Spartans Conclude 2016 Season at No. 7 Penn State
11/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
| Game 12: Michigan State (3-8, 1-7 B1G) at No. 7 Penn State (9-2, 7-1 B1G) | |
| Date | Time | Saturday, Nov. 26 | 3:36 p.m. |
| Location | University Park, Pa. Beaver Stadium (106,572/Natural Grass) |
| Television | ESPN |
| Broadcast Team | Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) Brock Huard (analyst) | Allison Williams (sidelines) |
| Internet Coverage | WatchESPN | |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) | Affiliates |
| Satellite Radio | Ch. 974 (SiriusXM.com) |
| Radio (Mobile) | Broadcast available on Spartan Sports Network Mobile App: iPhone/iPad | Android |
| Parking/Tailgating/Stadium Information | Penn State Gameday Central |
| Tickets | Available at GoPSUSports.com |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Penn State |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Penn State |
| Series Information | MSU leads, 15-14-1 |
| Social Media | @MSU_Football  | Facebook  |
FIRST-AND-10 â€"
• Michigan State will conclude the 2016 season with a road trip to No. 7 Penn State on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 3:36 p.m. in Beaver Stadium. The Spartans (3-8, 1-7 B1G) battled second-ranked Ohio State on Senior Day last weekend in Spartan Stadium, but ultimately fell to the Buckeyes, 17-16. PSU (9-2, 7-1 B1G) is still in the hunt for the Big Ten East Division title after beating Rutgers last Saturday, 39-0. The Nittany Lions, ranked seventh in this week's College Football Playoff standings and eighth in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls, are in a three-way tie for first in the division, along with Michigan and Ohio State. Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN and WatchESPN.
• Saturday's game marks the 31st meeting between Michigan State and Penn State, with the Spartans holding a slim edge in the series, 15-14-1, following their 55-16 win in East Lansing last season. The Spartans are looking for their fourth consecutive victory over the Nittany Lions for the first time since winning a series-best five straight (1949, 1951, 1952, 1965, 1966). In addition to last season's win, which clinched the Big Ten East Division title, MSU defeated Penn State in Beaver Stadium in 2014, 34-10, and clinched a share of the Big Ten Championship in 2010 at Penn State with a 28-22 victory. MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is 4-2 against Penn State while coaching the Spartans, including a 2-1 record in Beaver Stadium. The Spartans are looking to win three straight in Beaver Stadium for the first time in school history.
• The Spartans have seen a resurgence in the ground game during the second half of the season, rushing for more than 200 yards in four of the past five games. During the first six games, MSU averaged 136.2 rushing yards per game, while in the last five, the Spartans are getting 222.9 ypg. on the ground. Against two of the top rushing defenses in the nation, MSU ran for 217 yards on Michigan and 207 against Ohio State. MSU also rushed for 277 yards against Rutgers, 270 at Maryland and 175 at Illinois.
• The rushing attack has been led by sophomore LJ Scott, who needs 65 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Scott, who currently has 935 yards on 168 carries, is looking to become just the sixth sophomore at Michigan State to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a single-season and the first since Edwin Baker in 2010. Scott collected career highs in rushing yards (160), all-purpose yards (236) and receiving yards (76) against Ohio State last Saturday. He scored on the second play from scrimmage on a career-long 64-yard TD reception and also recorded a career-long rush with a 61-yard scamper in the first quarter. He finished with 19 carries for 160 yards (8.4 avg.) and two catches for 76 yards. Scott has five 100-yard games this season, tied for second most in the Big Ten, including four of the last five games (119.8 ypg. last five games).
• Since the renewal of the series in 1993, the winner of the Michigan State-Penn State game has been presented the Land-Grant Trophy. The trophy honors the two universities' unique places in history as the two pioneer land-grant schools in the nation. Each institution was founded in 1855, Michigan State on Feb. 12 and Penn State on Feb. 22. The schools were the prototypes after which the land-grant system was patterned. Since 1993, Penn State leads the series, 13-7, but the Spartans have won three straight.
• Due to a combination of youth and injuries, Michigan State has had a different starting lineup in every game this season on both offense and defense. Several Spartans have stepped into new and expanded roles, as the offense and defense have combined to feature 25 players who have either started for the first time or are in their first full-time starting role (complete list of players on page seven of game notes).
