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2004 Michigan State Spartans Game Preview

3yardsandacloud

Administrator Emeritus
2004 Michigan State Spartans Game Preview
written by
FKAGobucks877, daddyphatsacs, Bucklion, osugrad21, vrbryant, and 3yardsandacloud

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Michigan State Spartans Game Preview

It's back to the road for the Buckeyes in the Big Ten and bowl eligibility is at stake. The 4-4 Spartans (3-2 in conference) will look to rebound from a gut wrenching, triple overtime loss to instate rival Michigan. The Bucks (5-3, 2-3 in conference) look to build on a recent 2 game win streak, and build momentum for the season ending showdown with Michigan.




Date and Time
Game time: Saturday, November 6th, 2004
12:10 noon EST Kick-off at Spartan Stadium (East Lansing, MI)
ESPN will cover the game.



Michigan State Spartans Defensive Preview


Returning starters: 7


Michigan State is certainly not going to be mistaken for a juggernaut defensive football team. Although they showed some restraint against Michigan, they are a lower tier defensive team in the Big Ten. They are ranked 7th in the Big Ten in total defense, surrendering 380 yards per game. They are 6th in the conference against the pass (208 YPG), and are 9th against the run (171 YPG). They are currently ranked 8th in the conference in scoring defense, giving up 25 points per contest. They are not a team that will produce a heavy pass rush, they are ranked 5th in the Big Ten in sacks (15 total). Against the pass they have given up 9 touchdown passes in comparison to picking off 7 passes. The one strong point is their red zone defense, they are ranked 2nd in the Big Ten. They surrender points 72% of the time when their opponents crawl inside their 20 yardline.

Defensive Line
Rush: #59 Clifford Dukes (6-3 258 Sr.)
DT: #91 Kevin Vickerson (6-4 295 Sr.)
NG: #99 Brandon McKinney (6-3 320 Jr.)
Stud: #92 Clifton Ryan (6-2 288 So.)

Michigan State is led on the defensive line by senior Kevin Vickerson. For an interior tackle Vickerson is very active along the defensive front. On the season he has totaled 31 tackles, with 7 of those being for a loss (T-1st on team), and 2.5 sacks. Vickerson has also been credited with hurrying the quarterback 3 times and deflecting a pass. The other interior line position will be occupied by the massive Brandon McKinney. Like Vickerson, McKinney has 31 tackles on the season, though only 1 of those has been for a loss. McKinney has also been credited with a half sack and 2 QB hurries.

The stud of the Michigan State defense (well at least by position title) is Clifton Ryan. Ryan has 27 tackles on the season, with 6 being for a loss, and 1 being a sack. Ryan has also been credited with 4 QB hurries (1st on team), and he has forced a fumble. The rush end position will be filled by Clifford “put up your” Dukes. Though he is a bit undersized, Dukes has been able to come up with 19 tackles on the season with 3 being for a loss, and 3 being sacks. Dukes has also been credited with 3 QB hurries.

As you can probably tell from the stats, Michigan State really does not blow you away with their defensive line. They have been very bad against the run this season, so that should indicate a glaring weak spot that Ohio State should pounce upon. They do not have any superstars along the front, in fact they really don’t have any playmakers whatsoever on their line. I’m certainly not counting out a big game from them, we all know that the Ohio State offensive line can make a defensive line look like world beaters. I think the improvement from the offensive line will carry over this week, the Spartans are average at best.

DL Rating: C-


Linebackers
Mike: #44 Ronald Stanley (6-0 234 Sr.)
Whip: #41 David Herron Jr. (6-1 251 So.)
Bandit: #34 Tyrell Dortch (5-10 208 Sr.)

The MSU linebacking unit is led by senior “Mike” Ronald Stanley. Stanley is having a very productive season from his linebacker slot (someone has to pick up the slack). He has amassed 82 tackles on the season, with 7 being for a loss (T-1st on team), and 2 being sacks. Stanley also leads the team in forced fumbles with 2. The versatile Tyrell Dortch will get the start at the bandit (OLB) position. Dortch hasn’t been very effective in the tackling department with a meager 27 on the season. Dortch has shown a knack for making big plays with 4.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions. He has also broken up 3 passes and forced a fumble. Michigan State will call upon David Harron Jr. to fill the last linebacker slot. Herron Jr. has 58 tackles on the season, with 5 being for loss, and 2 being sacks.

