Nov. 6, 2009

Michigan State (4-5, 3-3 Big Ten) hosts Western Michigan (4-5, 3-3 Mid-American) in a non-conference matchup Saturday at noon in Spartan Stadium. Prior to kickoff, catch up on all of the latest information on the Spartans in the football media center.

GAMEDAY COVERAGE:
Gameday Central | Gametracker | Game Updates - Twitter | Audio

TELEVISION: The Big Ten Network will televise the Michigan State-Western Michigan game live to a national audience, with Ari Wolfe handling the play-by-play, Anthony Herron providing color commentary and Lisa Byington serving as the sideline reporter.

MSU-WMU Channel Assignments:
DIRECTV: 615 or 615-1 (HD)
AT&T U-VERSE: 1695
DISH NETWORK: 5442 or 9503 (HD)

For Comcast subscribers in the Lansing area, the game will be shown on Ch. 692. Please visit www.bigtennetwork.com/gamefinder for listings in other markets.

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-Western Michigan game also can be heard live on satellite radio: SIRIUS (Channel 155) and XM (Channel 196).

GAME NOTES:
Michigan State | Western Michigan

LATEST VIDEO:
Spartan Football All-Access
Coach Dantonio Weekly Press Conference
Thursday Chalk Talk
Kirk Cousins and Greg Jones Press Conference

FIRST-AND-10 (what you need to know about the MSU-Western Michigan matchup) -
• Saturday's game marks the 11th meeting between Michigan State and Western Michigan, with all games played in East Lansing. Michigan State leads the all-time series 8-2, including a 5-0 mark in games played in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans have won the last six meetings, including a 26-21 victory in the 2003 season opener. Western Michigan's last win in the series came on Oct. 11, 1919, 21-18. Michigan State has outscored the Broncos, 239-107, in the 10 previous meetings, but five games have been decided by nine points or less.

• Michigan State has compiled a 37-7-2 record (.826) against current members of the Mid-American Conference (2-0 vs. Akron, 2-0 vs. Bowling Green, 4-3 vs. Central Michigan, 8-0 vs. Eastern Michigan, 1-0 vs. Kent State, 3-1 vs. Miami-Ohio, 1-0 vs. Ohio, 7-1-2 vs. Temple, 1-0 vs. Toledo and 8-2 vs. Western Michigan). With its 29-27 victory in Spartan Stadium earlier this season, Central Michigan ended MSU's 15-game winning streak against MAC opponents. Overall, the Spartans have won 22 out of the last 25 meetings vs. MAC teams.

• Michigan State has compiled a 31-13 record (.705) in games played against non-conference opponents since 1999, including an 8-5 mark under Mark Dantonio. The Spartans have won 14 of their last 20 non-league games.

• Michigan State's 2009 schedule ranks among the nation's most difficult (No. 16), according to NCAA figures. The Spartans' 12 opponents have a combined record of 47-33 (.588) against other NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

• Michigan State's five losses this season have been by a combined total of 23 points. During his MSU tenure, 12 of head coach Mark Dantonio's 15 losses have been by eight points or less.

• Michigan State has outscored its opponents in each of the first three quarters (185-117 combined); however, the Spartans have been outscored 91-61 in the fourth quarter. The Spartans have been most explosive in the third quarter, outscoring their opponents 76-30 (+46 points).

• The Spartans lead the Big Ten in passing offense (269.3 yards per game) and rank third in total offense (398.7 ypg.).

• Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th in the NCAA with 26 sacks. In league games, the Spartans are tied for first with Ohio State with 18 sacks. Conversely, MSU's offensive line has allowed just 10 sacks in nine games, tied with Penn State and Indiana for the fewest in the Big Ten.

• Junior linebacker Greg Jones leads the nation with 109 tackles and ranks first in the Big Ten and third in the NCAA, averaging 12.1 stops per game. He reached double-figures tackles for the seventh time this season, recording 12 tackles, including seven solo hits, at Minnesota. Jones was selected Big Ten Defensive Midseason MVP by both ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg and CollegeFootballNews.com. In the Iowa game, the co-captain became just the 16th Spartan to record 300 career tackles; he's currently tied with Carlos Jenkins for 14th all-time at MSU with 314 career tackles.

