Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Host BYU in First-Ever Meeting Between Schools
10/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
| Game 5: Michigan State (2-2, 0-2 B1G) vs. BYU (2-3) | |
| Date | Time | Saturday, Oct. 8 | 3:36 p.m. |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. Spartan Stadium (75,005/Natural Grass) |
| Television | ABC/ESPN2 (reverse mirror) |
| Broadcast Team | Mike Patrick (play-by-play) Ed Cunningham (analyst) | Dr. Jerry Punch (sidelines) |
| Internet Coverage | WatchESPN | |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) | Affiliates |
| Satellite Radio | Ch. 135 (Sirius)/Ch. 195 (XM)/Ch. 965 (SiriusXM.com) |
| Radio (Mobile) | Broadcast available on Spartan Sports Network Mobile App: iPhone/iPad | Android |
| Parking/Tailgating/Stadium Information | Gameday Central | Gameday Answers |
| Tickets | Limited number available at msuspartans.com |
| Parking | Lots will open at 9 a.m. |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | BYU |
| Statistics | Michigan State | BYU |
| Series Information | First meeting |
| Social Media | @MSU_Football  | Facebook  |
FIRST-AND-10 --
• Michigan State steps out of conference play for the final time during the regular season when it hosts BYU on Saturday, Oct. 8 in Spartan Stadium at 3:36 p.m. in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The game will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN2 (reverse mirror). The Spartans (2-2, 0-2 B1G) are looking to snap a two-game skid following a 24-21 overtime loss at Indiana last Saturday, while the Cougars are 2-3 after defeating Toledo at home on Friday, 55-53.
• Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and BYU. The home-and-home series was announced in 2015. MSU will make its first-ever appearance in the 63,470-seat LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on Sept. 12, 2020. BYU has been an independent program in football since 2011.
• Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State has produced a 52-13 record (.800) in home games since 2007, including a 15-game winning streak (7-0 in 2010, 7-0 in 2011, won first game in 2012) and a 12-game winning streak (7-0 in 2013; won first five in 2014), which rank second and tied for third, respectively, in Spartan Stadium history. MSU is 37-7 (.841) at home since 2010 and 21-2 (.913) since 2013. Dantonio is 26-2 (.929) against non-conference opponents in Spartan Stadium (only losses: 2009 to Central Michigan; 2012 to No. 20 Notre Dame).
• MSU's 67 wins since 2010 are tied for sixth 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 67 of its last 85 games (67-18; .788), dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season. During that span, MSU has claimed three Big Ten Championships (2010, 2013, 2015) and three Big Ten Division titles (2011, 2013, 2015). In addition, the Spartans recorded a school-record four consecutive bowl victories (2012 Outback against No. 18 Georgia, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings against TCU, 2014 Rose Bowl Game against No. 5 Stanford, 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic against No. 4 Baylor), which also tied a Big Ten record.
• Mark Dantonio is 35-12 (.745) against non-conference opponents, including a 26-2 (.929) mark in Spartan Stadium. Dantonio is 25-1 in games against teams in the Group of Five conferences. • After spending a school-record 46 consecutive weeks ranked in The Associated Press Top 25, the Spartans dropped out of the AP rankings this week for the first time since the streak began on Oct. 27, 2013. MSU's previous record was 34 straight weeks, from Sept. 19, 2010, to Sept. 23, 2012. For 33 of those 46 weeks, MSU was ranked in the Top 10. Michigan State is 54-15 (.783) as a ranked team in the AP Poll under Dantonio. As a ranked team, Michigan State has only lost to an unranked opponent three times under Dantonio (36-3; at Notre Dame, 2011; at Nebraska, 2015; at Indiana, 2016).
• Michigan State, which has posted a 38-7 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 38 wins since 2013 are fifth most in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. Michigan State has not lost three straight games since the 2009 season.
• Michigan State fifth-year senior tight end Josiah Price has the most touchdown catches (18) of any tight end in Michigan State history; that number is also tied for sixth all-time in the school record book. In 43 career games, he has 78 receptions for 972 yards. Price needs just 28 more yards to become just the fourth Spartan tight end in school history to reach the 1,000-yard career milestone.
