Spartans Take On No. 13 Indiana for Old Brass Spittoon

Game 9: Michigan State (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) vs. No. 13/13 Indiana (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 2
Kickoff: 3:33 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Stadium: Spartan Stadium (74,866)
Surface: Natural Grass

►GAME DAY INFORMATION
Game Day Information (Parking/Tailgating/Timeline): msuspartans.com/gameday

Parking: Lots open at 7 a.m. | Parking Map

Game Day Updates: Fans can sign up to receive game day updates from MSU Police and Public Safety this season by texting SPARTANFB24 to 888777. Updates will include safety information, potential game delays, traffic suggestions, etc.

Construction/Traffic Information

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV/Streaming/Mobile: Peacock | PeacockTV.com
Announcers: Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Colt McCoy (analyst), Zora Stephenson (sidelines)
Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Live Stats

Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jason Strayhorn
Sidelines: Jehuu Caulcrick
Broadcast Host: Will Tieman
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/watch, 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: 23 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 383 | SiriusXM App
Pregame Show: Begins at 2 p.m.

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 50-18-2
Series in East Lansing: MSU leads, 26-8-1
Series in Big Ten Games: MSU leads, 47-15-1
Last Meeting: MSU 24, IU 21 (2023 in Bloomington)
Current Series Streak: 1 by MSU

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
MSU Record: 4-4 (first year)
Overall Record: 38-39 (seventh year)
Record vs. IU: 0-0

Indiana Head Coach: Curt Cignetti
IU Record: 8-0 (first year)
Overall Record: 127-35 (14th year)
Record vs. MSU: 0-0

►SPARTAN FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES
• Michigan State faces its third ranked opponent of the season as No. 13/13 Indiana heads to East Lansing on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 3:30 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. The game will be streamed exclusively on Peacock with Paul Bermeister (play-by-play), Colt McCoy (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (sidelines) on the call.

• MSU fell to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten following its 24-17 loss at Michigan last Saturday night in Ann Arbor. MSU opened the season 3-0 with wins over Florida Atlantic, Maryland and Prairie View A&M. The Spartans lost at Boston College in Week 4, 23-19, on a late fourth-quarter touchdown before falling to No. 3/3 Ohio State on Sept. 28 and at No. 6/6 Oregon on Oct. 4. Michigan State bounced back after its bye week with a 32-20 win over Iowa on Homecoming on Oct. 19. MSU will have its second bye week of the season following the Indiana game.

• Under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana is off to its first 8-0 start since 1967 and is also 5-0 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers beat Washington in Bloomington last Saturday in Memorial Stadium, 31-17.

• Saturday's game marks the 71st meeting between Michigan State and Indiana. The Spartans lead the all-time series against the Hoosiers, 50-18-2, including a 26-8-1 record in East Lansing. MSU defeated IU in Bloomington last season, 24-21, for its 12th win in the past 15 games in the series.

• Since 1950, the winner of the Michigan State-Indiana game has been presented the Old Brass Spittoon. The brass spittoon came from one of Michigan's earliest trading posts and is widely believed to be more than 200 years old. Legend has it that the spittoon was around when both institutions were founded – Indiana in 1820 and MAC in 1855. The trophy was initiated by the junior and senior classes and student council at Michigan
State, and soon accepted by the Indiana Student Senate. Since 1950, Michigan State leads the series, 50-15-1.

• Following a run of five consecutive night games, Michigan State is playing its first afternoon game since Sept. 14 against Prairie View A&M. The Spartans have played a total of six night games this season and will host Purdue at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22.

• Redshirt junior running back Nathan Carter rushed for a season-high 118 yards and one TD on 19 carries (6.2 avg.) at Michigan last Saturday night. Carter also collected a season-high 174 all-purpose yards as he caught two passes for a career-high 56 yards.

►AIDAN CHILES RECORDS CAREER-HIGH COMPLETION PERCENTAGE IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES
• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles has passed for a career-high completion percentage in back-to-back games for the Spartans. Chiles was 22-for-30 passing for a career-high 73.3 completion percentage in the win over Iowa on Oct. 19 to earn Spartan Offensive Player of the Week honors. His 256 passing yards were the second most this season (career-high 363 at Maryland on Sept. 7). Chiles also compiled 307 yards of total offense with 11 carries for 51 rushing yards, including a career-long 26-yard rush in the third quarter.

