2006 Michigan State Spartans

2006 Michigan State Spartans Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

Nov. 18
Penn State 17 ... Michigan State 13
With Joe Paterno coaching from the press box, Penn State overcame four turnovers and a 10-0 deficit to get Anthony Morelli touchdown passes to Andrew Quarless and Jordan Norwood, and finally put the game away with a 45-yard Kevin Kelly field goals. MSU had its chances but Brett Swanson missed two field goals, along with hitting kicks from 45 and 29 yards, and got a 11-yard scoring grab from Kerry Reed, but sputtered in the second half with its final drive stalling on the Penn State 38.  In his final home game, Penn State LB Paul Posluszny led the the team with eight tackles with two broken up passes.
Player of the game ... Penn State RB Tony Hunt had 130 yards rushing on 29 carries and 19 yards rushing on a pair of receptions.  
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Brian Hoyer, 30-61, 291 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jerramy Scott, 4-11  Receiving: Matt Trannon, 8-86
Penn State - Passing: Anthony Morelli, 17-37, 220 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Tony Hunt, 29-130  Receiving: Andrew Quarless, 4-87, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... MSU closed out the John L. Smith era with a somewhat bizarre, uneven loss to Penn State. QB Brian Hoyer bombed away 61 times leading the offense absolutely nowhere, while the coaching staff abandoned the running game despite getting up 10-0 early and staying close throughout. The run defense didn't show up for the second straight week and the offense failed to capitalize on all the chances, but that's the Smith era in a nutshell.

2006 Schedule CFN Prediction: 8-4 2006 Results: 4-8 Preview 2006 predicted wins
9/2	Idaho  W 27-17
9/9	Eastern Mich W 52-20
9/16	at Pitt W 38-23
9/23	Notre Dame L 40-37
9/30	Illinois L 23-20
10/7	at Michigan  L 31-13
10/14	Ohio State L 38-7
10/21	at Nwestern W 41-38
10/28	at Indiana L 46-21
11/4	Purdue L 17-15
11/11	Minnesota L 31-18
11/18	at Penn State L 17-13

2005 Schedule CFN Prediction: 8-3 2005 Results: 5-6 Preview 2005 predicted wins
9/3	Kent State W 49-14
9/10	Hawaii W 42-14
9/17	at No Dame W 44-41 OT
9/24	at Illinois W 61-14
10/1	Michigan  L 34-31 OT
10/15	at Ohio State L 35-24
10/22	Northwestern L 49-14
10/29	Indiana W 46-15
11/5	at Purdue L 28-21
11/12	at Minnesota L 41-18
11/19	Penn State L 31-22

Nov. 11
Minnesota 31 ... Michigan State 18
Minnesota overcame an early blocked punt for a score and a safety to score 17 straight to close out the first half helped by a  three-yard Jay Thomas touchdown run and a 48-yard fumble recovery off a sack for a score. Michigan State bombed away with backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, who was in for a dinged up Drew Stanton, but couldn't overcome the Gopher's big plays with Bryan Cupito throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to Ernie Wheelwright and a 41-yard score to Logan Payne.
Player of the game ... Minnesota QB Bryan Cupito completed 16 of 28 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Minnesota - Passing: Bryan Cupito, 16-28, 243 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Amir Pinnix, 23-113. Receiving: Logan Payne, 5-96, 1 TD
Michigan State - Passing: Brian Hoyer, 26-40, 330 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 12-25. Receiving: Kerry Reed, 11-147
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... As if things couldn't get uglier for Michigan State, it got all the momentum it could've ever wanted against Minnesota with two big early plays, and then it couldn't handle the Minnesota offensive balance and efficiency, lost Drew Stanton to a concussion, and couldn't come up with a big scoring drive when the game was still on the line. Brian Hoyer and the passing game bombed away converting ten of 21 third downs but the offense only netted three rushing yards. In the final game of the John L. Smith next week against Penn State, the team might just want to get things over with. Smith isn't going to play too many young players in the hope of getting them prepared for new regime.

