By Danielle Daniels

 

MICHIGAN STATE GAME NOTES

https://msuspartans.com/documents/2023/11/7/Game_10_vs._Ohio_State.pdf

OHIO STATE GAME NOTES

https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/documents/2023/11/7/10_OSUvsMSU.pdf

 

Game 10: Michigan State (3-6, 1-5) at No. 3/3/1 Ohio State (9-0, 6-0)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Kickoff: 7:33 p.m. ET
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Stadium: Ohio Stadium (102,780)
Surface: FieldTurf

 

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: NBC
Streaming/Mobile: Peacock
Announcers: Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Kathryn Tappen (sidelines)
Live Stats: ohiostatebuckeyes.com  |  Live Stats

Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jason Strayhorn
Sidelines: Jehuu Caulcrick
Broadcast Host: Will Tieman
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/MSU Spartans app/Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 24 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: Sirius/XM (Ch. 138/195), SiriusXM app (Ch. 957)
Pregame Show: Begins at 6 p.m.

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: Ohio State leads, 36-15
Series in Columbus: Ohio State leads, 17-9
Series in Big Ten Games: Ohio State leads, 36-13
Last Meeting: OSU 49, MSU 20 (2022 in East Lansing)
Current Series Streak: 7 by OSU

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Interim Head Coach: Harlon Barnett
MSU Record: 1-6 (first year)
Overall Record: 1-6 (first year)
Record vs. Ohio State: First meeting

Ohio State Head Coach: Ryan Day
Ohio State Record: 54-6 (fifth year)
Overall Record: 54-6 (fifth year)
Record vs. MSU: 4-0

►FIRST-AND-10
• Fresh off a 20-17 victory over Nebraska on Senior Day, Michigan State hits the road to take on No. 3/3/1 Ohio State in prime time on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Columbus. The game will be televised on NBC and streamed live on Peacock with Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (sidelines) on the call.

• Saturday’s game will be the 52nd meeting between Michigan State and Ohio State. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series, 36-15, including a 17-9 mark in Columbus. MSU is looking for its first win over Ohio State since 2015, when the Spartans beat the No. 2 Buckeyes, 17-14, at Ohio Stadium en route to winning the Big Ten Championship and earning a berth in the College Football Playoff.

• This marks the first time Michigan State has played a team ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Buckeyes (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) have topped the first two CFP rankings and are ranked No. 3 in both the AP and Coaches Poll following a 35-16 road win at Rutgers last Saturday.

• The Spartans have toppled Ohio State 10 times when the Buckeyes entered the game ranked in the AP Top 25, including five times when the Buckeyes were ranked in the top five (No. 5 in 1972, No. 1 in 1974, No. 1 in 1998, No. 2 in 2013, No. 2 in 2015) and seven in the top 10 (previous five games listed plus No. 7 in 1951 and No. 9 in 1971).

• Secondary coach Harlon Barnett, who is in his 15th year overall on the Spartan coaching staff, was named acting head coach by MSU Vice President/Director of Athletics Alan Haller on Sunday, Sept. 10 and has since been appointed interim head coach. Barnett came back to East Lansing in 2020 after spending two seasons (2018-19) as the defensive coordinator at Florida State. He previously spent 11 seasons (2007-17) as the secondary coach at Michigan State, including three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator (2015-17) and one as the associate head coach (2017), before departing for FSU. Barnett has coached in four New Year’s Six/BCS bowl games with the Spartans (2014 Rose, 2014 Cotton, 2015 CFP Semifinal, 2021 Peach) and has been on staff for three Big Ten Championship teams (2010, 2013, 2015). Barnett recorded his first victory as head coach of the Spartans with a 20-17 win over Nebraska on Nov. 4 in East Lansing.

• The Spartans have defeated the Buckeyes three times since 2011, tied for the most of any team in the Big Ten.  Michael Geiger hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 9 Michigan State a 17-14 victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2015 in Columbus to snap the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak. The Spartans held the Buckeyes to 132 yards of total offense in that game. In the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game, No. 10 MSU snapped No. 2 Ohio State’s school-record 24-game winning streak with a 34-24 win as the Spartans clinched their first Rose Bowl berth in 26 years. MSU also beat the Buckeyes in 2011, 10-7, in Ohio Stadium.

• Sophomore safety Jaden Mangham ranks tied for second in the Big Ten and tied for eighth in the FBS with four interceptions. Mangham has recorded a pick in back-to-back games (at Minnesota, vs. Nebraska), and also had interceptions against Washington and Rutgers. In addition, he has three pass break-ups and ranks seventh on the team with 39 tackles.