• A trademark of Mark Dantonio's Michigan State teams has been their ability to produce wins late in the season. Under Dantonio, Michigan State has compiled a 25-9 record (.735) in November. His teams have won 19 of the last 25 games in November (3-0 in 2010; 4-0 in 2011; 1-2 in 2012; 4-0 in 2013; 3-1 in 2014; 3-1 in 2015; 1-2 in 2016). In the four seasons (2003-06) prior to Dantonio's arrival, MSU went just 2-11 (.154) in November.
• Senior linebacker Riley Bullough surpassed the 200-tackle milestone for his career in the Ohio State game, becoming the fourth member of the Bullough family with 200 tackles (uncle Chuck with 391 from 1988-91; father Shane with 311 from 1983-86; brother Max with 299 from 2010-13). Bullough recorded double-digit tackles (11) against Ohio State for the fourth time this season and has 206 tackles in his career.
• Senior Josiah Price is two catches away from becoming just the third tight end in school history to record 100 career receptions. Price, who already has the most TD catches by a Spartan tight end in school history, is also fourth all-time at MSU with 21 career touchdown receptions. He has a career-high 32 receptions this season for 324 yards and is tied for the team lead, along with R.J. Shelton, with five TD catches. Price ranks third among Spartan tight ends with 98 career catches and fourth with 1,175 receiving yards in 50 career games. He has been recognized for his work off the field as well, as he has been named one of 11 semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service."
• Senior R.J. Shelton leads the team in receptions (48), receiving yards (715) and all-purpose yards (1,235), and is tied for the team lead in touchdown catches (5), all of which are career highs. He ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten in receptions (4.4 pg), seventh in all-purpose yards (112.3 ypg), seventh in receiving yards (65.0 ypg) and tied for eighth in TD catches (5). Shelton leads the team with 20 plays of 20 yards or more (10 kick return, nine receptions, one rush), and four of MSU's eight plays of 50-plus yards this season have featured Shelton. Shelton also leads all active Spartans with 111 career catches for 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, native ranks among MSU's all-time leaders in kick returns (tied for second with 77), kick return yards (second with 1,802), all-purpose yards (13th with 3,758) and touchdown catches (tied for 18th with 11).
COACHES --
Michigan State:
Head Coach: Mark Dantonio
MSU Record: 90-41 (10th year)
Overall Record: 108-58 (13th year)
Record vs. Penn State: 4-3 (4-2 at MSU)
Penn State:
Head Coach: James Franklin
PSU Record: 23-14 (third year)
Overall Record: 47-29 (sixth year)
Record vs. MSU: 0-2
STAT LEADERS â€"
Michigan State:
Rushing â€" LJ Scott (168 carries for 935 yards, 5.6 avg, 6 TDs)
Passing â€" Tyler O'Connor (137 of 229 for 1,852 yards, 16 TDs, 9 INTs)
Receiving â€" R.J. Shelton (48 catches for 715 yards, 14.9 avg., 5 TDs)
Tackles â€" Chris Frey (90 tackles, 36 solos, 54 assists, 3 TFLs, 1 FF, 7 QB hurries)
Penn State:
Rushing â€" Saquon Barkley (216 carries for 1,205 yards, 5.6 avg., 14 TDs)
Passing â€" Trace McSorley (167 of 304 for 2,600 yards, 17 TDs, 5 INTs)
Receiving â€" Chris Godwin (42 catches for 627 yards, 14.9 avg., 7 TDs)
Tackles â€" Marcus Allen (83 tackles, 44 solos, 39 assists, 5.5 TFLs, 2 FRs)
A QUICK GLANCE AT PENN STATE (9-2, 7-1 B1G) â€"
• The No. 8-ranked Nittany Lions are 9-2 overall and 7-1 in Big Ten play, co-leaders of the Big Ten East Division. Penn State has won seven in a row, most recently a 45-31 victory at Indiana on Nov. 12 and a 39-0 blanking at Rutgers last Saturday.
