Sept. 5, 2009

As the Michigan State football team prepares to take on Montana State Saturday at noon in Spartan Stadium, catch up on all the latest information on the Spartans. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Gameday Central | Game Updates - Twitter

GAME NOTES:
Michigan State | Montana State

ARTICLES:
Associated Press: Super-sized Motor Drives Greg Jones
MLive.com: New Starters, New Spartans Ready to Test Their Skills in Season Opener against Montana State
MLive.com: White Goes From Walk-on To Leader

FIRST-AND-10 (what you need to know about the MSU-Montana State matchup)
• Saturday's game against Montana State marks the fi rst time in school history that Michigan State has played an opponent from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Bobcats, members of the Big Sky Conference, went 7-5 in 2008, including a 5-3 record in conference play (tied for third).
• In its 112-year football history, Michigan State is 73-36-3 (.665) in season openers, including an 8-2 record (.800) in its last 10 games.
• Third-year Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has compiled a 3-2 record (.600) in season openers during his fi ve-year career. Dantonio is 1-1 in season-opening games at MSU, with a 55-18 victory over UAB in his Spartan debut in 2007 and a 38-31 loss at California in 2008.
• In its 112-year football history, Michigan State is 91-21 (.813) in home openers, including a 10-game winning streak that began in 1999. The Spartans have won 12 of their last 13 home openers, with the only setback coming to Colorado State, 23-16, in the 1998 Black Coaches Association Classic.
• Michigan State has compiled a 30-11 record (.732) in games played against non-conference opponents since 1999, including a 7-3 mark under Mark Dantonio. The Spartans have won 13 of their last 17 non-league games.
• 2009 Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Greg Jones has recorded double-figure tackles in seven straight games, averaging 12.3 stops during the streak. If Jones reaches double-digit tackles in Saturday's season opener against Montana State, he will become the fi rst Spartan to post double-fi gure stops in eight consecutive games since Josh Thornhill in 2001 (13 stops at Northwestern, 16 vs. Iowa, 10 at Minnesota, 11 at Wisconsin, 12 vs. Michigan, 14 vs. Indiana, 13 at Purdue and 12 vs. Penn State).
• Doak Walker Award fi nalist and consensus All-American Javon Ringer accounted for 97 percent of Michigan State's rushing yards (1,637 of 1,692) and 76 percent of its rushing attempts (390 of 511) in 2008. MSU's four returning lettermen - A.J. Jimmerson, Andre Anderson, Ashton Leggett and Glenn Winson - combined to rush 43 times for 118 yards last season.
• Mark Dantonio is 16-10 (.615) since taking over the football program, securing the most wins by a Spartan head coach in his fi rst two years while leading MSU to its fi rst back-to-back bowl appearances since 1996-97 and its fi rst consecutive winning seasons since 1989-90.
• Michigan State ranks as one of only fi ve NCAA Bowl Championship Series teams in 2009 that returns its entire coaching staff (full-time assistant coaches) for the third-straight season.
• Lou Groza Award candidate Brett Swenson ranks fi rst among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision active leaders in scoring, with 276 career points. His 52 career field goals rank second among all-active NCAA FBS kickers heading into the 2009 season.