• Chiles was 17-of-23 passing (.739) for 189 yards and one TD at Michigan last Saturday night. He is 39-of-53 (.736) passing the past two games against the Hawkeyes and Wolverines.

• Chiles is off to a 4-4 start as the starting quarterback for the Spartans. He has completed 61 percent of his passes (125-of-205) for 1,657 yards (207.1 ypg), seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Long Beach, California, native is in his first season in East Lansing after playing in a back-up role as a true freshman at Oregon State in 2023. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 27th in the FBS in passing yards per completion (13.3).

• Chiles is also tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns; he has a net of 172 rushing yards on 64 carries (21.5 ypg).

►SPARTANS FEATURE A PAIR OF 2,000-YARD CAREER RUSHERS IN THE BACKFIELD
• Michigan State features two running backs – sixth-year graduate transfer Kay'ron Lynch-Adams and redshirt junior Nathan Carter – who have both rushed for more than 2,000 career yards. Carter (2,193) and Lynch-Adams (2,347) are one of eight duos on the same team in the FBS to have more than 2,000 career rushing yards (Missouri, Ohio State, UCF, Ole Miss, Penn State, Michigan State, Auburn, South Carolina).

• Lynch-Adams, who transferred from UMass over the summer, leads the Spartans in rushing after eight games, averaging 57.4 yards per game (92 carries for 459 yards; 5.0 avg., 2 TDs). He surpassed the 2,000-career rushing milestone with 46 yards on 10 carries at Maryland; he now has 2,347 career rushing yards – 32nd among active players in the FBS – and 18 rushing TDs in 56 collegiate games.

• Lynch-Adams and Carter have combined for 65 percent of the team's overall rushing attempts (178 of 272) and 94 percent from the running back room (178 of 190).

• Michigan State rushed for a season-high 212 yards against Iowa on Oct. 19, averaging 5.3 yards per carry (40 carries). MSU followed up with 163 yards on 42 carries at Michigan on Oct. 26.

►SPARTANS RANK 23RD IN FBS IN TOTAL DEFENSE
• Michigan State ranks 23rd in the FBS in total defense, allowing 315.9 yards per game. The Spartans have held five opponents under 300 yards of total offense this season (Florida Atlantic, 248; Prairie View A&M, 140; Boston College, 292; Iowa, 283; Michigan, 265).

►LINEBACKER CAL HALADAY EXTENDS STARTING STREAK TO 31 STRAIGHT GAMES
• Fifth-year graduate senior linebacker Cal Haladay has started 31 consecutive games, the longest active streak on the team. He is currently tied for second on the Spartan defense with 40 tackles; his 347 career tackles rank ninth most in MSU history and fifth among active players in the FBS.

►SPARTANS EXCEL IN KICKING GAME
• Michigan State features one of the best kicking duos in all of college football with sixth-year graduate placekicker Jonathan Kim and redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley. Kim is 16-of-18 on field goals for the season to rank first in the Big Ten and tied for third in the FBS in made field goals. Eckley, who is on the Ray Guy Award Watch List, ranks second in the Big Ten with his 48.4-yard punting average; 14 of his 26 punts this season (54 percent) have been for 50-plus yards.

• Kim earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors and was named one of the Lou Groza Award three stars of the week and after setting a school record with six field goals in the win over Iowa. A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Kim connected on six of his seven field-goal attempts, including a season-long 55-yarder in the fourth quarter. He also was good from 42, 43, 36, 29 and 46 yards out. It also tied a modern-day Big Ten record, matching Jake Moody of Michigan with six field goals vs. Indiana (11/17/18); E.C. Robertson of Purdue owns the overall record with seven field goals on Oct. 27, 1900, vs. Rose Poly. With 20 points overall against Iowa, including two PATs, Kim also set a top scoring mark in modern-day Big Ten history by a kicker, bettering the 19 points by Moody in 2018 vs. Indiana.