• Graduate senior J.D. Duplain, a native of Strongsville, Ohio, has started 39 consecutive games at left guard, the second-longest streak by an offensive lineman in school history (Shane Hannah with 44 from 1991-94). Duplain’s 44 starts overall are currently tied for second most in MSU history by an offensive lineman, along with Hannah and Tony Mandarich (record: Joel Foreman with 49 from 2008-11). The four-year letterwinner has played in a total of 50 career games for the Spartans from 2019-23; he started five games as a true freshman in 2019, then five more during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Duplain started all 13 games in 2021 and all 12 in 2022. He has earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades the past two seasons. Duplain’s starting streak dates back to Nov. 7, 2020, at Iowa.

• Michigan State’s defense tied a season high with seven sacks and had 12 tackles for loss, second most this season, in the 20-17 victory over Nebraska last Saturday in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans held the Huskers to 283 yards of total offense, marking the fifth time this season MSU has held its opponent under 300 yards of total offense (Central Michigan, Richmond, Iowa, Rutgers, Nebraska).

• Michigan State’s schedule currently ranks the second toughest in the FBS, according to the NCAA (opponents with a .708 winning percentage; 51-21 record). The Spartans have played two Top-10 teams (No. 2 Michigan, No. 5 Washington) and all nine opponents currently have winning records (Central Michigan, Richmond, Washington, Maryland, Iowa, Rutgers, Michigan, Minnesota).

LAST TIME OUT: MICHIGAN STATE 20, NEBRASKA 17

►SUMMARY
• Freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Montorie Foster Jr. early in the fourth quarter and Michigan State held on to beat Nebraska, 20-17, on Senior Day at Spartan Stadium last  Saturday afternoon. It marked the first Big Ten win of the season for the Spartans and snapped a six-game losing streak.

►OFFENSE
• The Spartans scored on their opening possession for the second straight game and the first time at home this season . . . MSU scored on its opening possession for the third time in the last four games, also doing so at Rutgers (10/14) and at Minnesota (10/28).

• MSU combined to throw for 232 passing yards, the Spartans’ second-most in a Big Ten game and the most overall since 274 vs. Maryland (9/23) . . . redshirt freshman quarterback Katin Houser, who started his fourth consecutive game, threw for 165 yards, freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 25 yards, while senior wide receiver Alante Brown threw for 42 yards on a trick play . . . Houser was 13-of-20 passing for 165 yards with one TD, while Leavitt was 1-for-2 for 25 yards and one TD and Brown was 1-for-1 for 42 yards on a double pass play to fellow senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr.

• Houser tossed his third TD pass of the season on an 11-yard strike to Christian Fitzpatrick in the first quarter and is now 64-of-109 passing for 674 yards and three TDs this season . . . Houser has at 10 completions in each of his last four starts . . . he also had 10 rushes for 13 yards.

• Leavitt was 1-for-2 for a TD against Nebraska, and now has a TD pass in back-to-back games after throwing the first TD pass of his Spartan career last week at Minnesota . . . he played two series in the game.

• Brown completed not just the first pass of his MSU career, but his collegiate career, and it came against his old teammates, as Brown transferred to Michigan State from Nebraska during the offseason.

• Sophomore wide receiver Tyrell Henry made the first start of his Spartan career and went on to snag a career-high four catches for a career-best 54 yards, marking his second straight game with a career-high catches after last week’s previous career-high tying three receptions at Minnesota, along with three vs. Maryland (9/23) . . . Henry’s 54 yards betters his previous top mark of his career-best of 33 yards vs. Maryland.

• Redshirt junior wide receiver Christian Fitzpatrick snared the first TD catch of his career with the 11-yard TD catch from Houser in the second quarter . . . Fitzpatrick finished with two catches for 15 yards, his fourth game this season with multiple receptions.

• Senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. had four catches for a career-high 94 yards with one TD catch in his final game in Spartan Stadium . . . Foster now has two TD receptions on the season, both coming in the last four games, also with a TD catch in the Rutgers game . . . the 94 yards betters Foster’s previous career-high of 79 yards vs. Iowa (9/30/23).

• Redshirt sophomore running back Nate Carter had 50 yards on 15 carries, marking the fifth game this season with 50 or more rushing yards, as well as having 15-plus carries in eight of the nine games this season.

►DEFENSE
• MSU posted 7.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss, which are both the most in a Big Ten game this season . . . the 7.0 sacks ties a season high, matching 7.0 vs. Richmond (9/9), while the 12.0 TFLs was the second-most this season, behind 13.0 from the Richmond game.

• Michigan State held Nebraska to 283 yards of total offense, marking the fifth time this season MSU has held its opponents to under 300 yards of total offense (Central Michigan, Richmond, Iowa, Rutgers, Nebraska).

