Michigan State Welcomes No. 4 Ohio State to Spartan Stadium on Saturday

Game 6: Michigan State (2-3) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (4-0)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 5
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/ESPN Mobile App {WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS}
Announcers: Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), Quint Kessenich (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. 132), XM (Ch. 196), SiriusXM.com (Ch. 958)
Pre-game Show: Begins at 10:30 a.m.

National Radio: Touchdown Radio
Play-by-Play: Brett Dolan
Analyst: Lamar Thomas
Affiliates: Listing available at TouchdownRadio.com

All-Time Series: OSU leads, 33-15
Series in East Lansing: OSU leads, 17-5
Last Meeting: OSU 34, MSU 10 (2019)
Current Series Streak: 4 by OSU (2019-)

COACHES:
MSU Head Coach: Mel Tucker
MSU Record: 2-3 (first season)
Overall Record: 7-10 (second season)
Record vs. Ohio State: 0-0

Ohio State Head Coach: Ryan Day
Ohio State Record: 20-1 (second season)
Overall Record: 20-1 (second season)
Record vs. MSU: 1-0

FIRST-AND-10 –
• Fresh off a 29-20 win over No. 8 Northwestern last Saturday at home, Michigan State will face another Top 10 team this Saturday, Dec. 5 in Spartan Stadium as it hosts No. 4 Ohio State at noon. The game will be televised nationally on ABC with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst) and Quint Kessenich (sidelines) on the call. MSU improved to 2-3 with the victory over the previously undefeated Wildcats, while OSU did not play at Illinois due to COVID-19 precautions within the Buckeye program. Ohio State (No. 4 CFP, No. 3 AP, No. 4 Coaches) has had two games canceled this season due to COVID-19 concerns (Maryland, Illinois), while MSU has had one (Maryland).

• Saturday's game is the 49th meeting between Michigan State and Ohio State. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series, 33-15, including a 17-5 record in East Lansing. MSU is looking for its first win over Ohio State in Spartan Stadium since 1999 (OSU on seven-game winning streak in East Lansing).

• Saturday marks just the second December home game in MSU history (Dec. 1, 2001, vs. Missouri; game was rescheduled due to 9/11). In addition, the Spartans have only played five regular-season games in December in program history (Dec. 3, 1927, at North Carolina State; Dec. 8, 1934, at Texas A&M; Dec. 4, 1993, vs. Wisconsin in Tokyo, Japan; Dec. 1, 2001, vs. Missouri; Dec. 4, 2004, at Hawai'i).

• The Spartans have defeated the Buckeyes three times since 2011, the most of any team in the Big Ten. Michael Geiger hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 9 Michigan State a 17-14 victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2015 in Columbus en route to winning the Big Ten Championship, while also snapping the Buckeyes' 23-game winning streak. The Spartans held the Buckeyes to 132 yards of total offense in that game, the fewest ever by an Urban Meyer-coached team. In the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game, No. 10 MSU snapped No. 2 Ohio State's school-record 24-game winning streak with a 34-24 win as the Spartans clinched their first Rose Bowl berth in 26 years. MSU also beat the Buckeyes in 2011, 10-7, in Ohio Stadium.

• The Spartans have defeated Ohio State 10 times when the Buckeyes entered the game ranked in the AP Top 25, including five times when the Buckeyes were ranked in the top five (No. 5 in 1972, No. 1 in 1974, No. 1 in 1998, No. 2 in 2013, No. 2 in 2015) and seven in the top 10 (previous five games listed plus No. 7 in 1951 and No. 9 in 1971).

• Michigan State is one of three FBS teams this season, joining Alabama and Georgia, to record two wins over AP Top 15 teams (No. 13 Michigan on Oct. 31, No. 11 Northwestern on Nov. 28).

• Senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after helping MSU limit Northwestern to 20 points and 63 yards rushing in the win over the No. 8 Wildcats. Simmons recorded 13 tackles, including two for losses (5 yards) and a 4-yard sack. He ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles, averaging 10.6 per game (53 total), and tied for fifth in tackles for loss (6.5).

• Redshirt junior defensive back Shakur Brown is tied for first in the FBS with five interceptions, including four in the last two games (two each vs. Indiana and Northwestern). Brown, who has started two games at nickelback and three games at cornerback this season, also has a team-high four pass break-ups this season to rank second in the Big Ten in passes defended (nine total: five interceptions, four pass break-ups).