The Michigan State linebacking unit has shown the ability for the big play and does have a few playmakers holding down the fort. I think they will hold the key for the Spartan defense on Saturday. The sub plot will be if the MSU linebackers will be able to make a few big plays as the game progresses. If they fail to do so, the Spartans will be in big trouble this weekend.

LB Rating: B-


Secondary
LCB: #31 Jaren Hayes (5-9 186 Jr.)
FS: #25 Jason Harmon (5-11 202 Sr.)
SS: #36 Eric Smith (6-1 193 Jr.)
RCB: #17 Roderick Maples (5-10 190 Sr.)

In the secondary Michigan St. is led by senior all Big Ten candidate free safety Jason Harmon. Harmon is certainly the best athlete in the Michigan defensive secondary. He is tied for the Big Ten lead with 3 interceptions on the season. In addition he has racked up 76 tackles, including 1 for loss. He has also broken up 3 passes and recovered a fumble. The other safety spot will be occupied by Eric Smith. Smith is also having a productive year racking up 76 tackles, including 1 for a loss. He has also broken up 5 passes and recovered 2 fumble.

The corners for Michigan St. are Jaren Hayes and Roderick Maples. Maples is having a decent year from his right corner position racking up 55 tackles, including 1 for a loss, and 1 quarterback sack. He is 2nd in the Big Ten in passes deflected with 13. The other corner spot will by occupied by Jaren Hayes. Hayes has 40 tackles on the season, including 2 for loss, and a sack.. He has also picked off a pass and broken up 5 balls.

The Michigan State secondary is not too bad as a whole. The seem to be relied upon to make big plays which normally spells problems for the rest of the team. Harmon is the best of the crew, and will be all over the field this week. When you compare the MSU secondary to some other opponents on the season, they fall right in the middle.

DB Rating: C+


Analysis

The setup could not get any sweeter this week for the Buckeyes. Although they are playing on the road, they are playing a team who is wounded coming off a heartbreaking loss to their interstate rival Michigan. This usually leads to a flat performance the next time out, this goes to be seen on Saturday. Michigan State is not spectacular, but they are not a slouch either. Ohio State will have to play fantastic football to win this week. Fortunately the run will be there for them, hopefully the Bucks can expose it. I think the bleeding has stopped, it’s time to start a new streak.

Overall Defensive Rating: C+



Michigan State Spartans Offensive Preview


Returning Starters: 3 (Some sources list this number as high as 7)


Coach John L. Smith primarily utilizes the spread formation. Last season, Michigan State was a “pass-happy” team that was completely uncommitted to the run. Their passing offense ranked 2nd in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally (270.0 yards/game). Their rushing attack, however, was dead last in the conference and 11/117 overall (97.4 yards per game). Overall, that was good for 367.4 yards/game, which was middle of the pack (6th in conference, 73rd overall). They scored a respectable 27.92 points per game, and the turnover margin was a magnificent +11. All of this contributed to the resurgence of the Spartan program, and the return to a bowl game last season. However, the one-dimensionality of the offense hurt the Spartans against superior competition, particularly in the game against the Buckeyes last season, and losses to the Wolverines and Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl, something coach John L. Smith hoped to improve upon this season.


Enter new coordinator Dave Baldwin and some early difficulty determining a starting QB. Baldwin has committed more to developing the run, and it has manifested in a multi-dimensional attack that conference opponents have had extreme difficulty defending. So far this season, the Spartans have shown many flashes of big-time offense, despite the numerous personnel issues. Overall, they have put up 453.3 yards per contest, good for 2nd in the conference and 12th in the nation. They are 11th in the nation in rushing offense (232.3 yards/game; second only to Minnesota in the Big Ten), and have piled 29.3 points per game on the scoreboard (4th in conference; T35th overall). The passing game has also put up a respectable 221 yards/game (5th in the Big Ten; 53rd overall) which is especially good given the strength of the running game. This is a potent and dangerous offense that must be played honestly, given the explosive running game and the ability to throw the ball. However, the loss of one of the most exciting QBs in the nation really cripples this vaunted attack.


