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2020 Michigan State Spartans football team

January 01, 1970

The 2020 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans competed as members of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. This was the program's first season under head coach Mel Tucker.

2020 Michigan State Spartans football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record2–5 (2–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJay Johnson (1st season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorScottie Hazelton (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumSpartan Stadium
Uniform
Seasons
← 2019
2021 →
2020 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 2 Ohio State xy$^   5 – 0     7 – 1  
No. 12 Indiana   6 – 1     6 – 2  
Penn State   4 – 5     4 – 5  
Maryland   2 – 3     2 – 3  
Rutgers   3 – 6     3 – 6  
Michigan   2 – 4     2 – 4  
Michigan State   2 – 5     2 – 5  
West Division
No. 10 Northwestern xy   6 – 1     7 – 2  
No. 16 Iowa   6 – 2     6 – 2  
Wisconsin   3 – 3     4 – 3  
Minnesota   3 – 4     3 – 4  
Nebraska   3 – 5     3 – 5  
Purdue   2 – 4     2 – 4  
Illinois   2 – 6     2 – 6  
Championship: Ohio State 22, Northwestern 10
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • Note: Due to COVID-19, the Big Ten suspended the season on August 11, but later decided to begin play on October 24. In addition to the title game that was played on December 19, the conference seeded all remaining teams for "championship week" games.[1]
Rankings from AP Poll.

In a limited season, which was initially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being reinstated, the Spartans compiled a 2–5 record, all in conference games. On December 20, the program announced that it would not participate in any bowl game.[2]

Previous season edit

The Spartans finished the 2019 season 7–6, 4–5 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place in the East Division. The Spartans received a bid to the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl where they defeated Wake Forest 27–21.[3]

On February 4, 2020, the school announced that head coach Mark Dantonio had retired and Mike Tressel would be taking over as interim head coach for the Spartans.[4] Tressel was previously the team's defensive coordinator.[5] On February 12, the school announced the hiring of Colorado head coach Mel Tucker as the university's 25th head football coach.[6][7]

Offseason edit

2020 NFL Draft edit

MSU kept its streak of 80 years of having at least one player drafted in the NFL Draft when cornerback Josiah Scott was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Round Pick Team Player Position
4 31 Jacksonville Jaguars Josiah Scott Cornerback
7 11 Minnesota Vikings Kenny Willekes Defensive End

Several other undrafted players signed free agent contracts with NFL teams:

Coaching changes edit

After Dantonio abruptly retired in March, new head coach Mel Tucker took approximately 10 days to assemble his assistants for the season.[15] Tucker brought with him from his Colorado staff offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, running backs coach William Peagler, and special teams coordinator Ross Els.[15] Former Spartan wide receiver Courtney Hawkins was named the wide receivers coach, Ted Gilmore the tight ends coach, and Scottie Hazelton the defensive coordinator.[15] Former MSU defensive coach Harlon Barnett returned to coach the secondary after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Florida State.[16] Ron Burton (defensive line) and Mike Tressel (safeties) were the only holdovers from Dantonio's staff.[15]

Recruiting edit

US college sports recruiting information for 2020 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Ricky White
WR 		Marietta, GA Marietta 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 165 lb (75 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Dallas Fincher
OG 		Grand Rapids, MI East Kentwood 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 274 lb (124 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Terry Lockett
WR 		Minneapolis, MN Minnehaha Academy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Ian Stewart
WR 		Rockwood, MI Oscar A. Carlson 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Tommy Guajardo
TE 		Dearborn, MI Dearborn 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 230 lb (100 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Simeon Barrow Jr.
WDE 		Grovetown, GA Grovetown 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 252 lb (114 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Avery Dunn
WDE 		Cleveland, OH Shaker Heights 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 216 lb (98 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Montorie Foster
WR 		Lakewood, OH St. Edward 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Chris Mayfield
SDE 		Hilliard, OH Hilliard Bradley 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 250 lb (110 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Noah Kim
PRO 		Chantilly, VA Westfield 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Jeff Pietrowski
WDE 		Lakewood, OH St. Edward 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 235 lb (107 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Cole DeMarzo
OLB 		Hilton Head Island, SC Hilton Head 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Jasiyah Robinson
SDE 		Groveport, OH Groveport Madison 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 222 lb (101 kg) Jan 22, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Donovan Eaglin
SDE 		Manvel, TX Manvel HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jan 29, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Nolan Rossback (Transfer Illinois)
LS 		Hudsonville, MI {{{highschool}}} 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 215 lb (98 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Scout". Scout.com. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 4, 2020.

Preseason edit

Preseason Big Ten poll edit

Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2020 poll, Michigan State was projected to finish in fifth in the East Division.[17]

Media poll (East Division)
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Ohio State 237 (33)
2 Penn State 204 (1)
3 Michigan 169
4 Indiana 134
5 Michigan State 94
6 Maryland 76
7 Rutgers 38

COVID-19 effects on season edit

On July 9, 2020, the Big Ten announced that member teams will only play conference games in effort to reduce issues related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[18] On July 24, the school announced that the entire team, which had returned to campus for voluntary workouts, was being placed on a 14-day quarantine after two staff members and one player tested positive for COVID-19.[19]

On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten canceled the college football season for the fall of 2020 due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.[20][21][22] On September 16, the conference reversed course and announced that a season would be played. Teams would begin play on October 24.[23][24] On September 19, the conference announced an eight-game schedule.[25]

One game, against Maryland, was canceled due to the school's COVID-19 outbreak.[26] A scheduled rematch on December 19 as part of the Big Ten Champions Week was also canceled due to continued COVID-19 issues at Maryland.[27]

Personnel edit

Roster edit

2020 Michigan State Spartans football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 2 Julian Barnett So
WR 4 C. J. Hayes   Jr
WR 5 Jayden Reed Jr
QB 6 Theo Day   So
WR 7 Ricky White Fr
WR 8 Jalen Nailor Jr
QB 10 Payton Thorne So
QB 12 Rocky Lombardi   Jr
WR 13 Laress Nelson Sr
QB 14 Noah Kim Fr
WR 17 Tre Mosley So
WR 18 Tre'Von Morgan So
WR 20 Emmanuel Flowers   Jr
QB 23 Eli McLean   So
RB 24 Elijah Collins   So
RB 26 Brandon Wright So
RB 34 Anthony Williams Jr. So
RB 36 Noah Sargent   Sr
RB 39 Alante Thomas   Sr
TE 40 Jonathan Brys   Jr
FB 41 Reid Burton   Sr
FB 49 Max Rosenthal   Jr
OT 55 Jordan Reid Sr
G 56 Matt Carrick   Jr
OL 58 Spencer Brown So
OL 59 Nick Samac So
OT 62 Luke Campbell   Sr
OL 64 Matt Allen   Sr
OL 66 Blake Bueter   Jr
OL 67 J.D. Duplain So
OT 68 Dan Vanopstall   So
OL 69 Tommy Liesveld   Sr
OL 71 James Ohonba   So
OL 72 Damon Kaylor So
OL 73 Jacob Isaia   So
OL 74 Jack Henrichs   Jr
G 75 Kevin Jarvis Sr
OT 76 A. J. Arcuri   Sr
OL 77 Dimitri Douglas   So
OT 79 Mustafa Khaleefah   Jr
WR 80 Jalen Allen   So
WR 82 Javez Alexander   So
WR 85 Cade McDonald So
TE 86 Parks Gissinger   So
WR 87 Jahz Watts   Jr
TE 88 Trenton Gillison   So
TE 89 Matt Dotson Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
S 3 Xavier Henderson Jr
DE 5 Michael Fletcher So
S 7 Michael Dowell   So
CB 8 Chris Jackson   So
S 9 Dominique Long Sr
LB 13 Marcel Lewis So
CB 14 Davion Williams   So
CB 18 Kalon Gervin   So
LB 21 Chase Kline   So
DB 23 Andre Welch Sr
CB 24 Tre Person Sr
S 28 Tate Hallock So
CB 29 Shakur Brown   Jr
LB 30 Tanner Hallock   Jr
LB 31 Edward Warinner   So
DB 32 Corey Pryor   Sr
LB 33 Jeslord Boateng   So
LB 34 Antjuan Simmons Sr
LB 37 Dante Razzano   Sr
LB 38 Luke Fulton So
LB 41 Charles Willekes So
DE 42 Brent Mossburg   Jr
S 43 Jack Mandryk   Jr
DE 44 Adam Berghorst So
LB 45 Noah Harvey   Jr
S 49 David Kruse   So
LB 53 Peter Fisk   Sr
DE 55 Zach Slade   So
DL 57 Evan Brunning So
LB 58 Terry O'Connor   So
DT 64 Jacob Slade   So
DL 86 Drew Beesley   Sr
DL 89 Jalen Hunt So
DE 91 Jack Camper   Jr
DE 92 DeAri Todd   Jr
DT 93 Naquan Jones   Sr
DT 94 Dashaun Mallory   So
DE 96 Jacub Panasiuk Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 4 Matt Coghlin   Sr
LS 51 Jude Pedrozo So
K, P 92 Evan Morris So
K 97 Tyler Hunt   Jr
K 98 Cole Hahn   Jr
P 99 Bryce Baringer   Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