• Michigan State, which has ranked in the top 11 of the NCAA FBS in rushing defense the past five seasons (No. 9 in 2011; No. 8 in 2012; No. 2 in 2013; No. 1 in 2014; No. 11 in 2015), continues to rank among the national leaders in stopping the run in 2016. The Spartans currently rank third in the Big Ten and 16th in the FBS, allowing 105.5 rushing yards per game.
• Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio, who helped lead the Spartans to the 2015 Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff last season, is in his 10th season leading the program. The Spartans closed last season with a 12-2 record and finished ranked in the AP Top 10 for the third year in a row (No. 3 in 2013, No. 5 in 2014, No. 6 in 2015), a first for the program since 1955-57. Michigan State is the only program in the NCAA FBS to finish in the top six of the last three AP Polls.
COACHES --
Michigan State: Mark Dantonio
MSU Record: 89-35 (10th year)
Overall Record: 107-52 (13th year)
Record vs. BYU: 0-0
BYU: Kalani Sitake
BYU Record: 2-3 (first year)
Overall Record: 2-3 (first year)
Record vs. Michigan State: 0-0
STAT LEADERS --
Michigan State:
Rushing -- LJ Scott (67 carries for 302 yards, 4.5 avg, 2 TDs)
Passing -- Tyler O'Connor (71 of 117 for 918 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs)
Receiving -- R.J. Shelton (18 catches for 244 yards, 13.6 avg., 2 TDs)
Tackles -- Demetrious Cox (27 tackles, 10 solos, 17 assists, 2 PBUs); Chris Frey (27 tackles, 13 solos, 14 assists, 1.5 TFLs)
BYU:
Rushing -- Jamaal Williams (109 carries for 703 yards, 6.4 avg., 8 TDs)
Passing -- Taysom Hill (102 of 171 for 1,117 yards, 5 TDs, 6 INTs)
Receiving -- Nick Kurtz (18 catches for 205 yards, 11.4 avg., 1 TDs)
Tackles -- Butch Pau'u (42 tackles, 22 solos, 20 assists, 6 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT)
A QUICK GLANCE AT BYU (2-3) --
• The Cougars bring a 2-3 overall record into Saturday's first-ever meeting with the Spartans. BYU snapped a three-game losing streak with a wild, 55-53, win over Toledo Friday night at home, as sophomore Rhett Almond kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired for the victory for the eighth and final lead change in the second half. Senior running back Jamaal Williams set a new school record in amassing 286 rushing yards while tying another school-record with five TDs in the win.
• All five of BYU's games have been decided by three points or less as part of a combined scoring difference of 11 points. Both of the Cougars' wins have come on field goals in the waning moments as freshman kicker Jake Oldroyd made a 33-yard field goal with eight seconds left for an 18-16 win over Arizona in the season-opener played in Glendale, Arizona, at University of Phoenix Stadium. BYU lost to rival Utah, 20-19, on Sept. 10, scoring a TD with 18 seconds left and went for the two-point conversion but was stopped short of the end zone. The Cougars lost at home to UCLA, 17-14, on Sept. 17, rallying after being down 17-0, scoring a TD with 37 seconds left for the final margin, but couldn't recover the ensuing onside kick. On Sept. 24, BYU lost to West Virginia, 35-32, at FedEx Field at Landover, Maryland, getting intercepted at the goal line while driving for the game-tying or game-winning score with 1:00 left in the game.
• BYU head coach Kalani Sitake is in his first season at the leash of the Cougars, and has a 2-3 mark at his alma mater in his first head coaching job.
• Williams is third in the NCAA in rushing with 140.6 yards per game, jumping up from 54th in the country last week with 82.7 ypg. He is also tied for third in the nation in rushing TDs with eight, as well as 24th in rush yards per carry at 6.45.
• The Cougars are averaging 425.2 yards per game of total offense, ranking 65th in the NCAA, totaling 225.2 ypg passing and 200.0 rushing, which ranks 44th in the country. Defensively, BYU is allowing 444.2 ypg of total offense, with 310.2 ypg passing while ranking 44th in the nation with 134.0 ypg rushing.
• BYU is averaging 27.6 points per game, while yielding 28.2 ppg. The Cougars are one of seven teams in the country with a perfect 100.0 percent red zone offense scoring rate (18-of-18) with 11 TDs and seven FGs.
