1996 In Review
Aug. 31 at East Lansing Michigan State 52, Purdue 14 (1-0; 1-0)
PU 0 0 7 7 14
MSU 15 13 14 10 52
Michigan State opened its 100th season of intercollegiate football in grand style, rolling past
Purdue and recording the highest season-opening point total by a Spartan team since 1957. The
Spartans scored on five straight possessions at one point in the first half in taking a
commanding 28-0 halftime lead. Freshman tailback Sedrick Irvin, who would establish an MSU
freshman single-game record with four TDs, accounted for all three of the Spartan TDs in the
first half. His first came on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Todd Schultz, followed by runs of
17 and 5 yards. Irvin would also record another 5-yard TD scamper in the third quarter before
finishing the game with a team-high 73 rushing yards on 13 carries. Junior placekicker Chris
Gardner helped the cause by booming three field goals, including a career-long 49-yarder, en route
to being named the Big Ten Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week. Schultz finished the
game with 19 completions in 27 attempts for 174 yards, and helped MSU rack up 472 total yards.
PU MSU
First Downs 21 26
Rushes/Yards 36/127 48/224
Pass A/C/I 39/20/0 33/23/0
Passing Yards 270 248
Total Plays 75 81
Total Yards 397 472
Punts/Avg. 8/40.0 14/37.5
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 1/0
Penalties/Yards 7/50 3/20
Possession Time 28:38 31:22
Third Down Conv. 2/14 9/16
Attendance 72,511
Scoring Summary
1st MS--Irvin 12 pass from Schultz (Gardner kick), 5:15
MS--Irvin 17 run (T. Reece recovers PAT ), 0:15
2nd MS--Gardner 37 FG, 12:21
MS--Gardner 49 FG, 8:19
MS--Irvin 5 run (Gardner kick), 4:24
3rd MS--Irvin 5 run (Gardner kick), 9:10
PU--Watson 6 run (Arnce kick), 6:51
MS--T. Reece 9 run (Gardner kick), 2:16
4th MS--Gardner 43 FG, 8:40
PU--Alford 26 pass from Dicken (Arnce kick), 5:49
MS--Scott 54 pass from Ornstein (Gardner kick), 2:25
Individual Stats
Rushing:
Irvin (MS) 13-73; Crenshaw (MS) 10-57; Watson (PU) 22-74; Matthews (PU) 5-30
Passing:
Schultz (MS) 27-19-0--174; Ornstein (MS) 6-4-0--74; Dicken (PU) 20-11-0--189;
Trefzger (PU) 19-9-0--81
Receiving:
Irvin (MS) 7-59; Carter (MS) 5-40; Mason (MS) 3-62; Alford (PU) 9-156
Sept. 7 at Lincoln Nebraska 55, Michigan State 14 (1-1; 1-0)
MSU 0 0 7 7 14
NU 7 20 21 7 55
The defending National Champion Cornhuskers opened their 1996 season by using big plays on defense
and special teams, while making the most of four Spartan turnovers, in capturing their 37th
straight regular-season contest. The Spartans trailed by a 7-0 margin after the first stanza, but
a 20-point second-quarter explosion catapulted the Cornhuskers into a commanding 27-0 lead at
intermission. Nebraska's TDs in the second stanza came on a 62-yard punt return and an 84-yard
interception return. Further hampering the Spartans' effort were knee injuries in the first half to
quarterback Todd Schultz and middle linebacker Reggie Garnett while receiver Derrick Mason was
hampered by a wrist injury suffered in the first game. The MSU defense, led by outside linebacker
Ike Reese's career-high 17 (3-14) tackles, made a good account of itself, limiting the Cornhuskers
to just 298 yards of offense. Sophomore Gus Ornstein filled in for the injured Schultz and
completed 11-of-18 passes for 133 yards and one TD.
