Michigan State Hosts No. 8 Northwestern Saturday in Spartan Stadium

Game 5: Michigan State (1-3) vs. No. 8/11/13 Northwestern (5-0)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 28
Kickoff: 3:35 p.m. EST
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Stadium: Spartan Stadium (75,005)
Surface: Natural Grass
Tickets: No public sale

TV/Web/Mobile: ESPN/WatchESPN/ESPN Mobile App   {WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS}
Announcers: Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst), Taylor McGregor (sidelines)

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: 31 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: Sirius (Ch. 133), XM (Ch. 196), SiriusXM.com (Ch. 985)
Pre-game Show: Begins at 2 p.m.

All-Time Series: MSU leads, 38-20
Series in East Lansing: MSU leads, 18-9
Last Meeting: MSU 31, NU 10 (2019)
Current Series Streak: 1 by MSU (2019-)

COACHES:
MSU Head Coach: Mel Tucker
MSU Record: 1-3 (first season)
Overall Record: 6-10 (second season)
Record vs. Northwestern: 0-0

Northwestern Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald
Northwestern Record: 104-79 (15th year)
Overall Record: 104-79 (15th year)
Record vs. MSU: 5-7

FIRST-AND-10 –
• Michigan State returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 28 in Spartan Stadium to take on No. 8/11/13 Northwestern at 3:35 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, with Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Taylor McGregor (sidelines) on the call. The Spartans (1-3) had their game canceled last Saturday at Maryland due to COVID-19 precautions within the Terrapin program, while the Wildcats improved to 5-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since 1996 with a 17-7 win over No. 10/12 Wisconsin at Ryan Field. Northwestern was ranked No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, released on Nov. 24. The Wildcats are also ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 and No. 13 in the Amway Coaches Poll.

• Saturday's game marks the 59th meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 38-20, including an 18-9 record in East Lansing.

• This marks first-year head coach Mel Tucker's first game against Northwestern, while 15th-year Wildcat head coach Pat Fitzgerald is 5-7 in his career against Michigan State. Fitzgerald is the all-time winningest coach in NU history with a 104-79 career record in Evanston.

• Senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons leads the team in tackles and ranks third in the Big Ten and tied for 28th in the FBS, averaging 10.0 stops per game (40 total). Simmons tallied a career-high 14 tackles vs. Indiana and has double-digit stops in three of four games this season (11 vs. Rutgers, 11 vs. Michigan). A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Simmons also is tied for the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss and his 21.5 career TFLs are most among active Spartans. He was named to watch lists for the Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy entering the season. With 196 career tackles, Simmons needs just four more to reach the 200-tackle milestone.

• Redshirt junior defensive back Shakur Brown is tied for second in the Big Ten with three interceptions in the first four games. Brown had two picks against Indiana, becoming the first Spartan to record two interceptions in the same game since David Dowell in 2017 vs. Penn State. Brown, who has started two games at nickelback and two games at cornerback this season, also has a team-high four pass break-ups this season to lead the Big Ten and rank eighth in the FBS with 1.8 passes defended per game (three interceptions, four pass break-ups).

• 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 146 games as a full-time coach in the FBS, Tucker's teams have collected a 107-39 (.733) 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). Tucker 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). Tucker is 3-3 overall against AP Top 25 opponents (2-2 at Colorado; 1-1 at MSU).

• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan State is playing a shortened 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. Michigan State's game at Maryland on Nov. 21 was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns within the Terrapin program.

STAT LEADERS –
Michigan State:
Rushing – Fr. Jordon Simmons (42 carries for 147 yards, 3.5 avg., 0 TDs)
Passing – R-Jr. Rocky Lombardi (68-of-119, .571, 890 yards, 6 TDs, 7 INTs)
Receiving – R-So. Jayden Reed (20 catches for 216 yards, 10.8 avg., 2 TDs)
Tackles – Sr. Antjuan Simmons (40 tackles, 17 solos, 23 assists, 4.5 TFLs, 2 PBUs, 1 FR)

Northwestern:
Rushing – So. Drake Anderson (51 carries for 211 yards, 4.1 avg., 2 TDs)
Passing – Gr. Peyton Ramsey (96-of-155, .619, 926 yards, 8 TDs, 4 INTs)
Receiving – Sr. Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman (22 catches for 290 yards, 13.1 avg., 4 TDs)
Tackles – Sr. Blake Gallagher (48 tackles, 24 solos, 24 assists, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 2 PBUs)

A QUICK GLANCE AT NO. 11/13 NORTHWESTERN (5-0, 5-0 B1G) –
• The No. 11/13 Wildcats tote a 5-0 record into Saturday's showdown in Spartan Stadium. Northwestern improved to 5-0 in Big Ten action for the first time since 1996 after a 17-7 win over No. 10 Wisconsin Saturday evening in Evanston, for the Wildcats' first win over a Top-10 foe since 2011.

