Michigan State Hosts Rutgers on Senior Day at Spartan Stadium

Game 12: Michigan State (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) vs. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 30
Kickoff: 3:35 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: FS1
Streaming/Mobile: FOX Sports app
Announcers: Dan Hellie (play-by-play), Petros Papadakis (analyst)
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. 132/196 | SiriusXM App
Pregame Show: Begins at 2 p.m.

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 10-5
Series in East Lansing: MSU leads, 5-3
Series in Big Ten Games: MSU leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: Rutgers 27, MSU 24 (2023 in Piscataway)
Current Series Streak: 1 by Rutgers

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
MSU Record: 5-6 (first year)
Overall Record: 39-41 (seventh year)
Record vs. Rutgers: 0-0

Rutgers Head Coach: Greg Schiano
Rutgers Record: 93-100 (16th year)
Overall Record: 93-100 (16th year)
Record vs. MSU: 3-3

►SPARTAN FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES
• Michigan State will look to win its sixth game of the season and become bowl eligible as it hosts Rutgers on Senior Day at 3:35 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 in Spartan Stadium. The game will be televised on FS1 with Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst) on the call.

• MSU improved to 5-6 and 3-5 in Big Ten play with a 24-17 win over Purdue last Friday night in Spartan Stadium, while Rutgers (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) fell at home on Saturday to Illinois, 38-31.

• Four of Michigan State's seniors who will be recognized on Senior Day have played more than 50 games wearing the Green and White and have spent their entire collegiate careers in East Lansing: fifth-year senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. (53 games), fifth-year graduate linebacker Cal Haladay (52 games), sixth-year graduate defensive tackle Maverick Hansen (52 games) and fifth-year graduate defensive back Angelo Grose (51 games).

• Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith is looking to become the fourth Spartan head coach to earn a bowl bid in his first season in East Lansing (Nick Saban, 1995; John L. Smith, 2003; Mark Dantonio, 2007).

• The Spartans opened the season 3-0 with wins over Florida Atlantic, Maryland and Prairie View A&M. In Week 4, Michigan State lost at Boston College, 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 first bye week with a 32-20 win over Iowa on Homecoming on Oct. 19, but then lost three straight before defeating Purdue last Friday to improve to 5-6.

• Saturday's game marks the 16th meeting between Michigan State and Rutgers. The Spartans lead the overall series, 10-5, including an 8-2 mark in Big Ten play. MSU is 5-3 against Rutgers in East Lansing, including a 27-21 victory in the last meeting in Spartan Stadium in 2022. Rutgers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Spartans, 27-24, last year in Piscataway.

►NICK MARSH RANKS AMONG THE BEST FRESHMAN WIDE RECEIVERS IN THE NATION
• True freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh ranks 10th in the Big Ten with 63.6 receiving yards per game; that mark also ranks third among FBS freshmen and tied for 80th overall in the FBS. The Detroit native leads the team in receiving yards (636) and ranks second in receptions (39). He also ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 16.3 yards per catch. Marsh's 636 receiving yards are the most ever by a Spartan true freshman (previous: Cody White with 490 in 2017).

►SOPHOMORE AIDAN CHILES IN HIS FIRST YEAR AS STARTING QUARTERBACK FOR MSU
• Sophomore Aidan Chiles has completed 60 percent of his passes (179-of-300) for 2,265 yards (205.9 ypg), 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first year as the starting quarterback for the Spartans. 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 37th in the FBS in passing yards per completion (12.7).

• Chiles also ranks second on the team with three rushing touchdowns; he has a net of 236 rushing yards on 93 carries (21.5 ypg), but has gained a total of 416 yards on the ground. According to PFF, Chiles has accumulated 28 rushing first downs and 14 carries of 10-plus yards.

• Chiles is just the sixth Spartan sophomore quarterback to pass for more than 2,000 yards in a single season (Payton Thorne with 3,233 in 2021; Brian Lewerke with 2,793 in 2017; Connor Cook with 2,755 in 2013; Kirk Cousins with 2,680 in 2009; Jeff Smoker with 2,579 in 2001). Thorne, Lewerke, Cook and Cousins all took a redshirt year and those totals came in their redshirt sophomore season; Smoker was a true sophomore in 2001.