• Penn State head coach James Franklin has a 23-14 record in his third season at the leash of the Nittany Lions and a 47-29 ledger in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach. Franklin enters Saturday's match-up with the Spartans with an 0-2 mark vs. MSU.
• The Nittany Lions are third in the Big Ten and 30th in FBS in scoring offense (35.8 ppg), while ranking eighth in the conference and 40th in the country in scoring defense (23.7 ppg). PSU is fourth in the league in total offense (426.6 ypg), ranking sixth in rushing offense (187.9 ypg) and fourth in passing offense (238.7 ypg). Defensively, Penn State is fifth in the conference in total defense (347.1 ypg), ranking seventh in rushing defense (149.6 ypg) and seventh in pass defense (197.5 ypg).
• Sophomore quarterback Trace McSorley spearheads the PSU offense, with 167-of-304 (.549) passing for 2,600 yards with 17 TDs and five INTs. McSorley leads the Big Ten and is second in FBS in passing yards per completion at 15.57 ypc, as well as fourth in the conference and 44th in the country in passing yards per game (236.4 ypg), in addition to fourth in the league with 17 passing TDs.
• Sophomore running back Saquon Barkley leads the Big Ten and is 16th in the FBS in all-purpose yards (139.8 ypg), along with ranking first in the conference and 10th in the country in total TDs (16) and second in the league and 12th in the nation in rushing TDs (14). Barkley also leads the Big Ten and is 18th in the FBS in rushing yards per game (109.5 ypg).
• Junior wide receiver Chris Godwin and junior tight end Mike Gesicki have 42 receptions apiece, with Godwin totaling 627 yards, while Gesicki has 546 yards. Godwin is ninth in the Big Ten with 57.0 receiving yards per game, while Gesicki is 14th with 49.6 ypg. Sophomore Deandre Thompkins is fifth in the conference with 17.09 yards per catch, while Godwin is 11th at 14.9 ypc and junior Daesean Hamilton is 13th at 14.88 ypc.
• The Nittany Lion defense is anchored by junior safety Marcus Allen who has 83 total tackles (7.5 pg). Senior safety Malik Gordon adds 57 stops, including 4.5 tackles for loss. Junior defensive end Garrett Sickels leads PSU with 11.5 TFLS, including six sacks
• Sophomore cornerback John Reid has a team-best eight passes defended with seven pass break-ups and one interception, while junior linebacker Brandon Smith has five with three pass break-ups and a team-high two INTs.
• Freshman punter Blake Gillikin is second in the Big Ten and 59th in the FBS in punting with a 41.4 yards per punt average, with a long of 69-yards as part of eight punts of 50+ yards, with 18 inside the 20.
• Junior placekicker Tyler Davis is 20-of-22 on field goals, leading the league and ranking sixth in the nation with 1.82 field goals per game, along with second in the conference and 11th in the country in with a 90.9 field goal percentage. Davis has a long of 40-yards. The only two field goals Davis has missed have been blocked. Davis has made his last seven attempts, including four against Rutgers last Saturday as well as making all three PATs, earning Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He is 44-of-44 on PATs for the season.
MSU/PENN STATE SERIES NOTES â€"
• Saturday's game marks the 31st meeting between Michigan State and Penn State, with the Spartans holding a slim edge in the series, 15-14-1, following their 55-10 win in East Lansing last season. The Spartans are looking for their fourth consecutive victory over the Nittany Lions for the first time since winning a series-best five straight (1949, 1951, 1952, 1965, 1966). In addition to last season's win, which clinched the Big Ten East Division title, MSU defeated Penn State in Beaver Stadium in 2014, 34-10, and clinched a share of the Big Ten Championship in 2010 at Penn State with a 28-22 victory. The Spartans are looking to win three straight in Beaver Stadium for the first time in school history.
• MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is 4-2 against Penn State while coaching the Spartans, including a 2-1 record in Beaver Stadium. Dantonio is 4-3 overall against the Nittany Lions (lost at Penn State in 2005 while coaching Cincinnati).
• Dantonio is looking to become just the third opposing coach to win three consecutive games at Beaver Stadium (Lloyd Carr of Michigan: 1997, 1999, 2001, 2006; Kirk Ferentz of Iowa: 2000, 2002, 2004).