• Lou Groza Award candidate Brett Swenson leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.933), scoring (7.7 ppg.) and field goals (tied with 14). Swenson became the school's all-time leader in field goals and points scored in the Iowa game, breaking records previously held by Dave Rayner (2001-04). Swenson connected on two 20-yard field goals in last week's game at Minnesota and has made nine straight entering Saturday's game against Western Michigan.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW -
• Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State is 14-3 (.823) when leading in time of possession, including a perfect 4-0 in 2009.

• Sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins ranks among the Big Ten leaders in passing efficiency (second with a 140.0 rating), passing yards (seventh with 193.8 yards per game) and total offense (eighth with 197.6 ypg.). Cousins recorded his fifth 200-yard passing game of the season with 236 yards at Minnesota, including scoring tosses of 26 yards to Brian Linthicum and 11 yards to Dion Sims. His 12 passing touchdowns rank fifth in the conference.

Blair White is tied for the Big Ten lead with seven touchdown receptions.

• Fifth-year senior Blair White leads the Spartans in receptions (52), receiving yards (766) and touchdown catches (7), all of which represent career highs. White ranks third in the Big Ten in receiving yards (85.1 yards per game) and fifth in receptions (5.8 per game). His seven TD catches also rank tied for first in the conference.

STAT LEADERS -
Michigan State (after nine games):
Rushing - Larry Caper (93 carries for 375 yards, 4.0 avg., 6 TDs)
Passing - Kirk Cousins (136 of 223 for 1,744 yards, 12 TDs, 5 INTs)
Receiving - Blair White (52 catches for 766 yards, 14.7 avg., 7 TDs)
Tackles - Greg Jones (109 tackles, 49 solos, 60 assists, 9.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks)

Western Michigan (after nine games):
Rushing - Brandon West (161 carries for 824 yards, 5.1 avg., 7 TDs)
Passing - Tim Hiller (240 of 384 for 2,509 yards, 17 TDs, 8 INTs)
Receiving - Robert Arnheim (47 catches for 526 yards, 11.2 avg., 2 TDs)
Tackles - Austin Pritchard (71 tackles, 51 solos, 20 assists, 4.5 TFL)

THE LAST MEETING -
Aug. 30, 2003, in East Lansing, Mich.: Jeff Smoker completed 21-of-34 throws for 324 yards and three scores to lead Michigan State to a 26-21 victory over Western Michigan in the 2003 season opener.

The Spartans jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Smoker's 50-yard touchdown strike to Agim Shabaj with 10:05 left in the first quarter.

Willie Pope's interception set up Western Michigan's game-tying score, a 45-yard TD toss from Chad Munson to Greg Jennings with 2:16 remaining in the first quarter.

Michigan State regained the lead at 14-7 on Smoker's 59-yard scoring pass to Kyle Brown with 12:32 left in the second quarter.

The Broncos answered on their next series as Munson completed 40-yard passes to Tony Scheffler and Phil Reed on back-to-back plays to set up Reed's 2-yard TD run.

The Spartans took the lead for good on their next possession as a six-play, 31-yard drive resulted in Dave Rayner's 49-yard field goal.

Western Michigan turned the ball over on its next series as Darren Barnett intercepted Munson's pass attempt and returned it 2 yards to the MSU 44. A 43-yard run by Jaren Hayes led to Smoker's third TD pass, a 21-yarder to Shabaj, as the Spartans built a 23-14 halftime lead.

Michigan State put together a seven-play, 49-yard drive midway through the third quarter and extended its lead to 26-14 on Rayner's 31-yard field goal.

Western Michigan's offense came to life late in the fourth quarter. Munson finished off a 10-play, 68-yard drive with a 12-yard TD pass to Jennings with :30 on the clock as the Broncos pulled to within 26-21. Western Michigan's rally ended when Ziehl Kavanaght recovered the attempted onside kick.

Smoker became MSU's career leader in total offense (5,756 yards) and passing yards (5,861). Shabaj set career highs with six catches for 89 yards. Despite running 10 fewer plays from scrimmage, Michigan State outgained Western Michigan in total yards, 421-339.

AL FRACASSA NAMED HONORARY CAPTAIN -
Al Fracassa, who played quarterback at Michigan State from 1952-54 and is the winningest high school football coach in Michigan history, will serve as the honorary captain for Saturday's game against Western Michigan.

A back-up quarterback on the 1952 National Championship team and 1953 Big Ten Championship team, Fracassa earned a letter for the 1954 season.

Fracassa entered 2009 with 381 wins and has won six MHSAA state championships. A member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, Fracassa began his legendary career at Royal Oak Shrine (1960-68) and has coached at Birmingham Brother Rice since 1969.