Old Brass Spittoon On The Line As Spartans Host No. 10 Hoosiers Saturday

Game 4: No. 10/10 Indiana (3-0) at Michigan State (1-2)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 14
Kickoff: 12:06 p.m. EST
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Stadium: Spartan Stadium (75,005)
Surface: Natural Grass
Tickets: No public sale

TV/Web/Mobile: ABC/WatchESPN {WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS}
Announcers: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline)

Radio: TCF Bank Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jason Strayhorn
Broadcast Host: Steve Courtney
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/MSU Spartans app/Tune In radio {LISTEN LIVE}
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM)
Affiliates: 28 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: Ch. 113 (Sirius), Ch. 210 (XM), Ch. 968 (SiriusXM.com)
Pre-game Show: Begins at 10:30 a.m.

All-Time Series: MSU leads, 48-16-2
Series in East Lansing: MSU leads, 26-6-1
Last Meeting: MSU 40, Indiana 31 (2019)
Current Series Streak: 3 by MSU (2017-)

COACHES:
MSU Head Coach: Mel Tucker
MSU Record: 1-2 (first season)
Overall Record: 6-9 (second season)
Record vs. Indiana: 0-0

Indiana Head Coach: Tom Allen
Indiana Record: 21-20 (fourth season)
Overall Record: 21-20 (fourth season)
Record vs. MSU: 0-3

FIRST-AND-10 –
• Michigan State will look for its fourth straight win over Indiana as the Spartans take on the No. 10/10 Hoosiers Saturday, Nov. 14 at noon in Spartan Stadium. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC, with Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy and Holly Rowe on the call. MSU (1-2) fell at Iowa last Saturday, 49-7, while IU (3-0) defeated No. 23/25 Michigan, 38-21, in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have won their first three Big Ten games for only the fourth time in school history and for the first time since 1988. MSU is 10-10 in its last 20 games against AP Top 10 teams, dating back to 2011.

• Saturday's game marks the 67th meeting between Michigan State and Indiana. The Spartans lead the all-time series against the Hoosiers, 48-16-2, including a 26-6-1 record in East Lansing.

• Michigan State topped IU at Spartan Stadium last season, 40-31, for its third win in a row over the Hoosiers. The Spartans have won eight consecutive games over Indiana in Spartan Stadium (last loss in 2001) and 10 of the last 11 games in the series overall.

• Since 1950, the winner of the Michigan State-Indiana game has been presented the Old Brass Spittoon. The brass spittoon came from one of Michigan's earliest trading posts and is widely believed to be nearly 190 years old. Legend has it that the spittoon was around when both institutions were founded – Indiana in 1820 and MAC in 1855. Since 1950, Michigan State leads the series, 48-13-1.

• With the updated 2020 conference-only schedule, six Division games had the location changed, including two for MSU (Michigan State at Michigan, Indiana at Michigan State). Given the unique circumstances that went into this year's scheduling process, flexibility in the schedule was prioritized. The rotation of these games in future seasons will be reset based on this year's location.

• Redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi ranks tied for third in the Big Ten and tied for 17th in the FBS with 289.7 passing yards per game. Lombardi collected career highs in passing yards in each of his first two games in 2020 (319 vs. Rutgers; 323 vs. Michigan). He has completed 58 percent of his passes (65-of-112) and ranks tied for fourth in the conference with six TD passes. Lombardi was named the Manning Award National Quarterback of the Week for his performance in the win at Michigan on Oct. 31 (17-of-32 passing for 323 yards and three TDs). He became the first Spartan quarterback since Jeff Smoker in 2003 to throw for more than 300 yards in the first two games of the season.

• A new era of Spartan football begins in 2020 as Mel Tucker starts his head coaching tenure in East Lansing. Tucker, a 23-year coaching veteran with championship experience, was named Michigan State University's 25th head football coach on Feb. 12 following Mark Dantonio's retirement on Feb. 4. Tucker's resume, which began as a graduate assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban, has an impressive track record of success. The journey that has led him back to East Lansing includes a head coaching position at Colorado (2019), five seasons as a defensive coach in the Southeastern Conference (2000; 2015-18), 10 seasons in the NFL (2005-14), and four seasons at Ohio State (2001-04). He was a defensive coordinator in the NFL for seven seasons and 11 seasons overall in his coaching career.

• In 145 games as a full-time coach in the FBS, Tucker's teams have collected a 107-38 (.738) record, including 10 postseason bowl games (2000 Peach, 2002 Outback, 2003 Fiesta/BCS National Championship, 2004 Fiesta, 2004 Alamo, 2015 Cotton/CFP Semifinal, 2016 CFP/National Championship, 2016 Liberty, 2018 Rose/CFP Semifinal, 2018 CFP/National Championship), three conference championships, three national championship games and two national championships (2002 with Ohio State, 2015 with Alabama). He coached 160 games in the National Football League (64 with Cleveland, 64 with Jacksonville, 32 with Chicago). Three of Tucker's six wins as a head coach in his first two seasons have come against ranked opponents (No. 13 Michigan at MSU; No. 25 Nebraska and No. 24 Arizona State at Colorado).

• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan State is playing a shortened nine-game conference only schedule in 2020, and Oct. 24 marked the latest season and home opener in school history. Michigan State opened preseason camp on Aug. 7 and held four practices before the Big Ten season was postponed on Aug. 11. On Sept. 16, the Big Ten announced the season would restart and the first weekend of games would be on Oct. 23-24. The Spartans returned to the practice field on Sept. 21 and practiced for the first time in full pads on Sept. 30 in preparation for the season opener.

• Big Ten Network will debut "Through the Banks of the Red Cedar" on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. EST. The Network plans to air the film two more times before the end of 2020. "Through the Banks of the Red Cedar," from Writer/Director Maya Washington (Running Water Entertainment), is a play on the Michigan State University fight song, that follows the 50-year legacy of the filmmaker's father, legendary Vikings wide receiver Gene Washington (College Football Hall of Fame, Big Ten Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award, Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame, 50 Greatest Vikings Honoree) from the segregated South to MSU alongside highly decorated teammates Bubba Smith (defensive lineman), George Webster (rover back) and Clinton Jones (running back) as they become members of the first fully integrated football team in America, later making history as first-round picks in the 1967 NFL Draft. For more information, please visit msuspartans.com and redcedarmovie.com.

STAT LEADERS –
Michigan State:
Rushing – Fr. Jordon Simmons (37 carries for 132 yards, 3.6 avg., 0 TDs)
Passing – R-Jr. Rocky Lombardi (65-of-112, .580, 869 yards, 6 TDs, 5 INTs)
Receiving – R-So. Jayden Reed (13 catches for 153 yards, 11.8 avg., 2 TDs)
Tackles – Sr. Antjuan Simmons (26 tackles, 11 solos, 15 assists, 3.5 TFLs, 2 PBUs, 1 FR)

Indiana:
Rushing – Jr. Stevie Scott (65 carries for 235 yards, 3.6 avg., 4 TDs)
Passing – R-So. Michael Penix Jr. (66-of-112, .589, 750 yards, 7 TDs, 1 INT)
Receiving – Sr. Whop Philyor (21 catches for 252 yards, 12.0 avg., 1 TD)
Tackles – Jr. Micah McFadden (21 tackles, 15 solos, 6 assists, 1.5 TFLs, 1 INT)

MICHIGAN STATE TO WEAR "BLOCK S" HELMETS VS. INDIANA AS TRIBUTE TO GEORGE PERLES –
As a tribute to former head coach George Perles, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 85, Michigan State will wear the "Block S" on its helmets this Saturday against Indiana.

Perles and the Spartans defeated the Hoosiers in 1987 in Spartan Stadium to clinch the Big Ten Championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl. Michigan State had the "Block S" on its helmets during the Perles era (1983-94), which signified a tough, physical brand of football that the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame coach personified in his program.

A QUICK GLANCE AT NO. 10/10 INDIANA (3-0, 3-0 B1G) –
• The Hoosiers are 3-0 to open Big Ten action for the first time since 1988, and for the first time in 51 years, Indiana is ranked in the AP Poll Top 10, coming in at No. 10, which matches their ranking in the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA Today Sports. Indiana is coming off a 38-21 win over No. 23/25 Michigan Saturday afternoon in Bloomington.

• Saturday's win over Michigan snapped a 24-game losing streak in the series with the Wolverines, and Michigan had won 39 of the previous 40 meetings. However, Indiana dominated the statistics on Saturday, with 460 yards of total offense, while holding Michigan to 357 yards, including a smothering rushing defense, as the Hoosiers had a 118-13 rushing yards difference, as well as controlling time of possession, 38:50-21:10. IU opened a 24-7 halftime lead, but Michigan to within 10 twice in the second half, but the Hoosiers kept the Wolverines at bay to secure the win.

• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was 30-of-50 passing for a career-high 342 yards and matched his career-best with three passing TDs, setting a new career-high with the 50 passing attempts. Penix is seventh in the Big Ten and 32nd in the FBS in passing yards per game (250.0 ypg), ranking tied for third in the conference with seven passing TDs, completing 66-of-112 yards (.589) with one INT.

• Senior wide receiver Whop Philyor snared a game-high 11 receptions for 79 yards on Saturday, while fellow senior wide receiver Ty Fryfogle registered career-bests of seven catches for 142 yards, adding one TD. Redshirt junior tight end Petyon Hendershot also added a reception, as he is tied for fourth in the B1G with three receiving TDs, while Fryfogle is tied for eighth with two TD catches. Philyor is fourth in the B1G and 19th in FBS in receptions per game (7.0), with 21 receptions for 252 yards and one TD, while Fryfogle has 13 catches for 224 yards, ranking eighth in the B1G in yards per catch (17.2). Hendershot has 12 catches for 78 yards (6.5 ypc).