NU MSU
First Downs 18 11
Rushes/Yards 45/184 49/83
Pass A/C/I 15/7/0 27/14/3
Passing Yards 114 163
Total Plays 60 76
Total Yards 298 246
Punts/Avg. 6/43.8 11/38.8
Fumbles/Lost 3/2 4/1
Penalties/Yards 2/10 4/29
Possession Time 25:32 34:28
Third Down Conv. 4/12 3/19
Attendance 75,000
Scoring Summary
1st NU--Frost 11 run (K. Brown kick), 8:05
2nd NU--K. Brown 35 FG, 11:59
NU--Fullman 62 punt return (K. Brown kick), 10:42
NU--Minter 84 int. return (K. Brown kick), 3:06
NU--K. Brown 24 FG, 0:51
3rd NU--A. Green 1 run (K. Brown kick), 12:24
MS--Keur 1 pass from Ornstein (Gardner kick), 8:43
NU--Holbein 35 pass from Frost (K. Brown kick), 1:32
NU--Wistrom 9 int. return (K. Brown kick), 0:45
4th NU--Cheatham 30 pass from Turman (Retzlaff kick), 11:29
MS--Irvin 1 run (Gardner kick), 2:11
Individual Stats
Rushing: Goulbourne (MS) 17-58; Irvin (MS) 15-51; A. Green (NU) 15-71; Frost (NU) 10-58
Passing: Ornstein (MS) 18-11-2--133; Frost (NU) 12-5-0--74; Turman (NU) 2-2-0--40
Receiving: Long (MS) 2-61; Carter (MS) 3-45; Holbein (NU) 1-35; Cheatham (NU) 1-30
Sept. 21 at East Lansing Louisville 30, Michigan 20 (1-2; 1-0)
UL 0 0 14 16 30
MS 0 10 3 7 20
The Spartans jumped out to a 10-0 halftime advantage, but saw the Cardinals score 30 of the game's
next 33 points to spoil MSU's second home game of the year. MSU's lone TD of the opening half came
on a 33-yard fumble return by defensive end Dimitrius Underwood--MSU's first score of that variety
since 1994--while a Chris Gardner 26-yard field goal with no time left on the clock accounted for
MSU's other first-half points. UL's Chris Redman came off the bench for injured starting QB Jason
Payne and sparked the comeback, passing for 255 of his 325 yards in the second half. Over the final
30 minutes, UL outgained the Green and White in offense by a 299-137 margin. Redman, whose 18
completions in 27 attempts included three TDs, threw scoring strikes of 51 and 45 yards in the third
quarter while another 71-yard completion in the fourth stanza led to another six-pointer. Meanwhile,
the Cardinals' defense played a strong second half, holding the Spartans to minus-14 yards rushing and
a total of 70 for the game. Derrick Mason hauled in eight receptions for the Spartans for 141 yards
to lead MSU's offense while Gus Ornstein, making his first career start, completed 21-of-37 attempts
for 237 yards.
UL MSU
First Downs 14 20
Rushes/Yards 36/52 40/70
Pass A/C/I 32/21/0 37/21/1
Passing Yards 348 237
Total Plays 68 77
Total Yards 400 307
Punts/Avg. 10/40.0 9/37.8
Fumbles/Lost 4/2 0/0
Penalties/Yards 14/135 7/29
Possesion Time 26:43 32:34
Third Down Conv. 3/14 4/17
Attendance 70,311
Scoring Summary
2nd MS--Underwood 33 fumble return (Gardner kick), 8:47
MS--Gardner 26 FG, 0:00
3rd UL--Madison 31 pass from Redman (PAT blocked), 10:57
UL--D. Gordon 45 pass from Redman (pass good), 8:01
MS-- Gardner 29 FG, 2:56
4th UL--I. Green 1 pass from Redman (Akers kick), 13:28
UL--MSU holds in end zone, safety, 3:10
UL--D. Gordon 7 run (Akers PAT), 2:02
MS--Mason 17 pass from Ornstein (Gardner kick), 0:43
Individual Stats
Rushing: Goulbourne (MS) 19-73; D. Gordon (UL) 23-83
Passing: Ornstein (MS) 37-21-1--237; Redman (UL) 27-18-0--325; Payne (UL) 5-3-0--23
Receiving: Mason (MS) 8-141; Irvin (MS) 6-48; Madison (UL) 2-122; D. Gordon (UL) 6-84
Sept. 28 at East Lansing Michigan State 47, Eastern Michigan 0 (2-2; 1-0)
EMU 0 0 0 0 0
MSU 17 17 13 0 47
MSU got back on the winning track in impressive style, dominating the Eagles from the start while
posting the first shutout by a Spartan team since the season opener of 1989. The Spartans piled up
247 offensive yards in the first half and scored on three straight possessions late in the second
quarter to post a 34-0 lead at intermission. The Spartan defense harassed EMU throughout the
afternoon and gave up just 128 yards of offense, 25 on the ground. The 25 rushing yards allowed by
MSU marked the first time a Spartan team had allowed less than 50 yards rushing since the 1993
campaign (34 yds. by Iowa). Leading the defensive effort was sophomore defensive end Courtney
Ledyard with seven (6-1) tackles, including three QB sacks (-28 yds.), and a forced fumble.