• Chiles has thrown for 250-plus yards in three games this season, including a career-high 363 in the win at Maryland on Sept. 7, which was the eighth-highest total in MSU history. He threw for 256 yards both in the win over Iowa on Oct. 19 and at Illinois on Nov. 16.

►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 (2,233) and Lynch-Adams (2,468) are one of 11 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, Texas State, Boston College, USF). Lynch-Adams has 2,468 career rushing yards in 59 collegiate games and needs just 32 yards to reach 2,500 for his career.

• Lynch-Adams and Carter have combined for 63 percent of the team's overall rushing attempts (233 of 370) and 95 percent from the running back room (233 of 246).

►MONTORIE FOSTER JR. ECLIPSES CENTURY MARK FOR CAREER RECEPTIONS
• Fifth-year senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. has set new career highs for both receptions (team-best 46) and receiving yards (588) while tying his career high with three touchdowns in his final season wearing the Green and White. He had four catches for 59 yards, including a 7-yard TD grab, in the win over Purdue.

• Foster leads all active Spartans with 108 career catches for 1,426 yards and eight TDs in 53 games, including 27 starts (23 consecutive).

• Foster is the 34th Spartan in school history with at least 100 career catches and has caught at least one pass in 24 consecutive games. The Cleveland, Ohio, native ranks among the all-time school leaders in receptions (tied for 28th with 108), receiving yards (32nd with 1,426) and TD catches (tied for 38th with 8).

►SPARTANS RANK 34TH IN FBS IN TOTAL DEFENSE, 28TH IN RUSHING DEFENSE
• Michigan State ranks 34th in the FBS in total defense, allowing 329.0 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). MSU also ranks among the national leaders in rushing defense, allowing just 117.5 yards per game to rank 28th in the FBS.

►LINEBACKER CAL HALADAY EXTENDS STARTING STREAK TO 34 STRAIGHT GAMES
• Fifth-year graduate senior linebacker Cal Haladay has started 34 consecutive games, the longest active streak on the team and tied for the 12th-longest in school history. He is currently second on the Spartan defense with 52 tackles; his 359 career tackles rank ninth most in MSU history and also eighth among active players in the FBS. He has started in 46 of his 52 career games at MSU.

►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 19-of-21 (.905) on field goals for the season to rank first in the Big Ten and tied for ninth in the FBS in made field goals; he has been named one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award.

• Eckley, who was on the Ray Guy Award Watch List, ranks second in the Big Ten with his 48.6-yard punting average; 20 of his 40 punts this season (50 percent) have been for 50-plus yards.

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – Gr.-6 Kay'ron Lynch-Adams (124 carries for 580 yards, 4.7 avg., 2 TDs, 52.7 ypg)
Passing – So. Aidan Chiles (179-of-300, .597, 2,265 yards, 12 TDs, 11 INTs, 205.9 ypg)
Receiving – Sr.-5 Montorie Foster Jr. (46 receptions for 588 yards, 12.8 avg., 3 TDs, 53.5 ypg)
Tackles – Sr.-5 LB Jordan Turner (60 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 2 INTs)

Rutgers:
Rushing – Sr. Kyle Monangai (225 carries for 1,150 yards, 5.1 avg., 12 TDs, 115.0 ypg)
Passing – Sr. Athan Kaliakmanis (186-of-341, .546, 2,302 yards, 16 TDs, 6 INTs, 209.3 ypg)
Receiving – Sr. WR Dymere Miller (53 receptions for 683 yards, 12.9 avg., 4 TDs, 62.1 ypg)
Tackles – Jr. LB Dariel Djabome (95 tackles, 6.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FF)

►QUICK GLANCE AT RUTGERS (6-5, 3-5 BIG TEN)
• The Scarlet Knights charge into Saturday's regular-season finale with a 6-5 overall record and a 3-5 B1G mark. Last time out, Rutgers was edged by No. 25 Illinois, 38-31, in a wild fourth quarter and finish, as the Illini outscored Rutgers, 23-14, in the fourth quarter alone, scoring the game-winning touchdown with four seconds left to cap the frantic finish.