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – Gr.-6 Kay'ron Lynch-Adams (92 carries for 459 yards, 5.0 avg., 2 TDs, 57.4 ypg)
Passing – So. Aidan Chiles (125-of-205, .610, 1,657 yards, 7 TDs, 9 INTs, 207.1 ypg)
Receiving – Sr.-5 Montorie Foster Jr. (31 receptions for 418 yards, 13.5 avg., 2 TDs, 52.3 ypg)
Tackles – Sr.-5 LB Jordan Turner (48 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 1 INT)

Indiana:
Rushing – Sr.-5 Justice Ellison (102 carries for 637 yards, 6.2 avg., 9 TDs, 79.6 ypg)
Passing – Sr.-6 Kurtis Rourke (135-of-181, .746, 1,941 yards, 15 TDs, 3 INTs, 277.3 ypg)
Receiving – Jr. Elijah Sarratt (33 receptions for 590 yards, 17.9 avg., 3 TDs, 73.8 ypg)
Tackles – Jr. LB Aiden Fisher (75 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 2 PBUs)

►QUICK GLANCE AT NO. 13 INDIANA (8-0, 5-0 BIG TEN)
• The Hoosiers are ranked No. 13 in both the AP Top 25 and the AFCA Coaches Poll as one of eight unbeaten teams in FBS, bringing an 8-0 overall record to East Lansing for the battle for the Old Brass Spittoon. Indiana is currently tied with No. 1 Oregon atop the league standings with 5-0 B1G ledgers.

• IU improved to 8-0 for the first time since 1967 with a 31-17 win over Washington last Saturday afternoon, capping an event-filled day with national attention, starting with ESPN College GameDay on site and ending the day with 15 run-plays in a row to seal the win in front of a sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium.

• The Hoosiers were slightly outgained by the Huskies in total offense, 318-312, but turned two interceptions by sophomore defensive back D'Angelo Ponds into two TDs, starting with a 67-yard pick six in the first quarter to open the scoring and the other coming early in the second stanza to set up a 42-yard TD pass two plays later and a 14-0 IU advantage.

• Redshirt sophomore back-up quarterback Tayven Jackson filled in for redshirt senior starter Kurtis Rourke, who was out with a thumb injury, and threw one TD and ran for another. Jackson is 23-of-37 passing for 349 yards (69.8 ypg) for the season with four TDs and one INT.

• Indiana leads the B1G and ranks second in the FBS in scoring offense at 46.5 points per game, while ranking second in the conference and seventh in the country in scoring defense, limiting the opposition to 14.1 ppg.

• The Hoosier offense leads the league and ranks sixth in the nation in total offense (487.6 ypg), ranking second in the conference and 25th in the country in rushing offense (200.6 ypg), along with fourth in the B1G and 21st in the FBS in passing offense (287.0 ypg), including topping the league and ranking eighth in the nation in passing yards/completion (14.4).

• Indiana's defense is third in the conference and fifth in the country in total defense (269.5 ypg), leading the B1G and ranking fourth in the FBS in rushing defense (86.1 ypg) and seventh in the league and 24th in the nation in passing yards allowed (183.4 ypg). The Hoosier defense also tops the conference and ranks 14th in the country in team sacks/game (3.0).

• Individually, Rourke leads the nation in passing efficiency (188.7) and ranks second in both the B1G and FBS in completion percentage (.746), along with topping the conference and ranking ninth in the country in passing yards/completion (14.4), and fourth in the league and 15th in the nation in passing yards/game (277.3). Rourke is 135-of-181 passing for 1,941 yards with 15 TDs and three INTs.

•Senior running back Justice Ellison is fourth in the B1G and 22nd in the FBS in rushing TDs with nine, in addition to ninth in the league and 49th in the nation in rushing yards/game (79.6) with 102 carries on 637 yards.

• Junior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is sixth in the conference and 42nd in the country in receiving yards/game (73.8), with a team-leading 33 receptions for 590 yards, ranking third in the league and 41st in the nation in yards/reception (17.9) with three TDs.

• Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is first in the B1G and fourth in the FBS in yards/reception (22.7), on 20 catches for 453 yards (56.6 ypg) with four scores.

• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Mikail Kamara leads the B1G and ranks tied for eighth in the FBS in total sacks (7), as well as second in the league and 11th in the nation in sacks/game (0.88). Kamara is also second in the conference and tied for 18th in the country in total tackles for loss (10.0), including third in the league and 21st in the nation in tackles for loss/game (1.3).

• Junior linebacker Aiden Fisher is third in the B1G and 15th in the FBS in tackles/game (9.4) with 75 total stops, adding 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, with three QB hurries and two pass break-ups.

• Hoosier head coach Curt Cignetti is the first Indiana head coach to start his head coaching tenure 8-0, and is also the first FBS head coach to post back-to-back 8-0 starts at two different schools after coming to Indiana from James Madison, where he posted a 52-9 mark there in his five seasons leading the Dukes. Cignetti has a 127-35 overall record in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach.

►SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the 71st meeting between Michigan State and Indiana. The Spartans lead the all-time series against the Hoosiers, 50-18-2, including a 26-8-1 record in East Lansing. MSU defeated IU in Bloomington last season, 24-21, for its 12th win in the past 15 games in the series.

►BATTLE FOR THE OLD BRASS SPITTOON
• Since 1950, the winner of the Michigan State-Indiana game has been presented the Old Brass Spittoon. The brass spittoon came from one of Michigan's earliest trading posts and is widely believed to be more than 200 years old. Legend has it that the spittoon was around when both institutions were founded – Indiana in 1820 and MAC in 1855. The trophy was initiated by the junior and senior classes and student council at Michigan
State, and soon accepted by the Indiana Student Senate. Since 1950, Michigan State leads the series, 50-15-1.

►SPARTANS FROM THE HOOSIER STATE
• Michigan State's 2024 roster one player from the state of Indiana, redshirt sophomore defensive end James Schott (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove High School).

Nathan Nate Carter vs Michigan

LAST TIME OUT: MICHIGAN 24, MSU 17

►GAME RECAP
• Michigan State fell at Michigan, 24-17, last Saturday night before a crowd of 110,849 at Michigan Stadium.

• Down 24-10 in the fourth quarter, the Spartans rallied to make it 24-17 on Aidan Chiles' 20-yard touchdown pass to Nick Marsh with 6:12 remaining, but MSU was stopped on fourth down from the Michigan 16-yard line with under two minutes remaining on its final possession of the game.

• Redshirt junior running back Nathan Carter led the Spartans with a season-high 118 yards and one touchdown as MSU outrushed Michigan, 163-119. Michigan State also held a 352-265 advantage in total offense and 37:05-22:55 on time of possession.

• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles was 17-of-23 passing (.739) for 189 yards and one touchdown.

• Defensively, junior safety Malik Spencer led MSU with 10 tackles, while fifth-year senior linebacker Cal Haladay had six stops.

►SCORING SUMMARY
• Michigan State drove 68 yards on 14 plays and took 8:08 off the clock on its opening possession, but missed a 25-yard field goal and came away empty on the series; however, after forcing a three-and-out, the Spartans went right back down the field on their second series and scored a touchdown to go up, 7-0, with 10 seconds remaining in the quarter. Carter capped a 62-yard, nine-play drive with a 2-yard run, his third rushing TD of the season.

• The Wolverines scored nine points in the final 30 seconds of the second quarter to take a 9-7 lead into halftime. Colston Loveland caught a 10-yard TD pass from Davis Warren, but the Wolverines did miss the extra point. The Spartans then fumbled just before the half at the Michigan 34, and UM took advantage with a 37-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada to take the lead.

• Michigan extended its lead to 16-7 on Alex Orji's 2-yard rushing TD at the 9:49 mark in the third quarter.

• The Spartans trimmed the margin to 16-10 as Jonathan Kim connected on a 46-yard field goal with 3:45 left in the third.

• Loveland caught his second TD pass, this time from 23 yards out on a halfback pass by Donovan Edwards, and the Wolverines made the 2-point conversion to take a 24-10 lead with 13:20 remaining.

• Marsh's 20-yard TD capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive for Michigan State that took 7:08 off the clock. MSU got the ball back its own 49-yard line with 4:34 left and drove the ball to the UM 16, but couldn't convert on a fourth-and-5 pass at the 1:52 mark. Michigan converted one first down and then ran out the clock to seal the victory.