Offensively, MSU freshman tailback Sedrick Irvin accounted for a pair of rushing TDs while becoming
the first MSU back to rush for 100 yards in '96 with 112 in 16 carries. Redshirt freshman Bill Burke,
making his first career start, connected on eight-of-22 attempts for 166 yards and two TDs.
Burke's first career TD toss was a 49-yard effort to senior WR Nigea Carter late in the first quarter
that gave the Spartans a 17-0 advantage. Another MSU highlight was Derrick Mason's school-record
137 punt return yards (six rets.), including a 69-yard TD return in the second stanza.
EMU MSU
First Downs 9 18
Rushes/Yards 39/25 57/249
Pass A/C/I 30/11/2 25/10/0
Passing Yards 103 191
Total Plays 69 82
Total Yards 128 440
Punts/Avg. 12/38.4 5/42.6
Fumbles/Lost 3/2 3/1
Penalties/Yards 4/45 9/82
Possesion Time 27:58 32:12
Third Down Conv. 4/18 2/14
Attendance 69,941
Scoring Summary
1st MS--Goulbourne 2 run (Gardner kick), 11:45
MS--Gardner 46 FG, 7:55
MS--Carter 49 pass from Burke (Gardner kick), 3:05
2nd MS--Mason 69 punt return (Gardner kick), 4:58
MS--Carter 5 pass from Burke (Gardner kick), 3:30
MS--Gardner 48 FG, 0:00
3rd MS--Irvin 5 run (Gardner PAT NG), 11:48
MS--Irvin 52 run (Gardner kick), 6:18
Individual Stats
Rushing: Irvin (MS) 16-112; Goulbourne (MS) 11-81; Edwards (EM) 12-68
Passing: Burke (MS) 22-8-0--166; Church (EM) 28-11-2--103
Receiving: Carter (MS) 3-85; Long (MS) 1-55; Pryor (EM) 3-38
Oct. 5 at Iowa City Iowa 37, Michigan State 30 (2-3; 1-1)
MSU 17 6 7 0 30
Iowa 0 10 20 7 37
Michigan State won the statistical battle, but came up short on the scoreboard as the Hawkeyes
rallied for a Homecoming victory. The Spartans were impressive in the first quarter, scoring on
their first three possessions to take a 17-0 lead and silence the Kinnick Stadium crowd. The
Hawkeyes narrowed the gap to 17-10 midway through the second quarter, but the Spartans answered back
with a 41-yard TD strike from QB Bill Burke to Octavis Long which upped the Spartans' lead to 23-10
at intermission. The Hawkeyes outscored MSU 27-7 in the second half, making the most of some Spartan
miscues on special teams. After Iowa tied the game at 30-30 late in the third quarter, the Hawkeyes
recovered an MSU fumble on the ensuing kickoff and went 34 yards in six plays to score the eventual
winning TD early in the fourth stanza . The Spartans mounted a late challenge and were on Iowa's
20-yard line, but a Hawkeye interception in the end zone on the last play of the game ended MSU's
comeback bid. Sedrick Irvin posted his second straight 100-plus yard rushing effort with 137 yards
on 27 attempts while TB partner Duane Goulbourne finished with 109 yards and one TD on 22 carries.