• With two interceptions and a fumble recovery, the Spartan defense had three takeaways for the second game in a row, tying a season high for the third time this season, all coming in the last four games, as MSU had three takeaways on two fumble recoveries and an interception last game at Minnesota (10/28) and also had three takeaways vs. Rutgers (10/14), also with two interceptions and a fumble recovery . . . the defense has had nine takeaways in the last four games as part of 15 total takeaways in nine games this season.

• The Spartans snared multiple interceptions in a game for the third time this season, also doing so in the Minnesota and Rutgers games . . . Michigan State’s defense has snagged at least one oskie in six of the last seven games as part of in total of seven of the nine games this season.

• Sophomore defensive back Jaden Mangham had a team and game-high tying seven tackles, including 1.0 tackle for loss and also snaring his team-leading fourth interception of the season, along with one pass break-up, his third PBU of the season . . . it was Mangham’s second straight game with an interception after one oskie last week at Minnesota . . . Mangham chalked up a pass defended in the fourth game in a row and it was his second game with both an INT and a PBU in the same game, also doing so in the Washington game . . . he now has a total of a team-leading seven passes defended with four INTs and three PBUs on the season.

• Graduate linebacker Aaron Brule matched not only his jersey number but also matched Mangham with seven tackles, adding 1.0 tackle for loss on a sack . . . Brule has 4.0 TFLs in his last five games as part of 6.5 total TFLs and 4.0 sacks on the season, leading the Spartan defense in both . . . Brule has logged five or more tackles in five of the nine games this season.

• Sophomore defensive back Dillon Tatum logged two career-highs with two pass break-ups and 2.0 tackles for loss, finishing with six total tackles . . . last Saturday was Tatum’s third straight game with at least one pass break-up as part now leading MSU with seven pass break-ups on the season . . . Tatum also now has 2.5 TFLs on the season, as the 2.0 tackles for loss Saturday were his first since 0.5 TFL in the season-opener vs. Central Michigan (9/1).

►SPECIAL TEAMS
• Graduate senior placekicker Jonathan Kim split the uprights on a 35-yard field goal on MSU’s opening possession of the game to start the Spartans’ scoring, adding a 50-yarder in the third quarter . . . Kim has made at least one field goal in seven of the nine games and last Saturday’s two field goals was his second straight game with multiple field goals and the third time total this season, but the first time at home, as the previous two times were on the road, last week at Minnesota (10/28) and splitting the uprights a career-high three times at Iowa (9/30) . . . Kim is now 11-of-15 on the season, including 6-of-6 on field goals of 30-39 yards and 3-for-5 on 50+ yards . . . Kim added two PATs and is now 14-of-14 on the season.

• Redshirt freshman punter Ryan Eckley had a career-high tying seven punts for a 48.3 ypp average, his second-highest of his career behind 48.8 ypp at Iowa (9/30) . . . Eckley boomed a career-high five punts of 50+ yards, highlighted by a game-long 57-yarder, adding two 53-yarders, along with one of 51 yards and one 50-yarder . . . Eckley now has 15 punts this season of 50+ yards . . . he also had two inside the 20 on Saturday, with both going inside the 10, and now has 14 inside the 20 for the season, including seven inside the 10.

MICHIGAN STATE-OHIO STATE SERIES NOTES AND STATISTICS

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – R-So. Nathan Carter (156 carries for 659 yards, 4.2 avg., 73.2 ypg, 4 TDs)
Passing – R-Jr. Noah Kim (91-of-160, .569, 1,090 yards, 218.0 ypg, 6 TDs, 6 INTs)
Receiving – Sr. Montorie Foster Jr. (33 catches for 436 yards, 13.2 avg., 2 TDs)
Tackles – R-Jr. Cal Haladay (65 tackles, 5.0 TFLs for 15 yards, 1 sack for 11 yards, 1 INT, 2 FR)

Ohio State:
Rushing – Jr. TreVeyon Henderson (90 carries for 585 yards, 6.5 avg., 97.5 ypg, 7 TDs)
Passing – Jr. Kyle McCord (167-of-257, .649, 2,352 yards, 261.3 ypg, 17 TDs, 4 INTs)
Receiving – Jr. Marvin Harrison Jr. (52 catches for 914 yards, 17.6 avg., 101.6 ypg, 10 TDs)
Tackles – Gr. Tommy Eichenberg (73 tackles, 2.5 TFLs for 8 yards, 1 sack, 1 FF)

►A QUICK GLANCE AT NO. 3/3/1 OHIO STATE (9-0, 6-0 BIG TEN)
• The Buckeyes won their ninth game in as many outings after improving to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in Big Ten Conference action after rallying from a first-half deficit to rout Rutgers, 35-16. OSU was down 9-7 at halftime, after Rutgers made three field goals in the second quarter, before the Buckeyes outscored the Scarlet Knights, 28-7 in the second half as OSU remained unbeaten all-time vs. Rutgers, moving to 10-0.

