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Football Media Center: Northwestern
Oct. 16, 2009
As the Michigan State football team (3-3, 2-1 Big Ten) prepares to take on Northwestern (4-2, 1-1) Saturday at 12 p.m. ET in Spartan Stadium, catch up on all the latest information on the Spartans. The Homecoming game will be televised on ESPN2. GAMEDAY COVERAGE: BROADCAST COVERAGE: 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 35 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-Northwestern game also can be heard live on satellite radio: SIRIUS (Channel 161) and XM (Channel 198). GAME NOTES: STATISTICS: LATEST VIDEO:
FIRST-AND-10 (what you need to know about the MSU-Northwestern matchup) - • Saturday's game marks the 50th meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern. The Spartans lead the all-time series 33-16, including a 17-6 record in games played in East Lansing, Ill. Two of the last three games in the series have been decided by seven points or less. Michigan State and Northwestern have split the last 14 meetings; however, the Wildcats have won four of the last seven contests played in East Lansing. The Wildcats have recorded two straight victories in Spartan Stadium (49-14 in 2005 and 48-41 in overtime in 2007). MSU's last win in Spartan Stadium came on Sept. 28, 2002, 39-24. • Michigan State is 60-30-3 (.661) in 93 Homecoming games, including a 3-1 record against Northwestern. The Wildcats' last trip to East Lansing, Mich., for Homecoming resulted in a 49-14 victory over the Spartans on Oct. 22, 2005. The Spartans have won nine of their last 13 Homecoming games. MSU has a 46-21-2 record (.681) in Homecoming contests played in October. • Michigan State's 2009 schedule ranks among the nation's most difficult (No. 14), according to NCAA figures. The Spartans' 12 opponents have a combined record of 32-20 (.615) against other NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams. • Michigan State has won 10 of its last 13 Big Ten games, the best 13-game stretch for the Spartans in league play since they won 11 of 13 during the 1989-90 seasons. MSU won its last two Big Ten games in 2007, went 6-2 for a third-place finish last season, and is off to a 2-1 start in 2009. • In back-to-back wins over Michigan and Illinois, the Spartan defense has recorded 10 sacks. The six sacks against the Fighting Illini were the second-most under Coach Mark Dantonio (seven vs. Bowling Green in 2007). With 18 sacks this season, Michigan State is tied for second in the Big Ten. In addition, the Spartans have collected 18 tackles for loss in the last two games. • Michigan State's passing attack leads the Big Ten and ranks No. 17 in the NCAA, averaging 280.3 yards per game. The Spartans feature two of the league's top four quarterbacks in passing efficiency, as Kirk Cousins ranks second (141.8 rating) and Keith Nichol fourth (138.8). Cousins also ranks eighth in the Big Ten in passing yards (167.0 ypg.) and 10th in total offense (177.5 ypg.). • The offensive line has been a big reason for Michigan State's success the last two weeks, as the Spartans have averaged 195.0 yards on the ground during the two-game winning streak. The line has also provided excellent pass protection for the Spartan quarterbacks, as MSU has allowed the fewest sacks (six) in the Big Ten this season. • Junior linebacker Greg Jones leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the NCAA in tackles, averaging 11.8 stops per game. Jones also is listed among the Big Ten leaders in sacks (tied for seventh at 0.5 per game). He leads the team in tackles (71 total), tackles for loss (6.5 for 33 yards) and production points (117). Jones reached double-figure tackles for the fourth time this season, recording 11 stops including a 6-yard sack in MSU's 24-14 victory at Illinois. • True freshman Larry Caper leads the team in rushing (275 yards) and rushing touchdowns (5). Caper ranks 10th in the Big Ten in rushing in league games, averaging 52.3 yards per game. He accounted for 139 all-purpose yards in Michigan State's 24-14 victory at Illinois, as the Spartans recorded their sixth-straight win in Memorial Stadium. In his first career start, Caper set season highs for carries (16) and rushing yards (95). He capped off a 13-play, 81-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run around right end as MSU jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Caper also had two receptions for 44 yards, including a 30-yard grab from Keith Nichol. • Lou Groza Award candidate Brett Swenson ranks first among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision active leaders in scoring, with 322 career points. His 61 career field goals rank second among all-active NCAA FBS kickers, trailing only Alabama's Leigh Tiffin (67 made). Swenson needs just two field goals to become MSU's all-time leader in that category (Dave Rayner - 62 made field goals, 2001-04). STAT LEADERS - Northwestern (after six games): THE LAST MEETING - Michigan State scored 17 straight points in the first quarter with the help of a pair of Northwestern turnovers, and never looked back. The 5-foot-9, 202-pound Ringer had his fifth 100-yard game of the season and went over 1,000 yards for the second straight year. Already leading 7-0 on Brian Hoyer's 3-yard scoring pass to Garrett Celek, the Spartans started their next two possessions in Northwestern territory thanks to turnovers. After Sherrick McManis fumbled a kickoff at his 25-yard line, Michigan State got a 26-yard field goal from Brett Swenson. Michigan State safety Danny Fortener picked off