Spartans Take On Hawkeyes Saturday in Iowa City

Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications

11/3/2020 2:36:00 PM | Football

MSU Game Notes Iowa Game Notes Listen Live (TCF Bank Spartan Media Network)

Game 3: Michigan State (1-1) at Iowa (0-2)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
Kickoff: 12:02 p.m. EST
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Stadium: Kinnick Stadium (69,250)
Surface: FieldTurf
Tickets: No public sale

TV/Web/Mobile: ESPN/WatchESPN {WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS}
Announcers: Dan Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (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. 383 (XM), Ch. 973 (SiriusXM.com)
Pre-game Show: Begins at 10:30 a.m.

All-Time Series: Iowa leads, 23-22-2
Series in Iowa City: Iowa leads, 13-10-1
Last Meeting: MSU 17, Iowa 10 (2017)
Current Series Streak: 3 by MSU (2013-)

COACHES:
MSU Head Coach: Mel Tucker
MSU Record: 1-1 (first season)
Overall Record: 6-8 (second season)
Record vs. Iowa: 0-0

Iowa Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz
Iowa Record: 162-106 (22nd season)
Overall Record: 174-127 (25th season)
Record vs. MSU: 7-8

FIRST-AND-10 –
• Fresh off a 27-24 win at No. 13/14 Michigan, the Spartans (1-1) travel to Iowa City on Saturday, Nov. 7 to take on the Hawkeyes (0-2) in Kinnick Stadium at 12 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on ESPN, with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sidelines) on the call.

• Michigan State is looking for its fourth consecutive victory over Iowa, which would be the longest winning streak for the Spartans over the Hawkeyes in the 67-year series history that dates back to 1953. MSU defeated Iowa for the third time in a row in 2017 in Spartan Stadium, 17-10, in the last matchup between the two schools. Meeting in the 2015 Big Ten Championship Game, No. 5 Michigan State edged the previously undefeated and fourth-ranked Hawkeyes, 16-13, to win the Big Ten title and earn a berth in the College Football Playoff. LJ Scott capped a remarkable 22-play, 82-yard drive in the fourth quarter that took 9:04 off the clock with a 1-yard touchdown run with just 27 seconds remaining in the game. Saturday marks the first trip for the Spartans to Iowa City since 2013, when the Spartans began their three-game winning streak over the Hawkeyes with a 26-14 triumph that began their run to the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl. MSU also beat Iowa three straight times from 1973-75.

• Saturday's game marks the 48th meeting between Michigan State and Iowa. The Hawkeyes hold a slim series lead, 23-22-2, but MSU has won four of the last five meetings, including three straight. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is 7-8 in his career against the Spartans. MSU is also looking for its third consecutive win in Iowa City after winning there in 2011 and 2013, which would equal a school record (1973, 1975, 1977).

• Following its win over No. 13/14 Michigan last Saturday, Michigan State was named the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America on Nov. 2. This marks the eighth time MSU has received the award and the first since beating No. 2 Ohio State in 2015.

• 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.

• 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 144 games as a full-time coach in the FBS, Tucker's teams have collected a 107-37 (.743) 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).

• Redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi has collected career highs in passing yards in each of his first two games in 2020 (319 vs. Rutgers; 323 vs. Michigan) and is ranked second in the Big Ten and eighth in the FBS in passing, averaging 321.0 yards per game. He has completed 64 percent of his passes (48-of-75) and is tied for the conference lead with six TD passes. Lombardi was named to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award's Great 8 list and one of eight Manning Award Stars of the Week for his performance at Michigan. A native of Clive, Iowa, Lombardi will be playing in his home state on Saturday for the first time in his collegiate career.

• 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.

• The Spartans welcome back 20 players with starting experience on offense in 2020, including 10 players with starting experience on the offensive line, led by multi-year starters Matt Allen, Luke Campbell and Kevin Jarvis. Senior Jordan Reid, a two-year starting right tackle, elected to opt out of the 2020 season Although the Spartans are replacing seven starters on the defensive side of the ball, the Spartans bring back leading tackler and senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons, who racked up 90 stops in his first season as a starter in 2019 and currently leads the team with 22 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Senior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk recorded career highs in sacks (5) and tackles for loss (11) last year and will anchor the defensive line following the departure of All-American Kenny Willekes.