• Senior quarterback Taysom Hill is 102-of-171 passing for 1,117 yards, ranking 54th in the NCAA with 223.4 ypg, while throwing six INTs and five TDs. Hill is second on the team in rushing with 45.6 ypg, rushing for 228 yards on 55 carries with two TDs. Hill ranks 42nd in the country in total offense with 269.0 ypg.
• Senior wide receiver Nick Kurtz leads the BYU receiving corps with 18 catches for 205 yards (41.0 ypg/11.4 ypc) with one TD. Fellow senior, Colby Pearson, and sophomore Moroni Laulu-Pututau have 15 receptions apiece. Pearson totals 170 yards (34.0 ypg/11.3 ypc) and Laulu-Pututau has 152 yards (30.4 ypg/10.1 ypc) and they each have one TD catch each.
• Defensively, sophomore linebacker Butch Pau'u leads the Cougars with 42 tackles, including ranking 13th in the NCAA in tackles per game (10.5) and 34th in the country in solo tackles per game (5.5), in addition to ranking 19th in the nation in tackles for loss per game (1.5), a total of 6.0 tackles for 13 yards lost. Junior linebacker Fred Warner is second on the team with 39 tackles, adding 5.0 TFLs. Senior defensive back Kai Nacua shares the national lead in interceptions per game with 0.8 with four interceptions through five games.
• Senior punter Jonny Linehan averages 43.3 yards per punt on his 27 punts with a long of 58 yards and eight inside the 20.
• Almond is 5-of-5 on field goals with a long of 32-yards and is 11-of-12 on PATs, while Oldroyd is 3-of-4 on field goals with a long of 43-yards and is 1-1 on PATs.
• Senior wide receiver/punt returner Garrett Juergens is 47th in the nation with a 9.0 yards per return average, while freshman wide receiver/kick returner Aleva Hifo averages 21.2 ypr on kickoffs.
MSU/BYU SERIES NOTES --
• Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and BYU. The home-and-home series was announced in 2015. MSU will make its first-ever appearance in the 63,470-seat LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on Sept. 12, 2020. BYU has been an independent program in football since 2011.
SPARTANS FROM THE BEEHIVE STATE --
• Michigan State's 2016 roster features one player from Utah: freshman defensive lineman Mufi Hill-Hunt (Sandy/Taylorsville).
FORMER SPARTAN Mylan Hicks TRAGICALLY KILLED IN SHOOTING --
• Former Michigan State Spartan Mylan Hicks was tragically killed in a shooting on Sunday, Sept. 25 in Calgary, Alberta. Hicks, a native of Detroit, Michigan, was 23 (1993-2016). As a tribute to Hicks, the Spartans wore a No. 6 helmet sticker, as well as black shoes and black socks, for the Indiana game on Oct. 1. When Hicks played at Michigan State, his favorite color gear to wear was black. Hicks was on the practice roster for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. A three-year letterwinner from 2012-14, Hicks played cornerback, safety and linebacker for the Spartans. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in August 2014.
• Hicks tallied a career-high 19 tackles and four pass break-ups in nine games as a senior in 2014. In his final game as a Spartan, in which he started at Star linebacker, he registered a career-high four tackles in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic win over No. 4 Baylor. Although he suffered a broken arm in the Nebraska game in Week 5, Hicks only missed four games and returned to action at Maryland in Week 10. He was named the defensive recipient of MSU's Biggie Munn Award (most inspirational player) at the team banquet.
• Hicks played in all 14 games, primarily on special teams, during MSU's Big Ten and Rose Bowl Championship season in 2013. He also lettered in 2012 after appearing in eight games.
Mylan Hicks MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT ESTABLISHED --
• In honor of the late Mylan Hicks, Michigan State Athletics has established the Mylan Hicks Memorial Football Scholarship Endowment. The endowment, being established at the request and support of his family and friends, is a tribute to the three-year Spartan football letterwinner (2012-14) from Detroit.
• Gifts for the Mylan Hicks Memorial Football Scholarship Endowment Fund may be made by:
Mail: Send contributions to: Michigan State University, Spartan Fund, 535 Chestnut Rd, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48824-4005 or
Online at: spartanfund.net by clicking on the "Give Now" link and choosing Mylan Hicks Memorial Football Scholarship Endowment Fund from the drop-down menu.