• Junior running back Stevie Scott III carried 24 times for 97 yards and two TDs Saturday against Michigan. Scott moved up to seventh all-time for IU football with 24 rushing TDs. Scott is tied for second in the B1G in rushing TDs (4) and tied for fourth in rushing yards per game (78.3) on 65 carries for 235 yards (3.6 ypc).

• The Indiana defense snared two interceptions Saturday, as they have seven oskies on the season as part of eight total takeaways so far, leading to 34 points off turnovers. Junior cornerback Jaylin Williams snared an interception for the third game in a row, with his pick early in the fourth quarter, setting up IU's final TD of the day. Junior safety Devon Matthews had the other INT, thwarting a UM drive and sealing the Hoosier victory. Junior linebacker Micah McFadden leads the IU defense with 21 tackles, while sophomore cornerback Tiawan Mullen has team-bests of 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, ranking tied for seventh in the B1G for TFLs and fourth in sacks.

MSU/INDIANA SERIES NOTES –
• Saturday's game marks the 67th meeting between Michigan State and Indiana. The Spartans lead the all-time series against the Hoosiers, 48-16-2, including a 26-6-1 record in East Lansing.

• Michigan State topped IU at Spartan Stadium last season, 40-31, for its third win in a row over the Hoosiers.

• The Spartans have won eight consecutive games over Indiana in Spartan Stadium (last loss in 2001) and 10 of the last 11 games in the series overall.

• Since 1950, the winner of the Michigan State-Indiana game has been presented the Old Brass Spittoon. The brass spittoon came from one of Michigan's earliest trading posts and is widely believed to be nearly 190 years old. Legend has it that the spittoon was around when both institutions were founded – Indiana in 1820 and MAC in 1855. Since 1950, Michigan State leads the series, 48-13-1.

• With the updated 2020 conference-only schedule, six Division games had the location changed, including two for MSU (Michigan State at Michigan, Indiana at Michigan State). Given the unique circumstances that went into this year's scheduling process, flexibility in the schedule was prioritized. The rotation of these games in future seasons will be reset based on this year's location.

SPARTANS FROM THE HOOSIER STATE –
• Michigan State's 2020 roster features two players from Indiana: redshirt freshman offensive lineman Damon Kaylor (Huntington/Huntington North High School) and freshman defensive tackle Kyle King (Greenfield/New Palestine High School).

Old Brass Spittoon

LAST TIME VS. INDIANA (NO. 25 MSU 40, INDIANA 31; SEPT. 28, 2019) –
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Matt Coghlin made a tie-breaking 21-yard field goal with five seconds remaining as No. 25 Michigan State beat Indiana, 40-31. After Coghlin's kick gave the Spartans a 34-31 lead, Indiana tried to lateral its way down the field on its final offensive play, but that resulted in a fumble that Michigan State's Michael Dowell recovered for a touchdown.

Brian Lewerke threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns for the Spartans, who held off the upset-minded Hoosiers. Michael Penix Jr. returned for Indiana after missing the previous two games with an undisclosed injury - and he gave the Spartans fits, completing 20 passes in a row during one stretch.

Penix threw for three touchdowns, including an 11-yarder to Whop Philyor that tied the game at 31 with 2:00 remaining. Lewerke immediately led the Spartans back down the field. Darrell Stewart outfought defensive back Jaylin Williams for a 44-yard reception, then Lewerke broke free for a 30-yard run that put the ball at the 1. Rather than try to score right away, the Spartans ran the clock down and set up Coghlin's kick.

Elijah Collins gave Michigan State a 7-0 lead with a 4-yard scoring run, but Indiana answered late in the first quarter with a 28-yard TD pass from Penix to Philyor. Lewerke put the Spartans back ahead with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Stewart in the second, but Penix scored on a 2-yard run to tie it at 14. Lewerke found Stewart for a 26-yard TD with 33 seconds left in the half.

Penix completed his last seven pass attempts of the first half and his first 13 of the second, but Michigan State held the Hoosiers to a field goal in the red zone to start the third quarter. Indiana went ahead 24-21 with 14:52 remaining in the fourth on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Penix to Donavan Hale, who appeared to make the catch with one hand while cornerback Josiah Scott was draped all over him. Michigan State went back ahead 28-24 with 12:12 remaining when Lewerke threw a 10-yard scoring pass to Matt Seybert.

LAST TIME OUT VS. IOWA

SERIES
• Michigan State was making its first trip to Iowa City since 2013, and last Saturday's loss snapped MSU's three-game win streak in the series, matching the Spartans' longest win streak over the Hawkeyes in the 67-year series history that dates back to 1953 . . . MSU's run started with 2013's victory in Iowa City, then 2015 in the Big Ten Championship game and 2017 in East Lansing . . . MSU also beat Iowa three straight times from 1973-75 . . . the Hawkeyes now hold a slim, 24-22-2, series lead, as MSU has lost for just the second time in last six meetings.