STAT LEADERS –
Michigan State:
Rushing – Fr. Jordon Simmons (28 carries for 98 yards, 3.5 avg., 0 TDs)
Passing – R-Jr. Rocky Lombardi (48-of-75, .640, 642 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs)
Receiving – R-So. Jayden Reed (12 catches for 146 yards, 12.2 avg., 2 TDs)
Tackles – Sr. Antjuan Simmons (22 tackles, 10 solos, 22 assists, 3.5 TFLs, 2 PBUs, 1 FR)

Iowa:
Rushing – So. Tyler Goodson (29 carries for 120 yards, 4.1 avg., 1 TD)
Passing – So. Spencer Petras (48-of-89, .539, 481 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs)
Receiving – So. Sam LaPorta (11 catches for 117 yards, 10.6 avg., 0 TDs)
Tackles – Jr. Daviyon Nixon (18 tackles, 10 solos, 8 assists, 5.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 1 FF)

A QUICK GLANCE AT IOWA (0-2, 0-2 B1G) –
• The Hawkeyes are 0-2 on the young season after suffering a 24-20 loss at Purdue in the season opener, then a 21-20 loss to Northwestern on Saturday, relinquishing a 17-0 first quarter lead, before the Wildcats outscored the Hawkeyes, 17-3 . . . the Northwestern defense intercepted Iowa sophomore quarterback Spencer Petras three times, all in the second half, including with 1:02 left in the game to thwart a Hawkeye comeback.

• Petras threw his first career touchdown, a 7-yard toss to wide receiver Brandon Smith in the first quarter . . . Petras ended 26-of-50 for 216 yards and one TD, but was intercepted three times and sacked once . . . no Hawkeye QB since at least 1982 had completed more passes or had more attempts in their Kinnick Stadium debut . . . Petras' 50 attempts are the most by a Hawkeye quarterback since Jake Rudock threw 56 times against Maryland in 2014.

• Sam La Porta snared six receptions for 46 yards vs. NU . . . LaPorta leads Iowa receivers through two games, with 11 catches for 117 yards (10.6 ypc/58.5 ypg) . . . sophomore running back Tyler Goodson led the Hawkeye rushing attack with 13 carries for 43 yards and one TD, a 15-yard score midway through the first quarter for Iowa's second TD of the game and a 14-0 lead . . . Goodson has 29 receptions for 120 yards (4.1 ypc/60.0 ypg) with one TD for the season.

• Sophomore linebacker Seth Benson logged a game-high 13 tackles on Saturday, while junior defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon notched 11 stops, including 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, adding one forced fumble, and senior linebacker Nick Niemann logged 10 tackles, with 0.5 TFL . . . Nixon, Niemann and junior defensive back Jack Koerner all have 18 tackles through two games, with Nixon logging 5.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks, while Koerner has one TFL and one INT, and Niemann has 0.5 TFL.

• Senior placekicker Keith Duncan is 4-of-4 on field goals with a long of 47 yards.

• Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is in his 22nd year as head football coach of the Hawkeyes, and 31st season overall on the Iowa staff . . . Ferentz is the dean of the Big Ten football coaches, and is also Iowa's all-time leader in victories with 162.

MSU/IOWA SERIES NOTES –
• Michigan State is looking for its fourth consecutive victory over Iowa, which would be the longest winning streak for the Spartans over the Hawkeyes in the 67-year series history that dates back to 1953.

• MSU defeated Iowa for the third time in a row in 2017 in Spartan Stadium, 17-10, in the last matchup between the two schools.

• Meeting in the 2015 Big Ten Championship Game, No. 5 Michigan State edged the previously undefeated and fourth-ranked Hawkeyes, 16-13, to win the Big Ten title and earn a berth in the College Football Playoff. LJ Scott capped a remarkable 22-play, 82-yard drive in the fourth quarter that took 9:04 on the clock with a 1-yard touchdown run with just 27 seconds remaining in the game.

• Saturday marks the first trip for the Spartans to Iowa City since 2013, when the Spartans began their three-game winning streak over the Hawkeyes with a 26-14 triumph that began their run to the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl.

• MSU also beat Iowa three straight times from 1973-75.

• Saturday's game marks the 48th meeting between Michigan State and Iowa. The Hawkeyes hold a slim series lead, 23-22-2, but MSU has won four of the last five meetings, including three straight.

• Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is 7-8 in his career against the Spartans.

• MSU is also looking for its third consecutive win in Iowa City after winning there in 2011 and 2013, which would equal a school record (1973, 1975, 1977).

SPARTANS FROM THE HAWKEYE STATE –
• Michigan State's 2020 roster features two players from Iowa: redshirt junior kicker Cole Hahn (West Des Moines/Valley High School) and redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi (Clive/Valley High School).

Ricky White action at Michigan

LAST TIME OUT: MSU 27, NO. 13/14 MICHIGAN 24

SERIES
• Michigan State defeated Michigan for the ninth time in the last 13 meetings with the 27-24 win over the Wolverines last Saturday . . . Michigan State has won five of the last seven meetings over Michigan in Ann Arbor, including three of the last four matchups. Although the Spartans fell to No. 15 Michigan last year in Ann Arbor, MSU defeated the No. 7 Wolverines in 2017, 14-10, and in 2015 the Spartans beat No. 12 Michigan, 27-23, as Jalen Watts-Jackson scooped up a fumbled snap on a punt attempt and ran it back 38 yards for a TD as time expired. The unforgettable touchdown was named the No. 1 play of the 2015 season at the ESPN College Football Awards Show in Atlanta on Dec. 10.