• Graduate transfer quarterback Peyton Ramsey was 23-of-44 for 203 yards with two TDs and no INTs, while rushing seven times for 6 yards, as Northwestern's offense amassed 263 yards of total offense. Senior wideout Riley Lees added 36 yards passing on a trick play. Senior wideout Kyric McGowan had seven catches for 80 yards, while fellow senior wide receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman had four receptions for 95 yards and a TD.

• Senior linebacker Blake Gallagher garnered Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his efforts Saturday against Wisconsin, with a career-high tying 14 tackles, with one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Fellow senior linebacker Paddy Fisher added 13 stops with two tackles for loss and a forced fumble, while redshirt freshman safety Brandon Joseph snared two interceptions, part of the Wildcat defense's five takeaways, with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

• Northwestern is second in the B1G in scoring defense (12.6 ppg), while ranking 10th in scoring offense (25.8 ppg). The Wildcat defense is also second in the B1G in total defense (314.6 ypg), as well as second in passing defense (214.0 ypg) and third in rushing defense (100.6 ypg). Offensively, Northwestern is 13th in the B1G in total offense (336.4 ypg), ranking eighth in rushing (144.0 ypg) and 11th in passing.

• Ramsey is tied for fourth in the B1G with eight passing TDs, on 96-of-155 passing for 926 yards with four INTs, ranking 12th in the league with 185.2 ypg. Ramsey also has 41 rushes for 128 yards (3.1 ypc/25.6 ypg) with one rushing score.

• Sophomore running back Drake Anderson leads the NU rushing attack with 51 carries for 211 yards (4.1 ypc/42.2 ypg) with two TDs, while junior running back Isaiah Bowser adds 184 yards on 63 carries (2.9 ypc/46.0 ypg) with one TD.

• Chiaokhiao-Bowman leads the Wildcats receivers with 22 catches for 290 yards (13.2 ypc/58.0 ypg) with four TDs, ranking tied for fifth in the B1G in receiving TDs, while ranking 12th in receiving yards and tied for 11th in receptions. McGowan matches him with 22 receptions, ranking tied for 11th in the league, for 213 yards (9.7 ypc/42.6 ypg).

• Gallagher and Fisher spearhead the Northwestern defense, with Gallagher ranking tied for third in the B1G with 48 tackles (24 solo, 24 assists), ranking tied for sixth in the B1G and tied for 40th in FBS with 9.6 tackles per game. Fisher is fifth in the B1G with 46 tackles, including ranking second in the league with 28 solo, adding 18 assists, and is eighth in the league and 48th in the nation with 9.2 tackles per game.

• Joseph is tied for the B1G and FBS lead with five interceptions.

MSU/NORTHWESTERN SERIES NOTES –
• Saturday's game marks the 59th meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern. The Spartans lead the all-time series 38-20, including an 18-9 record in East Lansing.

• This marks first-year head coach Mel Tucker's first game against Northwestern, while 15th-year Wildcat head coach Pat Fitzgerald is 5-7 in his career against Michigan State. Fitzgerald is the all-time winningest coach in NU history with a 104-79 career record in Evanston.

LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN (MSU 31, NORTHWESTERN 10; SEPT. 21, 2019) –
EVANSTON, Ill. – Brian Lewerke had three touchdown passes and Elijah Collins added a rushing TD to help give the Spartans a 31-10 victory over Northwestern at Ryan Field. The win was the 110th for coach Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, which made him the winningest coach in program history, surpassing Duffy Daugherty.

Lewerke completed 18 of 31 passes for 228 yards and Collins had 76 yards rushing on 17 carries as the Spartans snapped a three-game losing streak against the Wildcats.

The turning point came with just under two minutes left in the first half.

Trailing 7-3, Northwestern faced a third-and-20 from its own 48. Instead of playing it safe and punting to make Michigan State go the length of the field, Johnson forced a throw and was intercepted by Josiah Scott at the MSU 38.

The Spartans then put together an 11-play, 62-yard drive - capped by an 11-yard TD pass from Lewerke to Cody White - for a 14-3 halftime lead.

Tight end Matt Seybert caught two TD passes in the second half and Matt Coghlin connected on a 26-yard field goal late in the third as MSU built a 31-3 lead in the eventual 31-10 victory.