• Saturday's loss denied Rutgers of a three-game win streak, as the Scarlet Knights beat Minnesota, 26-19, on Nov. 9 and won 31-17 at Maryland on Nov. 16. RU started the season 4-0, before a four-game losing skein. The Scarlet Knights then got back on track with the wins over the Golden Gophers and Terrapins, before the loss to the Illini.

• Rutgers is eighth in the B1G in scoring offense (26.7 ppg), while ranking 13th in scoring defense (24.7 ppg).

• The RU offense is eighth in the conference in total offense (382.6 ypg), boosted by ranking fourth in the league and 50th in the nation in rushing offense (173.4 ypg), while ranking 13th in the B1G in passing offense (209.3 ypg).

• Defensively, the Scarlet Knights are 17th in the league in total defense (393.2 ypg), ranking 14th in the conference in rushing defense (151.5 ypg) and 15th in the B1G in passing yards allowed (241.7 ypg).

• Rutgers leads the conference and ranks tied for fifth in the country in fewest fumbles lost (2). RU is also third in the league and tied for ninth in the nation in fewest penalties per game (4.45).

• Individually, senior quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has thrown every Rutgers pass of the season, on 186-of-341 (.545) passing for 2,302 yards, with 16 TDs and six INTs. Kaliakmanis is sixth in the conference and 46th in the country in passing yards/completion (12.38), while ranking seventh in the B1G and 50th in the FBS in passing TDs (7), also ranking ninth in the league and 68th in the nation in total offense (228.9 ypg), including 19.6 ypg rushing on 76 carries for 216 yards (2.8 ypc) with three TDs.

• Senior running back Kyle Monangai is second in the B1G and 13th in the FBS in rushing yards/game (115.0), along with second in the conference and 25th in the country in rushing TDs (12) in addition to 10th in the league and 83rd in the nation in rushing yards/carry (5.11). Monangai has 225 carries for 1,150 yards, which also ranks second in the B1G and 15th in the FBS in total rushing yards. He adds 14 catches for 75 yards with one TD.

• Senior wide receiver Dymere Miller leads the RU receivers with 53 receptions for 683 yards with four TDs. Miller ranks 10th in the B1G in receptions/game (4.8), 12th in receiving yards/game (62.1) and tied for 15th in receiving TDs (4).

• Junior linebacker Dariel Djabome anchors the Scarlet Knight defense with 94 total tackles, ranking fourth in the B1G and 30th in the FBS in total tackles, also ranking fourth in the conference and 31st in the country in tackles/game (8.64). He adds 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, along with two forced fumbles and one pass break-up.

• Senior defensive back Robert Longerbeam is tied for second in the B1G with 11 passes defended (10 PBU, 1 INT), tying for the league lead in pass break-ups, and fourth in passes defended/game (1.10).

• Fellow senior defensive back Shaquan Loyal is close behind Longerbeam at tied for eighth in the B1G with nine passes defended (7 PBU, 2 INT), tied for ninth in passes defended/game (0.82) and 10th in pass break-ups. Loyal is also second on the team with 65 tackles, adding 3.0 TFL.

• Junior placekicker Jai Patel is 33-of-34 on PATs and 9-of-13 on field goals, with a long of 49.

• Freshman punter Jakob Anderson has 45 punts for a 42.4 ypp average with a long of 61-yards, one of six punts of 50+ yards, pinning 15 inside the 20.

• Greg Schiano in his second stint as Rutgers head coach, in his fifth season back in Piscataway and 16th season overall with the Scarlet Knights, amassing a total record of 93-100.

►RUTGERS CONNECTIONS
• Michigan State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi spent four seasons at Rutgers as the special teams coordinator (2012-13) and defensive coordinator/safeties coach (2014-15). He was a part of three bowl teams during his time with the Scarlet Knights (2012 Russell Athletic, 2013 Pinstripe, 2014 Quick Lane).