• On the season, Ohio State’s defense leads both the Big Ten and FBS in team passing efficiency defense (94.04), while ranking second in the conference and third in the country in passing yards allowed (156.7 ypg). OSU is also fifth in the league and 25th in the nation in rushing defense (114.4 ypg) to rank third in the Big Ten and fifth in the FBS in total defense (271.1 ypg). The Buckeyes are also second in both the league and nation in scoring defense (10.7 ppg).

• OSU’s offense is second in the Big Ten and 45th in the FBS in total offense (417.6 ypg), leading the league and ranking 25th in the nation in passing offense (283.2 ypg), while ranking seventh in the conference and 88th in the country in rushing offense (134.3 ypg). Ohio State’s offense is third in the league and 32nd in the nation in scoring offense (32.8 ppg).

• Junior quarterback Kyle McCord is second in the Big Ten and 16th in the FBS in passing efficiency (160.6), while leading the league and ranking 15th in the nation in passing yards per completion (14.08), second in the conference and 33rd in the country in passing yards/game (261.3) and fourth in the B1G and 30th in the FBS in passing TDs (17). He is 167-of-257 for 2,352 with 17 TDs and four INTs.

• Junior running back TreVeyon Henderson is third in the Big Ten and 49th in the FBS in rushing TDs (7), rushing 90 times for 585 yards (6.5 ypc/97.5 ypg) with seven TDs. He adds 12 catches for 170 yards (14.2 ypc/28.3 ypg).

• Junior wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the FBS in receiving TDs (10), while also topping the conference and ranking ninth in the country in receiving yards/game (101.6) and is second in the league and ninth in the nation in receptions/game (5.8). He has 52 receptions for 914 yards (17.6 ypc/101.6 ypg) with 10 TDs.

• Junior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and senior tight end Cade Stover are tied for 15th in the league with three receiving TDs apiece, with Stover ranking 10th in the conference in receiving yards/game (53.6). Stover has 27 catches for 429 yards (15.9 ypc/53.6 ypg) with the three TDs, while Egbuka has 26 receptions for 332 yards (12.8 ypc/55.3 ypg) with three scores.

• Graduate linebacker Tommy Eichenberg leads OSU with 75 total tackles, ranking sixth in the Big Ten and 40th in the FBS in tackles/game (8.3), adding 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack, with one forced fumble.

• Junior cornerback Denzel Burke leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh in the FBS in passes defended/game (1.43), while sharing the league lead and ranking tied for 21st in the nation with 10 total passes defended, also tied for tops in the conference and tied for ninth in the country with nine pass break-ups.

• Junior punter Jesse Mirco is sixth in the conference in punting (43.0 ypp), with 33 punts and a long of 72 yards, part of eight punts of 50+ yards with 14 inside the 20 and inducing 13 fair catches.

• Sophomore placekicker Jayden Fielding is 37-of-38 on PATs and 10-of-11 on field goals, for a team-leading 67 points. He is 8-of-8 on FGs under 40 yards, with a long of 41 yards, with the lone miss of the season coming on a 45-yard attempt.

• Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is in his fifth full season leading the Buckeyes, posting a 54-6 record, including 37-2 in Big Ten action.

►MSU/OHIO STATE SERIES NOTES
• Saturday’s game will be the 52nd meeting between Michigan State and Ohio State. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series, 36-15, including a 17-9 mark in Columbus. MSU is looking for its first win over Ohio State since 2015, when the Spartans beat the No. 2 Buckeyes, 17-14, at Ohio Stadium en route to winning the Big Ten Championship and earning a berth in the College Football Playoff.

• The Spartans have toppled Ohio State 10 times when the Buckeyes entered the game ranked in the AP Top 25, including five times when the Buckeyes were ranked in the top five (No. 5 in 1972, No. 1 in 1974, No. 1 in 1998, No. 2 in 2013, No. 2 in 2015) and seven in the top 10 (previous five games listed plus No. 7 in 1951 and No. 9 in 1971).

Michigan State’s wins over AP-ranked Ohio State teams:
Oct. 6, 1951: No. 1 Michigan State 24, No. 7 Ohio State 20 (Columbus)
Nov. 7, 1952: No. 5 Michigan State 28, No. 16 Ohio State 23 (Columbus)
Nov. 6, 1971: Michigan State 17, No. 9 Ohio State 10 (Columbus)
Nov. 11, 1972: Michigan State 19, No. 5 Ohio State 12 (East Lansing)
Nov. 9, 1974: Michigan State 16, No. 1 Ohio State 13 (East Lansing)
Oct. 31, 1987: No. 20 Michigan State 13, No. 15 Ohio State 7 (Columbus)
Nov. 7, 1998: Michigan State 28, No. 1 Ohio State 24 (Columbus)
Nov. 6, 1999: No. 19 Michigan State 23, No. 20 Ohio State 7 (East Lansing)
Dec. 7, 2013: No. 10 Michigan State 34, No. 2 Ohio State 24 (Indianapolis)
Nov. 21, 2015: No. 9 Michigan State 17, No. 2 Ohio State 14 (Columbus)