SPARTANS FROM THE LAND OF LINCOLN –
• Michigan State's 2020 roster features 10 players from Illinois: redshirt senior center Matt Allen (Hinsdale/Hinsdale Central), redshirt junior offensive lineman Kevin Jarvis (Chicago/Maine South), redshirt senior defensive tackle Naquan Jones (Evanston/Evanston Township), redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Dashaun Mallory (Bolingbrook/Bolingbrook), redshirt freshman wide receiver Cade McDonald (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), freshman kicker Jack Olsen (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville), senior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk (Roselle/Lake Park West), redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jayden Reed (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), redshirt junior tight end Max Rosenthal (Winnetka/New Trier Township Winnetka) and redshirt freshman quarterback Payton Thorne (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central).

LAST TIME OUT VS. INDIANA

SERIES
• Michigan State had its three-game winning streak against Indiana snapped with a 24-0 loss to the Hoosiers on Oct. 24 in East Lansing . . . it marked Indiana's first win at Spartan Stadium since 2001 . . . MSU has won 10 of the last 12 meetings and still leads the overall series against the Hoosiers, 48-17-2, including a 26-7-1 record in East Lansing.

OFFENSE
• In his second collegiate game, redshirt freshman quarterback Payton Thorne completed 10-of-20 passes for 110 yards and one interception . . . in his first play of the game in the second quarter, he scampered for a 38-yard rush, MSU's longest rush from scrimmage this season.

• For the second time this season, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jayden Reed led the team in receptions with seven for 63 yards . . . Reed also had a season-high 89 kick return yards to finish with a team-high 152 all-purpose yards.

DEFENSE
• Redshirt junior Shakur Brown recorded a career-high two interceptions (one in first quarter, one in second quarter) . . . Brown has a team-high three interceptions this season and five in his career . . . Brown was the first Spartan with two interceptions since David Dowell had two against Penn State in 2017 . . . with two interceptions vs. IU, Brown now has 13 passes defended (nine pass break-ups, four interceptions) in last nine games played, including seven in four games this season (four pass break-ups, three interceptions).

• Senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons tallied a career-high 14 tackles . . . he has double-digit stops in three of four games this season (11 vs. Rutgers, 11 vs. Michigan) and leads the team with 40 tackles (10.0 avg.) this season . . . in posting the career-high 14 stops, Simmons logged his fourth double-figure tackle outing of his career, along with 10 vs. Wisconsin in 2019 . . . Simmons' six solo stops last Saturday tied his career-high for the second time this season and fifth time of his career, while the eight tackle assists also matched career-best vs. Arizona State in 2019 . . . with 1.0 tackle for loss vs. Indiana, Simmons now has 21.5 career TFLs, most among active Spartans.

• Senior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk recorded a career-high nine tackles . . . he had an 8-yard sack in the first quarter . . . Panasiuk registered his third game this season and 14th career game with at least 0.5 tackle for loss with 1.0 . . . Panasiuk has 10.0 career sacks and 21.0 career TFLs, leading active Spartans in sacks and second in TFLs behind Antjuan Simmons' 21.5 TFLs.

• Senior Dominique Long made his first career start at cornerback and produced a career-high six tackles and one pass break-up.

• Four Spartans on defense made their first career starts: senior cornerback Dominique Long, redshirt sophomore safety Michael Dowell, redshirt freshman defensive tackle Jalen Hunt, and freshman nickelback Angelo Grose.

• Redshirt sophomore linebacker Chase Kline recorded a career-high six tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Jayden Reed had a season-high 89 kick return yards.

• Bryce Baringer punted six times for 237 yards (39.5 avg.), including a game-long 56-yarder in the third quarter.

QUICK LOOK AT THE 2020 SCHEDULE –
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan State will play a shortened conference-only schedule in 2020. The Spartans opened preseason camp on Aug. 7 before the Big Ten Conference postponed the season on Aug. 11. On Sept. 16, the Big Ten announced the 2020 season would start on Oct. 24 with a nine-game schedule.

• The Spartans opened the Mel Tucker era on Oct. 24 against Rutgers in Spartan Stadium. It marked the latest season opener and home opener in Michigan State history.

• Michigan State traveled to Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines in Michigan Stadium on Oct. 31, followed by another road trip on Nov. 7 to face the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.

• MSU returned home to face Indiana on Nov. 14 in Spartan Stadium in the battle for the Old Brass Spittoon.

• The Nov. 21 game at Maryland was canceled due to COVID-19 precautions within the Terrapin program.