Nov. 4
Purdue 17 ... Michigan State 15
Purdue touchdown catches from 25 and seven yards out from Dorien Bryant in the first half and finally took the lead for good on a 18-yard Casey Welch field goal with less than five minutes to play set up by a Justin Scott interception. Michigan State got three Brett Swenson field goals and a 21-yard touchdown catch from T.J. Williams, but stalled on its final drive after the Welch kick with Drew Stanton failing to get the offense beyond midfield.
Player of the game ... Purdue WR Dorien Bryant caught seven passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 16-29, 161 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Drew Stanton, 13-83. Receiving: Kerry Reed, 5-97
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 21-30, 286 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 13-64. Receiving: Dorien Bryant, 7-96, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... How did Michigan State respond after the news of John L. Smith's firing? It came up with a not-that-bad performance against Purdue with Drew Stanton looking a bit like the old Drew Stanton running well and making some nice plays on the move, but there wasn't enough pop to passing game and little help on the ground. As horrendous as the last seven weeks have been, MSU still has a shot to go to a bowl by beating Minnesota and Penn State. The team isn't playing well enough to have a shot against either of the two, so Stanton has to start bombing away and has to finally, finally, carry the team and close out his career with something positive.

Oct. 28
Indiana 46 ... Michigan State 21
Kellen Lewis and James Hardy combined for four touchdown passes, and Lewis threw a fifth score to Marcus Thigpen and added a 27-yard rushing score, as Indiana stunned Michigan State for 46 straight points to blow past the Spartans. MSU started off the scoring with a 38-yard pass to Devin Thomas, and then the roof caved in with the secondary unable to handle Lewis and Hardy. MSU got two Brett Kahn touchdown runs in the fourth quarter after the game was well out of reach.
Player of the game ... Indiana QB Kellen Lewis completed 16 of 26 passes for 261 yards and five touchdowns with an interception and ran 14 times for 75 yards and a touchdowns. WR James Hardy caught six passes for 83 yards and four scores.
Stat Leaders: Indiana - Passing: Kellen Lewis, 15-26, 261 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Marcus Thigpen, 20-104. Receiving: James Hardy, 6-83, 4 TD
Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 10-22, 100 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Drew Stanton, 8-34. Receiving: Devin Thomas, 4-82, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Good to see MSU could build on the momentum of the win over Northwestern ... yuck. Indiana blew the doors off the Spartans as Drew Stanton had a lousy game and there was no running attack to rely on. Not getting any offense against Indiana is not a positive, and now a bowl bid might be next to impossible with Purdue, Minnesota and Penn State left to play and needing to win two more games. If the secondary plays like it has over the last few weeks, MSU won't win another game.

Oct. 21
Michigan State 41 ... Northwestern 38
Michigan State staged the greatest comeback in D-I history rallying from down 38-3 midway through the third quarter. Down 3-0, the Wildcats cranked out a 38-point run with three touchdown passes from C.J. Bacher and a halfback option scoring pass to Shaun Herbert. Herbert's second scoring grab of the day on a five-yard pass with 9:54 to play in the third quarter appeared to be more than enough for the win, but MSU's Drew Stanton went nuts throwing two touchdown passes, including a brilliant nine-yard on-the-run strike to T.J. Williams,  and ran for a 12-yard score. The special teams got into the act with a 33-yard blocked punt for a touchdown from Ashton Henderson. Northwestern still had a shot to run out the clock, but Bacher was intercepted by Travis Key with just over three minutes to play leading to a 28-yard game-winning kick from Brett Swenson.
Player of the game ... Michigan State QB Drew Stanton completed 27 of 37 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and ran nine times for 37 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 27-37, 294 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jehuu Caulcrick, 9-39. Receiving: Kerry Reed, 9-101
Northwestern - Passing: C.J. Bacher, 15-29, 245 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Sutton, 21-172. Receiving: Shaun Herbert, 6-54, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Could anyone but Michigan State be so nutty and so crazy to be as low as could possibly be with the season appearing to be more than just over after getting down early against Northwestern, and then come up with the greatest comeback ever? MSU's heart has been questioned over the last few weeks, but that wasn't a problem this week as the team took the momentum, and a brilliant fourth quarter from Drew Stanton, to get the year back on track and, possibly, save John L. Smith's job. Now the Spartans have to use this momentum to get through a relatively light next three games against Indiana, Purdue, and Minnesota and get in the hunt for a decent bowl.