A LOOK AT THE SPARTAN OFFENSE

►QUARTERBACKS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #12 Katin Houser (R-Fr., 6-3, 215, Anaheim, Calif./St. John Bosco)
(8 games/4 starts, 64-of-109 passing [.587], 674 yards [84.3 ypg], 3 TDs, 2 INTs)

• #10 Noah Kim (1L, R-Jr., 6-2, 185, Centreville, Va./Westfield)
(5 games/5 starts, 91-of-160 passing [.569], 1,090 yards [218.0 ypg], 6 TDs, 6 INTs)

• #4 Sam Leavitt (Fr., 6-2, 200, West Linn, Ore./West Linn)
(4 games, 15-of-23 passing [.652], 139 yards [34.8 ypg], 2 TDs, 2 INTs)

HOUSER GETS STARTING NOD LAST FOUR GAMES FOR SPARTANS
• Redshirt freshman Katin Houser has started the last four games for Michigan State against Rutgers, Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska. Houser has completed 64-of-109 passes (.587) for 674 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in eight games of action this season. In his four starts, Houser is 55-of-93 passing (.591) for 516 yards (129.0 ypg), three touchdowns and one interception.

• Houser recorded his first victory as a starting quarterback at Michigan State on Nov. 4 against Nebraska. He completed 13-of-20 passes for 165 yards, including an 11-yard TD to Christian Fitzpatrick.

• Making his first career start at quarterback at Rutgers on Oct. 14, Houser was 18-of-29 passing for 133 yards and two touchdowns against the Scarlet Knights. Houser threw his first career TD pass on MSU’s opening drive with a 13-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. He also rushed for a 12-yard rushing TD in the second quarter part of eight carries for 27 yards..

• In the Big Ten opener against Maryland in the fourth quarter, Houser was 6-of-10 passing for 75 yards and led the Spartans into the red zone, but was intercepted to end the drive. Houser scored his first career TD on a 4-yard run against No. 8 Washington in Week 3 to cap an 11-play, 99-yard drive for the Spartans in the fourth quarter.

• A highly touted four-star quarterback and Elite 11 finalist who enrolled early in January 2022, Houser has impressed the coaching staff with his arm talent over the past year. He took reps with the offense during practices last season, but still preserved his redshirt season after making just one appearance in Week 2 in his collegiate debut vs. Akron.

KIM STARTS FIRST FIVE GAMES FOR MICHIGAN STATE
• Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim started the first five games for the Spartans, but has not seen game action the past four games. Kim is 91-of-160 passing (.569) for 1,090 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. He has also rushed for 53 yards on 27 carries.

• Kim was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the win over Richmond in Week 2. Kim was 18-of-22 passing for a career-high 292 yards and three touchdowns against the Spiders, and completed a school-record 15 straight passes to close the game.

• Making his first career start at quarterback, Kim was 18-of-31 passing for 279 yards and two touchdowns against Central Michigan in Week 1. After a slow start in the first quarter, Kim was 9-of-16 passing for 147 yards in the second quarter, and was 8-of-10 for 134 yards and two TDs in the second half. After redshirting in 2020 and not seeing game action in 2021, Kim was 14-of-19 passing for 174 yards and three TDs last season.

• In four games of action off the bench last season, Kim was very efficient, completing 74 percent of his passes (14-of-19) for 174 yards and three touchdowns. During his two Big Ten games, Kim was 6-of-7 passing for 70 yards against Minnesota, including a 27-yard touchdown, and was 6-of-10 for 82 yards and a 25-yard TD vs. Ohio State. He has also shown the ability to move the chains with his legs, bringing an added dimension to the Spartan offense.

LEAVITT THROWS GAME-WINNING TD PASS AGAINST NEBRASKA
• The Spartans also welcomed in four-star quarterback Sam Leavitt, the 2022 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year, to the program this summer after he signed a National Letter of Intent in December. Leavitt threw 82 career touchdown passes in high school and closed his prep career by passing for 36 TDs and 3,065 yards in addition to rushing for 693 yards and eight scores as a senior.
• Leavitt has played in four games this season, completing 15-of-23 passes (.652) for two touchdowns and two interceptions. He made his collegiate debut on the last drive of the Maryland game in the fourth quarter and was 2-of-2 passing for 9 yards while rushing twice for 7 yards. He played 15 snaps against Michigan, completing 4-of-7 passes for 32 yards and one interception.

