Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Post-Game Notes: Northwestern
9/21/2019 11:43:00 PM | Football
• With the 31-10 win over Northwestern, Mark Dantonio became Michigan State's all-time winningest coach with 110 victories in his 13-year tenure. Dantonio passed Hall of Famer Duffy Daugherty, who collected a 109-69-5 record in East Lansing from 1954-72 (19 seasons). Daugherty won four National Championships (1955, 1957, 1965, 1966), two Big Ten Championships (1965, 1966) and the 1956 Rose Bowl. A two-time National Coach of the Year (1955, 1965), Daugherty coached 29 different players to first-team All-America honors.
• Dantonio now owns a 110-52 (.679) record at Michigan State. Dantonio has won the most Big Ten Championships (three) and bowl games (five) of any Spartan head coach and also ranks first with 11 bowl appearances. He is the only active Big Ten coach to win multiple Big Ten Championships (2010, 2013, 2015), claim a victory in the Rose Bowl (2014), and coach in the College Football Playoff (2015). Dantonio also ranks first in program history in conference winning percentage (.660, 66-34 record, minimum 10 games); tied for first in AP Top 25 finishes (seven); second in Big Ten wins (66), home wins (65) and AP Top 25 wins (21); and fifth in overall winning percentage (.679).
• Dantonio tied Murray Warmath of Minnesota (1954-71) for 11th place in Big Ten history with his 66th conference win.
• The Spartans snapped a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats and now lead the all-time series, 38-20, including a 20-11 record in Evanston. Dantonio is 6-5 in his tenure against Northwestern, including a 5-1 record at Ryan Field. Pat Fizgerald is 5-7 in his career against the Spartans.
DEFENSE
• Senior linebacker Joe Bachie recorded a career-high 14 tackles (13 solo, one assist) to lead the Spartan defense. He also recorded his fifth career interception, a 9-yard sack, two tackles for loss (10 yards) and two pass break-ups. Bachie has 11 career games with double-figure tackles.
• Junior cornerback Josiah Scott picked off his fifth career pass with a diving interception in the second quarter. Scott also had two pass break-ups, including one on a deflected pass that was intercepted by Drew Beesley in the fourth quarter.
• Junior defensive end Drew Beesley had a career-high two tackles for loss (9 yards) and also had his first career interception in the fourth quarter that led to MSU's
fourth and final TD of the game.
• Playing near his hometown of Chicago, senior defensive tackle Raequan Williams had a 9-yard sack and two TFLs (11 yards).
• On fourth-and-goal for Northwestern in the first quarter, senior defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk recorded a 2-yard tackle for loss on Wildcat QB Hunter Johnson to halt the potential scoring drive.
• The Spartan defense has not allowed an opening possession score by the opposition in all four games this season.
• By keeping Northwestern scoreless in the first quarter, Michigan State has yet to yield an opposition score in the first frame through all four games so far this season . . . Saturday marked the second straight game that MSU limited the opponent without a first-half touchdown, matching the three points in first half by Arizona State for fewest points allowed in the first half.
OFFENSE
• Senior wide receiver Darrell Stewart again led MSU in the passing game with five catches for 77 yards. Stewart has 30 receptions for 439 yards (109.8 ypg) through four games this season.
• Brian Lewerke completed 18-of-31 passes for 228 yards; it marked his 15th career game with more than 200 yards passing. Lewerke tied a season high with three TD passes (Western Michigan) and now has 37 for his career, moving him up to eighth most in MSU history. He also moved into fifth place at MSU in passing yards (6,239). In addition, he crossed the 7,000-yard milestone for total yards (fifth at MSU with 7,200 yards).
• Redshirt freshman running back Elijah Collins paced the Spartans on the ground with 76 yards on 17 carries. In his three starts, Collins is averaging 113.3 yards per game. He started MSU's scoring with a 5-yard TD run in the first quarter.
• Senior tight end Matt Seybert caught the first two touchdown passes of his career (8 yards in third quarter; 7 yards on fourth quarter). He finished with four receptions for 28 yards.
• MSU has scored a touchdown on its opening drive in three of its first four games (Tulsa, Western Michigan, Northwestern).
• Michigan State rushed 40 times in the game; MSU is 74-9 when rushing at least 40 times a game under Dantonio.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Jake Hartbarger averaged 47.0 yards per punt (six punts for 282 yards), including two inside the 20 and a long of 55 yards.
