Friday, September 3
Evanston, IL
9 P.M. ET
Michigan State University
at
Northwestern
Spartans Open 2021 Season in Prime Time Friday at Northwestern
8/31/2021 5:34:00 PM | Football
Game 1: Michigan State (0-0) at Northwestern (0-0)
Date: Friday, Sept. 3Kickoff: 9:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Evanston, Ill.
Stadium: Ryan Field (47,330)
Surface: Natural Grass
Tickets: nusports.com
Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Live Stats
TV/Web/Mobile: ESPN/WatchESPN
Announcers: Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), Dawn Davenport (sidelines)
Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Bill Burke
Sidelines: Will Tieman
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/MSU Spartans app/Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 30 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: Sirius (Ch. 146), XM (Ch. 195), SiriusXM app (Ch. 957)
Pre-game Show: Begins at 7:30 p.m.
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 39-20
Series in Evanston: MSU leads, 20-11
Last Meeting: MSU 29, NU 20 (2020)
Current Series Streak: 2 by MSU (2019-)
COACHES:
MSU Head Coach: Mel Tucker
MSU Record: 2-5 (second year)
Overall Record: 7-12 (third year)
Record vs. Northwestern: 1-0
Northwestern Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald
Northwestern Record: 106-81 (16th year)
Overall Record: 106-81 (16th year)
Record vs. MSU: 5-8
FIRST-AND-10 –
• Michigan State kicks off its 125th season of football and begins its second season under head coach Mel Tucker on Friday, Sept. 3 at Northwestern. Kickoff is set for 9:15 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPN with Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (sidelines) on the call.
• Friday's game marks the 60th meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 39-20, including a 20-11 record in Evanston. MSU has won six of the last seven meetings at Ryan Field.
• Michigan State handed Northwestern its only loss of the regular season in 2020 as the Spartans beat the previously undefeated and eighth-ranked (CFP) Wildcats in East Lansing, 29-20, on Nov. 28. MSU ran for a season-high 195 yards on the ground and Jalen Nailor had three catches for 99 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. MSU is looking for its third consecutive win over Northwestern as the Spartans topped NU in Evanston in 2019, 31-10; Mark Dantonio became the winningest coach in program history with the victory.
• Friday's game marks the first time since 1982 that Michigan State will open the season with a conference road game.
• A 25-year coaching veteran with championship experience, Tucker was named Michigan State University's 25th head football coach on Feb. 12, 2020, following Mark Dantonio's retirement on Feb. 4. Tucker led the Spartans through a pandemic-shortened seven-game regular season in 2020 and the second-year head coach conducted his first spring practice at MSU this year in preparation for the 2021 season.
• 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 led him back to East Lansing included 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 149 games as a full-time coach in the FBS, Tucker's teams have collected a 108-41 (.725) 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).
 • The Spartans are returning 48 letterwinners, including 26 on offense, 20 on defense and two on special teams. The Spartans welcome back 10 starters on offense from 2020 (LT AJ Arcuri, RG Matt Carrick, LG J.D. Duplain, TE Trenton Gillison/Tyler Hunt, RB Connor Heyward, RT Kevin Jarvis, WR Tre Mosley, WR Jalen Nailor, WR Jayden Reed, C Nick Samac), seven on defense (DE Drew Beesley, CB Kalon Gervin, NB Angelo Grose, LB Noah Harvey, S Xavier Henderson, DE Jacub Panasiuk, DT Jacob Slade) and two on special teams (P Bryce Baringer, PK Matt Coghlin). MSU has 31 players returning with starting experience, including 20 on offense and 11 on defense.
• Six Spartan seniors – center Matt Allen, offensive tackle AJ Arcuri, defensive end Drew Beesley, offensive lineman Luke Campbell, kicker Matt Coghlin and defensive end Jacub Panasiuk – are taking advantage of a rare opportunity, staying at MSU for another year with an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Allen, Arcuri, Beesley, Campbell and Coghlin are all back for a sixth year, while Panasiuk returns for a fifth season. Including graduate transfers (CB Spencer Rowland, QB Anthony Russo, P Cody Waddell), MSU has eight players on its 2021 roster in their sixth season of eligibility.