Oct. 14
Ohio State 38 ... Michigan State 7
Ohio State won in a walk as Troy Smith threw two touchdown passes, including a Heisman-reel play to Brian Robiskie on a seven-yard strike, and Ted Ginn returned a punt 60 yards for a score. Antonio Pittman started the Buckeye scoring with a two-yard run to cap an 80-yard, 12-play drive, and Chris Wells ended it with a five-yard score. MSU finally got on the board with just over a minute to play with a six-yard A.J. Jimmerson run. The Spartans were held to 198 yards of total offense with 69 of them coming on the final drive.
Player of the game ... Ohio State QB Troy Smith completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 8-16, 54 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jehuu Caulcrick, 15-45. Receiving: Terry Love, 4-44
Ohio State - Passing: Troy Smith, 15-22, 234 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Well, 12-53, 1 TD. Receiving: Anthony Gonzalez, 7-118, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Michigan State doesn't have many weapons with RB Javon Ringer and WR Matt Trannon out, but if Drew Stanton is really an elite quarterback, he has to make everyone around him better, and he's not doing that. Ohio State did what it wanted to on the flat Spartans, and now the season has the potential to really nosedive into the tank if there's not a big improvement next week at Northwestern. The next four games (NU, at Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota) are all very, very winnable. If MSU can't win three of the four going into the Penn State game, or at least come close, then it really might be time to declare the John L. Smith era over.

Oct. 7
Michigan 31 ... Michigan State 13
Chad Henne threw three touchdown passes with two to Mario Manningham, and Mike Hart ran for 122 yards despite sitting out the fourth quarter on the way to an easy Wolverine win. Michigan was up 24-0 in the third quarter when MSU finally got on the board with a one-yard Jehuu Caulcrick run. The Spartans later got a two-yard Drew Stanton touchdown dive, but they were never in the game.
Player of the game ... Michigan QB Chad Henne completed 11 of 17 passes for 150 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Michigan - Passing: Chad Henne, 11-17, 140 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Mike Hart, 22-122. Receiving: Steve Breaston, 4-34
Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 20-35, 252 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Jehuu Caulcrick, 14-29, 1 TD. Receiving: Matt Trannon, 4-61
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Michigan State is saying all the right things and trying hard, but its star, QB Drew Stanton, is hurting with injured ribs, and the team doesn't appear to be playing with any confidence. It didn't help itself against Michigan with 11 penalties, two turnovers, and no defense whatsoever early on. Somehow, the team has to find something it can get excited about and try to find a little of the same explosion they showed before the Notre Dame fourth quarter. A bowl game is still possible and would make the season a success, but can the Spartans focus and get back on track? Not until the Northwestern game.

