Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Post-Game Notes: New Era Pinstripe Bowl
12/28/2019 12:21:00 AM | Football
• Michigan State closed the 2019 season on a three-game winning streak to finish the year with a 7-6 overall record . . . the victory propelled the Spartans to their 11th winning season in 13 years under head coach Mark Dantonio, who extended his school record with his sixth bowl victory . . . Dantonio is now 6-6 in bowl games at Michigan State and 7-6 in bowl games as a head coach (1-0 at Cincinnati) . . . Dantonio's six bowl wins are tied for fourth in Big Ten history (Joe Paterno, 10; Barry Alvarez and Kirk Ferentz, 9; Hayden Fry and Lloyd Carr, 6).
• Michigan State is 13-16 all-time in bowl games . . . MSU has won six of its last eight bowl games.
• Michigan State closes the decade with a 92-40 record (.697) . . . the 92 wins are the most by MSU in any decade in school history and rank the seventh-most ever by a Big Ten team in a decade.
• MSU improved to 3-1 in games played in New York City.
OFFENSE
• Senior quarterback Brian Lewerke finished his Spartan career with an impressive performance, collecting 366 total yards of offense (320 passing, 46 rushing) to become the school's all-time leader in total offense with 9,548 career yards, surpassing Connor Cook (9,403 yards) . . . Lewerke also set a school single-season record with 3,442 yards of total offense . . . Lewerke owns two of the top three total offense seasons in MSU history (record 3,442 in 2019; 3,352 in 2017 is third) . . . the 366 yards of total offense were the second-highest total by a Spartan in a bowl game (record: Jeff Smoker with 393 vs. Fresno State in 2001 Silicon Valley Bowl).
• Lewerke, who was named the David C. Koch MVP, is just the third Spartan quarterback to win two bowl games as the starter (Dan Enos, Connor Cook) . . . Lewerke also led the Spartans to a 2017 Holiday Bowl win over Washington State, where he was named the Offensive MVP.
• Lewerke finishes his career ranked among Michigan State's all-time leaders in total offense (first with 9,548 yards), passing attempts (first with 1,249), completions (second with 721), starting QB wins (third with 22), QB starts (third with 38), passing yards (fourth with 8,293 yards) and passing touchdowns (fourth with 47).
• Lewerke was 26-of-37 for 320 yards, one touchdown and one interception . . . it marked his ninth 300-yard passing game of his career and fourth of the season . . . the 320 passing yards rank fourth most by a Spartan in bowl game . . . the 26 completions were the second most by a Spartan in a bowl game (record: Kirk Cousins with 27 in 2012 Outback Bowl vs. Georgia) . . . Lewerke finished with a career-high 3,079 passing yards this season, the fifth-highest single-season total in MSU history.
• Lewerke scored his third rushing TD of the season on an 8-yard run in the second quarter . . it was also the 10th scoring scamper of his career.
• Cody White had a game-high eight receptions for 97 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter which proved to be the game-winning score . . . White led the team with 66 catches for 922 yards in 2019 . . . the 66 receptions are tied for seventh most in an MSU single-season . . . White now has 143 career receptions, which is seventh most in MSU history.
• After missing the last month of the regular season, fifth-year senior Darrell Stewart returned to the field in limited action and had two receptions for 3 yards . . . Stewart finishes his career with 150 career receptions, which is third most in MSU history.
• Elijah Collins finished with 96 yards rushing on 21 carries, giving him 988 rushing yards for the season.
• Trenton Gillison's 64-yard reception on MSU's third scoring drive was 5 yards longer than his season total of 59 yards on eight catches entering Friday's game . . . Gillison started the drive with his first kick return of his career, a 14-yard return . . . he had a career-high four catches for 88 yards in the game.
DEFENSE
• Senior All-American defensive end Kenny Willekes closed out his illustrious career with nine tackles, including 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble . . . Willekes, who was already the school's record holder in tackles for loss entering the game, finishes his time in East Lansing with 51 TFLs and 26 sacks, which is third most in MSU history . . . Willekes finished the season with a career-high 10.5 sacks and 16 TFLs . . . the 10.5 sacks ties for seventh most in an MSU season.
• Starting in his 42nd consecutive game, a Dantonio-era record for a position player, senior defensive tackle Raequan Williams had seven tackles.
• Sophomore linebacker Noah Harvey compiled a career-high 14 tackles.
• Michigan State shut out Wake Forest in the second half and held the Demon Deacons to 351 yards of total offense . . . Wake entered the game ranked 12th in the FBS in total offense, averaging 473.4 yards per game.
• Mike Panasiuk scored his first career touchdown on an interception return off a deflected pass in the first quarter; after Jacub Panasiuk tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage, the ball bounced off Harvey, and then Panasiuk picked off the pass and returned it 14 yards for the score . . . it marked MSU's first interception return for a TD since Shakur Brown at Indiana in 2018 . . . it is the 33rd defensive touchdown since Dantonio took over as head coach prior to the 2007 season.