IOWA MSU
First Downs 15 24
Rushes/Yards 39/138 52/236
Pass A/C/I 19/10/1 25/12/2
Passing Yards 177 163
Total Plays 58 77
Total Yards 315 399
Punts/Avg. 4/43.0 5/38.0
Fumbles Lost 0/0 6/1
Penalties/Yards 3/35 9/59
Possession Time 25:28 34:32
Third Down Conv. 4/10 5/15
Attendance 70,397
Scoring Summary
1st MS--Carter 22 pass from Burke (Gardner kick), 12:45
MS--Gardner 45 FG, 9:12
MS--Goulbourne 1 run (Gardner kick), 1:12
2nd UI--Knipper 35 pass from Sherman (Bromert kick), 14:08
UI--Hurley 51 FG, 9:56
MS--Long 41 pass from Burke (Gardner kick NG), 0:26
3rd UI--Knipper 9 pass from Sherman (Bromert PAT NG), 12:10
UI--Shaw 5 pass from Sherman (Bromert kick), 9:37
MS--Irvin 3 run (Gardner kick), 4:19
UI--Banks 1 run (Bromert kick), 0:52
4th UI--Burger 1 run (Bromert kick), 12:37
Individual Stats
Rushing: Irvin (MS) 27-137; Goulbourne (MS) 22-109; Shaw (UI) 18-81
Passing: Burke (MS) 25-12-2--163; Sherman (UI) 19-10-1--177
Receiving: Irvin (MS) 4-42; Long (MS) 3-52; Knipper (UI) 3-63; Odems (UI) 2-62
Oct. 12 at East Lansing Michigan State 42, Illinois 14 (3-3; 2-1)
ILL 0 0 7 7 14
MSU 14 14 7 7 42
The Spartans bounced back from a tough defeat at Iowa and rolled up 486 yards in treating a
Homecoming crowd of 71,639 to a decisive win. Quarterback Todd Schultz returned from a three-game
absence and picked apart the Fighting Illini for a career-high 281 passing yards and one TD,
completing 20-of-25 pass attempts. MSU scored on four-of-five possessions from midway through the
first quarter until halftime in taking an insurmountable 28-0 advantage. During the first 30 minutes
of action, the Green and White registered 300 total yards while limiting the Illini to 57. The
tailback tandem of Duane Goulbourne and Sedrick Irvin each rushed for a pair of TDs, while Goulbourne
finished the contest with 144 yards on 31 attempts. Wide receiver Derrick Mason was on the receiving
end of five of Schultz's completions for 101 yards while Octavis Long hauled in two passes for 49
yards including a 35-yard TD reception. MSU's defense, which gave up just 49 yards on the ground and
206 total yards, was paced by junior outside linebacker Ike Reese with 10 tackles, including two TFLs,
along with a pass interception. MSU's 42 points vs. Illinois marked the third time this year that the
squad scored 40 or more points, the first time a Spartan squad had accomplished that since 1989.
ILL MSU
First Downs 15 24
Rushes/Yards 32/49 52/205
Pass A/C/I 35/16/2 25/20/1
Passing Yards 157 281
Total Plays 67 77
Total Yards 206 486
Punts/Avg. 7/39.3 2/40.0
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 5/2
Penalties/Yards 5/27 6/58
Possession Time 26:57 33:03
Third Down Conv. 4/16 9/15
Attendance 71,639
Scoring Summary
1st MS--Irvin 5 run (Gardner kick), 6:24
MS--Long 35 pass from Schultz (Gardner kick), 2:28
2nd MS--Irvin 9 run (Gardner kick), 10:20
MS--Schultz 1 run (Gardner kick), 0:19
3rd ILL--Douthard 2 run (Rackers kick), 7:11
MS--Goulbourne 4 run (Gardner kick), 1:43
4th ILL--Holcombe 2 run (Rackers kick), 11:24
MS--Goulbourne 1 run (Gardner kick), 3:27
Individual Stats
Rushing: Goulbourne (MS) 31-144; Irvin (MS) 18-57; Holcombe (ILL) 23-73
Passing: Schultz (MS) 25-20-1--281; Weaver (ILL) 35-16-2--157
Receiving: Mason (MS) 5-101; Irvin (MS) 4-45; Long (MS) 3-49; Dulick (ILL) 7-95
Oct. 19 at Minneapolis Michigan State 27, Minnesota 9 (4-3; 3-1)
MSU 0 13 14 0 27
MINN 3 0 0 6 9