Sept. 30
Illinois 23 ... Michigan State 20
Illinois PK Jason Reda connected on a 39-yard field goal with six seconds to play to foil a Michigan State comeback. The Illini got out to a stunning 20-10 lead highlighted by a trick play 16-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Willis from RB E.B. Halsey and a 69-yard Willis touchdown grab, but MSU was able to stay alive on a 62-yard Demond Williams interception return for a touchdown. State fought its way back with a quick drive culminating in a one-yard Jehuu Caulcrick touchdown run and a 27-yard Brett Swenson field goal, but Illinois was able to go 58 yards in ten plays to set up the winning score.
Player of the game ... Illinois QB Isaiah Williams completed nine of 16 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown and ran 17 times for 103 yards
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 15-24, 144 yds
Rushing: Jehuu Caulcrick,12-35, 1 TD. Receiving: T.J. Williams, 4-53
Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 9-16, 122 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Pierre Thomas, 18-110. Receiving: Kyle Hudson, 4-41
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Talk about shell-shocked, Michigan State didn't even go through the motions against Illinois until it was too late. Drew Stanton had an awful game holding on to the ball way too long, getting sacked five times, and doing nothing to get the offense moving. How could the Spartan offense only run for 82 yards on the lousy Illini defense? Obviously, the Spartans weren't over the Notre Dame collapse, and now things might go from bad to worse with Michigan and Ohio State up next. This is when Stanton has to turn into the type of top pro prospect he's supposed to be. A player that good is supposed to carry his team though the rough patches, and he's not doing it.

Sept. 23
Notre Dame 40 ... Michigan State 37
With a stunning comeback scoring 19 points in the final 8:18, Notre Dame kept hopes for a BCS slot and a possible national championship alive thanks to two Brady Quinn touchdown passes and a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown from Terrail Lambert with 2:53 to play. Quinn threw five scoring strikes on the day highlighted by a 43-yard play to Jeff Samardzija on fourth down to spark the comeback. Samardzija caught two touchdown passes and Rhema McKnight caught scoring passes from 32 and 14 yards out. Michigan State got out to a 31-14 lead with two Drew Stanton touchdown passes and a 19-yard interception return for a touchdown from Ervin Baldwin, but the offense turned it over three times in the fourth quarter finishing off with a strange interception by Lambert off a ricocheted pass that sat on the back of a Spartan receiver Kerry Reed.
Player of the game ... Notre Dame WR Jeff Samardzija caught seven passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns and led the way to the comeback with a 43-yard catch-and-run for a score on a fourth down play in the fourth quarter.
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 10-22, 114 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jehuu Caulcrick, 8-111, 1 TD. Receiving: Javon Ringer, 3-32, 1 TD
Notre Dame - Passing: Brady Quinn, 20-36, 319 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Darius Walker, 11-47. Receiving: Jeff Samardzija, 7-113, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Fortunately, Michigan State as Illinois up next week. The loss to Notre Dame wasn't in Big Ten play, and it doesn't signal the end to the team's season. Now the team has to learn from this epic choke and figure out what it did wrong. Instead of being "same old Michigan State," it has to learn from this. It lost its momentum in the second half against the Irish by not staying aggressive and losing the edge. Instead of playing like it was behind and making plays, it played not to lose. Drew Stanton is a much better quarterback than he played on Saturday night, and he still has chances to pull off huge wins with games against Michigan and Ohio State ahead.

Sept. 16
Michigan State 38 ... Pitt 23
Pitt got out to a 10-0 lead helped by an eight-yard touchdown run from LaRod Stephens, and then the roof caved in as Michigan State scored 38 straight points as Drew Stanton threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score and Jehuu Caulcrick ran for a two short touchdowns. Pitt got two garbage time touchdown passes from Tyler Palko in the final three minutes including a 49-yard scoring pass to Derek Kinder as time ran out.
Player of the game ... Michigan State QB Drew Stanton completed 16 of 25 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and ran 13 times for 105 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 16-25, 198 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 15-156,. Receiving: Kerry Reed, 7-103, 1 TD
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 28-47, 277 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Cornridge Collins, 5-33. Receiving: Derek Kinder, 9-121, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Drew Stanton is really, really good. Able to keep the chains moving with his arm and his legs against Pitt, MSU converted 11 of 15 third down tries. Past Spartan teams might have folded after getting down early and after a rough start, but this one ripped through Pitt without a problem, while the defense came up with its best performance of the year. This is exactly the type of of game the team wanted before facing Notre Dame.

