With the final whistle Saturday in College Park, Maryland, it was officially time for MSU’s seniors to focus on one final game at Spartan Stadium.

This week’s matchup on Saturday will mark the final home game of the season, and for 17 seniors, their final time playing in front of a home Spartan crowd. For four particular Spartans, this game will serve as one of the final chapters in prestigious careers that saw a Big Ten and Rose Bowl championship.

Jeremy Langford

At the start of the 2013 season, no one could have predicted the production MSU would get out of Jeremy Langford.

With the loss of almost-1,800 yard rusher Le’Veon Bell , there was a wide hole the Spartans had to fill in the backfield. Entering camp, Langford wasn’t even listed as the starter with now-sophomore outside linebacker Riley Bullough leading the way in the position battle.

However, since then everything has changed and now Langford has built up a resume that puts him among some of the best running backs in Spartan history. Langford rushed for 1,422 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2013, and again this season he surpassed the 1,000 yard mark with at least three more games to go.

Even more impressive is Langford’s consistency. The Wayne, Michigan, native has rushed for more than 100 yards in 14 consecutive games against Big Ten opponents and has earned the term of workhorse from the coaching staff.

“Jeremy (runs) the ball as a workhorse and is a very, very good football player,” head coach Mark Dantonio said. “He has got some power and is a solid 205 (pounds) that can break a big one. He is a senior, so he has all of those things working for him.”

A lot of Langford’s success can be credited to his hardworking mentality that Dantonio helped develop throughout his time at MSU. At the beginning of the season, Langford said he had numerous personal conversations with Dantonio. Dantonio’s trust in Langford helped groom him into the premier back he’s become.

“It’s difficult to really imagine. He never gave up on me, and he gave me a chance,” Langford said . “When I was getting switched from (defensive back) to receiver and not being able to be comfortable but he still had trust in me that I could play somewhere. He just gave me the chance and opportunity and it took me time to mature to realize that.”

Taiwan Jones

I t’s never easy when you have to make a position change late in your career. It only gets harder when that position change means you’re replacing a legend like former Spartan Max Bullough .

That was the task senior middle linebacker Taiwan Jones was faced with this season. After starting a majority of the previous two seasons at outside linebacker, Jones moved to the middle and became the quarterback of the defense. And he’s done so in flying colors.

Jones is tied for second on the team in tackles, recording 47 through 10 games this season. Even more impressive is his 10.5 tackles for a loss this year, which is already a career high for a season.

Dantonio and the coaching staff have noticed Jones’ progression throughout the season, noting earlier this year against Nebraska as one of his best showings in his career.

Outside of Jones’ production on the field, he has blossomed into a leader on the defense through his will to take on any challenge. At the beginning of the season Jones said he wanted to benefit the team through stepping out of his comfort zone and making the shift to the middle because he wanted the responsibility of making sure everyone was in place at all times.

“I like being in the middle, I like being able to call the show, getting everyone lined up (and) having everyone have faith in me to get everyone lined up,” Jones said. “I take everything as a challenge (and) I took that as one of my biggest challenges — me not to make a mistake and mess everyone else up by being in the wrong place to make plays.”

Travis Jackson

A kid from New Albany, Ohio, isn’t supposed to go to the state of Michigan to play football. Travis Jackson broke that trend when he decided to become a Spartan.

“Being a part of this family has been really special,” he said. “This has been an awesome time, I’ll be forever in debt to Michigan State.”

Jackson has been on the offensive line for five years. In his time he has blocked for NFL players, such as Le’Veon Bell and Kirk Cousins , won a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl and definitely grew as a person, he said.

“I’ve definitely grown way more as a person,” he said. “Football is a great game. It’s game that we love so much, but becoming the person you become is so important.”

Jackson has played with a cast of talented offensive linemen and said it feels odd to be considered the old guy on the line.

“It’s a surreal feeling,” he said. “It’s one of those tough transitions where you’re trying to enjoy every second with the guys. You try to enjoy it all because once the bowl game ends it cuts right off.”

Jackson has been one of the leaders of an offensive line that has only allowed eight sacks this season, which is fourth in the country. The offensive line has also blocked for Jeremy Langford, who has accumulated 1,116 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.

“Where the program was when our class came here to where it is now, being a part of that has been really special,” he said . “Being a part of a coach (Dantonio) football team was really cool for five years.”

Tony Lippett

Mark Dantonio loves players with a chip on their shoulder. There are few that have come through the program with more to prove than wide receiver Tony Lippett.

The Detroit native had a rough time at first in East Lansing, as drops and inconsistency forced him to play for a short time as a defensive back.

He’s back at wide receiver, and he might be the best in the Big Ten.

“Being a Spartan has been a grind. There’s been a lot of ups and downs,” he said . “It’s a family — we’re all built on certain traits, and we trust each other.”

Lippett came into this season confident after reeling in touchdowns in the Big Ten championship game and the Rose Bowl. He has been able to shine by catching 55 passes for 999 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Lippett said playing defense wasn’t his first choice, but he learned from his time on the other side of the ball.

“I was young, and coach D was trying to get me out on the field,” he said. “I just tried to embrace it and embrace learning the position. I tried to have fun and stay lose.”

Lippett admitted that he hasn’t had much time to reflect on graduating, but said every once and while he tries to soak in the moment.

“I’ve probably stepped back a little bit, but not too much,” he said. “I’m just trying to grind day in and day out to get a win every Saturday.”

After an appearance on the Biletnikoff Award watch list as the nation’s best receiver, Lippett said this season has been more gratifying considering his success and what he has gone through at MSU.

“It’s been a good season so far,” he said. “The struggles that I’ve faced have been okay. They’re just obstacles that you have in life, and it’s basically how you respond to them that make you a man.”

Lippett said the challenges he has faced and will face in life will be dealt with the same way he dealt with challenges at MSU. Face to face.

“I just try to take every challenge and square it up face to face,” he said . “Just learn from it and embrace it.”