• Matt Coghlin was 1-of-2 on his field-goal attempts (missed 40-yarder; made 26-yarder).
• Dantonio now owns a 110-52 (.679) record at Michigan State. Dantonio has won the most Big Ten Championships (three) and bowl games (five) of any Spartan head coach and also ranks first with 11 bowl appearances. He is the only active Big Ten coach to win multiple Big Ten Championships (2010, 2013, 2015), claim a victory in the Rose Bowl (2014), and coach in the College Football Playoff (2015). Dantonio also ranks first in program history in conference winning percentage (.660, 66-34 record, minimum 10 games); tied for first in AP Top 25 finishes (seven); second in Big Ten wins (66), home wins (65) and AP Top 25 wins (21); and fifth in overall winning percentage (.679).
• Dantonio tied Murray Warmath of Minnesota (1954-71) for 11th place in Big Ten history with his 66th conference win.
• The Spartans snapped a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats and now lead the all-time series, 38-20, including a 20-11 record in Evanston. Dantonio is 6-5 in his tenure against Northwestern, including a 5-1 record at Ryan Field. Pat Fizgerald is 5-7 in his career against the Spartans.
DEFENSE
• Senior linebacker Joe Bachie recorded a career-high 14 tackles (13 solo, one assist) to lead the Spartan defense. He also recorded his fifth career interception, a 9-yard sack, two tackles for loss (10 yards) and two pass break-ups. Bachie has 11 career games with double-figure tackles.
• Junior cornerback Josiah Scott picked off his fifth career pass with a diving interception in the second quarter. Scott also had two pass break-ups, including one on a deflected pass that was intercepted by Drew Beesley in the fourth quarter.
• Junior defensive end Drew Beesley had a career-high two tackles for loss (9 yards) and also had his first career interception in the fourth quarter that led to MSU's
fourth and final TD of the game.
• Playing near his hometown of Chicago, senior defensive tackle Raequan Williams had a 9-yard sack and two TFLs (11 yards).
• On fourth-and-goal for Northwestern in the first quarter, senior defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk recorded a 2-yard tackle for loss on Wildcat QB Hunter Johnson to halt the potential scoring drive.
• The Spartan defense has not allowed an opening possession score by the opposition in all four games this season.
• By keeping Northwestern scoreless in the first quarter, Michigan State has yet to yield an opposition score in the first frame through all four games so far this season . . . Saturday marked the second straight game that MSU limited the opponent without a first-half touchdown, matching the three points in first half by Arizona State for fewest points allowed in the first half.
OFFENSE
• Senior wide receiver Darrell Stewart again led MSU in the passing game with five catches for 77 yards. Stewart has 30 receptions for 439 yards (109.8 ypg) through four games this season.
• Brian Lewerke completed 18-of-31 passes for 228 yards; it marked his 15th career game with more than 200 yards passing. Lewerke tied a season high with three TD passes (Western Michigan) and now has 37 for his career, moving him up to eighth most in MSU history. He also moved into fifth place at MSU in passing yards (6,239). In addition, he crossed the 7,000-yard milestone for total yards (fifth at MSU with 7,200 yards).
• Redshirt freshman running back Elijah Collins paced the Spartans on the ground with 76 yards on 17 carries. In his three starts, Collins is averaging 113.3 yards per game. He started MSU's scoring with a 5-yard TD run in the first quarter.
• Senior tight end Matt Seybert caught the first two touchdown passes of his career (8 yards in third quarter; 7 yards on fourth quarter). He finished with four receptions for 28 yards.
• MSU has scored a touchdown on its opening drive in three of its first four games (Tulsa, Western Michigan, Northwestern).
• Michigan State rushed 40 times in the game; MSU is 74-9 when rushing at least 40 times a game under Dantonio.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Jake Hartbarger averaged 47.0 yards per punt (six punts for 282 yards), including two inside the 20 and a long of 55 yards.
• Matt Coghlin was 1-of-2 on his field-goal attempts (missed 40-yarder; made 26-yarder).
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
K
/ Football
RB
/ Football
P
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DT
/ Football
CB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
DT
/ FootballA New Era | Pat Fitzgerald's First Day in East Lansing
Wednesday, December 03
Pat Fitzgerald | Football Press Conference | Dec. 2nd, 2025
Tuesday, December 02
Jonathan Smith Postgame Comments | Maryland
Saturday, November 29
Jonathan Smith | Football Press Conference | Nov. 24 2025
Monday, November 24