• Michigan State is 84-37-3 (.690) all-time in season openers, including a 19-3 record (.864) in its last 22 games.
SPARTANS ADD 41 NEW PLAYERS TO 2021 ROSTER, INCLUDING 20 TRANSFERS –
• Michigan State has 41 new players on the 2021 roster. Twenty of those 41 players are transfers, including 17 from FBS programs and 14 from Power 5 schools. Here's a breakdown of the incoming transfers by conference/division:
-SEC (5): LB Quavaris Crouch-Tennessee; RB Harold Joiner-Auburn, CB Chester Kimbrough-Florida; TE Powers Warren-Mississippi State; CB Ronald Williams-Alabama
-ACC (4): WR Christian Fitzpatrick-Louisville; DE Drew Jordan-Duke; CB Marqui Lowery-Louisville; RB Kenneth Walker III-Wake Forest
-Big Ten (3): DE Itayvion Brown-Minnesota; TE Maliq Carr-Purdue; LB Ben VanSumeren-Michigan
-AAC (1): QB Anthony Russo-Temple
-Big 12 (1): P Cody Waddell-Texas Tech
-Pac-12 (1): CB Khary Crump-Arizona
-Sun Belt (1): OT Jarrett Horst-Arkansas State
-Independent (1): LB Samih Beydoun-Army West Point
-Division II (1): DB Kendell Brooks-North Greenville
-Division III (1): CB Spencer Rowland-Wheaton College
-Junior College (1): OT Brandon Baldwin-Independence Community College
QUICK LOOK AT THE 2021 SCHEDULE –
• For the first time since 1982, Michigan State will open the season with a conference road game as the Spartans travel to Evanston, Illinois, to take on defending Big Ten West Champion Northwestern on Friday, Sept. 3 at 9 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN. The Spartans defeated the eighth-ranked Wildcats (CFP) last season in Spartan Stadium on Nov. 28, 29-20.
• Michigan State's home opener is set for Saturday, Sept. 11 vs. Youngstown State at noon in Spartan Stadium. After a season without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will mark the first home game Spartan fans will be able to attend since Nov. 30, 2019, against Maryland. MSU is 2-0 all-time against Youngstown State, with wins over the Penguins in 2011 and 2013.
• The Spartans will then face Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, Sept. 18 at noon. It will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the Spartans and Hurricanes and the first since 1989.
• Michigan State hosts the first of four Big Ten home games on Saturday, Sept. 25 as Nebraska heads into East Lansing for the first time since the 2014 season.
• Homecoming is set for Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. against Western Kentucky in the first-ever matchup between the Spartans and Hilltoppers.
• MSU returns to Big Ten action with back-to-back road contests at noon against Rutgers (Oct. 9) and Indiana (Oct. 16).
• Following a bye week, the Paul Bunyan Trophy will be on the line as Michigan State hosts rival Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 30 in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans have won nine of the past 13 games over the Wolverines.
• MSU opens November with a road game at Purdue (Nov. 6) before welcoming Maryland to Spartan Stadium on Nov. 13. The Spartans will face defending Big Ten Champion Ohio State in Columbus on Nov. 20 and then close out the regular season against Penn State at home on Nov. 27.
MSU/NORTHWESTERN SERIES NOTES –
• Friday's game marks the 60th meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 39-20, including a 20-11 record in Evanston. MSU has won six of the last seven meetings at Ryan Field.
• Michigan State handed Northwestern its only loss of the regular season in 2020 as the Spartans beat the previously undefeated and eighth-ranked (CFP) Wildcats in East Lansing, 29-20, on Nov. 28. MSU ran for a season-high 195 yards on the ground and Jalen Nailor had three catches for 99 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. MSU is looking for its third consecutive win over Northwestern as the Spartans topped NU in Evanston in 2019, 31-10; Mark Dantonio became the winningest coach in program history with the victory.