Sept. 9
Michigan State 52 ... Eastern Michigan 20
Michigan State cranked out 586 yards of total offense, but it wasn't able to break the game open until midway through the third quarter when the Spartans scored 28 unanswered points helped by two of Drew Stanton's three touchdown passes along with a one-yard Stanton run to start it off. A.J. Jimmerson caught two touchdown passes for the Spartans, but it was the Matt Trannon show setting an MSU record with 14 catches with two touchdown grabs. Stanton ran for two scores including a six-yard dash to take an early 7-3 lead. EMU made it interesting with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Eric Deslauriers and a 39-yard score off a trick play from WR Dontayo Gage to Travis Lewis.
Player of the game ... Michigan State WR Matt Trannon caught 14 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 24-32, 154 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 15-130. Receiving: Matt Trannon, 14-151, 2 TD
Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy Schmitt, 12-19, 130, 1 TD
Rushing: Pierre Walker, 5-29. Receiving: Dontayo Gage, 7-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The machine is getting revved up just in time for the big boys. Matt Trannon proved against Eastern Michigan that he deserves a hard look from the NFL scouts as an early round draft pick showing off speed and hands with his record-setting 14-catch day. Drew Stanton, as always, was terrific, helping the Spartans convert ten of 13 third down chances. Now the offense has to remain consistent against Pitt and Notre Dame over the next few weeks.

Sept. 2
Michigan State 27 ... Idaho 17
Michigan State rolled up 400 yard of total offense but couldn't put Idaho away until a Brett Swenson 30-yard field goal with just :30 to play. The Spartans jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead, but Idaho kept picking away with a one-yard touchdown run from Jayson Bird and a 13-yard touchdown catch by Lee Smith keeping it close. The Spartans went on a late drive when they had to and the defense came up with a big three-and-out when the momentum was in the Vandals' favor.
Player of the game ... Michigan State QB Drew Stanton completed 16 of 25 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown and ran eight times for 58 yards.
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Drew Stanton, 16-25, 224 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 16-70, 1 TD. Receiving: Kerry Reed, 4-63, 1 TD
Idaho- Passing: Steven Wichman, 18-32, 162 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jayson Bird, 20-86, 1 TD. Receiving: Luke Smith-Anderson, 4-30
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... For a team looking to make a statement early on to show that the corner is turned on a new season, Michigan State didn't look all that great against Idaho. Drew Stanton had a nice game and came up with the big plays when he had to, but the offense didn't do enough on third downs. Idaho never gave up and never rolled over on the Spartans when the game appeared ready to become a blowout, but this MSU performance means that next week's games against Eastern Michigan had better be much sharper to inspire any confidence before facing Pitt and Notre Dame.

2006 Michigan State Preview

Michigan State Preview | Offense | Defense | Depth Chart | Further Analysis

flak·y also flak·ey  (flk)
adj. flak·i·er, flak·i·est

1. Made of or resembling flakes.
2. Forming or tending to form flakes or thin, crisp fragments: flaky pastry.
3. Slang. Somewhat eccentric
4. Michigan State football

Name another team with the offensive firepower and overall athleticism to blow up a 9-0 Wisconsin team 49-14 in 2004, beat Notre Dame in South Bend last year, hang punch for punch with Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan, and also be able to get annihilated at home by Northwestern, destroyed by Minnesota, and be the one decent team a horrible Purdue team could beat.

Who goes 1-3 in the last four games against Northwestern? Who loses to teams like 2004 Rutgers, 2003 Louisiana Tech, and 2004 Hawaii?

What's so tantalizingly annoying about Michigan State is how it finds ways to battle in the huge games, but it can't get up for every game. It hasn't been able to for years. It hasn't mattered if it's Nick Saban, Bobby Williams or John L. Smith coaching; this program can't put it all together and keep its focus for an entire season.