• Junior linebacker Antjuan Simmons finished the 2019 season as the team leader in tackles for 90, including 15 TFLs.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Matt Coghlin was 2-of-3 on field-goal attempts, making a 23-yarder in the first quarter and a 44-yarder in the second quarter . . . Coghlin's 22 field goals this season (22-of-32) tied for second most in an MSU season.
• Michigan State is 13-16 all-time in bowl games . . . MSU has won six of its last eight bowl games.
• Michigan State closes the decade with a 92-40 record (.697) . . . the 92 wins are the most by MSU in any decade in school history and rank the seventh-most ever by a Big Ten team in a decade.
• MSU improved to 3-1 in games played in New York City.
OFFENSE
• Senior quarterback Brian Lewerke finished his Spartan career with an impressive performance, collecting 366 total yards of offense (320 passing, 46 rushing) to become the school's all-time leader in total offense with 9,548 career yards, surpassing Connor Cook (9,403 yards) . . . Lewerke also set a school single-season record with 3,442 yards of total offense . . . Lewerke owns two of the top three total offense seasons in MSU history (record 3,442 in 2019; 3,352 in 2017 is third) . . . the 366 yards of total offense were the second-highest total by a Spartan in a bowl game (record: Jeff Smoker with 393 vs. Fresno State in 2001 Silicon Valley Bowl).
• Lewerke, who was named the David C. Koch MVP, is just the third Spartan quarterback to win two bowl games as the starter (Dan Enos, Connor Cook) . . . Lewerke also led the Spartans to a 2017 Holiday Bowl win over Washington State, where he was named the Offensive MVP.
• Lewerke finishes his career ranked among Michigan State's all-time leaders in total offense (first with 9,548 yards), passing attempts (first with 1,249), completions (second with 721), starting QB wins (third with 22), QB starts (third with 38), passing yards (fourth with 8,293 yards) and passing touchdowns (fourth with 47).
• Lewerke was 26-of-37 for 320 yards, one touchdown and one interception . . . it marked his ninth 300-yard passing game of his career and fourth of the season . . . the 320 passing yards rank fourth most by a Spartan in bowl game . . . the 26 completions were the second most by a Spartan in a bowl game (record: Kirk Cousins with 27 in 2012 Outback Bowl vs. Georgia) . . . Lewerke finished with a career-high 3,079 passing yards this season, the fifth-highest single-season total in MSU history.
• Lewerke scored his third rushing TD of the season on an 8-yard run in the second quarter . . it was also the 10th scoring scamper of his career.
• Cody White had a game-high eight receptions for 97 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter which proved to be the game-winning score . . . White led the team with 66 catches for 922 yards in 2019 . . . the 66 receptions are tied for seventh most in an MSU single-season . . . White now has 143 career receptions, which is seventh most in MSU history.
• After missing the last month of the regular season, fifth-year senior Darrell Stewart returned to the field in limited action and had two receptions for 3 yards . . . Stewart finishes his career with 150 career receptions, which is third most in MSU history.
• Elijah Collins finished with 96 yards rushing on 21 carries, giving him 988 rushing yards for the season.
• Trenton Gillison's 64-yard reception on MSU's third scoring drive was 5 yards longer than his season total of 59 yards on eight catches entering Friday's game . . . Gillison started the drive with his first kick return of his career, a 14-yard return . . . he had a career-high four catches for 88 yards in the game.
DEFENSE
• Senior All-American defensive end Kenny Willekes closed out his illustrious career with nine tackles, including 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble . . . Willekes, who was already the school's record holder in tackles for loss entering the game, finishes his time in East Lansing with 51 TFLs and 26 sacks, which is third most in MSU history . . . Willekes finished the season with a career-high 10.5 sacks and 16 TFLs . . . the 10.5 sacks ties for seventh most in an MSU season.
• Starting in his 42nd consecutive game, a Dantonio-era record for a position player, senior defensive tackle Raequan Williams had seven tackles.
• Sophomore linebacker Noah Harvey compiled a career-high 14 tackles.
• Michigan State shut out Wake Forest in the second half and held the Demon Deacons to 351 yards of total offense . . . Wake entered the game ranked 12th in the FBS in total offense, averaging 473.4 yards per game.
• Mike Panasiuk scored his first career touchdown on an interception return off a deflected pass in the first quarter; after Jacub Panasiuk tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage, the ball bounced off Harvey, and then Panasiuk picked off the pass and returned it 14 yards for the score . . . it marked MSU's first interception return for a TD since Shakur Brown at Indiana in 2018 . . . it is the 33rd defensive touchdown since Dantonio took over as head coach prior to the 2007 season.
• Junior linebacker Antjuan Simmons finished the 2019 season as the team leader in tackles for 90, including 15 TFLs.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Matt Coghlin was 2-of-3 on field-goal attempts, making a 23-yarder in the first quarter and a 44-yarder in the second quarter . . . Coghlin's 22 field goals this season (22-of-32) tied for second most in an MSU season.
Players Mentioned
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DT
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