TOP RETURNING STAT LEADERS FROM 2020 –
Michigan State:
Rushing – So. Jordon Simmons (56 carries for 219 yards, 3.9 avg., 0 TDs)
Passing – R-So. Payton Thorne (48-of-85, .565, 582 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs)
Receiving – R-Jr. Jayden Reed (33 catches for 407 yards, 12.3 avg., 3 TDs)
Tackles – R-Sr. Noah Harvey (54 tackles, 31 solos, 23 assists, 5.0 TFLs, 1 PBU)
Northwestern:
Rushing – So. Evan Hull (25 carries for 209 yards, 8.4 avg., 2 TDs)
Passing – N/A
Receiving – Sr. TE Charlie Mangieri (7 catches for 54 yards, 7.6 avg., 2 TDs)
Tackles – Gr. Chris Bergin (78 tackles, 40 solos, 38 assists, 4.0 TFLs, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT, 4 PBUs)
A QUICK GLANCE AT NORTHWESTERN (7-2, 6-1 B1G IN 2020) –
• The Wildcats are coming off a 7-2 campaign in 2020, finishing with a 35-19 win over Auburn in the Citrus Bowl. NU won the Big Ten West Division before falling to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game, 22-10. Northwestern started 5-0 last season, before Michigan State upset the eighth-ranked Wildcats, 29-20, on Nov. 28 in Spartan Stadium.
• Northwestern's defense led the Big Ten and ranked fifth in FBS in scoring defense (15.9 ppg), while ranking 10th in the conference in scoring offense (24.7 ppg). The Wildcat defense was also fourth in the league and 22nd in the nation in total defense (341.1 ypg), also topping the league and ranking tied for 19th in FBS in passing defense (195.3 ypg) and ranking seventh in rushing defense (145.9 ypg). Offensively, NU ranked ninth in total offense (360.7 ypg), ranking eighth in rushing offense (162.8 ypg) and 10th in passing offense (197.9 ypg).
• Individually, Northwestern has a bevy of players earning preseason recognition, led by sophomore safety Brandon Joseph, who has a lengthy list of preseason honors, including first-team AP Preseason All-American. Offensively, sophomore offensive lineman Peter Skoronski is also a preseason All-American.
• Northwestern is led by head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who is entering his 16th season at the helm of the Wildcats, posting a 106-81 overall record. Six of the full-time members of the Northwestern coaching staff have been coaching on the field for over 10 years, which is tied with Navy for the most in the country.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN (MSU 29, NO. 8 NORTHWESTERN 20; NOV. 28, 2020) –
EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 8 Northwestern put itself in position to play for the Big Ten title, then it hit the road. Michigan State was ready.
Matt Coghlin made a tiebreaking 48-yard field goal with 3:35 left, and the Spartans handed Northwestern (No. 8 CFP, No. 11 AP/No. 13 Coaches) its first loss of the season with a 29-20 victory on Nov. 28. The game was played in front of no fans due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Wildcats were coming off a 17-7 victory over Wisconsin that moved them into contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Spartans built a 17-0 lead in the first half on Lombardi's 75-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor early in the first quarter and Coghlin's 22-yard field goal with 7:06 left in the first. MSU took a 17-0 advantage as Lombardi found Reed in the end zone for a 15-yard TD strike on the first play of the second quarter.
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Northwestern scored two field goals in the second quarter to trim the halftime deficit to 17-6, then scored the only points of the third quarter on a Payton Ramsey 1-yard TD run to cut the Spartan lead to 17-13. The Wildcats grabbed a 20-17 lead on Cam Porter's 3-yard run early in the fourth.
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The Spartans tied the game at 20 on Coghlin's 44-yard field goal with 10:11 left in the game after forcing a turnover one snap following Lombardi's interception. Northwestern then turned the ball over again, as Shakur Brown intercepted his second pass of the day, and the Spartans took over at midfield. Lombardi rushed 12 yards for a first down on third-and-10Â to keep the drive alive, and Coghlin eventually connected on a 48-yard field goal with just 3:35 remaining.