• Redshirt senior kicker Matt Coghlin was named the Big Ten Special Teams Co-Player of the Week for his performance in the triumph over No. 8 Northwestern. Coghlin was 3-of-4 on field goals against the Wildcats, including the game-winner from 48 yards out with 3:35 left in the game that put MSU on top, 23-20, in the eventual 29-20 win. Coghlin also connected from 44 yards and 22 yards in the game. This marks the third time in his career Coghlin has earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors (2017 vs. Penn State, 2018 vs. Indiana). He also has four game-winning field goals in his career (2017 vs. Penn State, 2019 vs. Indiana and Maryland).

• Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jalen Nailor leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth in the FBS with his 23.7-yard average per reception. Nailor has four catches for 50-plus yards this season, including a 75-yard TD reception vs. Northwestern. Overall, he leads the team with 379 receiving yards on 16 catches (75.8 ypg).

MEL TUCKER ERA BEGINS IN 2020 –
• 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 147 games as a full-time coach in the FBS, Tucker's teams have collected a 108-39 (.735) 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).

• Four of Tucker's seven wins as a head coach in his first two seasons have come against AP Top 25 opponents (No. 11 Northwestern and No. 13 Michigan at MSU; No. 25 Nebraska and No. 24 Arizona State at Colorado). Tucker is 4-3 overall against AP Top 25 opponents (2-2 at Colorado; 2-1 at MSU). He became the first Spartan head coach to defeat a ranked team (No. 8 Northwestern) in his first home win.

MEL TUCKER NAMED DODD TROPHY COACH OF THE WEEK FOLLOWING WIN OVER NO. 8 NORTHWESTERN –
• Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today announced on Dec. 1 that Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week. The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award's three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.

STAT LEADERS –
Michigan State:
Rushing – R-Jr. Connor Heyward (52 carries for 179 yards, 3.4 avg., 0 TDs)
Passing – R-Jr. Rocky Lombardi (79-of-146, .541, 1,057 yards, 8 TDs, 8 INTs)
Receiving – R-So. Jayden Reed (22 catches for 252 yards, 11.5 avg., 3 TDs)
Tackles – Sr. Antjuan Simmons (53 tackles, 22 solos, 31 assists, 6.5 TFLs, 2 PBUs, 1 FR)

Ohio State:
Rushing – So. Master Teague III (73 carries for 380 yards, 5.2 avg., 6 TDs)
Passing – Jr. Justin Fields (90-of-113, .796, 1,208 yards, 13 TDs, 3 INTs)
Receiving – So. Garrett Wilson (31 catches for 513 yards, 16.5 avg., 4 TDs)
Tackles – Sr. Pete Werner (24 tackles, 11 solos, 13 assists, 2.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 1 FF)

A QUICK GLANCE AT NO. 3/4 OHIO STATE (4-0, 4-0 B1G) –
• The No. 3/4 Buckeyes bring a 4-0 record into Saturday's matchup with Michigan State in Spartan Stadium. Ohio State's game last week at Illinois was canceled due to COVID-19 precautions within the Buckeye program.

• In its last action, OSU held off No. 9 Indiana, 42-35, on Nov. 21. The Buckeyes pulled away from a 7-7 first quarter tie and bolted out to a 28-7 halftime lead with three second stanza scores, and stretched the advantage to 35-7 early in the third quarter. However, Indiana scored four touchdowns in the second half to close to 42-35 with over 10 minutes to play in the game, but couldn't get any closer. The Ohio State offense amassed 607 yards on 307 rushing and 300 passing with three rushing scores and two passing TDs, to go with one defensive TD on an interception, despite yielding 490 yards of total offense to Indiana, overcoming 491 yards passing by stifling the Hoosiers on the ground, limiting them to -1 rushing yards.

• QB Justin Fields leads the FBS in completion percentage at 79.6 (90-of-113), with 1,208 yards, with 13 TDs and three INTs. Fields also tops the Big Ten and ranks fourth in FBS in passing efficiency (202.1) and is tops in the conference and 12th in the country in passing yards per game (302.0), as well as first in the league and 12th in the nation in completions per game (22.5), while ranking second in the Big Ten and 33rd in FBS in passing TDs (13).

• Master Teague III is second in the Big Ten and 29th in FBS in rushing yards per game (95.0) on 73 carries for 380 yards (5.2 ypc), ranking fourth in the conference with six rushing TDs. Garrett Wilson leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth in FBS in receiving yards per game (128.2), while ranking second in the league and 11th in the nation in receptions per game (7.8), with 31 receptions for 513 yards, ranking seventh in the conference in yards per reception (16.5).