POST-GAME NOTES: INDIANA --
• Michigan State had its seven-game winning streak over Indiana snapped with a 24-21 overtime loss . . . it marked Indiana's first win over MSU since defeating the Spartans in Bloomington in 2006, 46-21 . . . it also marked the first time MSU has lost consecutive games since 2012 (Nebraska, Northwestern) . . . MSU leads the overall series, 45-16-2 (21-10-1 in Bloomington) . . . Mark Dantonio is 7-1 against the Hoosiers (3-1 in Bloomington).
• MSU is 6-6 all-time in overtime games (4-4 under Dantonio) . . . Saturday marked MSU's first overtime game since Oct. 27, 2012, a 16-13 win at Wisconsin . . . MSU's first-ever overtime game was a 38-31 double OT victory over Indiana in Spartan Stadium on Oct. 10, 1998.
• Tyler O'Connor connected on an 86-yard touchdown pass to R.J. Shelton in the first quarter, tying for the seventh-longest touchdown pass in school history and the longest since Connor Cook found Bennie Fowler for an 87-yard score at Northwestern in 2013.
• Shelton recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game with seven catches for a career-high 141 yards . . . his previous high was 80 yards, which came earlier this season at Notre Dame . . . his 141 receiving yards were fourth most by a Spartan against the Hoosiers.
• O'Connor recorded career highs in passing yards (263) and pass completions (21), and tied a career high with three touchdowns (86 yards to Shelton; 24 yards to Delton Williams; 2 yards to Josiah Price).
• With MSU trailing 21-14 with under 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Price caught a 2-yard pass on fourth-and-goal to help send the game into overtime . . . Price extended his school record for most TD receptions by a tight end with 18; he is also tied for sixth all-time in school history in that category, along with Gari Scott.
• Delton Williams caught his first career touchdown pass on a 24-yard reception in the third quarter.
• LJ Scott crossed the 1,000-yard career rushing milestone in the Indiana game with 38 yards on 11 carries . . . Scott has 1,001 career rushing yards on 213 attempts in 18 games.
• Sophomore linebacker Andrew Dowell tied a career high with eight tackles, while senior defensive end Evan Jones recorded a career-best five tackles.
• For the second straight game, MSU had more total yards (438-437) and first downs (21-19) than its opponent, but still ultimately fell short.
• Michigan State out-rushed Indiana, 175-156 . . . it marked just the fifth time since 2010 that the Spartans won the ground game and still lost (56-5 when winning the ground game since 2010) and just the 12th time under Dantonio (72-12).
• Vayante Copeland picked off his second career pass in the end zone in the second quarter (Western Michigan, 2015).
• In honor of the late Mylan Hicks, the Spartans wore black shoes and black socks during the game, and also wore a No. 6 helmet decal.
SPARTANS TOUGH ON HOME TURF --
• Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State has produced a 52-13 record (.800) in home games since 2007, including a 15-game winning streak (7-0 in 2010, 7-0 in 2011, won first game in 2012) and a 12-game winning streak (7-0 in 2013; won first five in 2014), which rank second and tied for third, respectively, in Spartan Stadium history.
• MSU is 37-7 (.841) at home since 2010 and 21-2 (.913) since 2013.
• Mark Dantonio is 26-2 (.929) against non-conference opponents in Spartan Stadium (only losses: 2009 to Central Michigan; 2012 to No. 20 Notre Dame).
• Dantonio is 10-0 in home openers at MSU and the Spartans' 18-game winning streak in home openers is tied for the third longest in the nation.
SPARTANS SUCCESSFUL IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES --
• Mark Dantonio is 35-12 (.745) against non-conference opponents, including a 26-2 (.929) mark in Spartan Stadium. Dantonio is 25-1 in games against teams outside of the Power Five conferences.
Benny McGowan NAMED FOURTH CAPTAIN FOR BYU GAME --
• Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Benny McGowan has been named the fourth game captain against BYU. A native of Centerville, Ohio, McGowan will join 2016 team captains Riley Bullough, Demetrious Cox and Tyler O'Connor at midfield for the coin toss. Michigan State rotates its fourth captain for every game.
• A three-year letterwinner (2013-15), McGowan has seen action in 32 career games, including nine starts (five at left guard, four at right guard). He started his first game of the season last Saturday at Indiana at left guard. Last season, he started eight games (four at left guard, four at right guard) for the Big Ten Champion Spartans.
