Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Post-Game Notes: Rutgers
11/24/2018 11:22:00 PM | Football
• Michigan State finishes the regular season with a 7-5 record after defeating Rutgers, 14-10, on Senior Day in Spartan Stadium . . . MSU leads the all-time series, 7-3, including a 5-0 record in Big Ten games.
• Michigan State honored 18 players in a pregame ceremony on Senior Day: DE Dillon Alexander (Forsyth, Ga.), OG David Beedle (Clarkston, Mich.), LB Byron Bullough (Traverse City, Mich.), LS Collin Caflisch (Canton, Mich.), WR Felton Davis III (Richmond, Va.), LB Andrew Dowell (North Ridgeville, Ohio), TE Chase Gianacakos (St. Charles, Ill.), FB Ben Line (Oxford, Mich.), OL Noah Listermann (Cincinnati, Ohio), FB Collin Lucas (Avon Lake, Ohio), QB Mickey Macius (Arlington Heights, Ill.), LB Grayson Miller (Georgetown, Ky.), S Matt Morrissey (Lincolnshire, Ill.), DT Gerald Owens (Thorofare, N.J.), LB Jon Reschke (Sterling Heights, Mich.), CB Tyson Smith (Detroit, Mich.), TE Matt Sokol (Rochester, Mich.) and S Khari Willis (Jackson, Mich.).
OFFENSE
• Connor Heyward led all players with 139 yards of total offense (81 rushing, 31 kick return, 27 receiving) . . . he also had a game-high 81 rushing yards on 19 carries . . . his 26-yard run with just over one minute remaining gave MSU a first down and sealed the win.
• Darrell Stewart tied a season high with seven receptions for 53 yards.
• Matt Sokol caught his first touchdown of the season on an 18-yard pass from Rocky Lombardi in the second quarter.
• Cody White accounted for 66 all-purpose yards (four catches for 44 yards, one carry for 22 yards) . . . he scored his seventh career TD and first career rushing TD on a 22-yard run with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter that put MSU ahead, 14-10.
DEFENSE
• Michigan State held Rutgers to 217 yards of offense (108 rushing, 109 passing).
• The Spartans forced three Rutgers turnovers . . . Josiah Scott had a career-high two interceptions, the first two of the season for Scott; his first interception came in the third quarter, and his second interception came on a fourth-and-6 play from the MSU 21, as he caught the ball at the 3-yard line with 1:32 left in the game to ice the win . . . Xavier Henderson recovered a punt in the second quarter at the Rutgers 13-yard line that hit off Rutgers' Saquan Hampton.
• Scott is the first Spartan to record two interceptions in a game since David Dowell against Penn State on Nov. 4, 2017.
• Joe Bachie led all players with a season-high 12 tackles, marking his fourth double-digit tackle game of the season . . . Bachie also had 1.5 tackles for loss.
• Playing in his final game in Spartan Stadium, senior linebacker Jon Reschke recorded a career-high two tackles for loss (3 yards).
• Justin Layne recorded two pass break-ups, increasing his season total to 15, which is tied for eighth most in an MSU single-season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• William Przystup placed five of his eight punts inside the 20, including a 51-yarder that was downed at the Rutgers 1-yard line with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter; following a three-and-out by the Spartan defense, Brandon Sowards returned a punt 14 yards to the RU 35-yard line that set up MSU's game-winning four-play, 35-yard touchdown drive in just 50 seconds.
• Michigan State honored 18 players in a pregame ceremony on Senior Day: DE Dillon Alexander (Forsyth, Ga.), OG David Beedle (Clarkston, Mich.), LB Byron Bullough (Traverse City, Mich.), LS Collin Caflisch (Canton, Mich.), WR Felton Davis III (Richmond, Va.), LB Andrew Dowell (North Ridgeville, Ohio), TE Chase Gianacakos (St. Charles, Ill.), FB Ben Line (Oxford, Mich.), OL Noah Listermann (Cincinnati, Ohio), FB Collin Lucas (Avon Lake, Ohio), QB Mickey Macius (Arlington Heights, Ill.), LB Grayson Miller (Georgetown, Ky.), S Matt Morrissey (Lincolnshire, Ill.), DT Gerald Owens (Thorofare, N.J.), LB Jon Reschke (Sterling Heights, Mich.), CB Tyson Smith (Detroit, Mich.), TE Matt Sokol (Rochester, Mich.) and S Khari Willis (Jackson, Mich.).
OFFENSE
• Connor Heyward led all players with 139 yards of total offense (81 rushing, 31 kick return, 27 receiving) . . . he also had a game-high 81 rushing yards on 19 carries . . . his 26-yard run with just over one minute remaining gave MSU a first down and sealed the win.
• Darrell Stewart tied a season high with seven receptions for 53 yards.
• Matt Sokol caught his first touchdown of the season on an 18-yard pass from Rocky Lombardi in the second quarter.
• Cody White accounted for 66 all-purpose yards (four catches for 44 yards, one carry for 22 yards) . . . he scored his seventh career TD and first career rushing TD on a 22-yard run with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter that put MSU ahead, 14-10.
DEFENSE
• Michigan State held Rutgers to 217 yards of offense (108 rushing, 109 passing).
• The Spartans forced three Rutgers turnovers . . . Josiah Scott had a career-high two interceptions, the first two of the season for Scott; his first interception came in the third quarter, and his second interception came on a fourth-and-6 play from the MSU 21, as he caught the ball at the 3-yard line with 1:32 left in the game to ice the win . . . Xavier Henderson recovered a punt in the second quarter at the Rutgers 13-yard line that hit off Rutgers' Saquan Hampton.
• Scott is the first Spartan to record two interceptions in a game since David Dowell against Penn State on Nov. 4, 2017.
• Joe Bachie led all players with a season-high 12 tackles, marking his fourth double-digit tackle game of the season . . . Bachie also had 1.5 tackles for loss.
• Playing in his final game in Spartan Stadium, senior linebacker Jon Reschke recorded a career-high two tackles for loss (3 yards).
• Justin Layne recorded two pass break-ups, increasing his season total to 15, which is tied for eighth most in an MSU single-season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• William Przystup placed five of his eight punts inside the 20, including a 51-yarder that was downed at the Rutgers 1-yard line with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter; following a three-and-out by the Spartan defense, Brandon Sowards returned a punt 14 yards to the RU 35-yard line that set up MSU's game-winning four-play, 35-yard touchdown drive in just 50 seconds.
Players Mentioned
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