• Pete Werner leads the OSU defense with 24 tackles (11 solo, 13 assists), including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack. Tommy Togiai has a team-best 3.0 TFLs with all 3.0 being sacks.

MSU/OHIO STATE SERIES NOTES –
• Saturday's game is the 49th meeting between Michigan State and Ohio State. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series, 33-15, including a 17-5 record in East Lansing. MSU is looking for its first win over Ohio State in Spartan Stadium since 1999 (OSU on seven-game winning streak in East Lansing).

• The Spartans have defeated the Buckeyes three times since 2011, the most of any team in the Big Ten. Michael Geiger hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 9 Michigan State a 17-14 victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2015 in Columbus en route to winning the Big Ten Championship, while also snapping the Buckeyes' 23-game winning streak. The Spartans held the Buckeyes to 132 yards of total offense in that game, the fewest ever by an Urban Meyer-coached team. In the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game, No. 10 MSU snapped No. 2 Ohio State's school-record 24-game winning streak with a 34-24 win as the Spartans clinched their first Rose Bowl berth in 26 years. MSU also beat the Buckeyes in 2011, 10-7, in Ohio Stadium.

• The Spartans have defeated Ohio State 10 times when the Buckeyes entered the game ranked in the AP Top 25, including five times when the Buckeyes were ranked in the top five (No. 5 in 1972, No. 1 in 1974, No. 1 in 1998, No. 2 in 2013, No. 2 in 2015) and seven in the top 10 (previous five games listed plus No. 7 in 1951 and No. 9 in 1971).

• Mel Tucker was a graduate assistant on Nick Saban's staff during MSU's win at No. 1 Ohio State in 1998.

SPARTANS FROM THE BUCKEYE STATE –
• Michigan State's 2020 roster features 27 players from Ohio, the most of any state outside of Michigan.

LAST TIME OUT: MSU 29, NO. 8 NORTHWESTERN 20

SERIES
• Michigan State defeated No. 8 Northwestern, 29-20, on Saturday, Nov. 28 in Spartan Stadium . . . MSU has won two in a row over the Wildcats . . . MSU leads the all-time series over NU, 39-20, including a 19-9 record in East Lansing . . . the game was played without any fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Northwestern entered the game ranked No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings; MSU's win over the Wildcats marked its first win over a Top 10 team in the CFP rankings since taking down No. 7 Penn State on Nov. 4, 2017 . . . NU was ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 13 in the Amway Coaches Poll.

OFFENSE
• Michigan State rushed for a season-high 195 yards on 47 carries . . . Connor Heyward led the Spartans on the ground with a season-high 96 yards on a career-high 24 carries.

• Rocky Lombardi was 11-of-27 passing for 167 yards and two touchdowns . . . Lombardi completed a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor in the first quarter, marking the longest pass completion of Lombardi's career and also the longest reception of Nailor's career . . . it marked the longest TD pass for the Spartans since 2016 against Northwestern (86 yards; Tyler O'Connor to R.J. Shelton) . . . Lombardi also rushed for a career-high 65 yards on 10 carries, including five for first downs.

• Michigan State won the time of possession battle for the first time this season (32:33 to 27:27).

• MSU was 10-of-21 on third downs in the game.

• Jalen Nailor led all receivers with 99 receiving yards on three catches, including his career-long 75-yard TD in the second quarter . . . Nailor also led all players with a career-high 120 all-purpose yards, adding a 21-yard kick return in the first quarter.

DEFENSE
• MSU's defense forced a season-high four takeaways, with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries . . . the four takeaways topped the previous high this season of three in the season opener vs. Rutgers (10/24/20), and was the most since forcing five turnovers vs. Michigan on Oct. 7, 2017.

• The Spartan defense limited the Wildcats to just 63 yards rushing, a season-low for MSU and first time holding opposition under 100 yards this season, bettering the previous low of 106 in season opener vs. Rutgers . . . the 63 yards rushing are the Spartans' fewest allowed since 36 yards last season vs. Illinois (11/9/19).