OFFENSE
• Redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi was 17-of-37 passing for 227 yards . . . Lombardi's 227 yards marked his third 200+ passing yard outing in as many games this season, as well as the fourth of his career . . . Lombardi now has 30+ passing attempts in all three games this season and in all six career games started . . . Lombardi completed at least one pass to a career-high 11 different receivers Saturday.

• Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jalen Nailor's 56-yard reception in the second quarter was a new career-long for only a quarter, as he topped that with a 57-yard catch in the third quarter, marking Nailor's second straight game with a career high, surpassing a 53-yarder at Michigan . . . Saturday's 119 receiving yards was Nailor's first career 100-yard receiving outing and also his new career high, topping previous best of 84 yards in the season-opener vs. Rutgers (10/24/20) . . . Nailor's 119 receiving yards gave him a career-high 119 all-purpose yards, also topping his previous career-best in aforementioned game vs. Rutgers, with 102 yards (84 receiving, 18 punt return).

• Redshirt junior wide receiver Tyler Hunt's 1-yard TD dive in the third quarter was not only Hunt's first career TD, but also his first career rushing attempt . . . Hunt added one catch for 7 yards.

• Freshman running back Jordon Simmons has led MSU in rushing in all three games this season with nine carries for 34 yards Saturday.

• Redshirt sophomore tight end Trenton Gillison snared his first reception of the season with the third-quarter catch, going for 15 yards . . . Gillison finished with three catches for 26 yards, tying his second-highest outing for catches behind four receptions vs. Wake Forest in the Pinstripe Bowl and matching three catches last season vs. Ohio State.

• Redshirt freshman quarterback Payton Thorne made his Spartan debut in the fourth quarter.

DEFENSE
• Redshirt junior linebacker Noah Harvey registered his sixth consecutive game with at least 0.5 tackle for loss, as well as second game in a row with at least 1.5 TFL, with his 1.5 total as part of five overall tackles on Saturday . . . overall, it was Harvey's seventh career game with 0.5+ TFL, as he now has 8.5 career TFLs.

• Redshirt junior cornerback Shakur Brown now has four pass break-ups in his last two games, with two PBUs Saturday after two at Michigan . . . Brown now has nine career pass break-ups, the most of any active Spartan.

• Redshirt freshman Michael Fletcher logged both his first tackle and tackle for loss as a Spartan, ending with four stops and a total of 1.5 tackles for loss, adding one pass break-up.

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Redshirt junior punter Bryce Baringer had six punts for a 42.7 ypp average with a long of 51 yards . . . Baringer now has six punts this season of 50+ yards and eight in his career.

• Graduate senior transfer punter Mitchell Crawford made his Spartan debut with four punts for a 37.2 ypp average with a long of 47 yards and one inside the 20.

SPARTANS FEATURING YOUNG ROSTER IN 2020 –
• Below is a look at the roster breakdown for the Spartans this season:
   • 47 freshmen (31 true/16 redshirt)
   • 35 sophomores (11 true/24 redshirt)
   • 21 juniors (1 true/20 redshirt)
   • 16 seniors (7 true/8 redshirt/1 grad transfer)

ALL IN THE FAMILY –
• Michigan State has a deep family legacy on the 2020 roster, from siblings to fathers to relatives. In fact, 10 players and four staff members have direct family connections who played Spartan football, or are alumni of the program.

Legacy: Matt Allen (brothers Jack and Brian); Michael Dowell (brothers Andrew and David); Dallas Fincher (father Mark); Tate Hallock (father Ty, brother Tanner); Jacob Isaia (grandfather Bob Apisa); David Kruse (brother Connor); Darius Snow (uncle Percy); Alante Thomas (brother Lawrence).

Brothers: Jacob/Zach Slade

Coaches/Staff: Ron Burton (son, Reid)

Alumni: CB coach Harlon Barnett (CB from 1986-89), Director of Player Engagement Darien Harris (LB from 2012-15), WR coach Courtney Hawkins (WR from 1988-91).

MICHIGAN STATE NAMED NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK AFTER DEFEATING MICHIGAN –
• Following its 27-24 win at then-No. 13 Michigan on Oct. 31, Michigan State was been named the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America. It marked the eighth time MSU has received the award and the first since beating No. 2 Ohio State in 2015. Michigan State has defeated Michigan nine times in the last 13 meetings, including five of seven in Ann Arbor.

Michigan State National Team of the Week History (award started in 2002):
• Oct. 31, 2020: 27-24 win over No. 13 Michigan
• Nov. 21, 2015: 17-14 win over No. 2 Ohio State
• Nov. 2, 2013: 29-6 win over No. 23 Michigan
• Oct. 15, 2011: 28-14 win over No. 11 Michigan
• Oct. 2, 2010: 34-24 win over No. 11 Wisconsin
• Oct. 21, 2006: 41-38 win over Northwestern (largest comeback in NCAA FBS history)
• Sept. 17, 2005: 44-41 overtime win over No. 10 Notre Dame
• Nov. 13, 2004: 49-14 win over No. 4 Wisconsin

POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN:

QUARTERBACKS
• Michigan State has four scholarship quarterbacks on its roster – redshirt junior Rocky Lombardi, redshirt sophomore Theo Day, redshirt freshman Payton Thorne and freshman Noah Kim. First-year offensive coordinator Jay Johnson also is the quarterbacks coach for the Spartans.