• Since the renewal of the series in 1993, the winner of the Michigan State-Penn State game has been presented the Land-Grant Trophy. The trophy honors the two universities' unique places in history as the two pioneer land-grant schools in the nation. Each institution was founded in 1855, Michigan State on Feb. 12 and Penn State on Feb. 22. The schools were the prototypes after which the land-grant system was patterned. Since 1993, Penn State leads the series, 13-7, but the Spartans have won three straight.
SPARTANS FROM THE KEYSTONE STATE â€"
• Michigan State has six players on its 2016 roster from Pennsylvania: sixth-year senior offensive guard/defensive tackle Brandon Clemons (Milford/Delaware Valley High School), fifth-year senior defensive back Demetrious Cox (Jeannette/Jeannette High School), junior safety Montae Nicholson (Monroeville/Gateway High School), sophomore offensive lineman Casey Schreiner (Bethel Park/Bethel Park), junior quarterback Damion Terry (Erie/Cathedral Prep) and senior running back Delton Williams (Erie/Cathedral Prep).
THE LAST MEETING â€"
Nov. 28, 2015, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP): Connor Cook threw three touchdown passes in his return from a shoulder injury, and Michigan State wrapped up a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game with a 55-16 rout of Penn State, its most lopsided win in series history. The Spartans finished tied atop the Big Ten East with Ohio State, and Michigan State upset the Buckeyes with Cook on the sideline a week earlier. The senior came back and was brilliant against Penn State. Cook went 19-of-26 for 248 yards.
The final touchdown came on a 9-yard run by Michigan State center Jack Allen, who lined up in the backfield, took a handoff from Cook and capped his last home game in memorable fashion.
Penn State moved the ball well in the first half but two turnovers earned Michigan State a comfortable lead. Arjen Colquhoun intercepted a pass in the end zone on the game's first drive, and the Spartans turned that takeaway into a touchdown when Cook threw a 29-yard pass to R.J. Shelton.
The extra point was no good, and Penn State kicked a short field goal early in the second quarter, but Michigan State went ahead 13-3 on a 6-yard touchdown run by Gerald Holmes. Then Demetrious Cox of the Spartans picked up a fumble and returned it 77 yards for another TD.
It was 20-10 at halftime, and the Spartans scored the only two touchdowns of the third quarter. Cook threw a 29-yard scoring pass to Aaron Burbridge to make it 27-10. Burbridge came back in from out of bounds, but officials ruled he was forced out. He caught the pass around the 10, bounced off one defender and spun past another before diving into the end zone.
It was 41-16 in the fourth when Malik McDowell intercepted a pass that had bounced off fellow defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun. McDowell ran it back 13 yards for a TD.
After a Penn State fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the Spartans the ball at the 9, Cook took the field and started motioning for the crowd to get louder. He handed off to Allen and the Nittany Lions couldn't stop the 296-pound lineman as he rumbled to the end zone.
POST-GAME NOTES: OHIO STATE â€"
• LJ Scott collected career highs in rushing yards (160), all-purpose yards (236) and receiving yards (76) against the Buckeyes . . . the career-high 160 rushing yards are the second most by a Spartan against the Buckeyes (Hyland Hickson with 187 in 1988) . . . Scott scored on the second play from scrimmage on a career-long 64-yard TD reception . . . he finished with two catches for 76 yards . . . he recorded a career-long rush with a 61-yard scamper in the first quarter . . . Scott's 1-yard TD with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter cut the Buckeye lead to 17-16 . . . Scott has 935 rushing yards this season with six rushing TDs.
• The Spartan defense held the Buckeyes to season lows in points (17), total offense (330 yards) and passing (86 yards) . . . OSU entered the game ranked No. 2 in the FBS in scoring (46.5 ppg) and No. 11 in total offense (511.4 ypg) . . . MSU also held the Buckeyes to season lows in points (14) and total offense (132 yards) in last season's 17-14 win in Columbus.
• Michigan State hasn't allowed more than 100 yards passing in consecutive games for the first time since 2007 (Rutgers with 40 passing yards, Ohio State with 86).
