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MICHIGAN ST
NORTHWESTERN |
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41.5
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Final
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| 127 | MICHIGAN ST | -7 | -6 | | 128 | NORTHWESTERN | 42.5 | 41 |
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| All Games | 9-1 | +4 | 6-3 | 4-6 | 30.9 | 14.7 | 377.4 | (5.1) | 1.0 | 13.2 | 7.7 | 228.0 | (3.7) | 2.1 | | Road Games | 3-1 | +2 | 3-0 | 2-2 | 30.5 | 12.7 | 376.0 | (5) | 0.7 | 15.5 | 8.5 | 251.0 | (4.3) | 2.2 | | Last 3 Games | 3-0 | +3 | 3-0 | 1-2 | 37.3 | 15.7 | 410.7 | (5.5) | 0.7 | 12.3 | 5.3 | 229.3 | (4.2) | 2.7 | | Grass Games | 6-1 | +1 | 3-3 | 2-5 | 28.6 | 14.7 | 360.6 | (4.9) | 1.1 | 12.4 | 7.6 | 213.7 | (3.4) | 1.7 | | Conference Games | 6-0 | +5 | 5-1 | 3-3 | 32.3 | 14.2 | 401.8 | (5.4) | 0.8 | 13.2 | 7.3 | 254.8 | (4.2) | 2.2 |
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| Offense (All Games) | 30.9 | 14.7 | 21.4 | 34:57 | 43-188 | (4.4) | 18-31 | 56.6% | 189 | (6.1) | 74-377 | (5.1) | (12.2) | | Opponents Defensive Avg. | 32.7 | 16.6 | 22.4 | 32:50 | 42-197 | (4.7) | 18-31 | 60.0% | 224 | (7.3) | 72-421 | (5.8) | (12.9) | | Offense Road Games | 30.5 | 12.7 | 21.5 | 36:23 | 44-173 | (3.9) | 18-32 | 55.5% | 203 | (6.4) | 76-376 | (5) | (12.3) | | Defense (All Games) | 13.2 | 7.7 | 13.3 | 24:58 | 27-57 | (2.1) | 16-34 | 47.3% | 171 | (5.1) | 61-228 | (3.7) | (17.3) | | Opponents Offensive Avg. | 25.5 | 12.8 | 18.6 | 28:04 | 35-138 | (4) | 18-32 | 54.5% | 219 | (6.8) | 67-357 | (5.4) | (14) | | Defense Road Games | 15.5 | 8.5 | 13.5 | 23:36 | 25-77 | (3) | 17-33 | 52.6% | 174 | (5.2) | 58-251 | (4.3) | (16.2) |
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| All Games | 4-6 | -8.8 | 3-7 | 3-7 | 27.1 | 14.9 | 389.8 | (5.4) | 1.7 | 26.1 | 9.5 | 409.7 | (5.2) | 2.2 | | Home Games | 3-3 | -6.8 | 1-5 | 2-4 | 31.2 | 17.5 | 415.7 | (5.6) | 1.7 | 25.3 | 6.7 | 374.2 | (4.9) | 1.8 | | Last 3 Games | 0-3 | -3.6 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 17.7 | 9.0 | 319.7 | (4.5) | 1.3 | 23.7 | 9.0 | 371.3 | (4.4) | 1.7 | | Grass Games | 3-3 | -6.8 | 1-5 | 2-4 | 31.2 | 17.5 | 415.7 | (5.6) | 1.7 | 25.3 | 6.7 | 374.2 | (4.9) | 1.8 | | Conference Games | 0-6 | -10.8 | 1-5 | 1-5 | 17.7 | 10.0 | 327.5 | (4.6) | 1.7 | 27.7 | 11.3 | 398.5 | (5.1) | 1.8 |
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| Offense (All Games) | 27.1 | 14.9 | 20.3 | 28:38 | 43-184 | (4.3) | 18-29 | 62.5% | 206 | (7.1) | 72-390 | (5.4) | (14.4) | | Opponents Defensive Avg. | 25.6 | 13 | 19.2 | 28:15 | 37-147 | (4) | 19-33 | 56.9% | 220 | (6.8) | 69-367 | (5.3) | (14.4) | | Offense Home Games | 31.2 | 17.5 | 22.7 | 29:24 | 44-186 | (4.2) | 21-31 | 67.9% | 229 | (7.5) | 75-416 | (5.6) | (13.3) | | Defense (All Games) | 26.1 | 9.5 | 23.7 | 31:22 | 41-165 | (4) | 22-38 | 58.4% | 244 | (6.4) | 79-410 | (5.2) | (15.7) | | Opponents Offensive Avg. | 30.1 | 15.3 | 21.6 | 32:42 | 42-203 | (4.9) | 19-32 | 59.6% | 221 | (7) | 73-424 | (5.8) | (14.1) | | Defense Home Games | 25.3 | 6.7 | 22.7 | 30:36 | 39-157 | (4) | 21-36 | 57.1% | 217 | (5.9) | 76-374 | (4.9) | (14.8) |
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| | Average power rating of opponents played: MICHIGAN ST 28.7, NORTHWESTERN 35.3 |