Quarterbacks
QB #5 Drew Stanton (6-3, 225)*
QB #7 Damon Dowdell (6-1, 222)

The team has settled in with Drew Stanton as the starting QB after Stephen Reaves was projected at the beginning of the year, and he has produced admirably when he has been healthy. He has completed 63.4% of his passes for 1138 yards, with 6 TDs to 4 INTs. His rating is a very good 128.9, and the team misses him greatly when he is not in there, as evidenced by the second half collapse last week. He is also a phenomenal big-play threat with his feet, as he leads the team with 534 yards rushing and 5 scores, with a ridiculous 7.3 yards/carry average at the QB position. He is by far their biggest weapon when he is in the lineup. Damon Dowdell is seasoned, and also a threat with his feet, but his passing is not as good (57.7% for 342 yards, 2TDs, 1 INT), and he tends to make more mistakes and take more sacks. Given that Stanton separated his shoulder last week, and is out for at least 2 weeks, Dowdell will get the start, eliminating the best dual threat to play at Michigan State in a long time. Reaves has also seen some limited action.

QB Rating: C*
(*=Stanton is out for Saturday’s game)


Running Backs
RB #21 DeAndra Cobb (5-10, 191)

Michigan State has a nice 3-headed monster at the tailback position. Cobb was a monster last weekend at Michigan, gaining 205 yards. He has 472 yards and 3 scores on the season. Jason Teague leads the team in carries, and has gained 422 yards and scored 4 times. He is also a good receiver out of the backfield (16 for 107 and a TD). Jehuu Caulcrick, a bulldozing fullback-type (6-0, 250) has also chipped in 396 yards and 3 scores, and can be a frightening change-of-pace back. All in all, this is a deep and talented position for the Spartans, and they are close to being on par for the season as a unit (with QB Stanton) with the vaunted Gopher rushing attack.

RB Rating: A-


Wide Receivers
WR #2 Agim Shabaj (5-10, 187)
WR #6 Matt Trannon (6-6, 228)
WR #32 Jerramy Scott (5-10, 183)

This is a decent unit that has made some plays throughout the season, particularly in Big Ten play. Trannon and Scott both lead the team with 26 catches apiece, and each has caught a TD pass. Trannon leads the team with 205 yards, Scott is second with 274. Trannon is especially dangerous because of his size and the potential for mismatches. Shabaj, last season’s leading receiver, has chipped in 18 catches for 199 yards and a score. Terry Love is also a factor (15 for 203 and a score), as is Kyle Brown (15 for 192 and a score). Overall, this unit is deep, talented, and 3 of the receivers have catches of at least 44 yards this season.

WR Rating: B+


Tight Ends
TE #81 Jason Randall (6-5, 260)
TE #4 Eric Knott (6-3, 254)

Both Randall and Knott get significant playing time. Randall is the better blocker, whereas Knott is explosive in the passing game (14 catches for 252 yards and 3 TDs, 18.0 yard/catch average). The TE is an important position for the Spartans, and they have 2 who perform admirably at the position.

TE Rating: B+


Offensive Line
OT #72 Stefon Wheeler (6-5, 329)
OG #74 Kyle Cook (6-3, 296)
C #51 Chris Morris (6-4, 293)
OG #76 William Whitticker (6-5, 319)
OT #79 Sean Poole (6-7, 294)

The line returned just 2 starters in Wheeler and Morris. The unit has gelled well, however, as evidence by their offensive output in recent weeks. This is a big, physical line that likes to bash you around, but they are also adept at pass blocking and at the fine art of blocking for a scrambling QB, of which they have 2. Tackles Pete Clifford and Mike Gyetvai, guards Luis Fonseca and Gordon Niebylski, and center John Masters will also see the field, as the Spartans do a good job of utilizing line rotations.

OL Rating: B


Analysis

With Stanton at the helm, this is a frightening team to try and defend. Without him, they are still explosive, but as last weekend proved, they are vulnerable. Look for the Buckeyes to pressure Dowdell and try and force mistakes, but they also need to be wary of his scrambling ability (80 yards last week). Look for the Buckeyes to stack the line and force Dowdell to beat him with his arm. The receivers are capable, but if he can’t get much on the throws, turnovers, and especially sacks or short gains by Dowdell, may be in order.

Overall Offensive Rating: B-



Michigan State Spartans Special Teams Preview


Returning Starters: 2


One of the best units in the Big Ten from last season returns to excellence in the Big Ten. A marginal decline in performance still leaves this squad at the top of the Big Ten overall.

Special Teams
PK #16 David Raynor (6-2 209 Sr.)
P #8 Brandon Fields (6-6 234 S0.)
KR #21 DeAndrea Cobb (5-10 197 Sr.)
PR #2 Agim Shabaj (5-10 195 Jr.)
PR #3 Kyle Brown (6-1 208 Jr.)

