That’s the combined production of linebackers Max Bullough and Denicos Allen and defensive backs Isaiah Lewis and Darqueze Dennard, a band of three-year starters readying to play their final snaps at Spartan Stadium against Minnesota.

A journey that started in 2010 with the foursome as first-year contributors (Allen redshirted in 2009 while the rest played as true freshmen), has seen a Big Ten championship, two Legends Division titles, more wins than any class in school history and now a shot at the program’s first Rose Bowl since 1988.

The greatest accomplishment of this quartet goes beyond any aforementioned accolades, though. During their tenure in East Lansing, they played lead roles in crafting the identity of MSU’s football program as an elite defensive team.

“The only way I know how to describe it is it’s fun to play with guys you play with a lot,” Bullough said.

“I know what each of them is going to do. I know how each of them is gonna celebrate, what they’re gonna say, what they’re gonna do. It’s easy to communicate with them. … Things flow, we understand things good and if we can do that, it just makes the game that much more fun. You play that much more faster and make that many more plays.”

Individually, they’re outstanding players and well-respected leaders, all of which could get a shot at playing for paychecks if they want. Collectively, these four have led MSU’s evolution into a nationally recognized and feared defense.

When a team sees the Spartans on the schedule these days, it understands nothing will be easy offensively. Archaic notions that MSU defenders are undisciplined and will find a way to beat themselves are long gone.

Opponents know every yard will be a battle. Top-10 ranked defenses in 2011, 2012 and in all likelihood at the end of 2013 have established that reputation.

Ironically, the supreme level of execution on defense has stifled the individual statistics of these senior Spartans.

“It’s hard to get tackles on our defense, everybody’s eating,” Dennard said. “Like, everybody (is) at the ball, everybody swarms to the ball. It’s kind of hard to just rack up big numbers on our defense.”

Building this top-notch defense at MSU has been a multi-year project, head coach Mark Dantonio said, noting most people only see the final product on Saturdays. The process began in 2010, he said, and has been made possible by a special combination of players, coaching, experience and strategy.

“We’ve built a culture defensively on this team. We’ve built a culture of winning and sustaining,” Dantonio said. “Defensively we’re playing great defense, but it just does not happen in one year’s time. Very difficult because there’s a lot that goes into it, a lot of thought, a lot of preparation by all parties.”

There are, and have been, other undeniably gifted defensive players at MSU since 2010, and any of the four would quickly mention that. But the chemistry and consistent playmaking ability among this group has helped a bunch of talented defenders transform into one of the finest ever assembled at MSU.

Communication among the seniors has become as simple as one word, one look, a slight gesture – and that’s usually just for insurance, they say. The familiarity of playing together so long allows them to understand what each other is thinking on the field. They’re already in each other’s heads.

In August, MSU’s defensive coaches installed more of the playbook during the preseason than ever before because of the amount of retention and experience on that side of the ball. That has allowed the coaches more flexibility and creativity in their scheme, making the Spartans even more effective.

Perhaps more than anything, the vicious mindset of the group known as the “Spartan Dawgs” contributes to their success. MSU’s defense takes pride in being the aggressor.

“Never give the other team an edge on offense, give them an edge on you,” Lewis said. “Never let them have a slight thought in their mind that, maybe we played with these guys, maybe they’re not that good.

“We don’t want them to think that at all. So every game we just go out, we’ve got that mentality, that dog-eating mentality. It’s not letting a team get an edge on you. Stay on the top.”

For the 11th straight week, MSU will take the field as the No. 1-ranked defense in the country.

There’s no telling if or when a Spartan Stadium crowd will be able to see that again. The bar has been raised astronomically for this program since 2010, but the loss of some of its founding fathers will test the strength of their foundation in years to come.

For Bullough, leaving the program in better shape than when he arrived is paramount. That goal can be crossed off thanks in large part to Bullough and his defensive peers.

“For me as a kid growing up, all I wanted was Michigan State to be good,” he said. “All I wanted was people to talk about Michigan State. Even before I got here that’s all I wanted. (We’re) not necessarily at the destination or finished or anything, but just a step closer – a few steps closer if you look at the past few seasons.

“We did our part, we say we did our part.”