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| 10/5/2013 | @ IOWA | 26-14 | W | 1.5 | W | 37.5 | O | 37-135 | 25-44-277 | 1 | 16-23 | 26-46-241 | 2 | | 10/12/2013 | INDIANA | 42-28 | W | -10 | W | 53.5 | O | 47-238 | 22-31-235 | 2 | 27-92 | 25-47-259 | 1 | | 10/19/2013 | PURDUE | 14-0 | W | -28 | L | 44.5 | U | 41-182 | 14-26-112 | 0 | 34-66 | 14-25-160 | 2 | | 10/26/2013 | @ ILLINOIS | 42-3 | W | -8 | W | 48 | U | 55-269 | 15-16-208 | 1 | 21-25 | 13-21-103 | 2 | | 11/2/2013 | MICHIGAN | 29-6 | W | -4 | W | 44.5 | U | 39-142 | 18-33-252 | 1 | 29--48 | 15-30-216 | 1 | | 11/16/2013 | @ NEBRASKA | 41-28 | W | -5 | W | 41 | O | 48-168 | 15-32-193 | 0 | 32-182 | 17-32-210 | 5 | | 11/23/2013 | @ NORTHWESTERN | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/30/2013 | MINNESOTA | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| 10/5/2013 | OHIO ST | 30-40 | L | 6.5 | L | 61 | O | 43-94 | 25-31-343 | 2 | 48-248 | 15-26-203 | 3 | | 10/12/2013 | @ WISCONSIN | 6-35 | L | 11 | L | 57.5 | U | 25-44 | 17-39-197 | 1 | 51-286 | 17-28-241 | 3 | | 10/19/2013 | MINNESOTA | 17-20 | L | -12.5 | L | 51.5 | U | 26-94 | 25-46-234 | 3 | 49-176 | 9-14-123 | 0 | | 10/26/2013 | @ IOWA | 10-17 | L | 4 | L | 53 | U | 52-225 | 11-14-104 | 2 | 41-136 | 19-27-169 | 1 | | 11/2/2013 | @ NEBRASKA | 24-27 | L | 3.5 | W | 58.5 | U | 47-245 | 8-21-81 | 1 | 50-195 | 22-42-277 | 4 | | 11/16/2013 | MICHIGAN | 19-27 | L | -3 | L | 49 | U | 48-141 | 20-31-163 | 1 | 45-137 | 27-46-200 | 0 | | 11/23/2013 | MICHIGAN ST | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/30/2013 | @ ILLINOIS | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| |  | MICHIGAN ST: MSU finished 7-6 last year, going 4-5 in games decided by four points or less. Replacing the nation's No. 3 rusher, Le'Veon Bell, is no easy task and the team may choose a committee approach with unaccomplished RBs Jeremy Langford (2.6 YPC), Nick Hill (2.3 YPC) and Riley Bullough, a converted LB. Senior QB Andrew Maxwell (5.8 YPA, 13 TD, 9 INT) could be overtaken by sophomore QB Connor Cook (5.5 YPA, 1 TD, 1 INT). WRs Bennie Fowler (524 rec. yds, 4 TD) and Aaron Burbridge (364 rec. yds) headline a mediocre receiving unit. The O-Line should remain strong, as will the No. 4-ranked defense (274 YPG). DE WIlliam Gholston is gone, but DE Shilique Calhoun (5 hurries) is a future star. MSU's back seven is truly elite with LBs Max Bullough (111 tackles, 12.5 TFL) and Denicos Allen (79 tackles, 10 TFL), plus CB Darqueze Dennard (3 INT), who projects as a high NFL draft pick. | | NORTHWESTERN: The Wildcats' first bowl win since 1948 capped off a school-record-tying 10 wins, which could have been an even dozen (1-point loss to Nebraska, OT loss at Michigan). They did so with a run-heavy, zone-read offense (226 rush YPG, 19th in FBS). Although three starting O-linemen left, all skill-position starters return, most notably QB Kain Colter (872 pass yds, 8 TD, 4 INT; 894 rush yds, 12 TD) and RB Venric Mark (1,366 rush yds, 12 TD). QB Trevor Siemian (1,312 pass yds, 6 TD, 3 INT) is the better passer in the two-QB system. WR Christian Jones (412 rec. yds, 2 TD) leads an underwhelming receiving corps. The defense held eight opponents to 20 points or less last year and had 29 takeaways (T-20th in FBS). DE Tyler Scott (9 sacks, 12.5 TFL) is nearly unblockable and LB Chi Chi Ariguzo (91 tackles) had a hand in six forced turnovers. CB Nick VanHoose (3 INT) is an absolute blanket. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW (MICHIGAN ST-NORTHWESTERN) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Michigan St.-Northwestern Preview* ===================================
No. 13 Michigan State (9-1) at Northwestern (4-6), 12:00 p.m. EDT
Michigan State isn't ready to celebrate quite yet.