Roster
Last update: February 14, 2020

Coaching staff edit

Name Position Season
Mel Tucker Head coach 1st
Jay Johnson Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 1st
Chris Kapilovic Offensive Line/run game coordinator 1st
Ted Gilmore[28] Tight ends 1st
Courtney Hawkins Wide receivers 1st
William Pegler[29] Running backs 1st
Scottie Hazelton Defensive coordinator 1st
Ron Burton Defensive line 7th
Harlon Barnett Defensive backs 12th
Ross Els[29] Special Teams 1st
Mike Tressel Linebackers 14th

Schedule edit

Michigan State's 2020 schedule originally was planned to begin with a conference home game against Northwestern, followed by three non-conference opponents: the independent BYU Cougars, Toledo of the Mid-American Conference, and finally Miami of the ACC. The non-conference slate was canceled on July 9 due to the Big Ten Conference's decision to play a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[30]

On August 4, the Big Ten Conference announced the schedule for all Big Ten teams.[31] In conference play, the Spartans were play all members of the East Division, as well as Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota from the West Division. The season was canceled by the conference on August 11, 2020.[22]

On September 19, the conference changed course and announced a new, revised, eight-game schedule.[25] A ninth game will be played the week of December 19 where the first place teams in each division will play for the Big Ten Championship, while the remaining teams will play the same-seeded team in the opposite division.[32]

On November 19, it was announced that the November 21 game against Maryland had been canceled as all team-related activities were paused because of an elevated number of coronavirus cases within the Terrapins' program.[33] A rescheduled game against Maryland as part of Big Ten Champions Week was also canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Maryland.[27]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
October 2412:00 p.m.Rutgers
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
BTNL 27–380
October 3112:00 p.m.at No. 13 Michigan
FOXW 27–24615
November 712:00 p.m.at Iowa
ESPNL 7–491,441
November 1412:00 p.m.No. 10 Indiana
ABCL 0–24340
November 2112:00 p.m.at Maryland
BTNNo Contest _
November 283:30 p.m.No. 8 Northwestern
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
ESPN2W 29–200
December 512:00 p.m.No. 4 Ohio State
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
ABCL 12–520
December 1212:00 p.m.at Penn State
ABCL 24–390
December 197:30 p.m.at Maryland
  • Maryland Stadium
  • College Park, MD (Champions Week)
BTNNo Contest _

Rankings edit

Further information: 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP—————————RV———————
Coaches—————————RV———————
CFPNot released—————Not released

Radio edit

Radio coverage for all games will be broadcast statewide on the Spartans Sports Network[34]

Game summaries edit

Rutgers edit

See also: 2020 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
Series Record Previous meeting Result
8–3 Nov 23, 2019 MSU, 27–0
Week One: Rutgers at Michigan State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rutgers 14 14 01038
Michigan State 7 6 7727

at Spartan Stadium

  • Date: October 24, 2020
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 44°F, Wind: 5 mph NNW, Crisp fall afternoon
  • Referee: J. Servinski
  • TV announcers (BTN): Lisa Byington, Matt Millen
  • Sources:[35]
Game information

MSU opened the 2020 season at home against Rutgers. Rutgers scored on their first possession, moving 75 yards before Isiah Pacheco rushed for a 12-yard touchdown to give the Scarlet Knights the early 7–0 lead. MSU quickly turned the ball over to Rutgers on their first offensive play as Jayden Reed fumbled and the Knights took over at MSU's 44. The Spartan defense forced a three-and-out, but the offense again turned the ball over as Rocky Lombardi fumbled the ball and Rutgers took over at the MSU four-yard line. A one-yard touchdown run a few plays later put the Knights up 14–0 with just under seven minutes remaining in the quarter. MSU's offense took the ensuing kickoff at mid-field and moved to the Rutgers' 42-yard line. However, MSU turned the ball over again, this time on downs, failing to get the first down on a fourth and three play. After a Rutgers' punt, Lombardi hit Reed on a 50-yard pass to bring MSU within seven points. Another Knights' punt gave MSU the ball with 14 minutes remaining in the second quarter. However, once again, the MSU offense turned the ball over as Lombardi was intercepted and Rutgers took over inside the MSU 30-yard line. Two plays later, a Rutgers' 24-yard touchdown run moved the Knights' lead to 21–7. MSU answered with an 11-play drive that moved into Rutgers territory, but another Jayden Reed fumble gave the ball back to Rutgers with less than eight minutes remaining in the half. MSU took the ball back on an interception by Shakur Brown and MSU notched a field goal to draw within 21–10. With just over three minutes remaining in the half, Rutgers pushed the lead to 28–10 with a three-yard touchdown run. Matt Coghlin hit his second field goal of the game as time expired to make the score 28–13 at the half.

On the first possession of the second half, MSU again turned the ball over on a Jordan Simmons fumble. Rutgers could not capitalize and punted the ball back to MSU. MSU was forced to punt, but a Rutgers fumble on the punt gave MSU the ball at the Rutgers 30. Jalen Nailor scored on the next play, a 30-yard touchdown catch to narrow the lead to 28–20. A Rutgers' fumble on their ensuing possession set MSU up at the 29-yard line. However, the Spartans were again stopped on a fourth down run, turning the ball over on downs. A Rutgers' field goal to start the fourth quarter pushed the Knights' lead to 31–20. The teams exchanged punts before Rutgers put the game out of reach with a 14-yard touchdown pass with just under five minutes remaining in the game. Another Jayden Reed touchdown catch brought the Spartans within 11. A Rutgers' punt preceded another turnover, the seventh in the game, as Lombardi was intercepted with under 40 seconds remaining. The Knights were able to run out the clock as the Spartans fell 38–27.

