2009 CAPITAL ONE BOWL NOTES MICHIGAN STATE 2008 SPARTAN FOOTBALL Michigan State Athletic Communications • Z-22 Breslin Center • East Lansing, Mich. 48824-1003 Offi ce Phone: 517-355-2271 • Fax: 517-353-9636 • Website: www.msuspartans.com 2008 SCHEDULES & SCOREBOARDS No. 19/18 MICHIGAN STATE (9-3, 6-2 Big Ten) MICHIGAN STATE (9-3, 6-2 Big Ten) Aug. 30 at California (ABC) L, 31-38 vs. No. 16/17 GEORGIA (9-3, 6-2 SEC) Sept. 6 EASTERN MICHIGAN (BTN) W, 42-10 Sept. 13 FLORIDA ATLANTIC (ESPN2) W, 17-0 Sept. 20 NOTRE DAME (ABC) W, 23-7 Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009 • 1 p.m. EDT • ABC Sept. 27 at Indiana (ESPN) W, 42-29 Oct. 4 IOWA (ESPN2) W, 16-13 Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium (65,438/natural grass) Oct. 11 at Northwestern (ESPN2) W, 37-20 Orlando, Fla. Oct. 18 OHIO STATE (ABC) L, 7-45 Oct. 25 at Michigan (ABC) W, 35-21 Nov. 1 WISCONSIN (ESPN) W, 25-24 FIRST-AND-10 (what you need to know about the MSU-Georgia matchup) – Nov. 8 PURDUE (BTN) W, 21-7 • The 2009 Capital One Bowl marks Michigan State’s 19th postseason bowl appearance – its Nov. 22 at Penn State (ABC) L, 18-49 fi rst New Year’s Day game since a 37-34 victory over Florida in the 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl. The Jan.1 vs. Georgia (ABC) 1 p.m. Spartans are 7-11 (.389) in bowl games. It also marks MSU’s fi fth appearance in a Florida-based GEORGIA (9-3, 6-2 SEC) bowl (1938 Orange, 1989 Gator, 2000 Florida Citrus and 2007 Champs Sports). Aug. 30 GEORGIA SOUTHERN W, 45-21 • Michigan State is making its second-ever appearance in the Capital One Bowl (formerly known Sept. 6 CENTRAL MICHIGAN W, 56-17 as Florida Citrus and Tangerine Bowls). In the 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl, Paul Edinger kicked a Sept. 13 at South Carolina W, 14-7 Sept. 20 at Arizona State W, 27-10 39-yard fi eld goal as time expired to give No. 9 Michigan State a 37-34 victory over No. 10 Florida. Sept. 27 ALABAMA L, 30-41 There were fi ve lead changes in the contest as the two teams combined for 71 points and 767 Oct. 11 TENNESSEE W, 26-14 total yards. Spartan wide receiver Plaxico Burress had 13 receptions for 185 yards and three TDs Oct. 18 VANDERBILT W, 24-14 Oct. 25 at LSU W, 52-38 to earn Citrus Bowl MVP honors. Nov. 1 vs. Florida (Jacksonville) L, 10-49 • The 2009 Capital One Bowl marks just the second meeting between Michigan State and Georgia. Nov. 8 at Kentucky W, 42-38 The fi rst meeting came in the 1989 Gator Bowl, as Wayne Johnson threw three touchdown passes Nov. 15 at Auburn W, 17-13 and Rodney Hampton scored three times to lead Georgia to a 34-27 victory in Vince Dooley’s Nov. 29 GEORGIA TECH L, 42-45 Jan. 1 vs. Michigan State 1 p.m. fi nal game as the Bulldogs’ head coach. The two teams combined for 855 total yards with the Spartans outgaining the Bulldogs, 446-409. MSU’s Andre Rison caught nine passes for 252 yards BROADCAST COVERAGE and three scores. Spartan quarterback Bobby McAllister hit 14-of-24 throws for 288 yards and TELEVISION: ABC will televise the 2009 Capital three TDs while Blake Ezor led all rushers with 146 yards on 33 attempts. One Bowl live to a national audience, with Mike Patrick • Michigan State has compiled a 5-6-1 record (.458) against current members of the Southeastern handling the play-by-play, Todd Blackledge providing Conference (0-1 vs. Auburn, 1-0 vs. Florida, 0-1 vs. Georgia, 2-2 vs. Kentucky, 0-1 vs. LSU and color commentary and Holly Rowe serving as the 2-1-1 vs. Mississippi State). sideline reporter. • Each of Michigan State’s last six bowl opponents have been ranked in The Associated Press RADIO: The Spartan Radio Network, featuring veteran Top 25, including No. 21 Washington in the 1997 Aloha Bowl, No. 10 Florida in the 2000 Florida play-by-play announcer George Blaha, color analyst Jim Citrus Bowl, No. 20 Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic, No. 22 Nebraska Miller, sideline reporter Jason Strayhorn and broadcast host Will Tieman, will broadcast the bowl game to 39 in the 2003 Alamo Bowl, No. 14 Boston College in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl and No. 16 affi liates throughout the state. Michigan State football Georgia in the 2009 Capital One Bowl. broadcasts can be heard on fl agship stations WJIM • Michigan State has compiled a 30-10 record (.750) in games played against non-conference (AM 1240)/WMMQ (FM 94.9) in Lansing and WJR opponents since 1999. The Spartans have won 13 of their last 16 non-league games. Radio (AM 760) in Detroit. The 2009 Capital One Bowl also can be heard live nationally on Sports USA Radio • Michigan State’s 2008 opponents had a combined record of 75-57 (.568) during the regular Network, with Howard David handling the play-by-play, season. The Spartans went 5-3 in games played against bowl-bound teams. Ross Tucker providing color