• McGowan, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in May 2016 and is currently pursuing his master's degree in criminal justice.
BRIEF OVERVIEW: OFFENSE --
• Offensively, the Spartans are replacing eight starters from last season's Big Ten Championship and College Playoff team, including three-year starting quarterback and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner Connor Cook, Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year Aaron Burbridge and a pair of All-Americans on the offensive line (C Jack Allen, OT Jack Conklin). In addition, four Spartans on offense were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft (Conklin, first round, Titans; Cook, fourth round, Raiders; Burbridge, sixth round, 49ers; OG Donovan Clark, seventh round, Chargers) and five are on current NFL rosters (Allen, practice squad, Saints).
• Several Spartans are stepping into new and expanded roles on offense, as the unit has featured seven players who have either started for the first time or are in their first full-time starting role (LT David Beedle, RG Brandon Clemons, WR Felton Davis III, FB Prescott Line, RT Miguel Machado, WR Monty Madaris, QB Tyler O'Connor).
• In addition, the two returning starting offensive linemen, Brian Allen and Kodi Kieler, have been playing different positions this season on the offensive line. Allen was a starter at left guard last season, and started at center last game vs. Indiana. Kieler was a two-year starter at right tackle, but started the first three games at center. He returned to a starting role at right tackle vs. Indiana.
• Senior wide receiver R.J. Shelton did have previous starting experience and leads the team in receiving with 18 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Among active Spartans, he ranks first in career receptions (81) and all-purpose yards (2,934) and second in receiving yards (926). Fifth-year senior Monty Madaris, who is seeing the first extensive action of his career, is second on the team with 15 catches for 207 yards. The Spartans are also working in three true freshmen wide receivers into the playing rotation: Donnie Corley, Trishton Jackson and Justin Layne.
• Although sophomore running back LJ Scott has started all four games and leads the team in rushing yards (302) and carries (67), MSU has used three tailbacks in the backfield this season. In addition to Scott, junior Gerald Holmes (23 carries for 151 yards) and sophomore Madre London (13 carries for 59 yards) have seen action.
FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR Tyler O'Connor IN FIRST YEAR AS STARTING QB FOR SPARTANS --
• Fifth-year senior Tyler O'Connor is in his first year as the starting quarterback for the Spartans. O'Connor was named the starter during the last week of preseason camp. He also was voted one of three captains by his teammates. O'Connor replaces three-year starting quarterback Connor Cook, who compiled a 34-5 record as a starter from 2013-15 to become the winningest quarterback in school history. Cook, the 2015 Big Ten Quarterback of the Year and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, left East Lansing as the school's all-time record holder in passing yards (9,194), touchdown passes (71) and total offense (9,403 yards).
• For the season, the 6-3, 228-pound native of Lima, Ohio, is 71-of-117 passing (.607) for 918 yards, eight TDs and five interceptions through four games.
• O'Connor, who narrowly lost out to Cook in 2013 in the race to become the starting quarterback, showed his promise in his first career start as he led the Spartans to a win at No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, 2015. With Cook sidelined due to a shoulder injury, O'Connor and Damion Terry split time and helped the Spartans snap the Buckeyes' 23-game winning streak with a 17-14 victory in Columbus.
• In his second career road start, O'Connor was 19-of-26 passing for 241 yards and two touchdowns in the 36-28 win at No. 18 Notre Dame on Sept. 17. O'Connor threw a 38-yard TD pass to Donnie Corley and a 10-yard pass to R.J. Shelton, both in the second quarter.
• In his last start at Indiana on Oct. 1, O'Connor recorded career highs in passing yards (263) and pass completions (21), and tied a career high with three touchdowns (86 yards to Shelton; 24 yards to Delton Williams; 2 yards to Josiah Price). He finished the game 21-of-35 passing. The 86-yard touchdown pass to Shelton was a career long and tied for the seventh-longest TD pass in school history.
• For his career, O'Connor is 3-2 as a starter, including road victories at No. 2 Ohio State and No. 18 Notre Dame. He has completed 61 percent of his passes (105-of-171) for 1,292 yards, 12 TDs and seven interceptions in 18 career games.