Michigan edit

See also: 2020 Michigan Wolverines football team
Series Record Previous meeting Result
36–71–5 Nov 16, 2019 Mich, 44–10
Week Two: Michigan State at Michigan – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Michigan State 7 7 6727
No. 13 Michigan 7 3 7724

at Michigan Stadium

  • Date: Oct 31, 2020
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 45°F, Wind: 10–15 mph S, Sunny
  • Game attendance: 615
  • Referee: T. Stapleton
  • TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt
  • Sources:[36]
Game information

In their first road game of the season, the Spartans traveled to face their rival, Michigan, for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Despite being a multiple touchdown underdog, the Spartans took the early lead after each team traded punts when Rocky Lombardi hit Ricky White for a 30-yard touchdown pass. However, Michigan quickly responded by scoring on an 11-yard touchdown run following an eight-play drive to tie the game at seven. Each team again was forced to punt on their next two possessions as the game moved to the second quarter. Lombardi put the Spartans up again on a two-yard touchdown pass to Connor Heyward moving the Spartan lead to 14–7. Again, each team traded punts before the Wolverines settled for a field goal with 2:49 remaining in the half. Another exchange of punts left MSU with the ball with less than a minute remaining in the half as they ran out the clock to go to halftime with the three-point lead.

In the second half, Michigan punted on their first possession and the Spartans moved the ball into Wolverine territory on the ensuing possession, but settled for another Matt Coghlin field goal to extend the lead to 17–10. Michigan tied it on their next possession with a one-yard touchdown run to put the score at 17–17. MSU retook the lead on their next possession as Coghlin connected on a 51-yard field goal to move MSU into the lead at 20–17. Following a Michigan punt, MSU moved to the Wolverine 23, but Coghlin missed a 40-yard field goal that would have moved the Spartan lead to six points. Michigan again failed to move the ball and was forced to punt on their next possession. Following the punt, MSU took over at their own eight-yard line with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game. The Spartans, helped by a Ricky White 31 yard reception, moved to the Michigan 13 with just over five minutes remaining. Lombardi then hit Heyward again for a 13-yard touchdown catch and run to push the Spartan lead to 10 at 27–17. The Wolverines scored on their next possession, but the 18-play drive took over four and a half minutes and left less than 40 seconds remaining on the clock while the Spartans held a 27–24 lead. The onside kick was recovered by Heyward and Lombardi gave the Spartans on a fourth down sneak to run out the clock as the Spartans defeated their rivals 27–24. The win moved MSU to 1–1 on the season.

Iowa edit

See also: 2020 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Series Record Previous meeting Result
22–23–2 Sept 30, 2017 MSU, 17–10
Week Three: Michigan State at Iowa – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Michigan State 0 0 707
Iowa 14 21 7749

at Kinnick Stadium

  • Date: Nov 7, 2020
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 6°F, Wind: 12 mph S, Sunny
  • Game attendance: 1,441
  • Referee: R. Snodgrass
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky
  • Sources:[37]
Game information

At Indiana edit

See also: 2020 Indiana Hoosiers football team
Series Record Previous meeting Result
48–16–2 Sept 28, 2019 MSU, 40–31
Week Four: Michigan State at Indiana – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Michigan State 0 0 000
No. 10 Indiana 14 10 0024

at Spartan Stadium

  • Date: Nov 14, 2020
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 38°F, Wind: 6 mph SSE, Sunny
  • Game attendance: 340
  • Referee: J. O'Neill
  • TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy
Game information

Northwestern edit

See also: 2020 Northwestern Wildcats football team
Series Record Previous meeting Result
38–20 Sep 21, 2019 MSU, 31–10
Week Six: Northwestern at Michigan State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 8 Northwestern 0 6 7720
Michigan State 10 7 01229

at Spartan Stadium

  • Date: Nov 28, 2020
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: 45 °F, Wind: 7 mph SW, Sunny, light clouds
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: M. Kluczynski
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman
Game information

Ohio State edit

See also: 2020 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
Series Record Previous meeting Result
15–33 Oct 5, 2019 OSU, 34–10
Week Seven: Ohio State at Michigan State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 3 Ohio State 14 14 101452
Michigan State 0 0 7512

at Spartan Stadium

  • Date: Dec 5, 2020
  • Game time: TBA
  • Game weather: 34 °F, Wind: 4 mph NNW, Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: L. Smith
  • TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky

Penn State edit

See also: 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
Series Record Previous meeting Result
17–16–1 Oct 26, 2019 PSU, 28–7
Week Eight: Michigan State at Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Michigan State 0 21 3024
Penn State 3 7 151439

at Beaver Stadium

  • Date: Dec 12, 2020
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 45 °F, Wind: 3 mph SSW, Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: R. Snodgrass
  • TV announcers (ABC): Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore
  • ESPN box score
Game information

References edit

  1. ^ Stevens, Matthew. "Big Ten To Play A "Championship Weekend" 9th Game Of 2020 Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  2. ^ Solari, Chris. "Michigan State football will not accept bowl invitation". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Michigan State vs. Wake Forest – Game Recap – December 27, 2019".
  4. ^ Forde, Pat. "Where Does Michigan State Turn From Here?". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  5. ^ Solari, Chris; Jesse, David. "Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio retires after 13 seasons". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Bonesteel, Matt. "Mel Tucker turned down Michigan State the first time. The second time, he couldn't say no". Washington Post. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  7. ^ "Michigan State hires Mel Tucker after coach said he would stay at Colorado". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  8. ^ "Western's Cody White inks NFL contract with Kansas City Chiefs". The Spinal Column. May 1, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  9. ^ Stiefel, Keagan (June 8, 2020). "Patriots undrafted free agent profiles: QB Brian Lewerke". Pats Pulpit. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  10. ^ Gowton, Brandon Lee (May 18, 2020). "Eagles Rookie Profile: 6 things to know about Raequan Williams". Bleeding Green Nation. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  11. ^ "Former MSU LB Joe Bachie on why he signed with the Saints". 247Sports. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  12. ^ Williamson, Bill (April 29, 2020). "Raiders rookie DT Mike Panasiuk will do whatever it takes to make the roster". Silver And Black Pride. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  13. ^ "Green Bay Packers: Scouting Report on UDFA WR Darrell Stewart". Dairyland Express. May 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  14. ^ "Vikings waive undrafted free-agent signee Tyler Higby". Twin Cities. August 9, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d "A look at Mel Tucker's assistant coaching staff at Michigan State". mlive. March 10, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  16. ^ Solari, Chris. "Harlon Barnett returning to Michigan State football as secondary coach". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  17. ^ Baird, Nathan (July 31, 2020). "Ohio State voted 2020 Big Ten favorite in cleveland.com Preseason Poll". cleveland. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  18. ^ "Big Ten to play conference-only football schedule for 2020 season amid COVID-19 pandemic". CBSSports.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  19. ^ "Entire MSU football team in 14-day quarantine". ESPN.com. July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  20. ^ "Big Ten cancels college football season for fall 2020, hopes to play in spring 2021". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  21. ^ West, Jenna. "Big Ten Postpones Fall Sports, Including Football". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Big Ten nixes fall football season, eyes spring". ESPN.com. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  23. ^ "Big Ten football to resume weekend of Oct. 24". ESPN.com. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  24. ^ . Big Ten Conference. September 16, 2020. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Big Ten football schedule 2020: Eight-game conference slates begin Oct. 24 with Ohio State-Michigan on Dec. 12". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  26. ^ Solari, Chris. "Michigan State football game at Maryland canceled due to Terps' COVID-19 issues". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  27. ^ a b Solari, Chris. "Michigan State football game vs. Maryland canceled again". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  28. ^ "Tucker Names Ted Gilmore Tight Ends Coach, Announces Additional Staff Hirings".
  29. ^ a b "Tucker Names Ross eLS Special Teams Coordinator, William Peagler Running Backs Coach".
  30. ^ Myerberg, Paul. "Big Ten football reduces season schedule to only conference games, maybe setting stage for others to follow". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  31. ^ "Big Ten to start Sept. 3; Michigan-OSU on Oct. 24". ESPN.com. August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  32. ^ Wells, Seth. "Big Ten reveals new 2020 football schedule, MSU to open at home vs. Rutgers". wilx.com. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  33. ^ "Terrapins coach Mike Locksley tests positive as Michigan State-Maryland canceled over COVID-19". espn.com. November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  34. ^ "Spartans Radio".
  35. ^ https://msuspartans.com/boxscore.aspx?path=football&id=15171l [dead link]
  36. ^ "Football vs Michigan on 10/31/2020 - Box Score".
  37. ^ "Football vs Iowa on 11/7/2020 - Box Score".