• MSU sixth-year graduate running back Kay'ron Lynch-Adams played his first two seasons at Rutgers (2019-20) before transferring to UMass (2021-23) and then Michigan State (2024). Lynch-Adams played in 18 games for the Scarlet Knights and rushed for 320 yards and four TDs during his time in Piscataway.

►SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the 16th meeting between Michigan State and Rutgers. The Spartans lead the overall series, 10-5, including an 8-2 mark in Big Ten play.

• MSU is 5-3 against Rutgers in East Lansing, including a 27-21 victory in the last meeting in Spartan Stadium in 2022.

• Rutgers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Spartans, 27-24, last year in Piscataway.

Alex VanSumeren defense vs Purdue

LAST TIME OUT: MSU 24, PURDUE 17

►GAME HIGHLIGHTS
• Under windy and rainy conditions, Michigan State defeated Purdue, 24-17, last Friday night at Spartan Stadium.

• Fifth-year senior Montorie Foster Jr. caught four passes for 59 yards, including a 7-yard TD in the first quarter, to lead the Spartan wide receivers. Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 15 of his 31 throws for 159 yards and two touchdowns, marking his second straight game with multiple TD passes.

• Sixth-year graduate senior Kay'ron Lynch-Adams paced the Spartans on the ground with 18 carries for 85 yards and had 103 all-purpose yards after also catching three passes for 18 yards. Redshirt junior running back Nathan Carter scored two touchdowns with a 2-yard run and then a 20-yard catch in the second quarter and finished with 47 all-purpose yards (32 receiving, 15 rushing).

• Defensively, fifth-year graduate senior cornerback Ed Woods tied his career high and had a season-high nine tackles. The Spartans recorded three sacks and nine tackles for loss in the game, as 10 different players had at least a half tackle for loss. Fifth-year graduate defensive back Angelo Grose had a 10-yard sack with six tackles overall, while sixth-year graduate defensive end Khris Bogle had five tackles and an 11-yard sack.

• Fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Turner recorded his second interception of the season and fifth of his career to go along with a 1-yard TFL and three stops overall.

• Purdue outgained Michigan State, 338-293, but the Spartans won the turnover battle, 2-0, with Turner's interception and a fumble recovery by Maverick Hansen in the second quarter. MSU did hold the Boilermakers to a season-low minus-4 yards rushing.

►GAME SUMMARY
• Although Purdue kicked a field goal on its opening series, Michigan State stormed back to score 24 unanswered points in the first half, scoring on all four of its possessions to take a 24-3 halftime lead.

• Foster scored the first TD for the Spartans, catching a 7-yard pass in the end zone from Chiles to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Jonathan Kim connected on a 43-yard field goal at the 12:07 mark in the second quarter to make it 10-3 in favor of the Spartans.

• MSU took advantage of a Purdue defensive pass interference penalty on its third drive to get into the end zone for the second time, as Carter ran in from 2 yards out midway through the second quarter. Carter scored his second touchdown of the game, this time on a 20-yard reception from Chiles, with just 41 seconds left in the half as the Spartans marched 84 yards on 10 plays in just 1:55 to make it 24-3 at the break.

• Purdue scored its first TD on Devin Mockobee's 2-yard run at the 5:49 mark in the third quarter, and cut the Spartan lead to 24-17 on Hudson Card's 7-yard pass to Max Klare early in the fourth quarter.

• With the Boilermakers driving midway through the fourth, Turner intercepted a tipped pass at the Spartan 31-yard line for MSU's second forced turnover of the game, but the Spartans were forced to punt on the ensuing series. Michigan State then forced a turnover on downs at the Purdue 47 with 3:04 left to play, and ran out the clock after converting two first downs to seal the win. With MSU facing a fourth-and-1 from the Boilermaker 28-yard line at the 2:00 mark, Chiles rushed up the middle for 1 yard and the first down, then kneeled down twice to end the game.