• Leavitt played two series in the 20-17 win over Nebraska on Nov. 4. With MSU leading 13-10 in the fourth quarter, Leavitt took over a Spartan drive at the Husker 38-yard line and directed a four-play, 38-yard scoring drive, capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass to Montorie Foster Jr. with 12:13 left in the game. Leavitt also had a 7-yard run on a third-and-4 play on the drive. He finished the game 1-of-2 passing for 25 yards.

• At Minnesota on Oct. 28, Leavitt threw the first TD pass of his Spartan career, hitting sophomore wide receiver Tyrell Henry for a 9-yard TD in the fourth quarter. Leavitt ended the game 8-of-12 passing for 73 yards with one TD and one interception. He also rushed six times for 52 yards with a long of 22 yards, MSU’s longest rush of the day. On Leavitt’s first series of the game in the fourth quarter, he engineered an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in just 3:30.

• Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson is in his fourth season with the Spartans.

►RUNNING BACKS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #5 Nathan Carter (R-So., 5-10, 200, Rochester, N.Y./Connecticut)
(9 games/9 starts, 156 carries, 659 yards, 4.2 avg., 73.2 ypg, 4 TDs; 19 receptions, 98 yards, 5.2 avg.)

• #28 Harold Joiner III (Sr.-6, 6-4, 215, Birmingham, Ala./Auburn)
(5 games, 2 carries, 6 yards, 3.0 avg., 1.5 ypg)

• #1 Jaren Mangham (Gr.-5, 6-2, 235, Detroit, Mich./USF)
(3 games, 4 carries, 8 yards, 2.0 avg., 2.3 ypg)

• #24 Davion Primm (R-So., 6-0, 205, Detroit, Mich./Oak Park)
(6 games, 4 carries, 17 yards, 4.3 avg., 2.8 ypg)

CARTER RANKS SECOND IN BIG TEN IN CARRIES, FOURTH IN RUSHING
• Redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter ranks fourth in the Big Ten rushing, averaging 73.2 yards per game (659 total). He also ranks second in the conference in carries (156) and ninth in all-purpose yards (757; 84.1 ypg), and leads the team with four rushing touchdowns.

• According to PFF, Carter has rushed for 404 yards after contact (61 percent), which ranks third most in the Big Ten.

• The UConn transfer has rushed for 100 yards in three games, including a season-high 113 yards on 18 carries in his debut against Central Michigan in Week 1. He had 111 yards on 19 carries vs. Richmond in Week 2 and ran for 108 yards on a season-high 20 carries at Iowa in Week 5.

• Carter became the first Spartan since Jehuu Caulcrick in 2007 to score three touchdowns in a single quarter after running for three scores (2 yards, 44 yards, 6 yards) in the third quarter of the 45-14 win over Richmond in Week 2.

• Making his Spartan debut, Carter rushed 18 times for 113 yards and one touchdown vs. Central Michigan. A transfer from UConn, Carter took his first carry as a Spartan on the first play from scrimmage and raced 31 yards for the longest rush of the game by any player. He scored his first TD in the Green and White on a 2-yard run late in the second quarter. Carter became the third consecutive Spartan transfer to start in the season opener and rush for more than 100 yards (Kenneth Walker III, 264 vs. Northwestern in 2021; Jalen Berger, 120 vs. Western Michigan in 2022).

• Carter still has three seasons of eligibility remaining after playing in only four games last season for the Huskies before suffering a season-ending injury. He rushed for 983 yards on 190 carries with three TDs in two seasons (2021-22) at UConn, including a team-leading 578 yards as a freshman in 2021. He was averaging more than 100 yards rushing a game last year (101.3 ypg), highlighted by a career-high 190 yards in the season opener vs. Utah State, before his injury in Week 4.

• Carter has rushed for 1,642 yards on 346 carries in his 25-game collegiate career (16 at UConn from 2021-22; nine at MSU in 2023), including seven rushing touchdowns.

SPARTANS SUFFER INJURIES BEHIND CARTER IN BACKFIELD
• Jalen Berger (R-Jr.), who posted career highs in rushing yards (683), carries (148) and rushing TDs (6) while starting 11 of 12 games last season after transferring from Wisconsin, is out for the season after suffering an injury in the Michigan game on Oct. 21. He previously missed two games (Washington, Maryland) with an injury but returned to play in a limited role at Iowa in Week 5 before rushing for 49 yards on 11 carries at Rutgers on Oct. 14. Berger finished the season with 25 carries for 93 yards.

