6 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS• 9 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS • 2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF • 26 AP TOP-25 FINISHES MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS • 1855 PLACE • 550 S. HARRISON RD. • EAST LANSING, MICH. 48823 OFFICE PHONE: 517-355-2271 • WEBSITE: MSUSPARTANS.COM • TWITTER: @MSU_FOOTBALL • INSTAGRAM: MSU_FOOTBALL SCHEDULES & SCOREBOARDS GAME MICHIGAN STATE (6-4, 4-3 B1G) MICHIGAN STATE (6-4, 4-3 B1G) Aug. 31 UTAH STATE (BTN) W, 38-31 AT NEBRASKA (3-7, 2-5 B1G) Sept. 8 at Arizona State (ESPN) L, 13-16 11 Sept. 22 at Indiana (BTN) W, 35-21 Date ........................................... Saturday, Nov. 17 Sept. 29 CENTRAL MICHIGAN (FS1) W, 31-20 Oct. 6 NORTHWESTERN (HC) (FS1) L, 19-29 Kickoff ................12:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. CST Oct. 13 at No. 8/8 Penn State (BTN) W, 21-17 Location ........................................... Lincoln, Neb. Oct. 20 No. 6/7 MICHIGAN (FOX) L, 7-21 Oct. 27 PURDUE (ESPN) W, 23-13 Stadium .....................Memorial Stadium (86,047) Nov. 3 at Maryland (ESPN2) W, 24-3 Surface ................................................... FieldTurf Nov. 10 No. 8/7 OHIO STATE (FOX) L, 6-26 Nov. 17 at Nebraska (FOX) 12 p.m. TV/Web/Mobile .................... FOX/FOX Sports Go Head Coach Head Coach Nov. 24 RUTGERS (FOX) 4 p.m. Live Stats ..................................msuspartans.com Mark Dantonio Scott Frost Tickets ....................................................huskers.com NEBRASKA (3-7, 2-5 B1G) MSU Record Nebraska Record 106-49 (12th year) 3-7 (first year) Sept. 8 COLORADO L, 28-33 All-Time Series ..................... Nebraska leads, 8-2 Overall Record Overall Record Sept. 15 TROY L, 19-24 Series in Lincoln .................. Nebraska leads, 5-1 Sept. 22 at No. 19/21 Michigan L, 10-56 124-66 (15th year) 22-14 (third year) Sept. 29 PURDUE L, 28-42 Last Meeting ...........Nebraska 39, MSU 38 (2015) Record vs. Nebraska Record vs. MSU Oct. 6 at No. 16/12 Wisconsin L, 24-41 Current Series Streak .......1 by Nebraska (2015-) 2-3 0-0 Oct. 13 at Northwestern L, 31-34 (OT) Oct. 20 MINNESOTA W, 53-28 FIRST-AND-10 – Oct. 27 BETHUNE-COOKMAN W, 45-9 • Michigan State heads to Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. Nov. 3 at No. 8/8 Ohio State L, 31-36 CT in Memorial Stadium. The Spartans (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) are coming off a 26-6 loss to No. 8/7 Ohio State Nov. 10 ILLINOIS W, 54-35 last Saturday in East Lansing, while Nebraska (3-7, 2-5 Big Ten) defeated Illinois in Lincoln, 54-35. The Nov. 17 MICHIGAN STATE 12 p.m. game will be televised nationally on FOX, with Brian Custer calling the play-by-play, Ben Leber serving as Nov. 23 at Iowa 12 p.m. • All times listed – Eastern. Rankings – AP/Coaches the analyst and Alex Curry on the sidelines. MEDIA COVERAGE • Saturday’s game marks the 11th meeting between Michigan State and Nebraska. The Huskers lead the all- TV: FOX time series, 8-2, including a 5-1 record in games played in Memorial Stadium. MSU is 2-3 against Nebraska in Play-by-Play: Brian Custer Big Ten games. In the last meeting on Nov. 7, 2015, Nebraska snapped MSU’s 12-game winning streak with Analyst: Ben Leber a 39-38 victory over MSU in Lincoln; the Spartans bounced back from the loss to win four straight, winning Sideline: Alex Curry the Big Ten Championship and reaching the College Football Playoff. MSU’s lone win at Nebraska arrived RADIO: SPARTAN SPORTS NETWORK during the Spartans’ 2013 Big Ten Championship season, a 41-28 victory on Nov. 16, 2013. Play-by-Play: George Blaha Analyst: Jason Strayhorn • Michigan State ranks first in the FBS in rushing defense, allowing just 76.5 yards per game. The Spartans Broadcast Host: Will Tieman have held their opponent to under 100 yards rushing seven times this season. MSU also has only given up Website: SpartanSportsNetwork.com 22 rushes of 10-plus yards, which is second fewest in the FBS (San Diego State, 20). Mobile: SSN 24/7 App (iOS, Android) Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM • In addition to leading the FBS in rushing defense, the Spartans also rank among the national leaders in (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM) Affiliates: 34 affiliates listed at SpartanSportsNetwork.com third-down conversion defense (14th at .320), scoring defense (17th at 19.7 ppg) and total defense (21st at Satellite: Ch. 83 (Sirius), Ch. 83 (XM), Ch. 83 (SiriusXM. 