Football

Sept. 10, 2010

"Spartans in the D" Information | Buy Tickets

Michigan State (1-0) will take on Florida Atlantic (1-0) Saturday, Sept. 11 at Ford Field in downtown Detroit, beginning at noon. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

GAMEDAY COVERAGE:
Gametracker | Twitter Updates | Facebook Updates | Listen Live (WJR)

BROADCAST COVERAGE:
TELEVISION: ESPNU will televise the Michigan State-Florida Atlantic game live to a national audience, with Rob Stone handling the play-by-play and David Pollack providing color commentary.

RADIO: The Spartan Sports Network, featuring veteran play-by-play announcer George Blaha, color analyst Jim Miller, sideline reporter Jason Strayhorn and broadcast host Will Tieman, will broadcast the game to 32 affiliates throughout the state. Michigan State football broadcasts can be heard on flagship stations WJIM (AM 1240)/WMMQ (FM 94.9) in Lansing and WJR Radio (AM 760) in Detroit. The MSU-FAU game also can be heard live on satellite radio: SIRIUS (Channel 113) and XM (Channel 195).

GAME NOTES:
Michigan State | Florida Atlantic

FIRST-AND-10 (what you need to know about the MSU-FAU matchup) -
• The Ford Field game marks the first time Michigan State has played a football game in downtown Detroit since Oct. 27, 1944, when Coach Charlie Bachman led the Spartans to a 32-0 victory over Wayne State in a contest played at University of Detroit Stadium. • Saturday's game marks just the second-ever meeting between Michigan State and Florida Atlantic, as the Spartans posted a 17-0 victory over the Owls in East Lansing, Mich., during a steady rain in Week 3 of the 2008 season. MSU's defense recorded its first shutout since Nov. 13, 1999, as the Spartans limited FAU to nine first downs and 225 total yards, and recovered two fumbles. All-American Javon Ringer rushed 43 times for a career-best 282 yards against the Owls and scored on touchdown runs of 21 and 11 yards.

• Michigan State is 2-6 all-time against teams from the Sunshine State (1-0 vs. Florida, 1-0 vs. Florida Atlantic, 0-2 vs. Florida State and 0-4 vs. Miami-Fla.).

• Michigan State has compiled a 33-14 record (.702) in games played against non-conference opponents since 1999. Mark Dantonio is 10-6 against non-conference opponents, including a 9-1 record in Spartan Stadium. Overall, the Spartans have won 16 of their last 23 non-league games.

• Le'Veon Bell, who gained 141 yards on just 10 carries and scored twice in MSU's 38-14 season-opening victory over Western Michigan, has been selected Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Bell became the first freshman running back in MSU history to rush for more than 100 yards in his debut. He also scored on runs of 2 and 18 yards against the Broncos. He rushed six times for 108 yards in the first half alone, and his 75-yard run around right end set up the Spartans' third touchdown.

• Le'Veon Bell (141 yards) and Edwin Baker (117 yards) combined to rush for 258 yards against Western Michigan. It marked the first time MSU had two 100-yard rushers in the same game since Javon Ringer (156 yards) and Drew Stanton (105 yards) accomplished the feat in a 38-23 win at Pittsburgh in 2006. It also marked the first time two Spartan running backs had rushed for more than 100 yards in a game since Jehuu Caulcrick (146 yards) and Jason Teague (112 yards) teamed up for 258 yards in a 49-14 victory over No. 4 Wisconsin in 2004.

• Michigan State's 297 rushing yards against WMU is the highest single-game total since the Spartans amassed 386 yards in a 52-27 Homecoming win over Indiana in 2007.

• Junior quarterback Kirk Cousins ranks among MSU's all-time leaders in passing efficiency (first at 143.5), completion percentage (fourth at .620), touchdown passes (eighth at 22), pass completions (12th at 243), pass attempts (13th at 392) and passing yards (13th at 3,176). Cousins also is listed among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision active leaders in both completion percentage (eighth at .620) and passing efficiency (ninth at 143.5).

• Returning consensus All-American Greg Jones has been named to 2010 preseason watch lists for six national awards: Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Butkus Award (top collegiate linebacker), Lombardi Award (college lineman of the year), Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's best defensive player), Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year) and Lott Trophy (defensive impact player of the year). With nine stops in the 2010 season opener against Western Michigan, Jones moved into a tie for sixth (with Ronald Stanley) on MSU's all-time list with 368 career tackles.

• For the second-straight year, MSU linebacker Greg Jones and Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor have been selected as the Big Ten's Preseason Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year, respectively, by media members attending the conference's football media days. It marks the first time since 1998 (Ohio State linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer and Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne) that the Big Ten's Preseason Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year have been repeat selections from the previous season. Jones also becomes the first back-to-back Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year since Ohio State's James Laurinaitis in 2007-08.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW -
• Michigan State's 2010 roster features 61 players from the state of Michigan, including 27 from Metro Detroit.

• Michigan State's starting linebackers - Greg Jones (9), Eric Gordon (8) and Chris Norman (8) - combined to account for 25 tackles in the Spartans' 38-14 season-opening victory over Western Michigan.

• In seven seasons as a head coach, Mark Dantonio's teams have compiled a 15-11 record (.577) during the month of September, including a 10-4 mark (.714) at Michigan State.

• Michigan State's receiving corps features two career 1,000-yard receivers: senior Mark Dell (88 for 1,429) and junior B.J. Cunningham (90 for 1,180). That duo has combined for 178 receptions, 2,609 yards and 10 career touchdowns.

• Senior Aaron Bates ranks among MSU's all-time leaders in punts (sixth at 210), punting yards (sixth at 8,654) and punting average (seventh at 41.2). Bates also is listed among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision active leaders in both punting yards (third) and punting average (18th). He has placed 68 of his 210 career punts (32 percent) inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

• Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State is 15-3 (.833) when leading in time of possession, including a perfect 5-0 in 2009.

Printer-friendly format	Email this article