January 01, 1970
2020, michigan, state, spartans, football, team, represented, michigan, state, university, during, 2020, ncaa, division, football, season, spartans, competed, members, east, division, conference, played, their, home, games, spartan, stadium, east, lansing, mic. The 2020 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season The Spartans competed as members of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing Michigan This was the program s first season under head coach Mel Tucker 2020 Michigan State Spartans footballConferenceBig Ten ConferenceDivisionEast DivisionRecord2 5 2 5 Big Ten Head coachMel Tucker 1st season Offensive coordinatorJay Johnson 1st season Offensive schemeMultipleDefensive coordinatorScottie Hazelton 1st season Base defense4 3Home stadiumSpartan StadiumUniformSeasons 20192021 2020 Big Ten Conference football standings vte Conf Overall Team W L W L East Division No 2 Ohio State xy 5 0 7 1 No 12 Indiana 6 1 6 2 Penn State 4 5 4 5 Maryland 2 3 2 3 Rutgers 3 6 3 6 Michigan 2 4 2 4 Michigan State 2 5 2 5 West Division No 10 Northwestern xy 6 1 7 2 No 16 Iowa 6 2 6 2 Wisconsin 3 3 4 3 Minnesota 3 4 3 4 Nebraska 3 5 3 5 Purdue 2 4 2 4 Illinois 2 6 2 6 Championship Ohio State 22 Northwestern 10 College Football Playoff participant Conference championx Division champion co championsy Championship game participantNote Due to COVID 19 the Big Ten suspended the season on August 11 but later decided to begin play on October 24 In addition to the title game that was played on December 19 the conference seeded all remaining teams for championship week games 1 Rankings from AP Poll In a limited season which was initially canceled due to the COVID 19 pandemic before being reinstated the Spartans compiled a 2 5 record all in conference games On December 20 the program announced that it would not participate in any bowl game 2 Contents 1 Previous season 2 Offseason 2 1 2020 NFL Draft 2 2 Coaching changes 2 3 Recruiting 3 Preseason 3 1 Preseason Big Ten poll 4 COVID 19 effects on season 5 Personnel 5 1 Roster 5 2 Coaching staff 6 Schedule 7 Rankings 8 Radio 9 Game summaries 9 1 Rutgers 9 2 Michigan 9 3 Iowa 9 4 At Indiana 9 5 Northwestern 9 6 Ohio State 9 7 Penn State 10 ReferencesPrevious season editThe Spartans finished the 2019 season 7 6 4 5 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place in the East Division The Spartans received a bid to the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl where they defeated Wake Forest 27 21 3 On February 4 2020 the school announced that head coach Mark Dantonio had retired and Mike Tressel would be taking over as interim head coach for the Spartans 4 Tressel was previously the team s defensive coordinator 5 On February 12 the school announced the hiring of Colorado head coach Mel Tucker as the university s 25th head football coach 6 7 Offseason edit2020 NFL Draft edit MSU kept its streak of 80 years of having at least one player drafted in the NFL Draft when cornerback Josiah Scott was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft Round Pick Team Player Position 4 31 Jacksonville Jaguars Josiah Scott Cornerback 7 11 Minnesota Vikings Kenny Willekes Defensive End Several other undrafted players signed free agent contracts with NFL teams Cody White Wide Receiver Kansas City Chiefs 8 Brian Lewerke Quarterback New England Patriots 9 Raequan Williams Defensive tackle Philadelphia Eagles 10 Joe Bachie Linebacker New Orleans Saints 11 Mike Panasiuk Defensive tackle Las Vegas Raiders 12 Darrell Stewart Jr Wide Receiver Green Bay Packers 13 Tyler Higby Offensive Line Minnesota Vikings 14 Coaching changes edit After Dantonio abruptly retired in March new head coach Mel Tucker took approximately 10 days to assemble his assistants for the season 15 Tucker brought with him from his Colorado staff offensive coordinator Jay Johnson offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic running backs coach William Peagler and special teams coordinator Ross Els 15 Former Spartan wide receiver Courtney Hawkins was named the wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore the tight ends coach and Scottie Hazelton the defensive coordinator 15 Former MSU defensive coach Harlon Barnett returned to coach the secondary after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Florida State 16 Ron Burton defensive line and Mike Tressel safeties were the only holdovers from Dantonio s staff 15 Recruiting edit US college sports recruiting information for 2020 recruits Name Hometown High school college Height Weight Commit date Ricky WhiteWR Marietta GA Marietta 6 ft 1 in 1 85 m 165 lb 75 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Dallas FincherOG Grand Rapids MI East Kentwood 6 ft 4 in 1 93 m 274 lb 124 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Terry LockettWR Minneapolis MN Minnehaha Academy 6 ft 0 in 1 83 m 165 lb 75 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Ian StewartWR Rockwood MI Oscar A Carlson 6 ft 3 in 1 91 m 200 lb 91 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Tommy GuajardoTE Dearborn MI Dearborn 6 ft 3 in 1 91 m 230 lb 100 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Simeon Barrow Jr WDE Grovetown GA Grovetown 6 ft 2 in 1 88 m 252 lb 114 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Avery DunnWDE Cleveland OH Shaker Heights 6 ft 4 in 1 93 m 216 lb 98 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Montorie FosterWR Lakewood OH St Edward 6 ft 2 in 1 88 m 175 lb 79 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Chris MayfieldSDE Hilliard OH Hilliard Bradley 6 ft 2 in 1 88 m 250 lb 110 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Noah KimPRO Chantilly VA Westfield 6 ft 2 in 1 88 m 180 lb 82 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Jeff PietrowskiWDE Lakewood OH St Edward 6 ft 1 in 1 85 m 235 lb 107 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Cole DeMarzoOLB Hilton Head Island SC Hilton Head 6 ft 2 in 1 88 m 200 lb 91 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Jasiyah RobinsonSDE Groveport OH Groveport Madison 6 ft 3 in 1 91 m 222 lb 101 kg Jan 22 2020 Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Donovan EaglinSDE Manvel TX Manvel HS 5 ft 11 in 1 80 m 215 lb 98 kg Jan 29 2020 Recruiting star ratings Scout nbsp Rivals nbsp 247Sports nbsp ESPN nbsp Nolan Rossback Transfer Illinois LS Hudsonville MI highschool 6 ft 1 in 1 85 m 215 lb 98 kg Recruiting star ratings Scout N A Rivals N A 247Sports N A Overall recruiting rankings Note In many cases Scout Rivals 247Sports and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight In these cases the average was taken ESPN grades are on a 100 point scale Sources Scout Scout