• Michigan State outgained Ohio State, 334-310 . . . the Spartans rushed for more than 200 yards (207) for the fifth time this season and for the fourth time in the past five games . . . the 207 rushing yards were the second-most given up by Ohio State this season (Wisconsin with 236).
• The Spartans recorded a season-high three sacks (19 yards) . . . MSU entered the game with only seven sacks all season.
• Montae Nicholson led all players with 13 tackles . . . it marked the fourth double-digit tackle game of the season for Nicholson.
• Riley Bullough surpassed the 200-tackle milestone for his career, becoming the fourth member of the Bullough family with 200 tackles (uncle Chuck with 391 from 1988-91; father Shane with 311 from 1983-86; brother Max with 299 from 2010-13) . . . Bullough recorded double-digit tackles (11) for the fourth time this season and now has 206 tackles in his career.
• Freshman defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk recorded a career-high seven tackles, including a half sack (4 yards).
• Sophomore defensive end Robert Bowers tallied a career-high five tackles, including a half sack (3 yards).
• Sophomore defensive end Dillon Alexander recorded a career-high three tackles, including a 1-yard tackle for loss, and also recovered a fumble.
• On defense, the Spartans started three freshmen (CB Justin Layne, DT Mike Panasiuk, DT Raequan Williams) and two sophomores (DE Robert Bowers, LB Andrew Dowell).
• Michigan State Athletics donated the unclaimed 50/50 winnings from the Sept. 3 game against Furman to the Mylan Hicks and Michael Sadler Memorial Funds (total of $21,425 total; $10,712.50 to each memorial fund). Members of Sadler and Hicks families were recognized during the announcement of the gift following the end of the first quarter.
• Michigan State's 28-member 2016 Senior Class was recognized in a pregame ceremony . . . the Class of 2016 currently owns a 39-13 record . . . the 39 victories are the fourth most by a senior class in school history.
• Fifth-year senior defensive end Evan Jones was the fourth game captain against the Buckeyes.
• Ohio State leads the all-time series, 30-15, including a 16-5 record in East Lansing . . . MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is 3-5 against the Buckeyes during his tenure in East Lansing.
ODDS-N-ENDS â€"
• Michigan State has led in every game this season . . . the Spartans scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game against Ohio State; MSU has scored TD on its first drive in four games this season (Furman, BYU, Michigan, Ohio State).
SEASON-ENDING INJURIES â€"
• Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio announced on Nov. 13 that redshirt freshman offensive guard Tyler Higby suffered a broken ankle in the Rutgers game and will be out for the remainder of the season. Higby started six straight games at left guard beginning Oct. 8 vs. BYU. The Spartans have lost four players to season-ending injuries who have at least started one game (Higby, CB Vayante Copeland, QB Brian Lewerke, LB Jon Reschke).
YOUTH MOVEMENT â€"
• Due to a combination of youth and injuries, Michigan State has had a different starting lineup in every game this season on both offense and defense. Several Spartans have stepped into new and expanded roles, as the offense and defense have combined to feature 25 players who have either started for the first time or are in their first full-time starting role.
• MSU's 20 first-time starters in 2016 rank tied for 11th most in the FBS this season.
• Through 11 games, nine true freshmen (LB Joe Bachie, WR/CB Donnie Corley, WR Trishton Jackson, DE Josh King, CB/WR Justin Layne, OL Thiyo Lukusa, S Kenney Lyke, DT Mike Panasiuk, DL Auston Robertson) have seen the field, the most since Mark Dantonio's arrival in 2007. Four of the nine have started (Corley, King, Layne, Panasiuk). MSU is one of only 18 schools in the FBS to have started at least four true freshmen this season.
SENIORS TO PLAY IN FINAL SPARTAN GAME ON SATURDAY AT PENN STATE â€"
• One of the winningest senior classes in school history will take the field for the final time at Penn State on Saturday. Michigan State's 2016 Senior Class was recognized in a pregame ceremony last Saturday on Senior Day against Ohio State.
• The 2016 Senior Class has helped Michigan State to a 39-13 record since 2013, including two Big Ten Championships (2013, 2015), wins in the Rose Bowl (2014) and Cotton Bowl (2015), and a berth in the 2015 College Football Playoff. The 39 wins rank fourth most by a senior class in school history.