C.J. Bacher on the Wildcats' next drive, returning it 21 yards to Northwestern's 34. Four plays later, Ringer bounced outside and scored from 13 yards out to make it 17-0 with 2:34 to play in the quarter. Hoyer threw two short touchdown passes and was 14-of-20 for 169 yards. Tyrell Sutton ripped off a career-high 66-yard run in Northwestern's first drive of the second half. Bacher then hit Rasheed Ward for a 6-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-14. The Wildcats tried an onside kick, but were penalized for interference. That gave the Spartans the ball on the 32. Hoyer connected with Andrew Hawken on a 21-yard pass and Ringer ended the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to keep Michigan State's lead safe. Swenson set a school record with the second of his three field goals. His 42-yard kick in the third was his 14th consecutive field goal, breaking Paul Edinger's 1998 record. Cornerback Johnny Adams picked Bacher off in the end zone with the Wildcats trailing 17-7 in the second quarter. The Spartans drove 80 yards in 3:03 to go up 24-7 just before the half ended. MSU/NORTHWESTERN COACHING CONNECTIONS - MSU/NORTHWESTERN CONNECTIONS, PART II - SPARTANS FROM THE LAND OF LINCOLN - MSU WELCOMES BACK 1961 TEAM - NCAA STAT LEADERS - Individual Statistics (Top 50) CONTROLLING THE CLOCK A KEY TO SUCCESS - Just how important is time of possession? Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State is 13-3 (.813) when leading in time of possession. JONES NAMED BUTKUS AWARD SEMIFINALIST & MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN - The 6-foot-1, 228-pound Jones reached double-figure tackles for the fourth time this season, recording 11 stops in Michigan State's 24-14 victory at Illinois, including a 6-yard sack. He has posted double-digit tackles in 11 of his last 13 games overall, averaging 12.1 stops during that stretch. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has led the team in tackles in 17 of the last 19 games. The Spartans built a 17-0 halftime lead at Illinois as the defense limited the Illini to three first downs and 60 total yards in the first half. Illinois' first eight possessions resulted in seven punts and one turnover. Jones posted 14 stops, including nine solo hits, in the Big Ten opener at Wisconsin. He made nine stops at Notre Dame, ending his streak of consecutive games with double-figure tackles at nine. Jones averaged 12.8 tackles during that nine-game stretch, and it marked the longest streak by a Spartan since Chuck Bullough produced double-digit tackles in 15 straight games in 1990-91 (Oct. 20, 1990, game vs. Illinois through Nov. 2, 1991, game vs. Northwestern). Bullough averaged 15.7 tackles during his 15-game streak. Jones matched his career high with 15 tackles against Central Michigan, including 1.5 for losses (3 yards). The 2009 Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year registered 14 tackles in the season opener against Montana State, with three resulting in losses (16 yards) including 1.5 sacks (11). Jones has started 26 of 32 career games, including 20 consecutive starting assignments. He has 276 career tackles, including 29 for losses (104 yards) and 9.5 sacks (57 yards). Jones ranks eighth among NCAA FBS active leaders in tackles, averaging 8.6 stops per game. His 29 tackles for loss rank ninth (tied with Mel Land and Mark Nichols) on MSU's all-time list. WHITE KEYS EXPLOSIVE PASSING GAME - White led the Spartans with four catches for 50 yards in Michigan State's 24-14 victory at Illinois, including three grabs that resulted in first downs. He led the team with six receptions for 49 yards in MSU's 26-20 overtime victory over No. 22 Michigan. White caught six passes for 75 yards and two scores in MSU's 33-30 loss at Notre Dame. He scored on a 30-yard pass from wide receiver Keshawn Martin in the second quarter and a 17-yard strike from Kirk Cousins in the fourth quarter that gave the Spartans a 30-26 lead. The Saginaw, Mich., native recorded his second-straight 100-yard receiving game with seven catches for 105 yards against Central Michigan. He had a career-high nine receptions for 162 yards and two TDs in the 2009 season opener against Montana State. White scored on TD grabs of 15 and 24 yards from Cousins against the Bobcats. His 162 receiving yards were just 2 yards shy of his career best (164 vs. Wisconsin in 2008). Almost one-third of his receiving yards (51 of 162) came after the catch against Montana State. A former walk-on, White has 79 career receptions for 1,133 yards (14.3 avg.) and five TDs. The Saginaw, Mich., native has four career 100-yard receiving games. White has caught at least one pass in 17 consecutive games. COUSINS OFF TO A SOLID START - The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Cousins accounted for 227 total yards in Michigan State's 26-20 overtime victory over No. 22 Michigan. He hit 15-of-21 throws for 152 yards and two interceptions against the Wolverines. He also led the team in rushing, gaining 75 yards on seven carries. Cousins produced runs of 19 and 41 yards against the Wolverines. He recorded his second-straight 200-yard passing game, completing 17-of-34 passes for 201 yards, two TDs and an interception in the Big Ten opener at Wisconsin. Cousins completed scoring tosses of 14 yards to Mark Dell and 20 yards to B.J. Cunningham. He completed 23-of-35 throws for 302 yards, one TD and one interception in MSU's 33-30 loss at Notre Dame. Cousins set career highs for completions, attempts and passing yards against the Irish. His 302 passing yards mark