Accustomed to being the hunter looking to knock a higher ranked team off its pedestal, the No. 5 MSU football team will be the hunted Saturday when it travels to Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, to take on the No. 18 Hawkeyes.
Through seven games this season, the MSU defensive line had struggled to generate pressure on the opposing quarterback, accounting for only 7.5 sacks. But in the No. 5 Spartans’ 35-27 victory against Northwestern on Saturday, the defensive front sacked quarterback Dan Persa six times in the unit’s best showing of the season.
Through the first six games of the season, MSU’s fortune was earned on the backs of its linemen and running backs, gritted out in convincing victories against stout opponents. But after back-to-back games where the Spartans looked flat then responded by crushing their opponents, it’s clear there’s some luck on the Spartans’ side, too.
Throughout the early portion of the season, junior quarterback Kirk Cousins took a back seat to a dominant MSU rushing attack that made throwing the ball seemingly unnecessary. On Saturday against Northwestern, the roles were reversed when the running game struggled for the second week in a row, and Cousins responded with one of the best performances of his Spartan career.
Senior punter Aaron Bates took the snap and delivered a 23-yard pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver Bennie Fowler, who broke open for a first down at the Northwestern 13-yard line and caught the Northwestern return team off guard for a big gain.
Evanston, Ill. – Two touchdowns in the final two minutes lifted No. 8 MSU to a thrilling 35-27 win against Northwestern on Saturday, keeping MSU undefeated.
Without a home football game to celebrate, many MSU students are headed home for the weekend. But for Adam Nelligan, home is only a 25-minute drive from Northwestern’s Ryan Field, where he will spend his Saturday afternoon in the stands cheering on the Spartans.
Jon Misch is a man of many talents. The fifth-year senior’s list of off-the-field accomplishments would impress most people. But it’s his on-the-field play and excitement that’s made him stand out for the No. 8 MSU football team en route to a 7-0 start.
Growing up a lifelong MSU fan, sophomore Dan Conroy had a goal to one day be the Spartans’ kicker. After redshirting in 2008 and sitting behind now-graduated Brett Swenson last season, Conroy finally got his chance to shine and has been perfect this season.
The football series between MSU and Northwestern has provided some exciting games in recent history, from the Spartans’ 48-41 overtime loss in 2007 to their 35-point comeback win the year before.
With a 7-0 record, MSU is off to its best start since 1966. For the first time since the same era (1965-67), the Spartans have beaten rival Michigan three consecutive times.
The No. 8 MSU football team faces its first out-of-state trip of the season Saturday when it visits Northwestern. Here are four key matchups to watch in Saturday’s game.
Adding another marquee name to an impressive list of future nonconference opponents, the MSU football team will play a home-and-home series with Miami (Fla.) in 2020 and 2021.
Senior cornerback Chris L. Rucker waived his right for an arraignment Wednesday in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court, according to a court clerk.
The No. 8 MSU football team had their way offensively with their first six opponents, averaging 225 yards per game on the ground, but Saturday they found a defensive front that limited the Spartans all game.
Freshman cornerback Darqueze Dennard has been a member of the MSU football team for approximately two and a half months. On Saturday, he looked nothing like a first-year player in No. 8 MSU’s 26-6 win against Illinois.
Senior linebacker Greg Jones, sophomore kicker Dan Conroy and redshirt freshman kicker Kevin Muma earned honors for their individual performances against Illinois.
Throughout the season, the Spartan players and coaches have emphasized the taking-it-one-game-at-a-time mantra. And as MSU keeps winning, each game becomes more important, while it also gets easier to look ahead to the next big matchup or dwell on the last big win.
Coming off a 2009 season in which it forced six interceptions and finished last in the Big Ten in pass defense, the No. 8 MSU secondary is proving through its play that it’s in the midst of a turnaround.
The 2010 season is shaping up to be a special one for the MSU football team. Six games into the season with another six regular-season games to go, here is a look at the position-by-position grading breakdown of the MSU football team at the halfway point.