• Last Saturday's game marked the 113th meeting between Michigan State and Michigan. The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 71-37-5, including a 50-23-3 record in Ann Arbor; however, since 1950, Michigan holds just a seven-game edge, 38-31-2. Since 1953, the winner of the Michigan State-Michigan game has been presented the Paul Bunyan Trophy. The four-foot wooden statue was donated by then-Governor G. Mennen Williams to mark Michigan State's acceptance into the Big Ten. Since 1953, Michigan leads the series 38-28-2. The trophy depicts the legendary giant lumberjack astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state with flags representing the schools.

• Mel Tucker is the first head coach in school history to defeat Michigan for his first win as the Spartan head coach . . . Tucker joins Nick Saban as the only Spartan head coaches to defeat Michigan in their first meeting against the Wolverines.

• Michigan State ranks second among opponents in all-time victories over Michigan. Only Ohio State (52) has posted more wins over the Wolverines than the Spartans (37).

• Michigan State ranks second among opponents in all-time victories over Michigan at Michigan Stadium. Only Ohio State (22) has posted more wins over the Wolverines than the Spartans (21) at Michigan Stadium (opened in 1927). In addition, only Ohio State (24) has recorded more wins over Michigan in Ann Arbor than the Spartans (23).

• Michigan State has now defeated Michigan 21 times when the Wolverines were ranked in the AP Top 25, including 11 wins in the top 10 . . . Michigan entered the game ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll.

OFFENSE
• Freshman wide receiver Ricky White had 196 yards receiving on eight catches in his second game for the Spartans, after just one catch last week vs. Rutgers in his MSU debut . . . the 196 receiving yards were the most-ever by a Spartan freshman receiver, bettering the previous mark of Cody White with 165 receiving yards in 2017 at Northwestern . . . Ricky White's 196 yards tied for seventh-best single-game outing in program history, matching Andre Rison (11 catches) vs. Indiana (11/8/86) . . . it also marks the second-highest total by a Spartan receiver against Michigan (Plaxico Burress with 255 in 1999) . . . White snared his first career TD reception with his first-quarter TD catch from junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi . . . it was White's second catch of the season after a 5-yard reception last week vs. Rutgers . . . White added a 50-yard reception on MSU's opening possession of the second half, setting up the Spartans' field goal.

• Junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi threw for a career-high 323 yards, the third-highest total by a Spartan quarterback against Michigan (Bill Burke with 400 in 1999; Connor Cook with 325 in 2015) . . . Lombardi now has thrown at least one TD in four of his five starts with three TD passes Saturday . . . Lombardi now has multi-TD passes in both games this season and in three career games started . . . Lombardi's 53-yard pass play to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jalen Nailor in the second quarter was a career-long for Lombardi, bettering a 50-yard TD pass vs. Rutgers, and Lombardi matched the 50-yarder with a pass play to freshman Ricky White on the opening drive of the third quarter.

• Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jalen Nailor's 53-yard catch in the second quarter to set up the Spartans' second TD of the game was his career long, topping previous long of 48 yards vs. Purdue in 2018.

• Redshirt junior Connor Heyward's second quarter and fourth quarter TD catches were his only two receptions of the day . . . Heyward now has four TD receptions for his career, joining 2019 vs. Tulsa and 2017 vs. Rutgers . . . Heyward now has nine career total TDs, adding five rushing scores.

DEFENSE
• Senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons, who went to high school at Ann Arbor Pioneer, which is just across the street from UM's campus, notched 11 tackles, tying his career-high from last week vs. Rutgers . . . Simmons finished with six solo stops, five assists, along with 0.5 tackle for loss and two pass break-up, one coming in the end zone, thwarting a UM score.

• Senior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk registered his 14th career game with at least 0.5 tackle for loss with 1.0 on Saturday, including a sack on the Spartans' first defensive play from scrimmage, leading the MSU defense to six TFLs for the day . . . Panasiuk now has 9.0 career sacks and 20.0 career TFL.

• Senior safety Tre Person topped his career-high with nine tackles, topping his previous best of eight vs. Purdue (10/27/18).

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Senior placekicker Matt Coghlin's split the uprights from a career-long 51 yards in the third quarter, for his first career field goal of 50+ yards, bettering his previous high of 49 yards vs. Utah State (8/31/18), after a 48-yarder last week . . . Coghlin added a 27-yard field goal earlier in the third quarter, and is now 59-of-77 for his career, taking over sole possession of the No. 3 spot on MSU's career field goals made list, separating from a tie with John Langeloh (1987-90) . . . the 77 career field goal attempts now moves Coghlin up to No. 4 on the career field goals attempt list, passing former teammate Michael Geiger (2013-16) . . . Coghlin's three PATs on Saturday give him 100 for his career, becoming the eighth MSU placekicker with 100 PATs.