com Retrieved February 4 2020 Scout com Team Recruiting Rankings Scout com Retrieved February 4 2020 2020 Team Ranking Rivals com Retrieved February 4 2020 Preseason editPreseason Big Ten poll edit Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010 Cleveland com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011 For the 2020 poll Michigan State was projected to finish in fifth in the East Division 17 Media poll East Division Predicted finish Team Votes 1st place 1 Ohio State 237 33 2 Penn State 204 1 3 Michigan 169 4 Indiana 134 5 Michigan State 94 6 Maryland 76 7 Rutgers 38COVID 19 effects on season editOn July 9 2020 the Big Ten announced that member teams will only play conference games in effort to reduce issues related to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic 18 On July 24 the school announced that the entire team which had returned to campus for voluntary workouts was being placed on a 14 day quarantine after two staff members and one player tested positive for COVID 19 19 On August 11 2020 the Big Ten canceled the college football season for the fall of 2020 due to the continuing COVID 19 pandemic 20 21 22 On September 16 the conference reversed course and announced that a season would be played Teams would begin play on October 24 23 24 On September 19 the conference announced an eight game schedule 25 One game against Maryland was canceled due to the school s COVID 19 outbreak 26 A scheduled rematch on December 19 as part of the Big Ten Champions Week was also canceled due to continued COVID 19 issues at Maryland 27 Personnel editRoster edit 2020 Michigan State Spartans football team roster Players Coaches Offense Pos Name Class WR 2 Julian Barnett So WR 4 C J Hayes nbsp Jr WR 5 Jayden Reed Jr QB 6 Theo Day nbsp So WR 7 Ricky White Fr WR 8 Jalen Nailor Jr QB 10 Payton Thorne So QB 12 Rocky Lombardi nbsp Jr WR 13 Laress Nelson Sr QB 14 Noah Kim Fr WR 17 Tre Mosley So WR 18 Tre Von Morgan So WR 20 Emmanuel Flowers nbsp Jr QB 23 Eli McLean nbsp So RB 24 Elijah Collins nbsp So RB 26 Brandon Wright So RB 34 Anthony Williams Jr So RB 36 Noah Sargent nbsp Sr RB 39 Alante Thomas nbsp Sr TE 40 Jonathan Brys nbsp Jr FB 41 Reid Burton nbsp Sr FB 49 Max Rosenthal nbsp Jr OT 55 Jordan Reid Sr G 56 Matt Carrick nbsp Jr OL 58 Spencer Brown So OL 59 Nick Samac So OT 62 Luke Campbell nbsp Sr OL 64 Matt Allen nbsp Sr OL 66 Blake Bueter nbsp Jr OL 67 J D Duplain So OT 68 Dan Vanopstall nbsp So OL 69 Tommy Liesveld nbsp Sr OL 71 James Ohonba nbsp So OL 72 Damon Kaylor So OL 73 Jacob Isaia nbsp So OL 74 Jack Henrichs nbsp Jr G 75 Kevin Jarvis Sr OT 76 A J Arcuri nbsp Sr OL 77 Dimitri Douglas nbsp So OT 79 Mustafa Khaleefah nbsp Jr WR 80 Jalen Allen nbsp So WR 82 Javez Alexander nbsp So WR 85 Cade McDonald So TE 86 Parks Gissinger nbsp So WR 87 Jahz Watts nbsp Jr TE 88 Trenton Gillison nbsp So TE 89 Matt Dotson Sr Defense Pos Name Class S 3 Xavier Henderson Jr DE 5 Michael Fletcher So S 7 Michael Dowell nbsp So CB 8 Chris Jackson nbsp So S 9 Dominique Long Sr LB 13 Marcel Lewis So CB 14 Davion Williams nbsp So CB 18 Kalon Gervin nbsp So LB 21 Chase Kline nbsp So DB 23 Andre Welch Sr CB 24 Tre Person Sr S 28 Tate Hallock So CB 29 Shakur Brown nbsp Jr LB 30 Tanner Hallock nbsp Jr LB 31 Edward Warinner nbsp So DB 32 Corey Pryor nbsp Sr LB 33 Jeslord Boateng nbsp So LB 34 Antjuan Simmons Sr LB 37 Dante Razzano nbsp Sr LB 38 Luke Fulton So LB 41 Charles Willekes So DE 42 Brent Mossburg nbsp Jr S 43 Jack Mandryk nbsp Jr DE 44 Adam Berghorst So LB 45 Noah Harvey nbsp Jr S 49 David Kruse nbsp So LB 53 Peter Fisk nbsp Sr DE 55 Zach Slade nbsp So DL 57 Evan Brunning So LB 58 Terry O Connor nbsp So DT 64 Jacob Slade nbsp So DL 86 Drew Beesley nbsp Sr DL 89 Jalen Hunt So DE 91 Jack Camper nbsp Jr DE 92 DeAri Todd nbsp Jr DT 93 Naquan Jones nbsp Sr DT 94 Dashaun Mallory nbsp So DE 96 Jacub Panasiuk Sr Special teams Pos Name Class K 4 Matt Coghlin nbsp Sr LS 51 Jude Pedrozo So K P 92 Evan Morris So K 97 Tyler Hunt nbsp Jr K 98 Cole Hahn nbsp Jr P 99 Bryce Baringer nbsp Jr Head coach Mel Tucker Coordinators assistant coaches Scottie Hazelton assistant head coach defensive coordinator linebackers Jay Johnson offensive coordinator quarterbacks Chris Kapilovic offensive line Ron Burton defensive line Harlon Barnett defensive backs Ted Gilmore Tight Ends special teams coordinator Courtney Hawkins wide receivers William Pegler running backs Legend C Team captain S Suspended I Ineligible nbsp Injured nbsp Redshirt Roster Last update February 14 2020 Coaching staff edit Name Position Season Mel Tucker Head coach 1st Jay Johnson Offensive coordinator quarterbacks 1st Chris Kapilovic Offensive Line run game coordinator 1st Ted Gilmore 28 Tight ends 1st Courtney Hawkins Wide receivers 1st William Pegler 29 Running backs 1st Scottie Hazelton Defensive coordinator 1st Ron Burton Defensive line 7th Harlon Barnett Defensive backs 12th Ross Els 29 Special Teams 1st Mike Tressel Linebackers 14thSchedule editMichigan State s 2020 schedule originally was planned to begin with a conference home game against Northwestern followed by three non conference opponents the independent BYU Cougars Toledo of the Mid American Conference and finally Miami of the ACC The non conference slate was canceled on July 9 due to the Big Ten Conference s decision to play a conference only schedule due to the COVID 19 pandemic 30 On August 4 the Big Ten Conference announced the schedule for all Big Ten teams 31 In conference play the Spartans were play all members of the East Division as well as Northwestern Iowa and Minnesota from the West Division The season was canceled by the conference on August 11 2020 22 On September 19 the conference changed course and announced a new revised eight game schedule 25 A ninth game will be played the week of December 19 where the first place teams in each division will play for the Big Ten Championship while the remaining teams will play the same seeded team in the opposite division 32 On November 19 it was announced that the November 21 game against Maryland had been canceled as all team related activities were paused because of an elevated number of coronavirus cases within the Terrapins program 33 A rescheduled game against Maryland as part of Big Ten Champions Week was also canceled due to COVID 19 issues at Maryland 27 DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendanceOctober 2412 00 p m RutgersSpartan StadiumEast Lansing MIBTNL 27 380 October 3112 00 p m at No 13 MichiganMichigan StadiumAnn Arbor MI Paul Bunyan Trophy FOXW 27 24615 November 712 00 p m at IowaKinnick StadiumIowa City IAESPNL 7 491 441 November 1412 00 p m No 10 IndianaSpartan StadiumEast Lansing MI Old Brass Spittoon ABCL 0 24340 November 