The Spartans were methodical in posting a key win over a dangerous Minnesota squad. The Golden
Gophers actually enjoyed a decided edge in the first quarter, outgaining MSU in total yards by a
118-5 margin while owning an 11:27-3:33 advantage in time of possession. However, MSU eventually took
control of the contest, scoring 27 unanswered points during the second and third stanzas, and went on
to post its 16th straight triumph over Minnesota. The Green and White used a bruising ground game that
totaled 243 yards while the MSU defense limited the Golden Gophers to 91 yards on the ground. Spartan
tailback Sedrick Irvin hammered his way through Minnesota's defense for 154 yards--his third outing
of 100 or more rushing yards of the year--and one TD on 32 carries while partner Duane Goulbourne
chipped in 83 yards on 18 attempts. Todd Schultz was efficient, connecting on 10-of-16 pass attempts
for 180 yards, including a 64-yard TD catch/run by Octavis Long. Junior middle linebacker Tyrone Garland
and sophomore safety Sorie Kanu each recorded seven hits to lead the MSU defense, which surrendered
280 total yards, 100 yards fewer than the Golden Gophers' average heading into the game.
Minn MSU
First Downs 15 21
Rushes/Yards 31/91 56/243
Pass A/C/I 29/16/1 16/10/0
Passing Yards 189 180
Total Plays 60 72
Total Yards 280 423
Punts/Avg. 4/40.3 3/37.3
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 0/0
Penalties/Yards 5/35 5/32
Possession Time 26:53 33:07
Third Down Conv. 6/12 9/16
Attendance 45,434
Scoring Summary
1st UM--Bailey 22 FG, 10:49
2nd MS--Gardner 37 FG, 9:29
MS--Goulbourne 2 rush (Gardner kick), 5:11
MS--Gardner 25 FG, 0:32
3rd MS--Long 64 pass from Schultz (Gardner kick), 12:46
MS--Irvin 4 rush (Gardner kick), 8:31
4th UM--Thelwell 8 pass from Sauter (pass failed), 12:19
Individual Stats
Rushing: Irvin (MS) 32-154; Goulbourne (MS) 18-83; Hamner (UM) 18-77
Passing: Schultz (MS) 16-10-0--180; Sauter (UM) 29-16-1--189
Receiving: Mason (MS) 6-106; Long (MS) 1-64; Thelwell (UM) 7-101; Atwell (UM) 4-40
Oct. 26 at East Lansing Michigan State 30, Wisconsin 13 (5-3, 4-1)
WIS 0 13 0 0 13
MSU 7 13 3 7 30
A strong second half by the MSU defense, holding the Badgers to just 65 total yards, helped the
Spartans to their third straight win. The MSU ground game, and its ability to control the tempo of
the game, was a big factor in the outcome with the Green and White piling up 202 rushing yards.
Once again, MSUtailback Sedrick Irvin led the way with 125 yards and one TD on 17 carries, his fourth
100-plus-yard rushing contest in five games. Quarterback Todd Schultz passed for 269 yards, his
second-highest total as a Spartan, and a pair of TDs. Irvin's rushing yardage total enabled him to
become the school's most prolific freshman rusher, bettering Lorenzo White's previous standard of 616
yards (1984). MSU scored on three straight possessions in the second quarter to take a 20-13 lead at
halftime, and then used a Chris Gardner field goal and an 8-yard TD run by Irvin early in the fourth
quarter to put the game away. Wide receiver Derrick Mason snared six receptions for 108 yards, his
third straight performance of 100-plus receiving yards, while Octavis Long established career highs
in both receptions (5) and reception yards (94). Defensively, outside linebacker Ike Reese posted 10
tackles, along with a pair of pass breakups. Sophomore defensive end Dimitrius Underwood recorded
six stops, including a pair of QB sacks (-15 yds.).