• The Spartans will host Northwestern on Thanksgiving Weekend to face the Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 28.

• The Spartans will host defending Big Ten Champion Ohio State on Dec. 5 in Spartan Stadium and close out the Big Ten East portion of the schedule Dec. 12 at Penn State.

• On the last weekend of the season (Dec. 19), the Big Ten will match teams from the East Division and the West Division for Big Ten Champions Week.

SPARTANS FEATURING YOUNG ROSTER IN 2020 –
• Below is a look at the roster breakdown for the Spartans this season:
   • 46 freshmen (31 true/15 redshirt)
   • 34 sophomores (10 true/24 redshirt)
   • 21 juniors (1 true/20 redshirt)
   • 16 seniors (7 true/8 redshirt/1 grad transfer)

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 has started the first four games of the season and is 3-4 as the starting quarterback for the Spartans (2-1 as redshirt freshman in 2018 when starter Brian Lewerke was injured; 1-3 in 2020). He was relieved in the second quarter of the Indiana game by Thorne.

• In his second collegiate game and first with extended action (39 of 52 snaps), Thorne completed 10-of-20 passes for 110 yards and one interception against Indiana. In his first play of the game in the second quarter, he scampered for a 38-yard rush, MSU's longest rush from scrimmage this season. 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.

• Lombardi ranks fifth in the Big Ten in passing with 222.5 yards per game. He has completed 57.1 percent of his passes (68-of-119) for 890 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Lombardi collected career highs in passing yards in each of his first two games in 2020 (319 vs. Rutgers; 323 vs. Michigan).

• 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 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 four games, 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.

RUNNING BACKS
• Through four games, true freshman Jordon Simmons leads the team in carries (42) and rushing yards (147; 36.8 ypg; 3.5 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. Simmons made his first career start in the Indiana game on Nov. 14.

• Redshirt junior Connor Heyward, who only played in four games in 2019 to preserve his redshirt season, 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 701 rushing yards and five TDs on 173 carries in 33 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 19 times for 22 yards in four games in 2020.

• Sophomore Brandon Wright, who played in six games (18 carries for 48 yards) to letter as a true freshman, has six carries for 13 yards in four games this season.

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

Jalen Nailor

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 20 catches for 216 yards (54.0 ypg; 10.8 avg.) through four 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.

• White ranks second in the Big Ten with 22.3 yards per catch and is 18th with 55.8 receiving yards per game (10 for 223).

• 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 13 catches for 280 yards (70.0 ypg; 21.5 avg.). He ranks among the Big Ten leaders in yards per catch (third with 21.5 avg.) and receiving yards (12th with 70.0 ypg).

• 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 10-6 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 three games.

• In addition to Ricky White, two additional true freshmen have seen time in the playing rotation: Montorie Foster and Terry Lockett Jr.

• 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, but has missed the last two games due to an injury.

• 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. Gillison has five catches for 49 yards in four games this season.

• 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 four games this season with 28 snaps at tight end.

• 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. 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.

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 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 three games (Michigan, Iowa, Indiana) 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 three 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 four games at left tackle this season. He has nine career starts at left tackle (five in 2019; four 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 vs. Iowa and Indiana. 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 four 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 24 career games (17 at right guard, three at left tackle, four 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 42 career games, including a team-best 27 consecutive starts, and has collected 103 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his career. He leads the d-ends with 23 stops, including 2.5 TFLs, in 2020.

• 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 11 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. He has eight tackles in the first four games. Jack Camper (R-Jr.) also adds depth at the position (seven tackles in four games).

• 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 64 tackles, including 9.0 TFLs and three sacks, in 43 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, who has started 17 consecutive games, leads the team in tackles and ranks second in the Big Ten and tied for 28th in the FBS, averaging 10.0 stops per game (40 total). Simmons tallied a career-high 14 tackles vs. Indiana and has double-digit stops in three of four games this season (11 vs. Rutgers, 11 vs. Michigan).

• A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Simmons also is tied for the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss and his 21.5 career TFLs are most among active Spartans. With 196 career tackles, Simmons needs just four more to reach the 200-tackle milestone. He also ranks No. 28 among active FBS players in tackle assists (105).

• 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 ranks second on the Spartans with 29 tackles and tied for first with 4.5 tackles for loss in four starts this season.

• Redshirt sophomore Chase Kline has seen regular time in the playing rotation and already has a career-high 16 tackles in four games.

• 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 defensive back Shakur Brown is tied for second in the Big Ten with three interceptions in the first four games. Brown had two picks against Indiana, becoming the first Spartan to record two interceptions in the same game since David Dowell in 2017 vs. Penn State.