2112 00 p m at MarylandMaryland StadiumCollege Park MDBTNNo Contest November 283 30 p m No 8 NorthwesternSpartan StadiumEast Lansing MIESPN2W 29 200 December 512 00 p m No 4 Ohio StateSpartan StadiumEast Lansing MIABCL 12 520 December 1212 00 p m at Penn StateBeaver StadiumUniversity Park PA Land Grant Trophy ABCL 24 390 December 197 30 p m at MarylandMaryland StadiumCollege Park MD Champions Week BTNNo Contest Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern timeRankings editFurther information 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings Ranking movementsLegend Increase in ranking Decrease in ranking Not ranked RV Received votesWeekPollPre12345678910111213141516FinalAP RV Coaches RV CFPNot released Not releasedRadio editRadio coverage for all games will be broadcast statewide on the Spartans Sports Network 34 Game summaries editRutgers edit See also 2020 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team Series Record Previous meeting Result 8 3 Nov 23 2019 MSU 27 0 Week One Rutgers at Michigan State Game summary Period 1 2 34TotalRutgers 14 14 01038Michigan State 7 6 7727 at Spartan Stadium Date October 24 2020Game time 12 00 p m Game weather 44 F Wind 5 mph NNW Crisp fall afternoonReferee J ServinskiTV announcers BTN Lisa Byington Matt MillenSources 35 Game information First Quarter 11 41 RU TD Pacheco Isiah 12 yd run Fava Guy kick Rutgers 7 0 10 plays 75 yards 3 41 06 57 RU TD Langan Johnny 1 yd run Fava Guy kick Rutgers 140 4 plays 1 yards 1 23 00 23 MSU TD Reed Jayden 50 yd pass from Lombardi Rocky Coghlin Matt kick Rutgers 14 7 9 plays 86 yards 2 59 Second Quarter 11 32RU TD Vedral Noah 24 yd run Fava Guy kick Rutgers 21 7 2 plays 23 yards 0 46 03 13 MSU FG Coghlin Matt 45 yd field goalRutgers 21 10 4 plays 3 yards 2 52 00 36 RU TD Pacheco Isiah 3 yd run Fava Guy kick Rutgers 28 10 6 plays 53 yards 2 26 00 00 MSU FG Coghlin Matt 48 yd field goalRutgers 28 13 6 plays 33 yards 0 36 Third Quarter 06 30 MSU TD Nailor Jalen 30 yd pass from Lombardi Rocky Coghlin Matt kick Rutgers 28 20 1 plays 30 yards 0 08 Fourth Quarter 912 20 RU FG Fava Guy 44 yd field goalRutgers 31 20 14 plays 54 yards 6 11 04 38 RU TD Jones Shameen 14 yd pass from Vedral Noah Fava Guy kick Rutgers 38 20 4 plays 26 yards 2 19 01 53 MSU TD Reed Jayden 4 yd pass from Lombardi Rocky Coghlin Matt kick Rutgers 38 27 9 plays 65 yards TOP 2 45 Passing Rutgers Noah Vedral 18 29 169 yards 1 TD 1 INT MSU Rocky Lombardi 31 43 319 yards 3 TD 2 INT Rushing Rutgers Isiah Pacheco 19 carries 73 yards 2 TD MSU Jordan Simmons 14 carries 48 yards Receiving Rutgers Bo Melton 4 receptions 50 yards MSU Jayden Reed 11 receptions 128 yards 2 TD MSU opened the 2020 season at home against Rutgers Rutgers scored on their first possession moving 75 yards before Isiah Pacheco rushed for a 12 yard touchdown to give the Scarlet Knights the early 7 0 lead MSU quickly turned the ball over to Rutgers on their first offensive play as Jayden Reed fumbled and the Knights took over at MSU s 44 The Spartan defense forced a three and out but the offense again turned the ball over as Rocky Lombardi fumbled the ball and Rutgers took over at the MSU four yard line A one yard touchdown run a few plays later put the Knights up 14 0 with just under seven minutes remaining in the quarter MSU s offense took the ensuing kickoff at mid field and moved to the Rutgers 42 yard line However MSU turned the ball over again this time on downs failing to get the first down on a fourth and three play After a Rutgers punt Lombardi hit Reed on a 50 yard pass to bring MSU within seven points Another Knights punt gave MSU the ball with 14 minutes remaining in the second quarter However once again the MSU offense turned the ball over as Lombardi was intercepted and Rutgers took over inside the MSU 30 yard line Two plays later a Rutgers 24 yard touchdown run moved the Knights lead to 21 7 MSU answered with an 11 play drive that moved into Rutgers territory but another Jayden Reed fumble gave the ball back to Rutgers with less than eight minutes remaining in the half MSU took the ball back on an interception by Shakur Brown and MSU notched a field goal to draw within 21 10 With just over three minutes remaining in the half Rutgers pushed the lead to 28 10 with a three yard touchdown run Matt Coghlin hit his second field goal of the game as time expired to make the score 28 13 at the half On the first possession of the second half MSU again turned the ball over on a Jordan Simmons fumble Rutgers could not capitalize and punted the ball back to MSU MSU was forced to punt but a Rutgers fumble on the punt gave MSU the ball at the Rutgers 30 Jalen Nailor scored on the next play a 30 yard touchdown catch to narrow the lead to 28 20 A Rutgers fumble on their ensuing possession set MSU up at the 29 yard line However the Spartans were again stopped on a fourth down run turning the ball over on downs A Rutgers field goal to start the fourth quarter pushed the Knights lead to 31 20 The teams exchanged punts before Rutgers put the game out of reach with a 14 yard touchdown pass with just under five minutes remaining in the game Another Jayden Reed touchdown catch brought the Spartans within 11 A Rutgers punt preceded another turnover the seventh in the game as Lombardi was intercepted with under 40 seconds remaining The Knights were able to run out the clock as the Spartans fell 38 27 Michigan edit See also 2020 Michigan Wolverines football team Series Record Previous meeting Result 36 71 5 Nov 16 2019 Mich 44 10 Week Two Michigan State at Michigan Game summary Period 1 2 34TotalMichigan State 7 7 6727No 13 Michigan 7 3 7724 at Michigan Stadium Date Oct 31 2020Game time 12 00 p m Game weather 45 F Wind 10 15 mph S SunnyGame attendance 615Referee T StapletonTV announcers FOX Gus Johnson Joel KlattSources 36 Game information First Quarter 10 57 MSU TD White Ricky 30 yd pass from Lombardi Rocky Coghlin Matt kick Michigan State 7 0 4 plays 71 yards 1 14 07 01 UM TD Corum Blake 8 yd run Nordin Quinn kick Tied 7 7 8 plays 60 yards 3 56 Second Quarter 09 40 MSU TD Heyward Connor 2 yd pass from Lombardi Rocky Coghlin Matt kick Michigan State 14 7 6 plays 68 yards 2 01 02 49 UM FG Nordin Quinn 23 yd field goalMichigan State 14 10 9 plays 70 yards 3 37 Third Quarter 12 26 MSU FG Coghlin Matt 27 yd field goalMichigan State 17 10 5 plays 52 yards 1 03 08 00 UM TD Corum Blake 1 yd run Nordin Quinn kick Tied 17 17 11 plays 75 yards 4 26 04 23 MSU FG Coghlin Matt 51 yd field goalMichigan State 20 17 9 plays 45 yards 3 37 Fourth Quarter 05 11 MSU TD Heyward Connor 13 yd pass from Lombardi Rocky Coghlin Matt kick Michigan State 27 17 11 plays 92 yards 4 37 00 37 UM TD Haskins Hassan 2 yd run Nordin Quinn