The 13th-ranked Spartans locked up at least a tie for the Big Ten Legends Division title with a 41-28 win at Nebraska last Saturday. They need one more win, or one Minnesota loss, to clinch the division outright.
Linebacker Max Bullough wants to leave nothing to chance, so it's full steam ahead to Saturday's visit to Northwestern, which has lost six in a row.
"We'll worry about all the other implications when they come," Bullough said. "We can't play our bowl game tomorrow. We can't play our bowl game next week. We can just play the next game on the schedule."
To be denied a second appearance in the conference championship game in three years, the Spartans (9-1, 6-0) would have to lose their last two games - against Northwestern (4-6, 0-6) and at home against Minnesota (8-2, 4-2) - plus the Gophers would have to beat No. 16 Wisconsin at home this week.
The win over the Cornhuskers was a breakthrough. Before last Saturday, Michigan State had beaten each of its Big Ten opponents at least once since 2011 except Nebraska.
Coach Mark Dantonio noted that the Spartans will be in the Big Ten race on the last day of the regular season for the fourth time since 2008.
"Those are big positive steps for a program from when we came here," the seventh-year Spartans coach said. "It shows we have a solid foundation, but we need to continue to coach, and play and play up and continue to climb the ladder. You want to be where we are at, at the end of the season. I think it was a statement for a lot of people, for recruits and for everybody else."
The Spartans never trailed against the Huskers, and they turned four of Nebraska's five turnovers into points. But they did have to respond to pressure after Nebraska scored late in the third quarter to pull within 27-21.
Sophomore quarterback Connor Cook took another step in his development, leading Michigan State on a 10-play, 75-yard drive that made it a 13-point game in the middle of the fourth.
"He delivered," Dantonio said. "He had some big throws in the third and fourth quarters that really sort of put us over the top."
Cook hit Tony Lippett for a 34-yard gain on a third-and-5. After the Spartans picked up a first down on a fake field goal, a 12-yard pass to Bennie Fowler on third-and-8 was called back because of an ineligible receiver downfield. But on the next play Cook threw a perfect ball to Keith Mumphrey on a post pattern for a 27-yard touchdown.
"I knew we needed a touchdown to kind of seal the deal, get us a bigger cushion as a team," Cook said. "I'm calm and cool under pressure. I feel like I've been like that. I believe in myself."
The Spartans scored touchdowns on three of their last four full series and finished with 361 yards. That total was 18 yards under their season average, but it was enough on a day Nebraska couldn't hang onto the ball.
Michigan State improved to 3-1 on the road, with the only blemish a four-point loss at then-No. 22 Notre Dame on Sept. 21.
"We've been good on the road. We've come together," Dantonio said. "That's a happy locker room, and the guys feel fulfilled a little bit. We're moving in the right direction."
The same can't be said for Northwestern as losses keep piling up, and they're getting more brutal by the week.
After they lost by three at Nebraska on Nov. 2 when the Cornhuskers scored on a tipped desperation heave with no time left, the Wildcats allowed the tying 44-yard field goal in a chaotic finish at the end of regulation and lost 27-19 in triple overtime to visiting Michigan last Saturday.
"It's pretty unbelievable," kicker Jeff Budzien said. "It's shocking. It's depressing. If you had told me we'd be 4-6 at this time of year, I would have laughed at you."
Last week's loss continued a spiral that began when the then-No. 16 Wildcats blew a 10-point third-quarter lead and lost by 10 to No. 4 Ohio State at home Oct. 5.
"It's been rough," quarterback Trevor Siemian said. "It's been rough for me. It's been rough for everybody else in the locker room, Coach Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald). It's not fun, but we just keep working."
The Wildcats ended a four-game skid in this series with a 23-20 victory at Michigan State last season. The Spartans have won their last four visits to Northwestern.
Game Notes: |
| | Last Updated: 4/25/2024 5:45:35 PM EST. |
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