonio's .722 winning percentage (52-20) in Big Ten games ranks first in MSU history (minimum 10 Big Ten games).
RECORDS FALL IN 2015 â€"
• Departing senior Connor Cook, the winningest quarterback in Michigan State history, finished his career with a 34-5 record as the starter. Cook started his 39th career game in the 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, tying Kirk Cousins (2009-11) for the most starts by a quarterback in school history.
• With an 18-yard completion to Josiah Price in the third quarter of the Cotton Bowl, Cook became MSU's all-time leader in passing yards . . . Cook finished the game 19-of-39 passing for 210 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions . . . he passed Kirk Cousins for the No. 1 spot in career passing yards, finishing his career with 9,194 yards . . . Cook also leaves as MSU's all-time leader in total offense (9,403), touchdown passes (71) and pass attempts (1,170) . . . Cook also tied Cousins with the most 200-yard passing games in school history (26) . . . Cook also is ranked among MSU's all-time leaders in pass completions (third with 673), passing efficiency (fourth with 139.8 rating) and completion percentage (10th at .575).
• Cook finished the 2015 season completing 56 percent of his passes (229-for-408) with 3,131 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions . . . he finished among MSU's single-season leaders in pass attempts (fourth with career-high 408), pass completions (fifth with career-high 229), passing yards (fourth with 3,131), touchdowns (tied for second with 24, tying a career high) and passing yards per game (fifth with 240.8 per game).
• Cook also closed his career with several Spartan bowl records, including most passing yards (903), passing attempts (128), pass completions (69), passing touchdowns (5) and total offense (875 yards) in four games, including three starts (2-1 record).
• Aaron Burbridge closed his career with one of the best seasons by a wide receiver in school history. Burbridge set an MSU single-season record with 85 receptions and was fifth with 1,258 receiving yards and tied for 12th with seven TD catches . . . he finished ranked among MSU's all-time leaders in receptions (second with 165), receiving yards (seventh with 2,174) and touchdown catches (tied for 20th with 10).
UP NEXT â€"
• Michigan State will announce its complete 2016 recruiting class on National Signing Day (Wednesday, Feb. 3). The Spartans announced their eight early enrollees at a press conference on Jan. 15. For a look at the eight early enrollees, click here.
• Michigan State's 2016 Green-White spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 23 in Spartan Stadium (time 3 p.m., BTN). Spring practice is scheduled to begin March 22.