UW MSU
First Downs 18 23
Rushes/Yards 37/137 47/202
Pass A/C/I 28/15/0 25/18/1
Passing Yards 153 269
Total Plays 65 72
Total Yards 290 471
Punts/Avg. 7/42.3 3/49.3
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/0
Penalties/Yards 5/30 6/49
Possession Time 28:06 31:54
Third Down Conv. 3/14 7/14
Attendance 69,217
Scoring Summary
1st MS--Goulbourne 26 pass from Schultz (Gardner kick), 7:06
2nd UW--Hall 37 FG, 13:29
MS--Gardner 34 FG, 8:48
UW--Samuel 12 rush (Hall kick), 6:47
MS--Gardner 43 FG, 4:37
MS--Irvin 25 pass from Schultz (Gardner kick), 1:06
UW--Hall 51 FG, 0:10
3rd MS--Gardner 26 FG, 8:33
4th MS--Irvin 8 rush (Gardner kick), 14:57
Individual Stats
Rushing: Irvin (MS) 17-125; Goulbourne (MS) 19-68; Dayne (UW) 15-81
Passing: Schultz (MS) 25-18-1--269; Samuel (UW) 28-15-0--153
Receiving: Mason (MS) 6-108; Long (MS) 5-94; Hayes (UW) 5-79
Nov. 2 at Ann Arbor Michigan 45, Michigan State 29 (5-4, 4-2)
MSU 3 7 7 12 29
UM 7 21 7 10 45
MSU saw its three-game winning streak snapped as the Wolverines scored three touchdowns as a result
of three Spartan turnovers. Michigan capitalized on a pair of MSU turnovers in the waning moments
of the first half, scoring two touchdowns in a seven-second span to up its advantage from 14-10 to
28-10. Another Michigan TD early in the third stanza proved too much for the Spartans to overcome
and negated a career-high 24 pass completions (260 yards) by quarterback Todd Schultz. Wide receiver
Derrick Mason recorded career bests with 10 receptions for 151 yards. His 10 catches are tied for
third on the MSU single-game list, and his receiving yardage ranks 12th. The Wolverines outgained
MSU on the ground, 206-98, the most rushing yardage yielded by the Spartan defense to that point in
the season. Michigan's Chris Howard became the first opponent to rush for 100 or more yards against
the Spartans in 1996, totaling 100 yards in 24 attempts. The 74 total points represented the
highest-scoring game of the series in the modern era.
UM MSU
First Downs 19 19
Rushes/Yards 48/206 32/98
Pass A/C/I 24-14-0 45-24-4
Passing Yards 203 260
Total Plays 72 77
Total Yards 409 358
Punts/Avg. 6/34.8 3/42.3
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/1
Penalties/Yards 9/100 5/61
Possession Time 32:21 27:39
Third Down Conv. 8/15 5/12
Attendance 106,381
Scoring Summary
1st UM--Tuman 28 pass from Dreisbach (Hamilton kick), 10:36
MS--Gardner 35 FG, 5:49
2nd MS--Mason 7 pass from Schultz (Gardner kick), 7:55
UM--Shaw 8 pass from Dreisbach (Hamilton kick), 2:09
UM--Tuman 15 pass from Dreisbach (Hamilton kick), 0:15
UM--Woodson 26 pass from Dreisbach (Hamilton kick), 0:08
3rd UM--Howard 13 run (Hamilton kick), 8:52
MS--Irvin 4 run (Gardner kick), 7:28
4th MS--Carter 3 pass from Schultz (kick NG), 11:27
UM--Hamilton 44 FG, 8:11
UM--Howard 12 run (Hamilton kick), 3:32
MS--T. Reece 1 run (pass failed), 2:48
Individual Stats
Rushing: Irvin (MS) 18-51; Howard (UM) 24-100; C. Williams (UM) 19-97
Passing: Schultz (MS) 45-24-4--260; Dreisbach (UM) 23-14-0--203
Receiving: Mason (MS) 10-151; Carter (MS) 4-48; Tuman (UM) 3-67
Nov. 9 at East Lansing Michigan State 38, Indiana 15 (6-4; 5-2)
IU 0 9 0 6 15
MSU 21 0 10 7 38
Freshman tailback Sedrick Irvin turned in his second four-touchdown game of the year and the
Spartans guaranteed themselves of a winning regular season with the victory over a determined IU team.
