2012 SPRING FOOTBALL SPARTAN FOOTBALL QUICK FACTS GENERAL INFORMATION
Location: East Lansing, Mich. Enrollment: 47,965 (fall 2011) President: Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon Conference: Big Ten Nickname: Spartans Colors: Green and White Stadium (Capacity): Spartan Stadium (75,005) Surface: Natural Grass Press Box Number: 517-353-0630 Athletics Director: Mark Hollis
FOOTBALL STAFF
Head Coach: Mark Dantonio (South Carolina, 1979) Record at MSU: 44-22 (sixth year) Career Record: 62-39 (ninth year) Offensive Coordinator: Dan Roushar (Northern Illinois), 1984) Defensive Coordinator: Pat Narduzzi (Rhode Island, 1990) Secondary: Harlon Barnett (Michigan State, 1990) Defensive Line: Ted Gill (Idaho State, 1973) Offensive Line: Dan Roushar (Northern Illinois, 1984) Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator: Brad Salem (Augustana College, 1992) Wide Receivers: Terrence Samuel (Purdue, 1995) Tight Ends: Mark Staten (Miami-Ohio, 2001) Special Teams/Linebackers: Mike Tressel (Cornell [Iowa] College, 1996) Quarterbacks: Dave Warner (Syracuse, 1982) Director of Football Operations: Tim Allen (Bethel [Kansas] College, 1986)
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Winningest NCAA FBS Teams The Last Two Years (2010-11) Rank Team Total Wins 1. LSU 24 Boise State 24 Oregon 24 TCU 24 5. Stanford 23 Oklahoma State 23 7. Michigan State 22 Alabama 22 Auburn 22 Oklahoma 22 Virginia Tech 22 Wisconsin 22 • The Spartans have won 22 of their last 27 games, dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season, including a 14-2 record in Big Ten regular-season play. MSU has won at least 11 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. The 22 wins over the last two seasons are the highest two-year total in school history and ties for seventh most among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams during that same period (Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin also have 22 wins from 2010-11). • The 2011 senior class helped Michigan State to a combined record of 37-16 (.698), including four-straight postseason bowl appearances (2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl and 2012 Outback Bowl). The 37 wins are the most ever recorded by a senior class in MSU’s 114-year football history (previous record: 33 by Class of 2010). The 2011 class was also the first to defeat Michigan four-straight years since 1959-62 and finished with a home record of 24-4 (.857).
All-Time Record: 638-430-44 (.593) 2011 Record: 11-3 (7-1 Big Ten/1st Legends Division) First Season of Football: 1896 Bowl Games: 22 (8-14) National Championships: 6 (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966) Big Ten Championships: 7 (1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987, 1990, 2010)
• Michigan State returns four starters to its offensive line (senior right guard Chris McDonald, senior right tackle Fou Fonoti, junior left tackle Dan France, sophomore center Travis Jackson). In addition, junior Blake Treadwell (center) and sophomore Skyler Burkland (right tackle) each started the first three games of 2011 before suffering season-ending knee injuries at Notre Dame. Michigan State had four different starting combinations in 14 games on the offensive line last season, including three different starting centers (Treadwell, Jackson, Ethan Ruhland).
2012 SPARTAN OUTLOOK
• Michigan State must replace three-year starter Kirk Cousins at quarterback. Cousins left MSU as the program’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (66), passing yards (9,131), completions (723), passing efficiency (146.1 rating), total offense (9,004 yards) and 200-yard passing games (26). He also ranked among the Big Ten’s all-time Top 10 in completion percentage (tied for sixth at .641), passing efficiency rating (seventh), passing yards (10th) and TD passes (tied for 10th). Only the second three-time captain in MSU history (Robert McCurry, 1946-48), Cousins is the winningest quarterback in Spartan history, as he compiled a 27-12 record (.692) as the starting quarterback, including a 22-5 mark his final two seasons.
Offense: Multiple Defense: Multiple 4-3 Lettermen Lost: 19 (13 offense, 5 defense, 1 specialist) Lettermen Returning: 51 (21 offense, 25 defense, 5 specialists) Starters Lost: 10 (7 offense, 3 defense) Starters Returning: 17 (5 offense, 8 defense, 4 specialists) Offensive Starters Lost (7): LG Joel Foreman, TE Brian Linthicum, WR B.J. Cunningham, WR Keshawn Martin, QB Kirk Cousins, TB Edwin Baker, FB Todd Anderson Offensive Starters Returning (5): LT Dan France, C Travis Jackson, RG Chris McDonald, RT Fou Fonoti, TB Le’Veon Bell Defensive Starters Lost (3): NT Kevin Pickelman, DT Jerel Worthy, FS Trenton Robinson Defensive Starters Returning (8): DE Marcus Rush, DE William Gholston, LB Chris Norman, LB Max Bullough, LB Denicos Allen, FC Darqueze Dennard, BC Johnny Adams, SS Isaiah Lewis Starting Specialists Returning (4): PK Dan Conroy, KO Kevin Muma, P Mike Sadler, SN Matt Giampapa
• The Spartans must also replace three wide receivers with starting experience (B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin, Keith Nichol) and two tight ends (Brian Linthicum, Garrett Celek). All told, the Spartans only return 23 percent of the team’s receptions and 16 percent of the team’s receiving yards from last season. Cunningham, who left East Lansing as Michigan State’s career leader in both receptions (218) and receiving yards (3,086), tied a school record with 79 receptions and posted eight 100-yard receiving games in 2011, the most in an MSU single-season. Cunningham (79 catches) and Martin (66) combined for 145 receptions in 2011, the most ever by a receiving duo in a Michigan State season (previous record: 124 by Charles Rogers (67) and Herb Haygood (57) in 2001). Cunningham (1,306 yards) and Martin (777) also produced the most receiving yards of any receiving duo in an MSU season, teaming up for 2,083 receiving yards in 2011 (previous record: Plaxico Burress (1,142) and Gari Scott (843) with 1,985 receiving yards in 1998). Both of those marks by Cunningham and Martin (145 receptions; 2,083 receiving yards) ranked first among receiving duos in the Big Ten in 2011.
2 2012 MICHIGAN STATE SPRING FOOTBALL