• Jaren Mangham (Gr.-5), who joined the team in January and competed during spring practice, missed the first six games of the season due to an injury, but made his Spartan debut on Oct. 21 vs. Michigan and had two carries for 6 yards and one catch for 7 yards. He also one carry for 2 yards at Minnesota and has four carries for 8 yards on the season. Mangham, brother of current Spartan sophomore defensive back Jaden Mangham, played two years at Colorado (2019-20) and two at USF (2021-22) prior to arriving in East Lansing as a graduate transfer. He has collected 1,258 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns in 35 collegiate games (16 at Colorado in 2019-20; 16 at USF in 2021-22; 3 at MSU in 2023). Mangham had a career-high 671 yards and 15 rushing TDs as a junior at USF in 2021 to lead the Bulls.

• Sixth-year senior Harold Joiner III, who transferred from Auburn to MSU in 2021, spent two seasons at running back (2021-22) before transferring to the defense as a safety in spring practice. He moved to linebacker in preseason camp but returned to the backfield in Week 5 at Iowa to provide depth at the position for the Spartans. He has two carries for 6 yards this season.

• Effrem Reed is in his second season as the running backs coach for MSU.

►WIDE RECEIVERS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #0 Alante Brown (Sr., 5-11, 190, Chicago, Ill./Nebraska)
(8 games/1 start, 2 catches, 7 yards, 3.5 avg; 0.9 ypg; 8 carries, 15 yards, 1.9 avg., 1.9 ypg)

• #16 Christian Fitzpatrick (2L, R-Jr., 6-4, 220, Southfield, Mich./Louisville)
(9 games/1 start, 12 catches, 198 yards, 16.5 avg., 22.0 ypg, 1 TD)

• #83 Montorie Foster Jr. (2L, Sr., 6-0, 185, Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward)
(9 games/9 starts, 33 catches, 436 yards, 13.2 avg., 48.4 ypg, 2 TDs)

• #7 Antonio Gates Jr. (R-Fr., 6-2, 195, Detroit, Mich./Fordson)
(9 games, 5 catches, 82 yards, 16.4 avg., 9.1 ypg, 1 TD)

• #15 Jaron Glover (R-Fr., 6-1, 205, Sarasota, Fla./Riverview)
(8 games/5 starts, 14 catches, 261 yards, 18.6 avg., 32.6 ypg)

• #2 Tyrell Henry (So., 6-0, 175, Roseville, Mich./Roseville)
(9 games/1 start, 17 catches, 169 yards, 9.9 avg., 18.8 ypg, 3 TDs)

• #17 Tre Mosley (3L, Gr.-5, 6-2, 200, Pontiac, Mich./West Bloomfield)
(8 games/7 starts, 28 catches, 288 yards, 10.3 avg., 36.0 ypg, 2 TDs)

SENIORS TRE MOSLEY AND MONTORIE FOSTER LEAD YOUNG WIDE RECEIVER ROOM
• Michigan State has a group of talented young wide receivers that will look to have increased roles in the offense in 2023, but the unit is led by fifth-year graduate senior Tre Mosley, who has played in 44 career games, including 28 starting assignments, over the past five seasons (2019-23). Mosley has given the Spartans steady production over the course of his time in East Lansing with 126 career receptions for 1,464 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career. He ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in catches (tied for 17th with 126), TD receptions (tied for 25th with 10) and receiving yards (28th with 1,464). Mosley had caught at least one pass in 25 consecutive games, but he missed the Nebraska game with an injury.

• In addition to his play on the field, Mosley’s leadership will be counted on to mentor the wide receiver room. He is also nominated for the AFCA Good Works Team and the Wuerffel Trophy for his work in the community.

• Mosley currently ranks second on the Spartans with 28 catches for 288 yards and two TDs.

• Senior Montorie Foster Jr. already has career highs in catches (33), receiving yards (436) and TD receptions (2) through the first nine games of the season. Foster had a career-high eight receptions for 79 yards at Iowa, and had a career-best 94 receiving yards on four receptions on Senior Day vs. Nebraska on Nov. 4. A three-year letterwinner, Foster has played in 39 career games and has 52 receptions for 698 yards and four TDs.

• Two-year letterwinner Christian Fitzpatrick (R-Jr.), who missed the final seven games of last season due to an injury, is back this season for MSU. After playing in a reserve role the past two seasons, Fitzpatrick, a former Louisville transfer, has contributed more to the offense in his third season at MSU. Fitzpatrick already has a career-high 12 catches for 198 yards (16.5 avg.) and one TD, including a 72-yarder in the season opener vs. Central Michigan and a 61-yarder in Week 3 vs. Washington.

TRIO OF YOUNG RECEIVERS PROVIDING PRODUCTION FOR MSU
• Sophomore Tyrell Henry, who earned a letter as a true freshman returning kicks in 2022, will have an expanded role in the offense this fall, along with redshirt freshmen Antonio Gates Jr. and Jaron Glover. The young trio all showed promising signs during spring practice and continued to work on their development in preseason camp heading into the season.