• Lombardi ranks tied for third in the Big Ten and tied for 17th in the FBS with 289.7 passing yards per game. Lombardi collected career highs in passing yards in each of his first two games in 2020 (319 vs. Rutgers; 323 vs. Michigan). He has completed 58 percent of his passes (65-of-112) and ranks tied for fourth in the conference with six TD passes.

• Lombardi was named the Manning Award National Quarterback of the Week for his performance in the win at Michigan on Oct. 31 (17-of-32 passing for 323 yards and three TDs). He became the first Spartan quarterback since Jeff Smoker in 2003 to throw for more than 300 yards in the first two games of the season.

• Lombardi is 3-3 as the starting quarterback for the Spartans (2-1 as redshirt freshman in 2018 when starter Brian Lewerke was injured; 1-2 in 2020).

• Lombardi was 31-of-43 for 319 yards and three TDs in the season opener against Rutgers on Oct. 24.

• Last season, Michigan State had just one passing completion of 50-plus yards (64 yards from Brian Lewerke to Trenton Gillison in Pinstripe Bowl). This season in just three games, Rocky Lombardi has already completed five passes of 50-plus yards (57 yards to Jalen Nailor vs. Iowa; 56 yards to Nailor vs. Iowa; 53 yards to Nailor vs. Michigan; 50 yards to Jayden Reed vs. Rutgers; 50 yards to Ricky White vs. Michigan).

• Lombardi is the only quarterback on the roster with previous starting experience, as he filled in for Lewerke for three games during the 2018 season as a redshirt freshman, compiling a 2-1 record. He was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week after leading the Spartans to a 23-13 victory over Purdue on Oct. 27, 2018, in his first career start. Lombardi threw for 318 yards against the Boilermakers and completed 26-of-46 passes, including two touchdowns; his 318 yards passing were the second most by a Spartan QB making his first career start (Ed Smith threw for 324 yards in his first career start at North Carolina State in 1976).

• Lombardi started the final two games of the 2018 regular season at Nebraska on Nov. 17 and against Rutgers on Nov. 24 in Spartan Stadium. In his second career start at quarterback vs. Nebraska on Nov. 17, Lombardi collected 199 yards of total offense. He completed 15-of-41 passes for 146 yards and ran for a career-high 53 yards on nine carries (5.9 avg.). In the win over Rutgers, Lombardi was 19-of-43 for 173 yards, one TD and one interception. Lombardi played quarterback in seven games (eight games overall; punted once in an emergency situation at Arizona State). He was 68-of-154 (.442) passing for 738 yards, three TDs and three interceptions.

• As a redshirt sophomore in 2019, the 6-5, 225-pound Lombardi played sparingly, taking 51 snaps over the course of eight games of action. He completed 7-of-21 passes for 74 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions.

• The 6-5, 225-pound Day made two appearances last season, taking one snap against Western Michigan and five snaps vs. Penn State. He was 2-of-3 passing for 12 yards against the Nittany Lions.

• Thorne, who stands at 6-2, 210 pounds, redshirted his first year on campus in 2019 and made his collegiate debut at Iowa with four snaps against the Hawkeyes. Although he spent a majority of his true freshman season on the scout team, he did see an increased amount of time on the offense during bowl practices.

RUNNING BACKS
• Through three games, true freshman Jordon Simmons leads the team in carries (37) and rushing yards (132; 44.0 ypg; 3.6 avg.). After rushing for 43 yards in his collegiate debut against Rutgers on 14 carries, Simmons had 55 yards on 14 carries at No. 13/14 Michigan.

• Redshirt junior Connor Heyward, who only played in four games in 2019 to preserve his redshirt season, has started the first three games of the year for the Spartans. A finalist for the Paul Hornung Award as a sophomore in 2018, Heyward has 674 rushing yards and five TDs on 168 carries in 32 career games, including 12 starts. A versatile back with excellent hands, Heyward also has 52 career receptions, most of any active Spartan, for 366 yards and four TDs, including two touchdown catches in the win at No. 13/14 Michigan.

• After preserving his redshirt year in 2018 by appearing in just three games, Elijah Collins had a breakthrough season as a redshirt freshman for the Spartans in 2019, leading the team and ranking fourth in the Big Ten with 988 rushing yards (76.0 avg.). Collins, who earned third-team All-Big Ten honors by the media and Pro Football Focus, was just 12 yards shy of becoming MSU's first 1,000-yard rusher since Jeremy Langford in 2014 and rushed for the second-most yards ever by a Spartan freshman (record: Sedrick Irvin with 1,067 yards in 1996). Collins' 222 carries were also the most by a Spartan back since Langford in 2014 (276) and the most by a Spartan freshman since Irvin (237) in 1996.