Since 2000, MSU is 17-6 in September, and 4-16 during the crunch-time games in November. What's the hang up? How can this million dollar team have such a ten-cent head? One word: Michigan.

You could analyze to death the Jan Brady syndrome Michigan State faces trying to outdo the big brother over in Ann Arbor. Look at the track record and it appears there really might be an obsession with the Wolverines that kills MSU year after year.

Last season, MSU was 4-0, lost to Michigan, and went 1-5 the rest of the way. In 2004 the Spartans were 4-3, lost to Michigan, and went 1-3 to close out. Since 2000, the Spartans have gone 8-18 after the Michigan game and have gone 2-5 over the last seven years in the game after the in-state showdown.

With 12 returning starters, a legitimate All-America quarterback candidate in Drew Stanton leading one of the nation's top offenses, a potentially better, more active defense, and special teams that can't be worse than last season's group, there's the chance to finally put together an even year and come up with the second winning season in the last five years.

There might be problems coming up with that tough win following the Michigan game with Ohio State coming to East Lansing, but there's no excuse to fall off the map over the second half of the year thanks to ... 

The Schedule: There are four brutal games against Notre Dame, at Michigan, Ohio State, and at Penn State, but the other eight aren't just winnable, they're must wins. The Spartans will come out strong, but they can't sulk if they lose the back-to-back early Big Ten games at Michigan and against Ohio State. At Northwestern might be a bear trap after playing the two conference heavyweights, but they can handle a few early losses and still make a run with a favorable late schedule before gong on the road to face Penn State. Missing Iowa and Wisconsin is a huge break.

Best Offensive Player: Senior QB Drew Stanton. If he played for a top ten team he'd be mentioned in the Heisman race. He's 6-3, 230 pounds with 33 games of experience, 4,717 career passing yards, 1,067 rushing yards, and has been among the nation's most efficient passers. If he cuts down on his interceptions and avoids the injury problems that plagued him in 2003 and 2004, he could be the type of player who could carry his team to a shocking season.

Best Defensive Player: Senior DT Clifton Ryan. The 304-pound defensive end will move to tackle to not add more bulk on the inside, but to also create some semblance of an interior pass rush. He'll move back to the strongside on occasion to beef up the run defense.

Key player to a successful season: Senior CB Greg Cooper. The former safety brings experience, size, and speed to the corner in the hopes of being a desperately needed number one, lockdown defender. The Spartans have to come up with more big plays against the pass, pick off more passes, and be better on third downs. Cooper will be responsible for the improvement.

The season will be a success if ... the Spartans win nine games and goes to a bowl. This is hardly a great team, but there's no excuse to not win at least eight with a win over a power like Ohio State or Notre Dame thrown in there. Being a rock at home against Purdue and Minnesota is a must.

Key game: Oct. 7 at Michigan. With Ohio State coming up followed up by road trips against Northwestern and Indiana, a loss to the Wolverines could be the start of a rough stretch if the team isn't able to keep its focus. A win would shoot the confidence sky-high and should mean a 2-0 Big Ten start with a chance the week after to make a major statement for the Big Ten title against the Buckeyes.

2005 Fun Stats: 
- Field goals: Opponents 5 of 9 - Michigan State 5 of 16
- Third down conversions: Michigan State 69 of 146 (47%) - Opponents 67 of 150 (45%)
- First half scoring: Michigan State 219 - Opponents 157

The Last Time Michigan State…
…played in a bowl game…2003 (Alamo Bowl v. Nebraska)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…1999 (Northwestern)
…was shutout…2000 (Michigan)
…scored 50 points…2005 (Illinois)
…went undefeated…1966
…won a conference title…1990 (share, Big Ten)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2005 (Drew Stanton)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2001 (T.J. Duckett)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2002 (Charles Rogers)
…had a first-round draft choice…2003 (WR Charles Rogers)