• Redshirt junior punter Bryce Baringer's 56-yard punt in the first quarter was his second new career-long in as many punts, bettering his previous best of 55 yards last week vs. Rutgers, before being credited with a new career-long 78-yarder in the second quarter, good for the sixth-longest punt in school history and longest since Brandon Fields with a 79-yarder in 2003 vs. Notre Dame . . . the 78-yard punt is longest in Big Ten this season and the second-longest in FBS, behind an 87-yard punt by Austin McNamara of Texas Tech . . . Baringer ended with five punts for a 54.0 ypp average . . . with four 50+ yard punts Saturday, Baringer topped his previous career total of three, now with seven for his career.

QUICK LOOK AT THE 2020 SCHEDULE –
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan State will play a shortened nine-game 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 returns home to face Indiana on Nov. 14 in Spartan Stadium in the battle for the Old Brass Spittoon. The Spartans have won 10 of the last 11 meetings against the Hoosiers, including a 40-31 victory in East Lansing last year.

• Michigan State heads to Maryland on Nov. 21 before returning home on Thanksgiving Weekend to face Northwestern 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:
   • 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)

A LOOK AT MSU'S PERSONNEL:
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 collected career highs in passing yards in each of his first two games in 2020 (319 vs. Rutgers; 323 vs. Michigan) and is ranked second in the Big Ten and eighth in the FBS in passing, averaging 321.0 yards per game. He has completed 64 percent of his passes (48-of-75) and is tied for the conference lead with six TD passes.

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

• Lombardi earned a pair of national awards for his performance in leading the Spartans to an upset win at No. 13/14 Michigan. A native of Clive, Iowa, Lombardi was named to the Manning Award Stars of the Week, as well as to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award's Great 8 list. The Spartan QB was 17-of-32 for a career-high 323 yards at Michigan, with three TDs, which matched his career-high set last week vs. Rutgers.

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

• 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. 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 two games, true freshman Jordon Simmons leads the team in carries (28) and rushing yards (98; 48.0 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.

• Redshirt junior Connor Heyward, who only played in four games in 2019 to preserve his redshirt season, has started the first two games of the year for the Spartans. A finalist for the Paul Hornung Award as a sophomore in 2018, Heyward has 664 rushing yards and five TDs on 165 carries in 31 career games, including 11 starts. A versatile back with excellent hands, Heyward also has 50 career receptions, most of any active Spartan, for 354 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, 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).

• 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. 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 12 catches for 146 yards (73.0 ypg; 12.2 avg.) through two 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 two games, White ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 22.3 yards per catch and fifth with 100.5 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 ranks third on the team with eight catches for 152 yards (76.0 ypg; 19.0 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 10-4 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.

• 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 only saw limited action at Michigan.

• 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 ).

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 and is back and ready this fall. 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.

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, returns for his third season as the starting center to lead the group. Allen started the first eight games at center in 2019 but missed the last four games of the regular season after suffering an injury against Penn State; he returned to action in the Pinstripe Bowl win against Wake Forest. After starting in the season opener, Allen missed the game at Michigan due to an injury. Sophomore Nick Samac, who started four games as a true freshman in 2019 at center, replaced Allen in the starting lineup.

• 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 two games at left tackle this season. He has seven career starts at left tackle (five in 2019; two in 2020).

• Redshirt junior Blake Bueter has started the first two games at left guard in 2020. Bueter has split time at the position with sophomore J.D. Duplain, who 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 both 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 22 career games (17 at right guard, three at left tackle, two 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 40 career games, including 25 consecutive starts, and has collected 90 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.

• 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 59 tackles, including 9.0 TFLs and three sacks, in 40 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 15 consecutive games and leads the Spartans in tackles through two games with 22 stops, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He has 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 20 tackles and two for losses in two 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.

• 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 both games this season and has six tackles with two pass break-ups.

• Redshirt sophomore Chris Jackson has started the first two games of the season for the first starts of his career. Jackson had a career-high six tackles in the victory at Michigan.

• 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 13 stops in the first two 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 earned his first start at safety in the season opener. Redshirt sophomore Michael Dowell played 94 snaps last year, primarily in third-down situations, and will also compete for additional playing time.

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Placekicker: Fifth-year senior Matt Coghlin has been the team's starting placekicker for the past three seasons 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-5 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 has seven punts for a 53.0 ypp average with a long of 78 yards, with five of 50-plus yards and two 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.

• 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 earned that role at Michigan.

• Kick return: Redshirt sophomore Jayden Reed has returned five kickoffs for 84 yards (16.8 avg.) with a long of 29 yards vs. Rutgers.

• 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.