• The Detroit, Michigan, native emerged as one of the top freshman running backs in the nation in 2019, ranking third among all FBS freshman RBs in carries (222; 17.1 pg) and fifth in rushing (76.0 ypg). In his first career start against Western Michigan in Week 2, Collins quickly burst onto the scene with 192 rushing yards on just 17 carries (11.3 avg.), the second-most rushing yards ever by a Spartan freshman in a single game. He also had 100-yard rushing games against Illinois (170) and Rutgers (109) and had 96 yards on 21 carries in MSU's Pinstripe Bowl win over Wake Forest. Collins has been named to watch lists for the Maxwell Award (player of the year) and Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back). He has rushed 16 times for 17 yards in three games in 2020.

• MSU also played two true freshman running backs in 2019 as Anthony Williams (12 games) and Brandon Wright (six games) contributed to the Spartan rushing attack. A versatile player who has good hands in the backfield and can also return kicks, Williams recorded 118 rushing yards on 38 carries, six receptions for 77 yards, and five kickoffs for 93 yards. He expects to play a more significant role in the offense during his second season with the Spartans; he made his season debut at Iowa (three carries for 6 yards; one catch for 5 yards). Wright didn't play until the second half of the season, but still gained experience with 18 carries for 48 yards.

• First-year assistant William Peagler is coaching the running backs for the Spartans.

WIDE RECEIVERS
• The Spartans lost their top two receivers from last season in Darrell Stewart and Cody White, but the outlook is bright with several young, promising prospects at the position. The group is coached by former Spartan star Courtney Hawkins, who in addition to earning first-team All-Big Ten honors twice in college also spent nine seasons playing in the NFL.

• In his first game wearing the Green and White, redshirt sophomore Jayden Reed had 11 catches for 128 yards and two scores against Rutgers, becoming the first Spartan to record 100 yards receiving in his debut; Reed transferred from Western Michigan and sat out the 2019 season. Reed was a FWAA Freshman All-American in his lone season with the Broncos in 2017 with 56 catches for 797 yards and eight TDs; he also had 12 punt returns for 215 yards (17.9 avg.), including a 93-yarder returned for a score. Reed leads the team with 13 catches for 153 yards (51.0 ypg; 11.8 avg.) through three games.

• Wide receiver Ricky White was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week and the Pro Football Focus National True Freshman of the Week after setting an MSU freshman single-game record with 196 receiving yards on eight catches in the win over Michigan. Making his first career start, White made several big plays, including catches of 50, 40, 31 and 30 yards. He hauled in a 30-yard pass from Rocky Lombardi in the end zone in the first quarter for his first career touchdown as a Spartan. White's 196 receiving yards were the second-highest total for a Spartan receiver against Michigan (Plaxico Burress with 255 yards in 1999) and tied for seventh most overall in a game in MSU history. Through three games, White ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 22.3 yards per catch and 12th with 74.3 receiving yards per game (9 for 201).

• Redshirt sophomore Jalen Nailor has provided glimpses of his potential as a playmaker his first two seasons, which have been limited due to injuries, but he should have even more of a chance to make an impact on the field as a full-time starter in 2020. He currently ranks second on the team with 12 catches for 271 yards (90.3 ypg; 22.6 avg.).

• Nailor entered the 2019 season as a starter but missed nine games after the season opener due to a foot injury; he returned for the final three games of the season and helped spark a three-game winning streak to close out the year. The Spartans are 10-5 with Nailor in the lineup, including a 4-0 mark last season. As a freshman, Nailor showed his big-play ability with three touchdowns in eight games, including a 75-yard run at Indiana and a 48-yard reception on a flip pass against Purdue. In four games last season, Nailor had 15 receptions for 106 yards, highlighted by a five-catch, 50-yard performance in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Wake Forest.

• Nailor hauled in a career-best six receptions for 84 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter, against Rutgers. He had a career-high 119 yards on four catches (29.8 avg.) at Iowa.

• Although he only played in the final six games of the season as a true freshman, Tre Mosley still ranked fourth on the team with 21 catches for 216 yards and is expected to have an even bigger role in the offense as a sophomore. He burst onto the scene with four grabs for 37 yards against No. 6 Penn State and continued to make an impact down the stretch, including eight catches for 73 against vs. Maryland and four receptions for 50 yards in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl victory over Wake Forest. Mosley was injured in the season opener vs. Rutgers and has not seen action the past two games.

• In addition to Ricky White, the wide receivers group welcomed three additional true freshmen in 2020 who signed National Letters of Intent with MSU and have already seen game action this season (Montorie Foster, Terry Lockett Jr., Ian Stewart ).

• Redshirt junior Tyler Hunt (6-2, 235), who joined the program as a walk-on kicker/punter in 2017, made the transition to tight end during preseason camp and is now listed as a wide receiver. He made his season debut at Iowa and scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard jet sweep in the third quarter. Hunt started five games in 2018 at punter.