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The Wildcats were forced to punt after a three-and-out, and didn't get the ball back until there was only 25 seconds remaining. Pinned back on its own 19-yard line, Northwestern was sacked on its first play of the drive, and ended the game by throwing laterals from deep in their end, trying to extend the play as time expired, only to have the Spartans recover the ball in the end zone for a touchdown at a fan-free game.
SPARTANS EARN PRESEASON HONORS –
Several Michigan State Spartans have earned preseason honors entering the 2021 season:
• DE Drew Beesley (Pro Football Focus, third-team All-Big Ten)
• K Matt Coghlin (Athlon Sports, third-team All-Big Ten; Pro Football Focus, honorable mention)
• LB Quavaris Crouch (named one of the top 100 impact transfers by The Athletic at No. 69)
• OG J.D. Duplain (Pro Football Focus, third-team All-Big Ten)
• LB Noah Harvey (Phil Steele, third-team All-Big Ten)
• S Xavier Henderson (Phil Steele, third-team All-Big Ten)
• RB Connor Heyward (Paul Hornung Award Watch List)
• OT Jarrett Horst (Outland Trophy Watch List)
• WR Jalen Nailor (Phil Steele, second-team All-Big Ten; Athlon Sports, third-team All-Big Ten )
• DE Jacub Panasiuk (Athlon Sports, second-team All-Big Ten; Pro Football Focus, third-team All-Big Ten)
• WR Jayden Reed (Paul Hornung Award Watch List; Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus, third-team All-Big Ten at kick returner)
• QB Anthony Russo (named one of the top 100 impact transfers by The Athletic at No. 86)
• DT Jacob Slade (Pro Fooball Focus, honorable mention All-Big Ten)
• RB Kenneth Walker III (Doak Walker Award Watch List; Pro Football Focus, first-team All-Big Ten; named one of the top 100 impact transfers by The Athletic at No. 30)
2021 SPARTAN COACHING STAFF –
• A new era of Spartan football began in 2020 as Mel Tucker started his head coaching tenure in East Lansing. Tucker, a 25-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 led him back to East Lansing included 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 149 games as a full-time coach in the FBS, Tucker's teams have collected a 108-41 (.725) 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 4-4 overall against AP Top 25 opponents (2-2 at Colorado; 2-2 at MSU). He became the first Spartan head coach to defeat a ranked team (AP No. 11 Northwestern) in his first home win.
• Nine of Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker's 10 assistant coaches from 2020 are back on the sidelines this fall for the Spartans. Tucker promoted Travares Tillman to an on-field role as cornerbacks coach in January after Tillman was a senior defensive assistant at MSU in 2020.
• In addition, Harlon Barnett, who is entering his 13th season overall on the Spartan defensive staff and second with Tucker, will transition from cornerbacks to secondary coach. Barnett has coached four All-Americans, nine first-team All-Big Ten selections and 10 NFL Draft picks during his time at MSU (2007-17; 2020-).
• Chris Kapilovic, who enters his second season as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Michigan State, was promoted to assistant head coach in January. Kapilovic, 52, joined Tucker's staff in East Lansing in February 2020 after spending the 2019 season as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator in Colorado. Kapilovic has nearly 30 years of coaching experience, including roles as an offensive coordinator and/or run game coordinator at Southern Mississippi (2008-11), North Carolina (2012-18) and Colorado (2019). He has coached multiple NFL players, first-round draft picks and record-setting offenses during his career.
• Jay Johnson is the program's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Johnson, 51, is a veteran coach and administrator of 26 seasons, including 11 as an offensive coordinator at five FBS schools (Michigan State, Colorado, Minnesota, Louisiana, Southern Mississippi) in addition to coaching quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends as a position coach.
• A 25-year coaching veteran with stints at all levels of collegiate football and the NFL, Scottie Hazelton is in his second season as the Secchia Family Defensive Coordinator. Last season, Hazelton installed a new 4-2-5 defensive scheme for the Spartans. Hazelton arrived in East Lansing after spending one season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Kansas State in 2019.