• The Spartans' final fumble recovery came in the end zone on the last play of the game, as Northwestern was trying to lateral on the final play, with redshirt sophomore cornerback Kalon Gervin recovering the fumble in the end zone for the touchdown . . . Gervin recovered his first career fumble recovery with the score on the final play . . . the final fumble recovery for a touchdown marked the second straight season that MSU had a fumble recovery for a TD on the final play of the game, after also doing so last season vs. Indiana (9/28/19), when Michael Dowell recovered a fumble on a trick play gone awry in the end zone as time expired in the 40-31 victory for MSU.

• Senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons logged a game-high 13 tackles, one shy of his career-best set last game vs. Indiana (11/14/20) . . . the 13 stops is the fourth game this season in double-figures . . . he also had 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack . . . Simmons now has 6.5 TFLs on the season, with a least 0.5 TFL in four of the five games this season . . . Simmons now leads MSU with 53 tackles on the season (22 solo, 31 assists).

• Redshirt junior cornerback Shakur Brown's two interceptions vs. Northwestern give him four picks in the last two games with two oskies vs. Indiana . . . Brown now has a team-leading five interceptions on the season, which now shares the Big Ten lead with Saturday's counterpart, Brandon Joseph of Northwestern . . . the two interceptions also gives Brown nine passes defended (five interceptions, four pass break-ups) in the five games this season, as part of 15 career passes defended (nine pass break-ups, six interceptions) in last 10 games played . . . Brown is now second in the Big Ten with nine passes defended, behind another of Saturday's counterparts, Greg Newsome II, whose two pass break-ups in the game give him 10 passes defended.

• Redshirt senior defensive tackle Naquan Jones posted a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss Saturday, topping his previous high of 2.0 vs. Maryland (11/3/18) . . . Jones now has 3.5 TFLs this season and 11.5 for his career . . . with six total tackles Saturday, Jones also matched his career-best of six vs. Maryland (11/3/18).

• Redshirt senior defensive end Drew Beesley logged a career-best 2.0 sacks, topping his previous high of 1.0 sacks done twice, previously vs. Rutgers (10/24/20) . . . Beesley now has three sacks this season and 4.5 for his career . . . the 2.0 TFLs give Beesley 4.5 tackles for loss on the season and 10.5 for his career.

• Redshirt junior linebacker Noah Harvey posted eight stops, his third game this season with eight or more tackles.

• Redshirt sophomore linebacker Chase Kline registered a career-high eight tackles, bettering his previous high for the fourth straight game, topping his high of six stops last game vs. Indiana.

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Redshirt senior placekicker Matt Coghlin was 3-of-4 on field goals, making from 22, 44 and 48 yards, while missing from 49 yards . . . the three field goals marked his third multi-field goal outing this season . . . he has made at least one FG of 40+ yards in all three games with a field goal . . . Coghlin is now 7-of-10 on the season.

• Coghlin's 48-yarder came with 3:35 left in the game and was his fourth game-winning field goal of his career, joining a 34-yarder as time expired vs. Penn State in 2017, a 21-yarder with 0:05 left vs. Indiana in 2019 and a 33-yarder vs. Maryland with 2:14 remaining in 2019 . . . all four of Coghlin's game-winning field goals have come in home games at Spartan Stadium.

• Graduate transfer punter Mitchell Crawford matched his MSU career-high punting outing with four punts, with season highs of 153 yards and a 38.2 yards per punt average . . . Crawford had a long of 44 yards, with one inside the 20.

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 and beat the No. 13/14 Wolverines in Michigan Stadium on Oct. 31, then faced the Hawkeyes in Iowa City on Nov. 7.

• 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 defeated No. 8 Northwestern on Thanksgiving Weekend (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.

MEET ME IN DECEMBER –
• Saturday marks just the second December home game in MSU history (Dec. 1, 2001, vs. Missouri; game was rescheduled due to 9/11). In addition, the Spartans have only played five regular-season games in December in program history (Dec. 3, 1927, at North Carolina State; Dec. 8, 1934, at Texas A&M; Dec. 4, 1993, vs. Wisconsin in Tokyo, Japan; Dec. 1, 2001, vs. Missouri; Dec. 4, 2004, at Hawai'i).

POSITION-BY-POSITION NOTES

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 five games of the season and is 4-4 as the starting quarterback for the Spartans (2-1 as redshirt freshman in 2018 when starter Brian Lewerke was injured; 2-3 in 2020, including a 2-1 record vs. ranked teams). He was relieved in the second quarter of the Indiana game on Nov. 14 by Thorne but returned to help lead the Spartans past No. 8 Northwestern on Nov. 28, 29-20.