David Raynor was one of the Big Ten's best kickers last season earning honorable mention all-conference honors. Raynor is only a shade off last season's performance. He is a perfect 25 of 25 in the PAT category, but lagging just a bit in the FG department. David is 15 of 22 (68.2%) having missed 1 each in the 20-29, 30-39 and 40-49 range. He has missed all 4 attempts from 50+ yards.

Brandon Fields was the nations second best punter (D-1) last season at a whopping 46.4 yards per punt. Brandon combined this distance with good hang time and propelled the Spartans to 6th in the nation for punt coverage. How good was Fields? He earned All-Conference honors ahead of OSU's Ray Guy award winner B.J. Sander. Brandon is even better this season. Sporting a 48.1 yard average, Fields has placed 10 of his 36 punts inside the 20, had 6 touchbacks and only 1 blocked attempt.

DeAndrea Cobb lead the nation last year with 3 kick returns for touchdowns and ranked 11th in return yards at over 27 per attempt. Deandrea is a bit of last season's pace, averaging a very respectable 22.8 yards per return and has taken 1 kick all the way back to paydirt.

Kyle Brown and Agim Shabaj have shared the punt return duties this season with 18 and 10 returns respectively. Neither has been overly spectacular, as both have averaged just under 8 yards per return.

The coverage teams have been a mixed bag. The kick coverage team has allowed a pedstrian 20 yard average per return (18 attempts), while the punt coverage team has given up a whopping 16.9 yards per return (16 punts). This includes 2 touchdowns against the Spartans and a long return of 94 yards.


Analysis

The Spartans aren't quite as impressive a special teams unit as they were last season, but the number are only a shade lower than the 2003 squad. The real disappointment seems to be the punt return/coverage squads. Still, this is a very strong unit all-around and most likely the best the Buckeyes will face this season.

Overall Special Teams Rating: B+




Predictions

daddyphatsac's prediction: 24-13, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 24-21, Ohio State
3yardsandacloud's prediction: 24-17, Ohio State




Additional Information




Rebuild or Reload
Starters Returning: 16 (Offense 7, Defense 7, Special Teams 2)
Letterman Returning: 44
Letterman Lost: 21
Incoming Recruits:

Roland Martin (OL 6-5 326 Chicago, Ill/Harper HS)
John Goss (P/PK 6-3 210 Grove City, Ohio/Scottsdale CC)
Kenny Jackson (WR 6-2 197 Lehigh Acres, Fla./Bakersfield College)
Richard Abney (WR 5-11 187 Capitol Heights, Md./Forestville HS)
Sir Darean Adams (WR 6-0 209 Bradenton, Fla./Bayshore HS)
Eric Andino (LB 6-4 212 Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove HS)
Michael Bell (WR 5-11 173 Shaker Heights, Ohio/S. Heights HS)
Bryan Brighton (DB 5-10 183 Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park HS)
Deon Curry (WR 6-1 191 Oakland Town., Mich./Detroit Co. Day)
Tom Dance (DB 6-1 189 Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep School)
Hugh D'Imperio (LB 6-4 229 Sewell, N.J./Washington Township HS)
Luis Fonseca (OL 6-4 278 Wixom, Mich./Walled Lake West HS)
K. Freeman-Davis (TE 6-6 229 Adrian, Mich./Adrian HS)
Carl Grimes (WR 5-9 185 Detroit, Mich./St. Martin De Porres HS)
Eric Hines (DB 5-9 182 Detroit, Mich./St. Martin De Porres HS)
Dwayne Holmes (LB 6-0 244 Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford HS)
Tony Howard (DB 5-10 193 Garfield Heights, Ohio/GH HS)
Brian Hoyer (QB 6-2 189 North Olmsted, Ohio/St. Ignatius HS)
Tom Kaczmarek (DL/OL 6-5 264 London, Ontario/Catholic Central HS)
Justin Kershaw (DL 6-4 232 Columbus, Ohio/Reynoldsburg HS)
Dan McGarry (DL/TE 6-6 236 Lowellville, Ohio/Poland Seminary HS)
Craig McGovern (TE 6-3 231 Lawrenceville, N.J./Hun School)
Tyrone McKenzie (LB 6-1 225 Riverview, Fla./Riverview HS)
Jesse Miller (OL 6-6 288 Somerville, N.J./Somerville HS)
Domata Peko (DL 6-2 273 Pago Pago, American Samoa)
Leon Pennington Jr. (RB 6-0 224 Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Hallandale HS)
Nick Smith (DL 6-6 273 North Canton, Ohio/GlenOak HS)
Ron Stoops Jr. (DB 6-3 195 Boardman, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney HS)
Miles Williams (WR 6-1 199 Youngstown, Ohio/Austintown Fitch HS)
Daniel Zynn (DL 6-2 303 South Pasa, Calif./Coll* of the Canyons)



