Post-Game Notes: Maryland
11/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
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• Michigan State won its eighth game of the season with a 17-7 victory over Maryland . . . the Spartans now lead the overall series against the Terrapins, 7-2, including a 5-1 record in East Lansing . . . MSU is 3-1 against Maryland in Big Ten games.
• Mark Dantonio improved to 98-45 as head coach of the Spartans . . . this marks the seventh eight-win season for Michigan State under Dantonio, the most of any coach in school history . . . Dantonio is now 59-30 in Big Ten games.
• The game was played in a heavy rain in the first half and constant snow flurries in the second half.
• Michigan State recognized 15 members of the 2017 senior class in a pregame ceremony: C Brian Allen (Hinsdale, Ill.), DE Demetrius Cooper (Chicago, Ill.), OT Dennis Finley (Detroit, Mich.), LB Chris Frey (Upper Arlington, Ohio), LB Sean Harrington (Commerce Township, Mich.), RB Gerald Holmes (Flint, Mich.), LB Shane Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio), TE Hussien Kadry (Dearborn, Mich.), WR Brock Makaric (Saginaw, Mich.), OL Nick Padla (Berrien Springs, Mich.), FB Joe Palange (Cleveland, Ohio), PK Brett Scanlon (Dowagiac, Mich.), OG Jeremy Schram (White Lake, Mich.), OG Casey Schreiner (Bethel Park, Pa.) and QB Damion Terry (Erie, Pa.).
OFFENSE
• Michigan State ran for 271 yards on the ground, the second-highest total in a game this season (296 vs. Western Michigan).
• LJ Scott ran for 147 yards on a career-high 29 carries . . . the 147 yards were the most by a Spartan against Maryland (previous: 138 by Jeremy Langford in 2014) . . . it marked the third-most rushing yards in a single game in Scott's career (194 vs. Minnesota in 2017; 160 vs. Ohio State in 2016) . . . it also marked Scott's second 100-yard rushing game of the season and eighth of his career.
• Brian Lewerke rushed for 63 yards on just five carries (12.6 avg.) . . . it marked the most rushing yards by Lewerke since he had a season-high 81 vs. Western Michigan on Sept. 9 . . . Lewerke rushed for a 25-yard score in the second quarter for his fourth rushing TD of the season.
• Gerald Holmes had a season-high 64 yards rushing and tied his season high with 11 carries.
• MSU had just 20 yards passing, the fewest by the Spartans in a single game since Oct. 3, 1987, when the Spartans had 13 yards passing in a 19-14 win at Iowa (2-for-10) . . . MSU also completed just two passes in the game (2-for-14), the fewest in a single game since 1988 (1-of-9 passing at Florida State on Sept. 24, 1988).
DEFENSE
• The Spartans held Maryland to 204 yards of total offense, 121 passing yards and 83 rushing yards. The 204 yards of total offense and 121 passing yards are the fewest by a Spartan Big Ten opponent this season.
• Michigan State has held seven of its 11 opponents under 100 yards rushing (Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Northwestern, Maryland).
• Joe Bachie recorded double-digit tackles for the fifth time this season with a team-high 11 tackles.
• Kenny Willekes tied his career high with two sacks (8 yards) and three tackles for loss (11 yards) . . . he had nine tackles overall . . . Willekes has seven sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss on the season, both team highs.
• Justin Layne recorded a career-best three pass break-ups and has seven pass break-ups in the last three games . . . he also had five tackles.
• The Spartans recorded three sacks and eight tackles for loss.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Matt Coghlin connected on a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter to give MSU a 17-0 lead . . . Coghlin has made four consecutive field goals and is 11-for-15 on the season.