• Lombardi ranks fifth in the Big Ten in passing with 211.4 yards per game. He has completed 54.1 percent of his passes (79-of-146) for 1,057 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Lombardi collected career highs in passing yards in each of the first two games in 2020 (319 vs. Rutgers; 323 vs. Michigan).

• 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 five games, Lombardi has already completed six passes of 50-plus yards (75-yard touchdown to Jalen Nailor vs. Northwestern; 57 yards to Nailor vs. Iowa; 56 yards to Nailor vs. Iowa; 53 yards to Nailor vs. Michigan; 50-yard touchdown to Jayden Reed vs. Rutgers; 50 yards to Ricky White vs. Michigan).

• Lombardi was 11-of-27 passing for 167 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over No. 8 Northwestern on Nov. 28. He completed a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor in the first quarter, marking the longest pass completion of Lombardi's career. He also rushed for a career-high 65 yards on 10 carries, including five for first downs.

• 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 on Nov. 14. 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 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.

• 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 five games, redshirt junior Connor Heyward leads the team in carries (52) and rushing yards (179; 35.8 ypg; 3.4 avg.). Heyward led the Spartans on the ground with a season-high 96 yards on a career-high 24 carries against Northwestern on Nov. 28.

• Heyward, who only played in four games in 2019 to preserve his redshirt season, has started four of the five games for the Spartans. A finalist for the Paul Hornung Award as a sophomore in 2018, Heyward has 797 rushing yards and five TDs on 197 carries in 34 career games, including 13 starts. A versatile back with excellent hands, Heyward also has 56 career receptions, most of any active Spartan, for 375 yards and four TDs, including two touchdown catches in the win at No. 13/14 Michigan.

• True freshman Jordon Simmons ranks second on 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 but did not dress against Northwestern on Nov. 28.

• 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 entered the season on watch lists for the Maxwell Award (player of the year) and Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back). He has rushed 32 times for 56 yards in five games in 2020, including a season-best 13 carries for 34 yards vs. Northwestern.

• 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 2020.

• 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.

• Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jalen Nailor leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth in the FBS with his 23.7-yard average per reception. Nailor has four catches for 50-plus yards this season, including a career-long 75-yard TD reception vs. Northwestern. Overall, he leads the team with 379 receiving yards on 16 catches (75.8 ypg).

• Nailor hauled in a career-best six receptions for 84 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter, against Rutgers on Oct. 24. He had a career-high 119 yards on four catches (29.8 avg.) at Iowa on Nov. 7 and had three receptions for 99 yards, including a 75-yard TD, against Northwestern on Nov. 28.

• Nailor provided glimpses of his potential as a playmaker his first two seasons (2018-19), which were limited due to injuries, but he has started all five games in 2020. He 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 11-6 with Nailor in the lineup, including a 4-0 mark last season. As a freshman in 2018, 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.

• Redshirt sophomore Jayden Reed leads the team with 22 catches for 252 yards (50.4 ypg; 11.5 avg.) and three TDs.

• In his first game wearing the Green and White, 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.

• 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 is averaging 22.3 yards per catch in four games (10 catches for 223 yards and one TD). He did not dress for the Northwestern game on Nov. 28.

• 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 in 2019. 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 missed three games, but returned to action vs. Northwestern (one catch for 8 yards).

• 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 returned at tight end for the Spartans. The group is 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 three 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 (did not dress vs. Northwestern).

• 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 five games this season with 36 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 has played 143 snaps at tight end the past three games, including 72 vs. Northwestern, and has three catches for 37 yards. He 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 returned 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 four games 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 four 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 five games at left tackle this season. He has 10 career starts at left tackle (five in 2019; five 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 has started the past three games. 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 five 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 25 career games (17 at right guard in 2017-18, three at left tackle in 2019, five at right tackle in 2020).

• 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 43 career games, including a team-best 28 consecutive starts, and has collected 105 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his career. He leads the d-ends with 25 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. For the season, Beesley has 16 stops, including 5.0 TFLs and a team-best three sacks. In the opener against Rutgers, Beesley had a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss, including a 7-yard sack, with six tackles overall. He had a career-high two sacks (18 yards) and tied his career high with 2.5 TFLs (19 yards) in the win over No. 8 Northwestern.

• 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 has played 122 snaps in five games in 2020 and has eight tackles. Jack Camper (R-Jr.) also adds depth at the position (nine tackles in five games).