Awards & Recognition


Preseason-Conference

2004 BigTen Football Media Preseason Poll

1. Michigan (10).........120
2 Ohio State (1).........103
3. Wisconsin...............88
4. Iowa.......................84
5. Minnesota...............81
6. Purdue....................69
7. Penn State.............59
8. Michigan State.........48
9 Northwestern............36
10. Illinois...................26
11. Indiana.................12


BigTen-Conference Awards

Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year
LB - A.J. Hawk, Ohio State

Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year
QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue


Big Ten Player of the Week Honors

Sept. 6, 2004 (Week 1)
OFFENSE: QB - Brett Basanez, Northwestern
DEFENSE: LB - Chad Greenway, Iowa
SPECIAL TEAMS: K/P - Rhys Lloyd, Minnesota

Sept. 13, 2004 (Week 2)
OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue
DEFENSE: S - Herana-Daze Jones, Indiana
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State & PR - Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin

Sept. 20, 2004 (Week 3)
OFFENSE: RB - Marion Barber III, Minnesota
DEFENSE: DE - Erasmus James, Wisconsin
SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State

Sept. 27, 2004 (Week 4)
OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue
DEFENSE: DE - Erasmus James, Wisconsin
SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Dave Rayner, Michigan State

Oct. 4, 2004 (Week 5)
CO-OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue & RB - Anthony Davis, Wisconsin
DEFENSE: LB - John Pickens, Northwestern
SPECIAL TEAMS: KR - Jerome Brooks, Purdue

Oct. 11, 2004 (Week 6)
OFFENSE: RB - Noah Herron, Northwestern
DEFENSE: S - Ernest Shazor, Michigan
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State & K - Ben Jones, Purdue

Oct. 18, 2004 (Week 7)
CO-OFFENSE: QB - Drew Tate, Iowa & QB Drew Stanton, Michigan State
DEFENSE: CB - Scott Starks, Wisconsin
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Kyle Schlickter, Iowa & K - Dave Raynor, Michigan State

Oct. 25, 2004 (Week 8)
CO-OFFENSE: RB - Michael Hart, Michigan & RB - Marion Barber, III, Minnesota
DEFENSE: LB - Kyle McKenzie, Minnesota
SPECIAL TEAMS: P - Steve Weatherford, Illinois

Nov. 1, 2004 (Week 9)
CO-OFFENSE: WR - Braylon Edwards, Michigan
DEFENSE: LB - Tim McGarigle, Northwestern
SPECIAL TEAMS: P - Jeremy Kapinos, Penn State


Preseason-National

Hendricks Watch List
DE - Cliff Dukes, Michigan State

Groza Watch List
K - David Rayner, Michigan State

Lombardi Trophy Watch List
DE - Clifford Dukes, Michigan State

Butkus Award Watch List
LB - Ron Stanley, Michigan State

2004 Rimington Watch List
C - Chris Morris, Michigan State



Historical Data

Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) Founded in 1855

Football 1st Season: 1896

Stadium: Spartan (1957) 72,027

Conference: Big Ten Conference since 1953 (1896-1906 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, 1907-1952 Independent)

Colors: Green & White

Mascot: Spartan (Sparty)

College Classification: D-IA (or equivalent) since 1937 (first year of NCAA classification)

Conference Championships: 8 total, 1902 & 1903 MIAA ... 1953*, 1965, 1966, 1978*, 1987, 1990* Big Ten (* = Co-Champs)

