All week, the MSU defense heard about how good the Minnesota rushing attack was and how they would have to play really well to stop it.
So, what does the MSU defense think about the third-best rushing team in the country now?
"I don't know what you're talking about," senior defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson said. "I didn't see no third-best running team out there at all. I didn't see anybody out there."
What Vickerson and the rest of his defensive teammates saw, they tackled - holding then-No. 19 Minnesota to 102 rushing yards. The Golden Gophers' (5-2 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) highly touted running backs - Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III - were held to 54 and 36 yards, respectively.
The Spartans' efforts defensively helped them win a battle most people didn't think they could.
"Everybody basically wrote us off," sophomore defensive end Clifton Ryan said. "We were the underdog. We shocked you guys, but we didn't shock our team."
Prior to Saturday, Maroney and Barber III had averaged 242.8 yards per game and were two of the nation's top 20 running backs. So, what was MSU head coach John L. Smith's secret to stopping the Gopher ground game?
"It's magic," Smith said with a laugh. "No, the coaches did a good job getting enough guys on the line - the credit goes to the kids, though. We had to stack up at the line of scrimmage and force them to throw the football, and our kids tackled well."
In fact, the Spartans took the Gophers completely out of their game - as Minnesota threw 33 times, while only running 29 times. It was the first time all season the visitors from Minneapolis had thrown the ball more than they ran it.
With MSU leading the whole game, Minnesota head coach Glen Mason said they had to try something different to get back into the game.
"After awhile, it takes you out of your game - being down too many points," Mason said.
One of the keys to not letting the Gophers back into the game was third downs. On defensive third downs, the Spartans held Minnesota to 1-for-13 on third-down conversions.
"On third downs, we make a big emphasis on getting off the field and we did that (Saturday)," senior linebacker and captain Ronald Stanley said. "Guys getting excited and the crowd getting into it, backing us up - that's what we need. When we make up our minds, we're going to get it done - we get it done."
MSU's defense got it done in the rain, as it showered most of the game. Despite the wet conditions, the Spartans defensive players felt the weather was a positive.
"It helped us out a little bit - the weather," redshirt freshman Kaleb Thornhill said. "We just went out there and the defense played rugged and just shut them down."
Vickerson said the MSU players took it personally that a team thought they could come into Spartan Stadium and just run all over the MSU defense.
"A team coming in rushing for over 300 yards a game - that's unheard of," Vickerson said. "That's a pride deal. The defense as a whole came together - secondary, linebackers and defensive lineman - everybody played hard and ran to the ball."
The 102 yards the Spartans gave up was the least they have given up to any team all season. And MSU did it against the best rushing team it's faced and will face all year.
"It feels great," Stanley said. "We came out fired up and we could see it in their eyes that they didn't want to be here."
| Before Saturday | Against MSU | |
| Marion Barber III | 107 rushing yards per game | 36 yards on eight carries |
| Laurence Maroney | 135.8 rushing yards per game | 54 yards on 13 carries |
| Team | 301 rushing yards per game | 102 yards on 29 carries |
| Source: MSU Sports Information |