the third-best single-game total by a Spartan quarterback against Notre Dame (Drew Stanton - 327 in 2005; Ed Smith - 306 in 1978). Cousins hit 13-of-18 passes for 164 yards and a score in MSU's 29-27 loss to Central Michigan. With the score tied at 20, he went 5-for-5 for 59 yards on a 13-play, 80-yard drive as the Spartans took a 27-20 lead on his 35-yard TD strike to Cunningham with 7:33 left in the game. In his first career start, Cousins completed 10-of-17 throws for 183 yards and a career-best three scores against Montana State in the 2009 season and home opener. He completed TD strikes of 29 yards to Cunningham, and 15 and 24 yards to Blair White. He connected on 7-of-11 passes for 118 yards and two TDs in the first half against the Bobcats. NICHOL PROVIDES A SPARK OFF THE BENCH - With Kirk Cousins sidelined with an ankle injury, Nichol made his first career start in a 24-14 victory at Illinois and accounted for 206 total yards. He completed 13-of-25 throws for 179 yards and rushed six times for 27 yards. His 23-yard completion to Mark Dell on a third-and-8 play kept Michigan State's game-opening drive alive that eventually resulted in a touchdown. Nichol had two fourth-down conversions on the Spartans' second TD drive, hitting Blair White for a 7-yard gain on fourth-and-3 and running 3 yards on fourth-and-1. He and Cousins combined to throw for 396 yards at Wisconsin, tying for the second-highest total in school history (396 yards vs. Purdue, 1998). Nichol hit 7-of-12 passes for a career-best 195 yards, two TDs and two interceptions against the Badgers. He completed TD strikes of 15 and 91 yards to Keshawn Martin in the fourth quarter. His 91-yard bomb to Martin ranks as the second-longest passing play in Spartan history (school-record 93-yarder from Tony Banks to Nigea Carter vs. Indiana in 1994), and it also ranks as the sixth-longest passing play recorded in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision this season. Nichol's 283.2 passing efficiency rating against Wisconsin ranks as the fourth-highest single-game figure posted in the NCAA FBS this season. In his Spartan debut against Montana State, Nichol completed 9-of-18 throws for 135 yards and two TDs (26 yards to Dion Sims and 3 yards to Brian Linthicum). CAPER PACES GROUND ATTACK - Fifteen of Caper's 60 rushing attempts (25 percent) have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown. He accounted for 139 all-purpose yards in Michigan State's 24-14 victory at Illinois, as the Spartans recorded their sixth-straight win in Memorial Stadium. In his first career start, Caper set season highs for carries (16) and rushing yards (95). He capped off a 13-play, 81-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run around right end as MSU jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Caper also had two receptions for 44 yards, including a 30-yard grab from Keith Nichol. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Caper matched his season high with two rushing TDs against No. 22 Michigan, including his 23-scamper around right end on a third-and-8 play in overtime that gave the Spartans a 26-20 victory. In the first quarter, he capped off a 17-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run on a fourth-and-goal play as MSU took a 7-3 lead. In Game 3 at Notre Dame, Caper rushed 12 times for 51 yards and scored on runs of 1 and 7 yards. SWENSON EMERGES AS A TOP CONTENDER FOR THE GROZA AWARD - The 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior placekicker scored eight points in Michigan State's 26-20 overtime win over No. 22 Michigan, hitting 2-of-2 field-goal attempts and both extra-point tries. With two made field goals (from 26 and 24 yards), Swenson moved into 10th place in the Big Ten record book with 60 career field goals. He accounted for 11 points in MSU's season-opening 44-3 victory over Montana State, hitting 2-of-2 field-goal attempts and all five PATs. Swenson ranks first among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision active leaders in scoring, with 322 career points. His 61 career field goals rank second among all-active NCAA FBS kickers, trailing only Alabama's Leigh Tiffin (67 made). Swenson needs just two field goals to become MSU's all-time leader in that category (Dave Rayner - 62 made field goals, 2001-04). The Pompano Beach, Fla., native ranks among the Big Ten's all-time leaders in kick scoring (ninth) and field goals (10th). He ranks among MSU's all-time leaders in scoring (second), field goals (second) and extra points (second with 139 made). With his first two extra points against Notre Dame, Swenson tied Rayner's (2003-04) school record with 76 consecutive PATS; however, his third attempt was blocked by the Irish. BATES IMPACTS FIELD POSITION - The 6-foot, 192-pound junior averaged 38.1 yards on seven punts at Illinois, including three kicks placed inside the Illini 20. On two of those three possessions that started inside its own 20, Illinois went three-and-out. He averaged 43.0 yards on three punts against No. 22 Michigan, including two kicks downed inside the Wolverine 10-yard line. Bates averaged 45.0 yards on three punts at Notre Dame, including two kicks downed inside the Irish 20-yard line. He averaged 45.6 yards on five punts against Central Michigan, including four kicks downed inside the Chippewa 20. His 41.2-yard career average ranks seventh in MSU history and No. 20 among active NCAA FBS punters. Bates has placed 57 of his 164 career punts (35 percent) inside the opponent's 20. |
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