analysis and Rich Herrera • Michigan State has nine wins in 2008, marking the 10th time in program history the team has reporting from the sidelines. won at least nine games in a season and the fi rst time since 1999. It also marks just the third time MSU has won nine games since 1966. The 2009 Spartans are attempting to become just the third team in school history to reach the 10-win milestone (1965 and 1999). • Michigan State fi nished third in the Big Ten standings at 6-2 – its highest fi nish in the league standings since tying for second place in 1999 (6-2). The Spartans’ only conference losses came against 2008 Big Ten co-champions Penn State and Ohio State. • Consensus All-American Javon Ringer has accounted for 96 percent of Michigan State’s rushing yards (1,590 of 1,661) and 78 percent of its rushing attempts (370 of 477) in 2008. 1 MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL 2009 CAPITAL ONE BOWL NOTES MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS THE COACHES - Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio (South Carolina 1979) is 16-9 (.640) in his second year with the Mailing Address Spartans and 34-26 (.567) in fi ve seasons as a college head coach. His 16 wins mark the highest Z-22 Breslin Center East Lansing, MI 48824-1003 total by a Spartan coach in his fi rst two seasons (Chester Brewer held the previous record with Offi ce Phone ........................................(517) 355-2271 14 victories in 1903-04). In his fi rst season as head coach at Michigan State, Dantonio led the Fax .......................................................(517) 353-9636 Spartans to a 7-5 regular-season record, securing the program’s fi rst bowl bid in four years with Web Site ..........................................msuspartans.com a berth against Boston College in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla. He became just the Associate AD/Football Contact ......John Lewandowski Cell Phone .....................................(517) 243-2354 third fi rst-year coach in Michigan State history to earn a postseason bowl bid, joining Nick Saban E-Mail [email protected] (1995 Independence Bowl vs. LSU) and John L. Smith (2003 Alamo Bowl vs. Nebraska). Dantonio Athletic Communications Director ..............Jamie Weir compiled an 18-17 record (.514) in three seasons at Cincinnati, including two postseason bowl Cell Phone .....................................(517) 243-3187 appearances. Prior to accepting his fi rst head coaching position at Cincinnati, he spent three E-Mail [email protected] Associate Director ........................................Matt Larson years as defensive coordinator under Jim Tressel at Ohio State (2001-03) where he helped the Cell Phone .....................................(517) 927-6421 Buckeyes to a combined record of 32-6 (.842), including the 2002 National Championship. Dantonio E-Mail [email protected] previously spent six seasons as secondary coach at Michigan State (1995-2000), including fi ve Assistant Director/Football Contact ..........Ben Phlegar years under Nick Saban and one under Bobby Williams. His college full-time coaching credits also Cell Phone .....................................(517) 896-0031 E-Mail [email protected] include stops at Kansas (1991-94), Youngstown State (1986-90) and Akron (1985). Assistant Director ....................................Jim Donatelli E-Mail [email protected] Georgia’s Mark Richt (Miami-Fla. 1982) is 81-22 (.786) in his eighth year with the Bulldogs. His Video Producer ...............................David Diffenderffer .786 winning percentage ranks fourth among active head coaches in the NCAA Football Bowl E-Mail [email protected] Offi ce Assistant .....................................Paulette Martis Subdivision. During his tenure, Georgia has won two Southeastern Conference titles (2002 and 2005), played in three SEC Championship Games and appeared in eight consecutive postseason BOWL GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS bowl games. Richt previously spent 15 years at Florida State (1985-88, 1990-2000), serving as offensive coordinator for seven seasons. He spent the 1989 season as offensive coordinator at Game Notes ...................................................Pg. 1-22 East Carolina. Depth Chart/Starting Lineups .......................Pg. 23-24 Statistics .......................................................Pg. 25-33 2008 Game Recaps ......................................Pg. 34-45 TEAM COMPARISONS – The Last Time ...............................................Pg. 46-47 Michigan State Georgia Roster ...........................................................Pg. 48-49 Basic Offense Multiple Pro Style Player Bios ...................................................Pg. 50-77 Coaching Staff ..............................................Pg.