Josiah Price NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY --
• Fifth-year senior tight end Josiah Price has been named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is awarded annually by the National Football Foundation to the nation's top scholar-athlete; the award is also widely known as the "Academic Heisman." Candidates for the award must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
• This marks the fifth time in the past six years that the Spartans have had a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy. The Spartans had a finalist three of four years from 2011-14 (Kirk Cousins in 2011, Max Bullough in 2013, Mike Sadler in 2014), and Jack Allen was a semifinalist last season.
• A hospitality business major, Price owns a 3.62 grade-point average. He is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recipient. He also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors last season.
• On the field, Price has the most touchdown catches (18) of any tight end in Michigan State history. In 43 career games, he has 78 receptions for 972 yards. Price needs just 28 more yards to become just the fourth Spartan tight end in school history to reach the 1,000-yard career milestone.
• Off the field, Price has perhaps made an even greater impact. The past two years, he has been nominated for the Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," and also the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. His community efforts have reached near and far. In addition to actively participating in a variety of community service events, including the Ingham County Child Benefit Fund, DARE Graduations, and March is Reading Month, Price also took part in a mission trip to South Africa during spring break of 2013 and spent two and a half weeks in Australia (June-July 2015), participating in MSU's study abroad International Summer Sports Program.
• A native of Greentown, Indiana, Price was named winner of the Gwendolyn Norrell Community Service & Leadership Award at the 2016 MSU Student-Athlete Support Services Academic Gala (presented to the student-athlete who best exemplifies the goals of the PACT [Putting Athletes and Community Together] program, excelling in the field of community service and outreach). He also serves as one of the football team's representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was selected as SAAC community outreach committee chair for 2015-16.
RUNNING GAME KEY FOR SPARTANS UNDER DANTONIO --
• Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State is 72-12 (.857) when outrushing its opponent, including a 56-5 record (.918) since 2010. Conversely, MSU is 17-23 (.425) under Dantonio when being outgained on the ground by its opponent. The Spartans are 32-3 (.914) in games when gaining 200 or more rushing yards under Dantonio.
BRIEF OVERVIEW: DEFENSE --
• The Spartans returned 22 letterwinners and six starters from a defensive unit that finished No. 11 in the FBS in rushing defense, No. 25 in scoring defense and No. 26 in total defense in 2015. The Spartans brought back three of its four starters in the secondary (senior cornerback Darian Hicks, safeties Demetrious Cox and Montae Nicholson) and current sophomore starter Vayante Copeland returned from a neck injury after missing 12 games in 2015.
• Michigan State lost three of its four starters on the defensive line to the NFL (Shilique Calhoun, Raiders; Joel Heath, Texans; Lawrence Thomas, Jets), but the lone returner on the line is preseason All-American Malik McDowell. The Spartans have had to replenlish the losses on the defensive line with two graduate transfers (DE Gabe Sherrod from Delaware State and DT Kevin Williams from Nebraska) and three true freshmen (DE Josh King, DT Mike Panasiuk and DE Auston Robertson). In addition, junior Demetrius Cooper and fifth-year senior Evan Jones are in starting roles for the first time on the ends, while redshirt freshman defensive tackle Raequan Williams is playing in his first collegiate season.
• The depth of the defense is strongest at linebacker, but the Spartans are currently battling injuries at the position. Junior Jon Reschke, who started 14 games a year ago, is out indefinitely after suffering a severe ankle sprain in the third game against Wisconsin on Sept. 24. Fifth-year senior captain Riley Bullough has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, and sixth-year player Ed Davis is still rounding into form after suffering a torn ACL last season. Junior Chris Frey is tied for the team lead with 27 tackles and is the starter at Sam, while junior Shane Jones has filled in for Bullough in the middle. Sophomore Andrew Dowell has started two games at Star (weakside) and ranks fourth on the team with 22 tackles.
LINEBACKER Jon Reschke OUT INDEFINITELY WITH ANKLE INJURY --
• Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio announced at his weekly press conference on Sept. 27 that junior linebacker Jon Reschke is out indefinitely with a severe ankle sprain. Reschke, who missed the season opener vs. Furman with a separate injury, returned to action in the Notre Dame game on Sept. 17 and was named the Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after recording eight tackles (one for loss), a forced fumble and an interception in the win over the Irish. Reschke injured his ankle in the Wisconsin game on Sept. 24. He started all 14 games at Sam linebacker last season for the Spartans and recorded a career-high 75 tackles, including 5.5 for losses and two sacks.