• Up the middle, the Spartans lost 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 70 tackles, including 11.5 TFLs and three sacks, in 44 career games. He has four TFLs and 16 tackles this season.

• 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. Slade has eight tackles this season and has played 224 snaps.

• Redshirt freshman Deshaun Mallory started his first career game against Northwestern and had a 3-yard sack against the Wildcats. Mallory has eight tackles, including 2.5 TFLs and two sacks this season.

• Redshirt freshman Jalen Hunt started against Indiana and has five tackles with two TFLs.

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, has started 18 consecutive games for the Spartans. He was named to watch lists for the Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy entering the season.

• Simmons leads the team in tackles and ranks second in the Big Ten and 24th in the FBS, averaging 10.6 stops per game (53 total). Simmons tallied a career-high 14 tackles vs. Indiana and has double-digit stops in four of five games this season (11 vs. Rutgers, 11 vs. Michigan; 13 vs. Northwestern).

• A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Simmons also leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and his 23.5 career TFLs are most among active Spartans. Simmons also leads all active Spartans with 209 career tackles.

• Simmons was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after helping MSU limit Northwestern to 20 points and 63 yards rushing in the win over the No. 8 Wildcats. He logged a game-high 13 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a 4-yard sack.

• Redshirt junior Noah Harvey ranks second on the team with 37 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. He also had starting experience entering this season 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.

• Redshirt sophomore Chase Kline has seen regular time in the playing rotation and already has a career-high 24 tackles in five games. He has played 179 snaps at linebacker and is also a standout on special teams.

• 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 first in the FBS with five interceptions, including four in the last two games (two each vs. Indiana and Northwestern). Brown, who has started two games at nickelback and three games at cornerback this season, also has a team-high four pass break-ups this season to rank second in the Big Ten in passes defended (nine total: five interceptions, four pass break-ups).

• 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, and followed that effort with another two picks vs. Northwestern.

• Now with seven career interceptions, Brown moves up to tie for No. 28 on MSU's career interception list. Brown's 54 interception return yards vs. Northwestern give him 186 for his career, eighth most in MSU history.

• 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 four games this season (missed Indiana game) and has 14 tackles with three pass break-ups. Gervin jumped on a fumble in the end zone in the final play of the Northwestern game on a failed lateral attempt for his first career touchdown.

• Redshirt sophomore Chris Jackson started the first two games of the season at cornerback for the first starts of his career, but then missed two games (Iowa, Indiana). He returned to action against Northwestern and played 25 snaps. 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. Grose started again at nickelback vs. Northwestern and had six stops and a pass break-up.

• 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 ranks third on the team with 28 stops in the first five 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 in four of the first five games (did not dress vs. Indiana) and has 23 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 20 tackles in five games.

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Placekicker: Fifth-year senior Matt Coghlin is in his fourth year as the team's starting placekicker and is tied for second in school history with 62 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 7-for-10 on field-goal attempts, including a career-long 51-yarder at Michigan.

• Coghlin was named the Big Ten Special Teams Co-Player of the Week after going 3-of-4 on field goals against No. 8 Northwestern, including the game-winner from 48 yards out with 3:35 left in the game that put MSU on top, 23-20, in the eventual 29-20 win. Coghlin also connected from 44 yards and 22 yards in the game. He has four game-winning field goals in his career (34-yarder as time expired to beat No. 7 Penn State in 2017; 21-yarder with five seconds left to defeat Indiana in 2019; 33-yarder with 2:14 remaining to beat Maryland in 2019). It marked the third time in his career Coghlin earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week accolades (2017 vs. Penn State, 2018 vs. Indiana).

• 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 earned the starting job the first five games. Baringer is averaging 43.4 yards per punt. 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.) and replaced Baringer in the Northwestern game (four punts for 153 yards; 38.2 avg.). For the season, Crawford has punted eight times for 302 yards (37.8 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 four games (62.9 avg., seven touchbacks in 17 kickoffs).

• Kick return: Redshirt sophomore Jayden Reed has returned 12 kickoffs for 226 yards (18.8 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 Welcomes No. 4 Ohio State to Spartan Stadium on Saturday

Game 6: Michigan State (2-3) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (4-0)

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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

Cade McDonald

Tre Mosley

Jalen Nailor

Jacub Panasiuk

Mike Panasiuk

Jude Pedrozo

Tre Person

Jayden Reed

Jordan Reid

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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