• Thirteen members of the 2016 senior class have already received their undergraduate degrees, which ranks tied for second most of any FBS team.
LJ Scott LEADS SPARTAN RUSHING ATTACK â€"
• The Spartans have seen a resurgence in the ground game during the second half of the season, rushing for more than 200 yards in four of the past five games. During the first six games, MSU averaged 136.2 rushing yards per game, while in the last five, the Spartans are getting 222.9 ypg. on the ground. Against two of the top rushing defenses in the nation, MSU ran for 217 yards on Michigan and 207 against Ohio State. MSU also rushed for 277 yards against Rutgers, 270 at Maryland and 175 at Illinois.
• The rushing attack has been led by sophomore LJ Scott, who needs 65 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Scott, who currently has 935 yards on 168 carries, is looking to become just the sixth sophomore at Michigan State to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a single-season and the first since Edwin Baker in 2010. In addition, Scott is looking to become the 15th Spartan to record a 1,000-yard rushing season and the fifth under head coach Mark Dantonio (Javon Ringer, 2007 and 2008; Edwin Baker, 2010; Le'Veon Bell, 2012; Jeremy Langford, 2013 and 2014).
• Scott collected career highs in rushing yards (160), all-purpose yards (236) and receiving yards (76) against Ohio State last Saturday. He scored on the second play from scrimmage on a career-long 64-yard TD reception and also recorded a career-long rush with a 61-yard scamper in the first quarter. He finished with 19 carries for 160 yards (8.4 avg.) and two catches for 76 yards.
• Scott has five 100-yard games this season, tied for second most in the Big Ten, including four of the last five games (119.8 ypg. last five games). He rushed for 139 yards against No. 2 Michigan on Oct. 29, the most by a player against the Wolverines this season.
R.J. Shelton A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL THREAT â€"
• Senior R.J. Shelton leads the team in receptions (48), receiving yards (715) and all-purpose yards (1,235), and is tied for the team lead in touchdown catches (5), all of which are career highs. He ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten in receptions (4.4 pg), seventh in all-purpose yards (112.3 ypg), seventh in receiving yards (65.0 ypg) and tied for eighth in TD catches (5). Shelton leads the team with 20 plays of 20 yards or more (10 kick return, nine receptions, one rush), and four of MSU's eight plays of 50-plus yards this season have featured Shelton.
• The 5-11, 202-pound Shelton has caught two 86-yard touchdown passes (at Indiana, vs. Northwestern) this season from Tyler O'Connor. Shelton is one of only two players in school history to have two touchdown receptions of 86 yards or longer in the same season (Sherman Lewis, 1963).
• Shelton also leads all active Spartans with 111 career catches for 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, native ranks among MSU's all-time leaders in kick returns (tied for second with 77), kick return yards (second with 1,802), all-purpose yards (13th with 3,758) and touchdown catches (tied for 18th with 11).
• Shelton has two 100-yard receiving games this season: career-high 190 vs. Northwestern (Oct. 15) and 141 at Indiana on Oct. 1. Shelton had TD grabs of 86 and 59 yards against the Wildcats and finished with a career-high 260 all-purpose yards. The 190 receiving yards against Northwestern are the second-highest single-game total by a Big Ten player this season.
SENIOR QUARTERBACK Tyler O'Connor RANKS FOURTH IN BIG TEN IN PASSING EFFICIENCY â€"
• Fifth-year senior quarterback Tyler O'Connor, who has started nine games this season, ranks fourth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (143.0 rating), fifth in completion percentage (.598), sixth in touchdown passes (16) and ninth in passing (185.2 ypg). He was voted one of three captains by his teammates following the conclusion of preseason camp.
• For the season, the 6-3, 228-pound native of Lima, Ohio, is 137-of-229 passing (.598) for 1,852 yards, 16 TDs and nine interceptions in 10 games. He did not play at Maryland on Oct. 22 due to an injury, but returned to the starting lineup on Oct. 29 vs. No. 2 Michigan. O'Connor started the first five games of the season.