kick Michigan State 27 24 18 plays 93 yards 4 34 Passing Michigan Joe Milton 32 51 300 yards MSU Rocky Lombardi 17 32 323 yards 3 TD Rushing Michigan Joe Milton 12 carries 63 yards MSU Jordan Simmons 14 carries 59 yards Receiving Michigan Roman Wilson 5 receptions 71 yards MSU Ricky White 8 receptions 196 yards 1 TD In their first road game of the season the Spartans traveled to face their rival Michigan for the Paul Bunyan Trophy Despite being a multiple touchdown underdog the Spartans took the early lead after each team traded punts when Rocky Lombardi hit Ricky White for a 30 yard touchdown pass However Michigan quickly responded by scoring on an 11 yard touchdown run following an eight play drive to tie the game at seven Each team again was forced to punt on their next two possessions as the game moved to the second quarter Lombardi put the Spartans up again on a two yard touchdown pass to Connor Heyward moving the Spartan lead to 14 7 Again each team traded punts before the Wolverines settled for a field goal with 2 49 remaining in the half Another exchange of punts left MSU with the ball with less than a minute remaining in the half as they ran out the clock to go to halftime with the three point lead In the second half Michigan punted on their first possession and the Spartans moved the ball into Wolverine territory on the ensuing possession but settled for another Matt Coghlin field goal to extend the lead to 17 10 Michigan tied it on their next possession with a one yard touchdown run to put the score at 17 17 MSU retook the lead on their next possession as Coghlin connected on a 51 yard field goal to move MSU into the lead at 20 17 Following a Michigan punt MSU moved to the Wolverine 23 but Coghlin missed a 40 yard field goal that would have moved the Spartan lead to six points Michigan again failed to move the ball and was forced to punt on their next possession Following the punt MSU took over at their own eight yard line with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game The Spartans helped by a Ricky White 31 yard reception moved to the Michigan 13 with just over five minutes remaining Lombardi then hit Heyward again for a 13 yard touchdown catch and run to push the Spartan lead to 10 at 27 17 The Wolverines scored on their next possession but the 18 play drive took over four and a half minutes and left less than 40 seconds remaining on the clock while the Spartans held a 27 24 lead The onside kick was recovered by Heyward and Lombardi gave the Spartans on a fourth down sneak to run out the clock as the Spartans defeated their rivals 27 24 The win moved MSU to 1 1 on the season Iowa edit See also 2020 Iowa Hawkeyes football team Series Record Previous meeting Result 22 23 2 Sept 30 2017 MSU 17 10 Week Three Michigan State at Iowa Game summary Period 1 2 34TotalMichigan State 0 0 707Iowa 14 21 7749 at Kinnick Stadium Date Nov 7 2020Game time 12 00 p m Game weather 6 F Wind 12 mph S SunnyGame attendance 1 441Referee R SnodgrassTV announcers ESPN Bob Wischusen Dan OrlovskySources 37 Game information First Quarter 11 07 Iowa TD Goodson Tyler 3 yd run Duncan Keith kick Iowa 7 0 8 plays 75 yards 3 53 04 31 Iowa TD Smith Brandon 14 yd pass from Petras Spencer Duncan Keith kick Iowa 14 0 10 plays 74 yards 3 57 Second Quarter 11 16 Iowa TD Goodson Tyler 9 yd run Duncan Keith kick Iowa 21 0 7 plays 47 yards 3 00 01 57 Iowa TD Jones Charlie 54 yd punt return Duncan Keith kick Iowa 28 0 01 30 Iowa TD Moss Riley 54 yd interception Duncan Keith kick Iowa 35 0 Third Quarter 10 06 MSU TD Hunt Tyler 1 yd run Coghlin Matt kick Iowa 35 7 12 plays 75 yards 4 54 08 47 Iowa TD Sargent Mekhi 2 yd run Duncan Keith kick Iowa 42 7 4 plays 75 yards 1 19 Fourth Quarter 11 57 Iowa TD Sargent Mekhi 6 yd run Duncan Keith kick Iowa 49 7 3 plays 45 yards 1 30 Passing Iowa Spencer Petras 15 27 167 yards 1 TD MSU Rocky Lombardi 17 37 227 yards 3 INT Rushing Iowa Tyler Goodson 14 carries 113 yards 2 TD MSU Jordan Simmons 9 carries 34 yards Receiving Iowa Tyrone Tracy 4 receptions 38 yards MSU Jalen Nailor 4 receptions 119 yards At Indiana edit See also 2020 Indiana Hoosiers football team Series Record Previous meeting Result 48 16 2 Sept 28 2019 MSU 40 31 Week Four Michigan State at Indiana Game summary Period 1 2 34TotalMichigan State 0 0 000No 10 Indiana 14 10 0024 at Spartan Stadium Date Nov 14 2020Game time 12 00 p m Game weather 38 F Wind 6 mph SSE SunnyGame attendance 340Referee J O NeillTV announcers ABC Dave Pasch Greg McElroy Game information First Quarter 02 11 IND TD Scott Stevie 8 yd run Campbell C kick Indiana 7 0 7 plays 50 yards 3 15 01 14 IND TD Fryfogle Ty 16 yd pass from Penix Michael Campbell C kick Indiana 14 0 2 plays 16 yards 0 15 Second Quarter 09 22 IND FG Campbell C 21 yd field goalIndiana 17 0 7 plays 22 yards 2 23 04 56 IND TD Fryfogle Ty 65 yd pass from Penix Michael Campbell C kick Indiana 24 0 5 plays 79 yards 2 40 Passing Indiana Michael Penix Jr 25 38 320 yards 2 TD 2 INT MSU Payton Thorne 10 20 110 yards 1 INT Rushing Indiana Stevie Scott 23 carries 84 yards 1 TD MSU Connor Heyward 5 carries 27 yards Receiving Indiana Ty Fryfogle 11 receptions 200 yards 2 TD MSU Jayden Reed 7 receptions 63 yards Northwestern edit See also 2020 Northwestern Wildcats football team Series Record Previous meeting Result 38 20 Sep 21 2019 MSU 31 10 Week Six Northwestern at Michigan State Game summary Period 1 2 34TotalNo 8 Northwestern 0 6 7720Michigan State 10 7 01229 at Spartan Stadium Date Nov 28 2020Game time 3 30 p m Game weather 45 F Wind 7 mph SW Sunny light cloudsGame attendance 0Referee M KluczynskiTV announcers ESPN Clay Matvick Rocky Boiman Game information First Quarter MSU Jalen Nailor 75 yard pass from Rocky Lombardi Matt Coghlin kick 10 34 Michigan State 7 0 Drive 2 plays 81 yards 0 41 MSU Matt Coghlin 22 yard field goal 7 06 Michigan State 10 0 Drive 4 plays 6 yards 1 18 Second Quarter MSU Jayden Reed 15 yard pass from Rocky Lombardi Matt Coghlin kick 14 55 Michigan State 17 0 Drive 13 plays 85 yards 5 44 NU Charlie Kuhbander 42 yard field goal 11 02 Michigan State 17 3 Drive 13 plays 51 yards 3 53 NU Charlie Kuhbander 32 yard field goal 6 35 Michigan State 17 6 Drive 9 plays 42 yards 1 45 Third Quarter NU Peyton Ramsey 1 yard run Charlie Kuhbander kick 10 39 Michigan State 17 13 Drive 10 plays 75 yards 4 21 Fourth Quarter NU Cam Porter 3 yard run Charlie Kuhbander kick 13 54 Northwestern 20 17 Drive 8 plays 37 yards 3 34 MSU Matt Coghlin 44 yard field goal 10 11 Tied 20 20 Drive 7 plays 27 yards 3 04 MSU Matt Coghlin 48 yard field goal 3 35 Michigan State 23 20 Drive 7 plays 19 yards 2 47 MSU Kalon Gervin 0 yard fumble recovery 0 00 Michigan State 29 20 Top Passers NU Peyton Ramsey 21 43 210 yards 2 INT