MSU registered three touchdowns, two coming via Irvin runs, during an 8:42 span in the first quarter
to build a 21-0 advantage. After IU narrowed the deficit to 21-9 at halftime, the Green and White
turned in a solid third quarter, using Irvin's third TD of the contest, along with a 38-yard field
goal by Chris Gardner to claim a 31-9 lead headinginto the final stanza. Irvin continued to display
his dominant running ability, piling up a season-best 158 yards on 33 attempts. MSU churned out a
season-high 257 yards on the ground while the 500 yards of total offense also represented a season
high. Quarterback Todd Schultz completed 13-of-17 passes for 243 yards, his fourth performance of
200-plus passing yards of '96, while wide receiver Nigea Carter snared five of those completions for
108 yards. MSU held the Hoosiers to just 131 total yards, the best showing by a Spartan defense
in a Big Ten game since 1987 (Purdue, 125 yds.).
IU MSU
First Downs 9 30
Rushes/Yards 36/96 64/257
Pass A/C/I 14/7/1 17/13/0
Passing Yards 35 243
Total Plays 50 81
Total Yards 131 500
Punts/Avg. 6/45.2 2/21.0
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 2/2
Penalties/Yards 6/31 6/40
Possession Time 26:07 33:53
Third Down Conv. 4/13 8/13
Attendance 64,719
Scoring Summary
1st MS--Goulbourne 4 run (Gardner kick NG), 10:00
MS--Irvin 3 run (Schultz to Goulbourne pass), 6:02
MS--Irvin 3 run (Gardner kick), 1:18
2nd IU-- Rodgers 1 run (kick NG), 7:21
IU-- Manolopoulos 47 FG, 2:51
3rd MS--Irvin 1 run (Gardner kick), 11:23
MS--Gardner 38 FG, 5:47
4th IU-- Rodgers 1 run (run failed), 10:26
MS--Irvin 5 run (Gardner kick), 6:53
Individual Stats
Rushing: Irvin (MS) 33-158; Goulbourne (MS) 14-69; Spear (IU) 26-103
Passing: Schultz (MS) 17-13-0--243; Rodgers (IU) 14-7-1--35
Receiving: Carter (MS) 5-108; Mason (MS) 4-74; Stoner (IU) 2-20
Nov. 23 at State College Penn State 32, Michigan State 29 (6-5; 5-3)
MSU 3 10 6 10 29
PSU 7 7 8 10 32
For the second straight year, the Spartan and Nittany Lions waged a nailbiter that wasn't decided
until the waning moments of the contest. After falling behind 7-0 early in the first period, the
Spartans rattled off 13 unanswered points against the No. 7 team in the nation, including a
picture-perfect 56-yard TD on a halfback pass from Sedrick Irvin to Nigea Carter. Undaunted,
Penn State bounced back to mount an 85-yard drive late in the second quarter to take a 14-13 lead at
halftime. The Spartans went ahead, 19-14, when senior tailback Duane Goulbourne sprinted 34 yards
for a TD with 6:34 left in the third quarter. PSU reclaimed the lead late in the stanza when Aaron
Harris bulled his way in from one yard out for six points. PSU's resulting two-point attempt was
successful and the Lions led by a 22-19 margin. A 19-yard field goal by Chris Gardner knotted the
game early in the fourth period. PSU snapped the tie with a 12-play, 69-yard TD drive with 8:33
remaining, only to see the Spartans respondwith an 84-yard TD drive capped by a Todd Schultz 1-yard
plunge to tie the see-saw affair. The key play in that drive was a 32-yard completion from Schultz
to Carter. On the first play of the Nittany Lions' ensuing drive, Spartan cornerback Amp Campbell
sacked PSU QB Wally Richardson, forcing a fumble that he recovered deep in PSU territory. MSU had a
golden opportunity to go ahead with 4:27 remaining, but a 33-yard field goal attempt went awry.
PSU, thanks to a pair of key third-down conversions, marched from its own 20 to the Spartans'
13-yard-line where placekicker Brett Conway booted a 30-yard field goal with 12 ticks on the clock
to give the Lions the win.