Head Coach: John L. Smith is in his second season with MSU and is the Spartan's 23rd head coach. The 54 year-old Smith was born in 1948 and graduated from Weber State in 1971. John was a three year letterman in football at Weber State where he played quarterback and linebacker. He began his coaching career as a grad assistant at Weber State and then moved on the assistant positions at Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington State. In 1989 John became the head coach at Idaho and went 53-21 in 6 seasons. From there it was 3 seasons at Utah State (16-18-0), then 5 seasons at Louisville (41-21). Much of John L. Smith's coaching reputation can be traced to the revival of the Louisville program. Five straight winning seasons (a school record), five straight bowl trips (as many as Louisville had ever appeared in previously), back-to-back Conference USA titles, a Conference USA Coach of the Year Award, and coach Smith was soon whisked away to Michigan State. This has been a year of highs and lows for John L. Smith. This past off season, he and his son climbed the Uhuru Peak (elevation 19,340 feet) of Mount Kilimanjaro. Two weeks ago his wife (Diana) was diagnosed with a terminal case of cancer. However, the prognosis has improved somewhat, and the cancer is now believed to be a less threatening type then previously thought. That certainly seems to put wins and losses into proper perspective. Best wishes to Diana Smith and the Smith family and friends.

Consensus All-Americans: 26
College Hall-of-Famers: 9
Pro Hall-of-Famers: 2
Award Winners: 2 AFCA COY, 1 Robinson COY, 1 Bryant COY, 2 Walter Camp POY, 1 Outland, 1 Maxwell, 1 Butkus, 1 Lombardi, 1 Biletnikoff
National Championships: 8 Non-Recognized Championships, 2 Recognized Championships (1952 both AP & UPI/Coaches, 1965 UPI/Coaches)
Number of AP/Coaches final rankings: AP-20 years, Coaches-19 years



Records

All Time: 457-305-30 (.596) - [CFDW lists this at 580-387-44 (.595)]

Home 293-122-13 (.700), Away 161-172-17 (.484), Neutral 3-11-0 (.214)

Bowl Games: 7-10-0 (.412), most recently a loss to Nebraska (2003) in the Alamo Bowl

All Time vs the BigTen: 225-188-13 (.543), since joining in 1953, 210-164-9 (.560)

All Time vs Ohio State: 11-22-0 (.333), Last win against the Buckeyes was in 1999 at East Lansing. Their record (vs OSU) since joining the Big Ten is 10-22-0 (.312)

Last Season: Michigan State finished 8-5-0 (.615)
W - Western Michigan
W - Rutgers (NJ)
L - Louisiana Tech
W - Notre Dame
W - Iowa
W - Indiana
W - Illinois
W - Minnesota
L - Michigan
L - Ohio State
L - Wisconsin
W - Penn State
L - Nebraska (Alamo Bowl)

Last 5 Years: 34-26-0 (.567)

Last 10 Years: 64-54-1 (.542)



Links
Official Sites:
Official School Site - Michigan State University
Student Newspaper - The State News
Official Athletic Site - MSU Sports
Roster - MSU Sports
Media Guide (PDF) - MSU Sports

Previews/Breakdowns:
Insiders Big Ten Preview - Insiders
Football Preview - Michigan State Spartans - NationalChamps.com
NCAA Football Preview - Michigan State Spartans - Sports Network
Spartans Have Uphill Climb in 2004 - The Ozone
Michigan State 2004 Preview - CFN
Michigan State 2004 Offensive Preview - CFN
Michigan State 2004 Defensive Preview - CFN
Michigan State 2004 Inside Scoop - CFN

Message Boards:
Message Boards - (Insiders)
Message Boards - (Rivals)
Message Boards - (Spartan Tailgate - Independent)

Local News Sources:
Detroit Free Press - Local News
Lansing State Journal (Green & White) - Local News
The State News - Local News



Notes of interest
• MSU is the only university in the country with three on-campus medical schools
• MSU is home to a world-class atom-smasher, the National Superconducting Cyclotron
• James Hoffa Jr., class of 1963, is the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and son of the legendary Teamsters president.
• Jim Miller, class of 1971 and master’s degree, 1973, is president of Mazda Motors Corp. in Hiroshima, Japan. Miller is the first American to head a major Japanese corporation
• Founded in 1855 as the nation’s first land-grant university, MSU was the prototype for the 69 land-grant institutions established under the Morrill Act


Note: Statistical data was complied using a variety of sources, including:
Stassen (Chris Stassen) - Data
College Football Data Warehouse - Data
Two Cousins College Football Emporium - Data
American College Football-RSFC (Dave Wilson) - Data
D1A Football (Formerly WALJ 10 College Football) - Data
National Champs.net - Data
Hickok Sports - Data
 
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