►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles was 15-of-31 for 159 yards and two TDs . . . Chiles now has thrown two TDs in back-to-back games after his two TD tosses at Illinois and his third multiple TD game, joining his season-high three at Maryland (9/7/24).

• Redshirt junior running back Nathan Carter had a rushing and receiving TD in the same game for not just the first time of his collegiate career, but also the first by a Michigan State player since Sept. 18, 2021, when Jayden Reed had a rushing and receiving TD in the Spartans' win at Miami (Fla.).

• After not having a receiving TD in his previous 21 games as a Spartan and 37 in his collegiate career, Carter now has a TD catch in back-to-back games after snaring the first of his career at Illinois (11/16/24).

• Graduate running back Kay'ron Lynch-Adams had game highs of 18 carries for 85 yards . . . the 18 rushing attempts were the most of his MSU career, topping his previous mark of 15 carries, reached three times, most recently vs. Iowa (10/19/24), and the most overall since 23 vs. Merrimack during his time at UMass.

• Senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. snared his third TD catch of the season with the 7-yard catch from Chiles in the first quarter, and his last two scoring catches have come at home, joining his TD catch vs. Iowa (10/19/24), along with the first one of the season at Maryland (9/14/24) . . . overall, it was Foster's eighth TD catch of his career, moving up to tied for No. 38 on MSU's career TD receptions list . . . Foster finished leading the team in catches and yards with four receptions for 59 yards . . . he moved up to tied for No. 28 on MSU's career receptions list . . . the 59 yards gives him 1,426 for his career, becoming the 33rd MSU player with 1,400 career yards and moving up to No. 32 on MSU's career receiving yards list.

• Foster also extended his team-best streak of at least one catch in 24 straight games dating back to the last game of 2022, in all 12 games in 2023 and all 11 games so far of 2024.

►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Michigan State did not allow a Purdue rushing first down . . . it marked Purdue's third time in its program history without a rushing first down, with two of the three occasions coming at Michigan State (previous time vs. MSU was on Oct. 27, 1990).

• It was MSU's first time holding the opposition without a rushing first down since Nov. 15, 2014, at Maryland and was the sixth time in a Big Ten game in school history, as the 2014 Maryland game and 1990 Purdue games joined 2013 by Iowa, 1999 by Ohio State and 1965 by Ohio State.

• The Spartan defense also held Purdue to -4 yards rushing, marking the first time holding the opposition to negative rushing yards since -73 against Tulsa on Aug. 30, 2019.

• MSU's defense registered three sacks, their first sack in over six games, as the last game with a sack was at Boston College (9/21/24) . . . the three sacks was tied for the third-most in a game this season, behind the top mark of seven sacks in the season opener vs. Florida Atlantic (8/30/24) and four at Boston College, joining the three vs. Prairie View A&M (9/14/24).

• Fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Turner snared his second interception of the season and fifth of his collegiate career.

• Graduate defensive back Ed Woods posted nine tackles, the most of his MSU career and tying his collegiate career of nine stops during his time at Arizona State, doing so vs. Stanford (10/22/22) during his freshman season . . . he also added a season-high two pass break-ups.

• Graduate defensive back Angelo Grose logged six stops, his second-most of the season and most since 12 tackles in the season opener vs. Florida Atlantic (8/30/24) . . . Grose also added his first full 1.0 sack of his career and he now has 1.5 sacks for his career, with his previous 0.5 sack coming vs. Richmond in 2023.

►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Graduate defensive lineman Ru'Quan Buckley blocked a field goal attempt in the third quarter.

• Lou Groza Award Semifinalist and graduate placekicker Jonathan Kim made a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter . . . Kim is now 10-of-12 on field goals in the last five games as part of 19-of-21 on the season.

• Redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley had five punts for a 49.2 ypp average, with a long of 58 yards . . . in addition to the 58-yarder in the fourth quarter, Eckley also had a 53-yard punt in the frame, for two 50-plus punts in the game . . . Eckley now has boomed at least one 50-yard punt in the last 16 games with a punt, as part of 17 of the last 19 and 18 of his last 21 games . . . Eckley has 20 50-plus yards punts this season and 44 for his career.