• Redshirt freshman Cade McDonald made his collegiate debut at Michigan and caught two passes in the fourth quarter against the Wolverines.

TIGHT ENDS
• Although the Spartans lost starter Matt Seybert to graduation, five letterwinners return at tight end for the Spartans. The group will be coached by veteran Ted Gilmore, who has 25 years of experience at the FBS and NFL ranks.

• Three-year letterwinner Matt Dotson, who unfortunately suffered a season-ending Achilles injury vs. Illinois on Nov. 9, 2019, has 37 receptions for 379 yards and two TDs in 33 career games. He caught five passes for 50 yards in the season opener vs. Rutgers.

• Redshirt sophomore Trenton Gillison showed off his potential in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl victory over Wake Forest, catching four passes for 88 yards, including a season-long 64-yard reception in the second quarter that set up a Spartan touchdown. For the season, Gillison had 12 catches for 147 yards in 12 games, including three starting assignments. He had three receptions for 26 yards last week at Iowa.

• Sophomore Adam Berghorst, who was drafted as a right-handed pitcher out of high school and plays on the Spartan baseball team, has played in all three games this season with 24 snaps at tight end.

OFFENSIVE LINE
• For the second season in a row, Michigan State suffered a rash of injuries on the offensive line in 2019, leading to seven different starting combinations in 13 games, including five of the last six games. The past 26 games in 2018 and 2019, MSU has had 16 different starting o-line combinations. The good news for the Spartans is that the o-line unit returns 11 letterwinners, including 10 with multiple games of starting experience. Veteran coach Chris Kapilovic mentors the offensive line for the Spartans.

• Three-year letterwinner and fifth-year senior Matt Allen, who was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, returned for his third season as the starting center to lead the group but has missed the last two games (Michigan, Iowa) due to an injury. Sophomore Nick Samac, who started four games as a true freshman in 2019 at center, has replaced Allen in the starting lineup the past two weeks.

• The injuries in 2019 especially took a toll at left tackle, as MSU started four different players at the position throughout the season. One of those players, redshirt senior AJ Arcuri, is back in 2020 and has started the first three games at left tackle this season. He has eight career starts at left tackle (five in 2019; three in 2020).

• Redshirt junior Blake Bueter and sophomore J.D. Duplain have split time this year at left guard. Bueter started the first two games, but Duplain got the starting nod at Iowa. Duplain started the final five games of 2019 at left guard as a true freshman. Bueter has 11 games of starting experience overall (four at right guard, four at center, two at left guard, one as extra OL in jumbo formation).

• Redshirt junior Matt Carrick held down the starting right guard spot in 11 games last year and has started all three games at the position this season.

• Kevin Jarvis, who was a two-year starter at right guard in 2017-18, moved to left tackle at the beginning of the 2019 season due to injuries along the line. Jarvis started three games before losing the remainder of his season following an injury against Arizona State in Week 3. Jarvis did preserve his redshirt season by playing in just three games and is now back in 2020 as the starting right tackle. Jarvis has started 23 career games (17 at right guard, three at left tackle, three at right tackle).

• Senior Jordan Reid had started 26 consecutive games at right tackle and was the only offensive lineman to start every game the past two seasons, but elected to opt out of the 2020 season. Reid played a team-high 964 snaps as a sophomore in 2018 and again led the team with 950 snaps in 2019.

DEFENSIVE LINE
• Michigan State's defensive line lost three multi-year starters, as All-American defensive end Kenny Willekes (38 starts) and defensive tackles Mike Panasiuk (41 starts) and Raequan Williams (42 starts) all graduated in December. The line has a familiar face coaching the room, however, as Ron Burton is in his eighth year at Michigan State. Burton, the only two-time winner of the FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year (2013, 2018), spent his first four years in East Lansing coaching the defensive line, then focused on defensive tackles from 2017-19. He is back to coaching the entire d-line under first-year head coach Mel Tucker, while Secchia Family Defensive Coordinator Scottie Hazelton will also assist with the defensive ends.

• Senior Jacub Panasiuk, a two-year starter at defensive end, returns in 2020 to lead the group after posting career highs in tackles (34), tackles for loss (11) and sacks (5) last season as a junior. The younger Panasiuk has played in 41 career games, including 26 consecutive starts, and has collected 94 tackles, 20.0 tackles for loss and eight sacks in his career.

• On the other end of the line, fifth-year senior Drew Beesley has seen extensive action the past two seasons and is now in a starting role. Beesley played 261 snaps in all 13 games last season and recorded six tackles for loss and 14 stops overall. In the opener against Rutgers, Beesley had a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss, including a 7-yard sack, with six tackles overall. For the season, Beesley has eight stops and 2.5 TFLs.

• Redshirt freshman Michael Fletcher, who was rated the No. 1 defensive end prospect in the state of Michigan coming out of high school, missed the first half of the 2019 season with an injury and preserved his redshirt year; he is likely to see increased playing time as well in 2020. Jack Camper (R-Jr.) also adds depth at the position.