PSU MSU
First Downs 26 24
Rushes/Yards 42/179 49/200
Pass A/C/I 31/21/0 33/18/1
Passing Yards 281 274
Total Plays 73 82
Total Yards 460 474
Punts/Avg. 6/32.5 3/40.0
Fumbles/Lost 5/2 3/2
Penalties/Yards 6/61 1/10
Possession Time 29:12 30:48
Third Down Conv. 6/12 9/17
Attendance 96,263
Scoring Summary
1st PS--Harris 49 pass from Richardson (Conway kick), 12:39
MS--Gardner 49 FG, 7:45
2nd MS--Safety, PSU punt blocked out of end zone, 4:02
MS--Carter 56 pass from Irvin (Schultz to Goulbourne pass), 3:48
PS-- Harris 1 run (Conway kick), 2:21
3rd MS--Goulbourne 34 run (pass failed), 6:03
PS--Harris 1 run (Richardson to Jurevicius pass), 3:24
4th MS--Gardner 19 FG, 13:42
PS--Enis 4 run (Conway kick), 8:33
MS--Schultz 1 run (Gardner kick), 5:58
PS--Conway 30 FG, 0:12
Individual Stats
Rushing: Goulbourne (MS) 23-111; Irvin (MS) 23-93; Enis (PS) 28-165
Passing: Schultz (MS) 30-17-1--218; Richardson (PS) 31-21-0--281
Receiving: Carter (MS) 7-142; Jurevicius (PS) 8-117
Sun Bowl Dec. 31 at El Paso Stanford 38, Michigan State 0 (6-6; 5-3)
SU 7 14 10 7 38
MSU 0 0 0 0 0
Sun Bowl MVP Chad Hutchinson completed 22-of-28 passes for 226 yards and directed four scoring
drives to lead Stanford to a 38-0 victory over Michigan State in El Paso, Texas. Stanford closed out
the 1996 season with five-straight wins and recorded its first shutout since '74. Late in the first
quarter, Josh Madsen intercepted Todd Schultz at the Stanford 21 and lateraled it to Leroy Pruitt who
carried the ball 50 yards for the score. Hutchinson finished off an eight-play, 75-yard drive with an
8-yard TD pass to Jon Ritchie with 10:44 left in the second quarter. Troy Walters' 24-yard punt return
to midfield set up another first-half touchdown. Three plays later, Adam Salina scored on a 1-yard run
to give the Cardinal a 21-0 halftime lead. A 16-play, 71-yard drive produced a 25-yard field goal by
Ken Miller midway through the third quarter. Stanford moved out to a 31-0 lead as Damon Dunn took a
double reverse 27 yards for a TD with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter. Corey Hill returned a
blocked punt 6 yards for a TD to complete the scoring early in the fourth quarter. Anthony Bookman
picked up 103 yards on 11 carries to pace the Cardinal ground attack. Stanford held Michigan State
to a season-low 219 total yards and forced five turnovers.
MSU SU
First Downs 13 25
Rushes/Yards 31/68 49/257
Passes A/C/I 33/13/3 30/23/1
Passing Yards 151 238
Total Plays 64 79
Total Yards 219 495
Punts/Avg. 9/41.9 2/52.5
Fumbles/Lost 3/2 3/1
Penalties/Yards 5/30 1/10
Possession Time 24:18 35:42
Third Down Conv. 6/16 8/14
Attendance 42,721
Scoring Summary
1st SU--Pruitt 79 lateral from Madsen (Miller kick), 2:06
2nd SU--Ritchie 8 pass from Hutchinson (Miller kick), 10:44
SU--Salina 1 run (Miller kick), 0:37
3rd SU--Miller 25 FG, 7:05
SU--Dunn 27 run (Miller kick), 3:05
4th SU--Hill 6 punt return (Miller kick), 12:06
Individual Stats
Rushing: Goulbourne (MSU) 12-51; Bookman (SU) 11-103, Mitchell (SU) 16-74
Passing: Burke (MSU) 7-4-0--71, Schultz (MSU) 21-8-2--68; Hutchinson (SU) 28-22-1--226
Receiving: Mason (MSU) 4-43, Long (MSU) 2-46; Ritchie (SU) 5-37, Dunn (SU) 4-63
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