• Ted Gilmore coaches the tight ends for the Spartans. Gilmore, who has coached 26 years, has experience at the FBS and NFL ranks and has developed numerous NFL players, draft picks and All-Americans during his ccareer. He was named the 2011 FootballScoop Wide Receivers Coach of the Year after mentoring consensus All-American Robert Woods and 2011 Freshman All-American Marqise Lee at USC. Gilmore, 54, previously spent five seasons (2015-19) as the wide receivers coach at Wisconsin.
• Former Spartan great Courtney Hawkins is in his second season as the wide receivers coach, while William Peagler enters his second year coaching the running backs.
• With more than three decades of coaching experience, Ross Els is in his second season as the program's linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. Els, 54, has previous experience in the Big Ten, serving as the defensive coordinator at Purdue in 2016 and four seasons at Nebraska under Coach Bo Pelini from 2011-14.
• Ron Burton, who enters his 29th year of coaching, is in his ninth season on the defensive staff at Michigan State and coaches the defensive line. Burton is the only coach to win the FootballScoop National Defensive Line Coach of the Year Award twice, an honor he won for the second time in 2018 after MSU finished with the top-ranked rushing defense in the country. Burton also won the award during his first season in East Lansing in 2013 when the Spartans claimed the Big Ten Championship, won the Rose Bowl, and finished No. 2 in the FBS in total defense and rushing defense.
MICHIGAN STATE ONE OF THE WINNINGEST FBS PROGRAMS IN HISTORY –
• Michigan State is one of 31 programs in the FBS to win more than 700 games. The Spartans currently rank No. 27 all-time with 710 victories (all-time record: 710-470-44, .598).
ALL IN THE FAMILY –
• Michigan State has a deep family legacy on the 2021 roster, from siblings to fathers to relatives. In fact, nine players and five staff members have direct family connections who played Spartan football, or are alumni of the program.
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Legacy: Matt Allen (brothers Jack and Brian); Charles Brantley (uncle Herb Haygood); Michael Dowell (brothers Andrew and David); Dallas Fincher (father Mark); Tate Hallock (father Ty, brother Tanner); Jacob Isaia (grandfather Bob Apisa); Jacub Panasiuk (brother Mike); Darius Snow (uncle Percy), Geno VanDeMark (grandfather Allan).
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Brothers: Jacob/Zach Slade
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Alumni: DB coach Harlon Barnett (CB from 1986-89), Director of Player Engagement Darien Harris (LB from 2012-15), WR coach Courtney Hawkins (WR from 1988-91); Associate head strength and conditioning coach Lorenzo Guess (S from 1998-2001; Defensive analyst Kevin Vickerson (DE from 2001-04).
SPARTANS BOAST 18 GRADUATES ON 2021 ROSTER –
• Michigan State has 18 graduates on its 2021 roster:
Matt Allen – Food Industry Management (December 2020)
AJ Arcuri – Packaging (December 2020)
Drew Beesley – Economics (December 2020)
Luke Campbell – Kinesiology (December 2020)
Jack Camper – Agribusiness (Summer 2021)
Matt Carrick – Advertising (Summer 2021)
Matt Coghlin – Finance (December 2020)
Emmanuel Flowers – Communication (December 2020)
C.J. Hayes – Communication (December 2020)
Connor Heyward – Communication (Summer 2021)
Tyler Hunt – Agribusiness (May 2021)
Kevin Jarvis – Criminal Justice (December 2020)
Drew Jordan – Evolutionary Anthropology (December 2020 from Duke)
Jacub Panasiuk – Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science - Human Capital and Society (May 2021)
Spencer Rowland – Biology (December 2020 from Wheaton College)
Anthony Russo – Advertising (May 2020 from Temple)
Cody Waddell – University Studies (Spring 2021 from Texas Tech)
Powers Warren – Kinesiology/Sport Administration (May 2021 from Mississippi State)
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