• Up the middle, the Spartans are losing two stalwarts in Mike Panasiuk and Raequan Williams, who started 41 career games alongside each other from 2017-19. Fifth-year senior Naquan Jones has taken over a starting role after seeing regular time in the playing rotation the past three seasons. The 6-4, 340-pound native of Evanston, Illinois, has 61 tackles, including 9.0 TFLs and three sacks, in 41 career games. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Slade also gained valuable experience last season to earn his first letter, playing 262 snaps in all 13 games. He flashed his potential in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, posting a career-best two tackles for loss and his first career sack, and is now a starter alongside Jones.

LINEBACKERS
• Senior Antjuan Simmons, who had a breakout season with a team-leading 90 tackles and a career-best 15 tackles for loss as junior in 2019, returns to the starting lineup for the Spartans. He was named to watch lists for the Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy entering the season.

• Simmons has started 16 consecutive games and leads the Spartans in tackles through three games with 26 stops, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He recorded back-to-back career games with 11 tackles against both Rutgers and Michigan.

• Redshirt junior Noah Harvey also has starting experience after stepping up at the end of the 2019 campaign and starting the final five games (two at weakside linebacker, three at strongside linebacker). He ranked eighth on the team with a career-high 49 tackles, including 42 stops during his starting assignments, and had a career-high 14 tackles in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl victory over Wake Forest. Harvey has 25 tackles and 3.5 for losses in three starts this season.

• The linebacker room is coached by first-year assistant Ross Els, who is also serving as the special teams coordinator.

SECONDARY
• Former Spartan All-American Harlon Barnett, who coached the secondary at MSU for 11 seasons from 2007-17, returns in 2020 to coach the cornerbacks, while longtime Spartan defensive assistant Mike Tressel coaches the safeties. Although the Spartans lost two three-year starters in safety David Dowell and cornerback Josiah Scott, the secondary still returned 11 letterwinners in 2020.

• Redshirt junior Shakur Brown started the final five games of the 2019 at cornerback and ranked tied for second on the team with five pass break-ups. He missed six games due to injury after a strong opener in which he recorded two sacks against Tulsa, but bounced back to become a starter in the second half of the year. He is now the team's starting nickelback in the new 4-2-5 alignment and had an interception in the opener vs. Rutgers. Brown leads the team with four pass break-ups this season.

• Redshirt sophomore Kalon Gervin also has starting experience after earning the assignment at corner at Ohio State in 2019, and played in 10 games overall with eight tackles. He has earned starts in all three games this season and has 10 tackles with two pass break-ups.

• Redshirt sophomore Chris Jackson started the first two games of the season at cornerback for the first starts of his career, but missed the game at Iowa. Jackson had a career-high six tackles in the victory at Michigan.

• Sophomore Julian Barnett, who played wide receiver last season, earned his first career start on defense at nickelback at Iowa, as the secondary reshuffled following Jackson's absence. Barnett was a high school All-American as a cornerback.

• Junior Xavier Henderson returns as one of the starting safeties after ranking second on the team with 83 tackles during his sophomore campaign in 2019. He also had two interceptions and two tackles for loss in starting all 13 games and playing 838 snaps, most in the secondary and second-most overall on the defense. He has 19 stops in the first three games.

• Senior Tre Person has played at both cornerback and safety during his career, including four starts at cornerback in 2018, but he primarily played safety last season. He has started at safety the first three games.

• Redshirt sophomore Michael Dowell played 94 snaps last year, primarily in third-down situations, and will also compete for additional playing time.

Old Brass Spittoon On The Line As Spartans Host No. 10 Hoosiers Saturday

Game 4: No. 10/10 Indiana (3-0) at Michigan State (1-2)

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Players Mentioned

Matt Allen

AJ Arcuri

Bryce Baringer

Julian Barnett

Drew Beesley

Adam Berghorst

Shakur Brown

Blake Bueter

Jack Camper

Matt Carrick

Matt Coghlin

Elijah Collins

Mitchell Crawford

Theo Day

Matt Dotson

David Dowell

Michael Dowell

J.D. Duplain

Dallas Fincher

Michael Fletcher

Montorie Foster Jr.

Kalon Gervin

Trenton Gillison

Tate Hallock

Noah Harvey

Xavier Henderson

Connor Heyward

Tyler Hunt

Jacob Isaia

Chris Jackson

Kevin Jarvis

Naquan Jones

Damon Kaylor

Noah Kim

Kyle King

David Kruse

Brian Lewerke

Terry Lockett Jr.

Rocky Lombardi

Cade McDonald

Tre Mosley

Jalen Nailor

Jacub Panasiuk

Mike Panasiuk

Tre Person

Jayden Reed

Jordan Reid

Nick Samac

Josiah Scott

Matt Seybert

Antjuan Simmons

Jordon Simmons

Jacob Slade

Zach Slade

Darius Snow

Ian Stewart

Alante Thomas

Payton Thorne

Cody White

Ricky White

Kenny Willekes

Raequan Williams

Brandon Wright

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