►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• MSU had six different rushers in the game, including five different ball carriers on the opening drive, on the way to outgaining UM on the ground, 163-119, marking only the seventh time in the last 55 games that the most productive ground attack was not the winning team.

• The Spartans' 163 rushing yards marked the fourth time this season MSU has rushed over 150 yards.

• The Spartans' 13-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 7:08 in the fourth quarter was Michigan State's longest TD drive of the season for both plays and time of possession.

• Redshirt junior running back Nathan Carter scored his third rushing TD of the season with his 2-yard plunge to the end zone in the first quarter for the Spartans' opening TD of the game . . . it was Carter's second straight game with a rushing TD after his one score vs. Iowa, as part of his third of the season, along with seventh during his MSU career and ninth collegiate TD.

• Carter finished with a season-high tying 19 carries for a season-high 118 yards, registering his first 100-yard outing of the season and first since 108 vs. Iowa last season . . . it was also his MSU career high, bettering his previous Spartan-best of 113 in his Green & White debut in the 2023 season opener vs. Central Michigan (9/1/23) . . . with 118 yards, Carter topped his previous season-high of 91 yards vs. Prairie View A&M (9/21/24).

• Carter snared a 26-yard reception in the first quarter for what at the time was his MSU career-long as well as the second-longest reception of his career behind a 47-yarder during his freshman season at UConn . . . he then topped that MSU career-best with a 30-yard reception in the fourth quarter, setting up MSU at the UM 21 on the Spartans' final drive . . . Carter ended the night with a team-leading and collegiate career best 56 yards on two receptions.

• With the 118 rushing yards and 56 receiving yards, Carter finished with an MSU career-high 174 all-purpose yards, and the second-most of his collegiate career, behind his top mark of 200 yards, vs. Utah State (9/27/22) while at UConn.

• Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh snared his second TD catch of the season with his 20-yard scoring catch and run for a TD in the fourth quarter . . . Marsh finished with a team-high tying four catches for 42 yards, for his third game with four or more receptions.

• With a reception in the first quarter, senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. extended his team-leading streak of at least one reception to 21 games in a row, dating back to 2022 . . . Foster now has at least one catch in 31 of his last 43 career games played . . . he ended with a team-high tying four catches for 44 yards.

►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Junior defensive back Malik Spencer registered a season-high 10 tackles, tallying double-digit stops for the second time of his career as his top two tackle totals have come against Michigan as his career-high of 11 was vs. UM last season (10/21/23).

• The Spartans held Michigan to 119 rushing yards and 265 yards of total offense.

►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Graduate placekicker Jonathan Kim made a 46-yard field goal in the third quarter and is now 7-of-9 on field goals in the last two games after making 6-of-7 vs. Iowa and missing his first FG attempt in the first quarter (25 yards out), which was his first miss of the season inside of 55 yards . . . Kim is now 16-of-18, leading the B1G and ranking tied for third in the FBS in field goals made.

• Kim was also 2-of-2 on PATs and is now 15-of-16 in extra points this season . . . he added three kickoffs with touchbacks on all three, for his most touchbacks in the last four games, but third game with three or more touchbacks . . . Kim now has 22 touchbacks this season, giving him 20+ touchbacks in six years as a collegiate kicker and now has 50 touchbacks for his MSU career and 239 touchbacks for his collegiate career.

• For his career, Kim is also now 35-of-36 on PATs and 29-of-37 on FGs.

• Ray Guy Award Watch List member redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley punted for the first time since Oct. 4 at Oregon after the Spartans' bye week and MSU did not punt at all in MSU's game vs. Iowa . . . Eckley ended the game with three punts for a 51.7 yards per punt average with all three going 50 or more yards . . . he boomed a 51-yarder on his first punt, early in the second quarter, and added a 54-yarder later in the second stanza and finished the game with a 50-yarder in the third quarter.

Game 9: Michigan State (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) vs. No. 13/13 Indiana (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten)

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Players Mentioned

Aidan Chiles

Ryan Eckley

Montorie Foster Jr.

Cal Haladay

Jonathan Kim

Kay'ron Lynch-Adams

Nick Marsh

James Schott

Malik Spencer

Malik Spencer

Jordan Turner