• Brown, who has started two games at nickelback and two games at cornerback this season, also has a team-high four pass break-ups this season to lead the Big Ten and rank eighth in the FBS with 1.8 passes defended per game (three interceptions, four pass break-ups).

• 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 three games this season (missed Indiana game) 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 has missed the last two games (Iowa, Indiana). 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.

• Due to injuries, three members of the Spartan secondary made their first career starts against Indiana: senior cornerback Dominique Long, redshirt sophomore safety Michael Dowell, and freshman nickelback Angelo Grose.

• 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 23 stops in the first four 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 started at safety the first three games this fall but missed the Indiana game. He has 19 tackles, one sack, one pass break-up and one forced fumble in 2020.

• Redshirt sophomore Michael Dowell played 94 snaps last year, primarily in third-down situations, and will also compete for additional playing time. He made his first career start vs. Indiana and has 17 tackles in four games.

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Placekicker: Fifth-year senior Matt Coghlin is in his fourth year as the team's starting placekicker and is third in school history with 59 field goals made. Coghlin was a BTN All-Freshman Team honoree in 2017 (15-of-19 on FGs) and was 18-of-22 on field-goal attempts as a sophomore to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors by the media. Last season, Coghlin made a career-high 22 field goals, tied for second most in MSU single-season history; that total also ranked second in the conference and tied for 11th in the FBS. Coghlin, however, is looking to improve his accuracy his senior season (22-of-32, .688 in 2019). He has started the year 4-for-6 on field-goal attempts, including a career-long 51-yarder at Michigan.

• Punter: Following the departure of longtime starter Jake Hartbarger, the Spartans entered 2020 looking for a new punter. Redshirt junior Bryce Baringer, who joined the team as a walk-on and punted 15 times in 2018, did not play last season but has earned the starting job. Baringer ranks third in the Big Ten and 14th in the FBS in punting, averaging 45.5 yards. He has eight punts of 50-plus yards with a long of 78 yards, and four inside the 20. He was credited with a new career long 78-yard punt in the second quarter at Michigan, good for the sixth-longest punt in school history and longest since Brandon Fields with a 79-yarder in 2003 vs. Notre Dame.

• Graduate transfer Mitchell Crawford, a two-year starting punter from UTEP, also joined the team in 2020. He made his Spartan debut at Iowa (four punts for 149 yards; 37.2 avg.).

• Long Snapper: Sophomore Jude Pedrozo had to take over the starting duties last season as a true freshman following a season-ending injury to fifth-year senior Ryan Armour in the season opener. Pedrozo is back in 2020 after an impressive first season in which he was expected to likely redshirt.

• Kickoff specialist: Redshirt junior Cole Hahn was the team's primary kickoff specialist last season, averaging 57.1 yards with nine touchbacks on 52 kickoffs. Coghlin and Hahn split kickoff duties against Rutgers, but Coghlin has earned that role in the past three games (64.3 avg., six touchbacks in 11 kickoffs).

• Kick return: Redshirt sophomore Jayden Reed has returned 11 kickoffs for 213 yards (19.4 avg.) with a long of 36 yards vs. Indiana.

• Punt return: Redshirt junior Jalen Nailor returned two punts for 18 yards vs. Rutgers, but did fumble a return in the fourth quarter that led to a Scarlet Knight touchdown.

Michigan State Hosts No. 8 Northwestern Saturday in Spartan Stadium

Game 5: Michigan State (1-3) vs. No. 8/11/13 Northwestern (5-0)

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Players Mentioned

Matt Allen

AJ Arcuri

Ryan Armour

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

Michael Fletcher

Montorie Foster Jr.

Kalon Gervin

Trenton Gillison

Angelo Grose

Cole Hahn

Jake Hartbarger

Noah Harvey

Xavier Henderson

Connor Heyward

Jalen Hunt

Tyler Hunt

Chris Jackson

Kevin Jarvis

Naquan Jones

Noah Kim

Chase Kline

Brian Lewerke

Terry Lockett Jr.

Rocky Lombardi

Dominique Long

Dashaun Mallory

Cade McDonald

Tre Mosley

Jalen Nailor

Jack Olsen

Jacub Panasiuk

Mike Panasiuk

Jude Pedrozo

Tre Person

Jayden Reed

Jordan Reid

Max Rosenthal

Nick Samac

Josiah Scott

Matt Seybert

Antjuan Simmons

Jordon Simmons

Jacob Slade

Payton Thorne

Cody White

Ricky White

Kenny Willekes

Raequan Williams

Brandon Wright

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