MSU Rocky Lombardi 11 27 167 yards 2 TD INT Top Rushers NU Drake Anderson 10 rushes 41 yards MSU Connor Heyward 24 rushes 96 yards Top Receivers NU Riley Lees 4 receptions 59 yards MSU Jalen Nailor 3 receptions 99 yards TD Ohio State edit See also 2020 Ohio State Buckeyes football team Series Record Previous meeting Result 15 33 Oct 5 2019 OSU 34 10 Week Seven Ohio State at Michigan State Game summary Period 1 2 34TotalNo 3 Ohio State 14 14 101452Michigan State 0 0 7512 at Spartan Stadium Date Dec 5 2020Game time TBAGame weather 34 F Wind 4 mph NNW CloudyGame attendance 0Referee L SmithTV announcers ABC Bob Wischusen Dan Orlovsky Penn State edit See also 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football team Series Record Previous meeting Result 17 16 1 Oct 26 2019 PSU 28 7 Week Eight Michigan State at Penn State Game summary Period 1 2 34TotalMichigan State 0 21 3024Penn State 3 7 151439 at Beaver Stadium Date Dec 12 2020Game time 12 00 p m Game weather 45 F Wind 3 mph SSW Partly CloudyGame attendance 0Referee R SnodgrassTV announcers ABC Dave Flemming Rod GilmoreESPN box score Game information First quarter PSU Jake Pinegar 24 yard field goal 6 06 PSU 3 0 Second quarter MSU Jalen Nailor 45 yard TD pass from Payton Thorne Matt Coghlin kick good 13 50 MSU 7 3 PSU Sean Clifford 31 yard TD run Pinegar kick good 10 00 PSU 10 7 MSU Tre Von Morgan 26 yard TD pass from Thorne Coghlin kick good 6 24 MSU 14 10 MSU Nailor 7 yard TD pass from Thorne Coghlin kick good 1 26 MSU 21 10 Third quarter PSU Parker Washington 8 yard TD pass from Clifford Jahan Dotson 2 point conversion pass from Clifford 10 07 MSU 21 18 MSU Coghlin 23 yard field goal 1 59 MSU 24 18 PSU Will Levis 1 yard TD run Pinegar kick good 0 02 PSU 25 24 Fourth quarter PSU Washington 49 yard TD pass from Clifford Pinegar kick good 12 18 PSU 32 24 PSU Dotson 81 yard punt return for TD Pinegar kick good 11 24 PSU 39 24 Top passers MSU Payton Thorne 22 39 325 yards 3 TD INT PSU Sean Clifford 17 27 232 yards 2 TD Top rushers MSU Jordon Simmons 14 carries 72 yards PSU Sean Clifford 9 carries 48 yards TD Top receivers MSU Jalen Nailor 6 receptions 100 yards 2 TD PSU Jahan Dotson 8 receptions 106 yards Top defenders MSU Antjuan Simmons 10 tackles 0 5 tackles for loss TFL PSU Jaquan Brisker 9 tackles 1 5 tackles for loss TFL INTReferences edit Stevens Matthew Big Ten To Play A Championship Weekend 9th Game Of 2020 Season Sports Illustrated Retrieved September 17 2020 Solari Chris Michigan State football will not accept bowl invitation Detroit Free Press Retrieved December 20 2020 Michigan State vs Wake Forest Game Recap December 27 2019 Forde Pat Where Does Michigan State Turn From Here Sports Illustrated Retrieved February 21 2020 Solari Chris Jesse David Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio retires after 13 seasons Detroit Free Press Retrieved February 21 2020 Bonesteel Matt Mel Tucker turned down Michigan State the first time The second time he couldn t say no Washington Post Retrieved February 21 2020 Michigan State hires Mel Tucker after coach said he would stay at Colorado CBSSports com Retrieved February 21 2020 Western s Cody White inks NFL contract with Kansas City Chiefs The Spinal Column May 1 2020 Retrieved November 19 2020 Stiefel Keagan June 8 2020 Patriots undrafted free agent profiles QB Brian Lewerke Pats Pulpit Retrieved November 19 2020 Gowton Brandon Lee May 18 2020 Eagles Rookie Profile 6 things to know about Raequan Williams Bleeding Green Nation Retrieved November 19 2020 Former MSU LB Joe Bachie on why he signed with the Saints 247Sports Retrieved November 19 2020 Williamson Bill April 29 2020 Raiders rookie DT Mike Panasiuk will do whatever it takes to make the roster Silver And Black Pride Retrieved November 19 2020 Green Bay Packers Scouting Report on UDFA WR Darrell Stewart Dairyland Express May 18 2020 Retrieved November 19 2020 Vikings waive undrafted free agent signee Tyler Higby Twin Cities August 9 2020 Retrieved November 19 2020 a b c d A look at Mel Tucker s assistant coaching staff at Michigan State mlive March 10 2020 Retrieved September 22 2021 Solari Chris Harlon Barnett returning to Michigan State football as secondary coach Detroit Free Press Retrieved September 22 2021 Baird Nathan July 31 2020 Ohio State voted 2020 Big Ten favorite in cleveland com Preseason Poll cleveland Retrieved June 28 2021 Big Ten to play conference only football schedule for 2020 season amid COVID 19 pandemic CBSSports com Retrieved July 15 2020 Entire MSU football team in 14 day quarantine ESPN com July 24 2020 Retrieved July 27 2020 Big Ten cancels college football season for fall 2020 hopes to play in spring 2021 CBSSports com Retrieved August 11 2020 West Jenna Big Ten Postpones Fall Sports Including Football Sports Illustrated Retrieved August 11 2020 a b Big Ten nixes fall football season eyes spring ESPN com August 11 2020 Retrieved August 11 2020 Big Ten football to resume weekend of Oct 24 ESPN com September 16 2020 Retrieved September 16 2020 The Big Ten Conference Adopts Stringent Medical Protocols Football Season to Resume October 23 24 2020 Big Ten Conference September 16 2020 Archived from the original on September 16 2020 Retrieved September 16 2020 a b Big Ten football schedule 2020 Eight game conference slates begin Oct 24 with Ohio State Michigan on Dec 12 CBSSports com Retrieved September 23 2020 Solari Chris Michigan State football game at Maryland canceled due to Terps COVID 19 issues Detroit Free Press Retrieved November 19 2020 a b Solari Chris Michigan State football game vs Maryland canceled again Detroit Free Press Retrieved December 22 2020 Tucker Names Ted Gilmore Tight Ends Coach Announces Additional Staff Hirings a b Tucker Names Ross eLS Special Teams Coordinator William Peagler Running Backs Coach Myerberg Paul Big Ten football reduces season schedule to only conference games maybe setting stage for others to follow USA TODAY Retrieved July 10 2020 Big Ten to start Sept 3 Michigan OSU on Oct 24 ESPN com August 5 2020 Retrieved August 5 2020 Wells Seth Big Ten reveals new 2020 football schedule MSU to open at home vs Rutgers wilx com Retrieved September 23 2020 Terrapins coach Mike Locksley tests positive as Michigan State Maryland canceled over COVID 19 espn com November 19 2020 Retrieved November 19 2020 Spartans Radio https msuspartans com boxscore aspx path football amp id 15171l dead link Football vs Michigan on 10 31 2020 Box Score Football vs Iowa on 11 7 2020 Box Score Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2020 Michigan State Spartans football team amp oldid 1223911618, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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