SPARTAN PLAYER BIOS
Marcus RUSH
44
DE | 6-2 | 250 | FR. I RS CINCINNATI, OHIO ARCHBISHOP MOELLER 2011 NOTES: Second-year player has started all 13 games at defensive end . . . named Big Ten Freshman Defensive MVP by ESPN.com . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches and media) . . . named Freshman All-American by Sporting News (first team), Yahoo! Sports (second team), Phil Steele (second team) and CollegeFootballNews. com (second team) . . . named to ESPN.com, Yahoo! Sports and BTN.com Big Ten AllFreshman Team . . . ranks second among MSU defensive lineman with 51 tackles (3.9 avg.) . . . ranks first among Big Ten freshmen in sacks (4.0 for 23 yards) and tackles for loss (10.0 for 41 yards) . . . ranks third on the team in quarterback hurries (12) and QB hits (10) . . . finished fourth on the team with 162 production points during the regular season . . . excellent all-around game in win at Northwestern: collected five tackles, including a career-high 2.0 sacks (6 yards), forced a fumble, and broke up a pass . . . had three tackles, including a 2-yard tackle for loss, and broke up a pass in win at Iowa . . . collected three tackles against Minnesota . . . earned honorable mention College Football Performance Awards Defensive Lineman of the Week accolades after recording a career-high 11 tackles, including 2.5 for losses (4 yards), at No. 13 Nebraska . . . compiled five stops and had a quarterback hurry in victory against No. 4 Wisconsin . . . had three tackles, including a 10-yard sack of Denard Robinson, and three QB hurries in MSU’s 28-14 win over No. 11 Michigan . . . earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after collecting four tackles, including a 7-yard sack, in MSU’s 10-7 win at Ohio State . . . named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after registering one tackle, two quarterback hurries and a pass break-up vs. Central Michigan . . . had seven tackles, including 2.0 for losses (10 yards), along with two quarterback hurries at Notre Dame . . . made his first career start against Youngstown State and recorded four tackles, including a half tackle for loss, and also had two quarterback hurries . . . redshirted last season. CAREER HIGHS Tackles...................... 11, vs. Nebraska (10/29/11) Tackles for loss ......... 2.5, vs. Nebraska (10/29/11) Sacks ........................ 2.0, vs. Northwestern (11/26/11) Pass break-Ups ........ 1, twice (last vs. Iowa, 11/12/11) Rush’s Career Statistics Year G/GS UT AT 2011 13/13 25 26
TM 51
TFL 10-41
Rush’s 2011 Game-by-Game Statistics Opponent UT AT TM TFL Youngstown State 1 3 4 0.5-2 Florida Atlantic 0 2 2 Notre Dame 3 4 7 2-10 Central Michigan 1 0 1 Ohio State 4 0 4 1-7 Michigan 2 1 3 1-10 Wisconsin 0 5 5 Nebraska 7 4 11 2.5-4 Minnesota 0 3 3 Iowa 2 1 3 1-2 Indiana 1 1 2 Northwestern 4 1 5 2-6 Wisconsin 0 1 1 Totals 25 26 51 10-41
SACKS 4-23 SACKS 1-7 1-10 2-6 4-23
INT 0-0 INT 0-0
PBU 4 PBU 1 1 1 1 4
FR 0 FR 0
FF 1 FF 1 0
Mike SADLER
3
P | 6-0 | 182 | FR. I RS GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. FOREST HILLS NORTHERN 2011 NOTES: Second-year player is in his first year as the starting punter after redshirting last season . . . left-footed kicker is one of 14 freshmen starting punters in the FBS (true and redshirt) . . . averaging 39.8 yards per punt . . . has placed 40 percent (21-of54) of his punts inside the 20 . . . tied for 19th in the FBS with 21 punts inside the 20 . . . also has pinned 10 punts inside the 10, which is ninth most in the nation . . . selected to the CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America Team (second team); owns a 4.0 GPA in applied engineering sciences . . . also a CoSIDA Academic All-District V firstteam selection and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree . . . earned Freshman All-America honors by Phil Steele (third team) and CollegeFootballNews.com (honorable mention) . . . named to ESPN.com, Yahoo! Sports and BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team . . . placed two of his three punts inside the 20 against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, including one at the 1-yard line . . . pinned two of his four punts inside the 20 at Northwestern and averaged 39.0 yards per punt (four punts for 156 yards) . . . named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after averaging a season-best 46.2 yards per punt (six punts for 277 yards), including three inside the opponent’s 20, in Michigan State’s 37-21 victory at Iowa . . . named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in MSU’s 31-24 victory over Minnesota; averaged just 35.0 yards on five punts against the Gophers, but a season-best four of his five punts were placed inside the Gopher 20-yard line; delivered two clutch punts in the final seven minutes, twice pinning Minnesota inside its own 10-yard line; his first punt was downed at the Minnesota 6 and the second was fair caught by Brandon Green at the Gopher 10 . . . pinned two of his seven punts inside the 20 against Wisconsin; averaged 38.0 yards on seven punts vs. the Badgers . . . named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for his performance in the Michigan game; averaged 41.0 yards per punt on five attempts, had one punt downed inside the Michigan 20-yard line, and delivered a long of 45 yards despite wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour in Spartan Stadium; also earned honorable mention College Football Performance Awards National Special Teams Player of the Week accolades . . . averaged 40.8 yards on six punts at Ohio State, including three downed inside the 20 . . . averaged 43.5 yards on two punts vs. Central Michigan, including a 46-yarder . . . averaged 39.7 yards on six punts, including a 55-yarder, at Notre Dame . . . his only punt against Florida Atlantic was a 36-yarder that was downed at the FAU 8-yard line . . . in his collegiate debut against Youngstown State, averaged 38.3 yards per punt (three for 115 yards), including one inside the 20.
56 2012 OUTBACK BOWL • MICHIGAN STATE VS. GEORGIA