CAPTAIN Riley Bullough HAS YET TO SEE ACTION IN BIG TEN PLAY DUE TO INJURY --
• Fifth-year senior captain linebacker Riley Bullough, who was voted a team captain, has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury. Bullough started 13 games last season and led the team with a career-high 106 tackles. He was named to preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Nagurski Trophy. In his first two games of the season, Bullough had eight tackles in the season opener vs. Furman and four stops in the win at Notre Dame.
Malik McDowell SUSPENDED FOR FIRST HALF AGAINST BYU --
• Junior preseason All-America defensive lineman Malik McDowell was ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter during the loss at Indiana and will be suspended for the first half against BYU due to NCAA rules. McDowell posted a season-high five tackles against the Hoosiers. Due to the suspension, McDowell will have his streak of 19 straight starts snapped, which was the longest active streak on the team.
• McDowell, the only returning starter on the defensive line from a year ago, leads the unit this season with 13 tackles, including two for losses. The other three starters from last season's Big Ten Championship team are all in the NFL (Shilique Calhoun, Raiders; Joel Heath, Texans; Lawrence Thomas, Jets).
• A native of Detroit, McDowell was named a first-team preseason All-American by numerous media outlets (ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Athlon Sports, Sporting News) and to preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy.
SPARTANS STOP THE RUN --
• Michigan State, which has ranked in the top 11 of the NCAA FBS in rushing defense the past five seasons (No. 9 in 2011; No. 8 in 2012; No. 2 in 2013; No. 1 in 2014; No. 11 in 2015), continues to rank among the national leaders in stopping the run in 2016. The Spartans currently rank third in the Big Ten and 16th in the FBS, allowing 105.5 rushing yards per game.
• Michigan State led the Big Ten in rushing defense four consecutive years (2011-14) before ranking third in 2015. Since the Big Ten began awarding stat champions in all games in 1985, Michigan State became only the second team in conference history to lead the league in rushing defense four years in a row (Michigan, 1990-93).
• Michigan State led the NCAA FBS in rushing defense in 2014, allowing just 88.5 ypg. It marked the fourth time MSU has led the NCAA in rushing defense (1952: 83.9 ypg.; 1965: school-record 47.3 ypg.; 1987: 69.8 ypg.). MSU ranked No. 2 in the FBS in rushing defense in 2013 (86.6 ypg.).
• MSU has finished in the Top 25 nationally in rushing defense six times in the last seven seasons, including five straight in the Top 11 (24th in 2009; ninth in 2011; eighth in 2012; second in 2013; first in 2014; 11th in 2015).
• In 124 games under Mark Dantonio, MSU has held its opponents under 100 yards rushing 62 times (50 percent).
Jack Allen NAMED HONORARY CAPTAIN FOR BYU GAME --
• Former two-time All-America center Jack Allen has been selected honorary captain for Saturday's game against BYU. He will address the team during the pre-game meal and join the 2016 captains at midfield for the coin toss.
• One of the most decorated players in school history, Allen became just the third Spartan offensive lineman to earn first-team All-America honors twice following a stellar 2015 senior season in which the team captain helped lead Michigan State to a Big Ten Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. Allen was just as productive off the field, landing on the Academic All-Big Ten team four times while being named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society and a semifinalist for the 2015 NFF William V. Campbell Trophy (nation's top scholar-athlete).
• A year after picking up USA TODAY First-Team All-America accolades as a junior in 2014, Allen made the first team as a senior in 2015, according to The Associated Press, CBSSports.com and SI.com. He also was named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy (nation's top center) for the second consecutive season. Allen, who also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2015 for the second year in a row, became only the fifth Spartan on the offensive line to garner first-team all-conference accolades twice and just the second center.
• Allen played in 48 career games, including 47 starts (42 at center, five at left guard), the second-most starts by a Spartan offensive lineman in school history (Joel Foreman: 49 from 2008-11). In 2015-16, Allen became just the fourth student-athlete at Michigan State to earn the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor and the Chester Brewer Leadership Award in the same year.
• Allen is currently a member of the New Orleans Saints practice squad after signing as a free agent with the team in May. His younger brothers Brian and Matt are currently on the Spartan roster.