• O'Connor started his seventh game of the season at Illinois on Nov. 5, completing 23-of-35 passes for 265 yards. It marked O'Connor's fifth 200-yard passing game of the season (career-high 281 vs. Northwestern; 263 vs. Indiana; 241 vs. Notre Dame; 224 vs. Wisconsin). The 265 passing yards were the third most by a Spartan in the series against Illinois, and the 23 pass completions were a career high (previous: 21 vs. Indiana). O'Connor left the game in the fourth quarter due to an injury.
• Although O'Connor didn't start in Game 6 vs. Northwestern, he relieved Brian Lewerke in the third quarter and finished with a career-high 281 yards passing. O'Connor also tied his career high with three touchdown passes (59 and 86 yards to R.J. Shelton; 9 yards to Donnie Corley). O'Connor completed 13 of his 21 passes against the Wildcats. The 86-yard scoring pass to Shelton tied his career long (86 yards to Shelton vs. Indiana on Oct. 1).
• O'Connor, who narrowly lost out to Connor 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.
• For his career, O'Connor is 4-6 as a starter, including road victories at No. 2 Ohio State and No. 18 Notre Dame. He has completed 60 percent of his passes (171-of-283) for 2,226 yards, 20 TDs and 11 interceptions in 24 career games.
• Coming into the season, the Spartans had to replace 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).
Josiah Price NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR TWO MAJOR NATIONAL AWARDS â€"
• Fifth-year senior tight end Josiah Price has been named one of 11 semifinalists for the for the Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service." Earlier this fall, he was 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."
• It marked 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. 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.
• 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 (21) of any tight end in Michigan State history. In 50 career games, he has 98 receptions for 1,175 yards. Price surpassed the 1,000-yard milestone for receiving yards on his second catch in the BYU game on Oct. 8 to become just the fourth Spartan tight end to record 1,000 career receiving yards. Price was named to the Mackey Award Midseason Watch List on Oct. 12, which is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding tight end.
• 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.
• Price was also named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award; to be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I FBS senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Former Spartan Kirk Cousins won the award in 2011.
PLENTY OF NEW FACES ON DEFENSE FOR SPARTANS IN 2016 â€"
• Eleven Spartans who have seen action on defense this season have been either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen (LB Joe Bachie; CB Josh Butler; CB/WR Donnie Corley, S David Dowell; DE Josh King; CB Justin Layne; S Kenney Lyke; DT Mike Panasiuk; DE Auston Robertson; LB Tyriq Thompson; DT Raequan Williams).
• Another seven players to see start or significant playing time are sophomores (DE Robert Bowers; CB Vayante Copeland; LB Andrew Dowell; S Grayson Miller; CB Tyson Smith; CB Jalen Watts-Jackson; CB Khari Willis).
• In addition, the defense also features two graduate transfers (DE Gabe Sherrod, DT Kevin Williams), and a sixth-year senior (DT Brandon Clemons) who started for the first time on defense in his career.
CAPTAIN Riley Bullough REACHES 200-CAREER TACKLE MILESTONE â€"
• Fifth-year senior captain linebacker Riley Bullough, who was voted a team captain, leads all active Spartans with 206 career tackles. He surpassed the 200-tackle milestone for his career in the Ohio State game, becoming the fourth member of the Bullough family with 200 tackles (uncle Chuck with 391 from 1988-91; father Shane with 311 from 1983-86; brother Max with 299 from 2010-13).
• Bullough tallied double-digits in tackles (11) vs. Ohio State for the fourth time this season. He is third on the team with 68 tackles in just eight games. He has seven career games with double-digit tackles.
• Bullough returned to the playing field Oct. 15 vs. Northwestern after missing three games due to an injury. In his first action since Game 2 at Notre Dame, Bullough had 12 tackles against the Wildcats. He had a season-high 14 stops vs. No. 2 Michigan on Oct. 29.
• 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.
Chris Frey LEADS TEAM AND RANKS AMONG BIG TEN LEADERS IN TACKLES â€"
• Junior linebacker Chris Frey leads the team and ranks ninth in the Big Ten with a career-high 90 tackles (8.2 avg.). Frey, a native of Upper Arlington, Ohio, has recorded double-digit tackles in two games (career-high 13 vs. BYU; 10 vs. Maryland) and has collected at least eight tackles in eight games this season.