327.3 ypg). MSU has held its opponents to 20 or fewer points five times, and although the Buckeyes scored com) 26 points on Nov. 10, the defense allowed just 17 points (two TDs and one field goal). MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS • Junior defensive end Kenny Willekes, who entered the program as a walk-on linebacker for the 2015 Associate Director/Football Contact ......Ben Phlegar season, has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy. The Burlsworth Trophy is awarded Cell Phone ...................................... (517) 896-0031 annually to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on. Willekes E-Mail ................................. [email protected] Assistant Director/Football Contact ........Zach Fisher has emerged as one of the top pass rushers in the Big Ten. Named to the All-Big Ten midseason team by Cell Phone ...................................... (517) 896-2413 Pro Football Focus, he leads the conference in tackles for loss (17 for 79 yards) and ranks second in sacks E-Mail [email protected] (8.5 for 60 yards), totals which also rank among the national leaders (tied for eighth in TFLs, tied for 16th in Office Phone .......................................... 517-355-2271 sacks). According to Pro Football Focus, Willekes leads all defensive ends in the FBS with 16 quarterback Website ............................................. msuspartans.com hits. The native of Rockford, Michigan, is MSU’s active leader in tackles for loss (12th overall in school his- Twitter ....................................................@msu_football tory with 31.5) and sacks (10th in school history with 15.5). Willekes’ 17 tackles for loss this season rank Instagram ............................................@msu_spartans tied for sixth most in an MSU season. MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL • MSUSPARTANS.COM • @MSU_FOOTBALL 2018 SPARTAN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES MICHIGAN STATE QUICK FACTS • With the win at Maryland on Nov. 3, Michigan State became bowl eligible for the 11th time in 12 seasons GENERAL INFORMATION under head coach Mark Dantonio. In addition, MSU also won its 700th game in school history. The Spartans Location: East Lansing, Mich. own an all-time record of 700-457-44 (.601) in 1,201 games. MSU became the 27th school in the FBS to Enrollment: 50,019 (fall 2017) win 700 games. Conference: Big Ten (East Division) Nickname: Spartans • A trademark of Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State teams has been their ability to produce wins late in the Colors: Green and White Interim President: John Engler season. Under Dantonio, Michigan State has compiled a 29-12 record (.707) in November. His teams have Athletics Director: Bill Beekman won 23 of the last 32 games in November (3-0 in 2010; 4-0 in 2011; 1-2 in 2012; 4-0 in 2013; 3-1 in 2014; Stadium (Capacity): Spartan Stadium (75,005) 3-1 in 2015; 1-3 in 2016; 3-1 in 2017; 1-1 in 2018). During MSU’s three Big Ten Championship seasons Surface: Natural Grass (2010, 2013, 2015) under Dantonio, MSU was 10-1 in November. In addition, MSU is 32-16 (.667) in Big Ten road games under Dantonio, including a 26-10 record (.722) since 2010. Dantonio has won at least one COACHING STAFF Head Coach: road game at every Big Ten stadium. Mark Dantonio (South Carolina, 1979) Record at MSU: 106-49 (12th season) • Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio announced following the Ohio State game that running back Career Record: 124-66 (15th season) LJ Scott will sit out the remainder of the season with an injury. Scott, who saw action as a true freshman in Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line/Recruiting 2015 and led the Spartans in rushing his first three seasons (2015-17), only played in four games this fall Coordinator: Mark Staten (12th year; Miami-Ohio, 2001) Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: due to an injury and will be eligible to return for a fifth year in 2019. Mike Tressel (12th year; Cornell [Iowa] College, 1996) Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs: • Sophomore placekicker Matt Coghlin, who is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, has made Dave Warner (12th year; Syracuse, 1982) 14-of-16 field-goal attempts (.875) this season. Coghlin ranks among the Big Ten leaders in PAT percentage Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends: (first at 1.000), field-goal percentage (second at .875), field goals made (tied for third with 14) and scoring Jim Bollman (sixth year; Ohio, 1977) Defensive Ends: (eighth at 7.1 ppg). The Cincinnati, Ohio, native ranks first in MSU history with his .829 career field-goal Chuck Bullough (first year; Michigan State, 1992) percentage (29-of-35). Defensive Tackles: Ron Burton (sixth year; North Carolina, 1987) • Michigan State and Nebraska will honor Mike Sadler and Sam Foltz in a pregame ceremony on Saturday. Secondary: Sadler and Foltz were both tragically killed in a car accident on July 23, 2016, while working a kicking camp Paul Haynes (third year overall; Kent State, 1992) Quarterbacks: near Waukesha, Wisconsin. The pregame ceremony will include MSU head coach Mark Dantonio, Nebraska Brad Salem (ninth year; Augustana College, 1992) head coach Scott Frost, members of the Sadler and Foltz families, and specialists of both teams.