• Henry has 17 catches for 169 yards and a team-leading three touchdowns, including a leaping one-handed TD grab vs. Central Michigan in Week 1 that was named the No. 3 play of the day on ESPN’s SportsCenter. He also has 11 punt returns for 90 yards (8.2 avg.) and 10 kick returns for 167 yards (16.7 avg.). He ranks third on the team in all-purpose yards (47.3 ypg; 426 yards). In his first career start against Nebraska on Nov. 4 with Tre Mosley out of the lineup, Henry responded with a career-high four catches for 52 yards; he had 73 all-purpose yards in the game, second most on the team (54 receiving, 11 kick return, 8 punt return).

• Glover is averaging 18.6 yards per catch with 14 receptions for 261 yards in eight games (did not play vs. Michigan due to sickness). He leads MSU with six catches of 20-plus yards.

• Gates caught his first collegiate pass for a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against Richmond. For the season, he has five catches for 82 yards (16.4 avg.).

• The Spartans also added transfer Alante Brown from Nebraska over the summer. Brown played three seasons (2020-22) with the Huskers, collecting 22 receptions for 262 yards in 30 games. He posted career highs in catches (16) and yards (191) last season while playing in all 12 games, including 10 starts. His speed and versatility will give the Spartans another option in the passing game in 2023, but the past two games, Brown has seen more action at running back. For the season, he has eight carries for 15 yards and two catches for 7 yards; he also threw a 42-yard pass to Montorie Foster Jr. against Nebraska.

• Former Spartan Courtney Hawkins is in his fourth year on the offensive staff as the wide receivers coach.
►OFFENSIVE LINE

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #53 Brandon Baldwin (1L, R-Jr., 6-7, 315, Detroit, Mich./Independence CC, 8 games/8 starts at LT)

• #77 Ethan Boyd (1L, R-So., 6-7, 320, East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing, 9 games/2 starts at RT)

• #58 Spencer Brown (2L, Gr.-5, 6-6, 315, Canton, Mich./Walled Lake Western, 9 games/7 starts at RT, 1 start at LT)

• #67 J.D. Duplain (4L, Gr.-5, 6-4, 305, Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville, 9 games/9 starts at LG)

• #72 Dallas Fincher (1L, R-Jr., 6-4, 305, Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood, 8 games/1 start at C)

• #59 Nick Samac (4L, Gr.-5, 6-4, 305, Mentor, Ohio/Mentor, 9 games/8 starts at C)

• #74 Geno VanDeMark (1L, R-So., 6-5, 320, Lodi, N.J./St. Joseph, 6 games/5 starts at RG)

• #70 Kevin Wigenton II (1L, R-So., 6-5, 320, Colts Neck, N.J./The Hun School, 9 games/4 starts at RG)

J.D. DUPLAIN, NICK SAMAC BRING FIVE YEARS OF STARTING EXPERIENCE TO O-LINE
• Michigan State returned five players with starting experience on the offensive line, led by multi-year fifth-year senior starters J.D. Duplain and Nick Samac, who are both using their extra year of eligibility in 2023.

• Michigan State has used a total of five different starting combinations on the offensive line in nine games this season.

• Duplain, a native of Strongsville, Ohio, has started 39 consecutive games at left guard, the second-longest streak by an offensive lineman in school history (Shane Hannah with 44 from 1991-94). Duplain’s 44 starts overall are currently tied for second most in MSU history by an offensive lineman, along with Hannah and Tony Mandarich (record: Joel Foreman with 49 from 2008-11). The four-year letterwinner has played in a total of 50 career games for the Spartans from 2019-23; he started five games as a true freshman in 2019, then five more during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Duplain started all 13 games in 2021 and all 12 in 2022. He has earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades the past two seasons. Duplain’s starting streak dates back to Nov. 7, 2020, at Iowa.

• Samac, who was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, started all 12 games at center last fall and has 30 starts overall in his career while playing in a total 47 games the past five seasons (2019-23). He played a career-high 803 snaps in 2022, most on the Spartan offense, and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. He has started the last eight games after splitting time with Dallas Fincher in the season opener vs. Central Michigan.

• Graduate fifth-year senior Spencer Brown started all 12 games last season at right tackle and started 20 consecutive games at the position before sitting out the first half at Minnesota on Oct. 28. He started his first career game at left tackle vs. Nebraska with Brandon Baldwin out due to an injury.

• Redshirt junior Brandon Baldwin took over the starting role at left tackle the final four games of the 2022 season and gained valuable experience while playing a total of 405 offensive snaps. It was Baldwin’s first season playing at the FBS level after redshirting in 2021 following two years at Independence Community College. He started at left tackle in the first eight games to run his streak to 12 straight starts at the position before missing the Nebraska game on Nov. 4 with an injury.

• Redshirt sophomore Geno VanDeMark earned starting assignments at right guard the last two games of the 2022 season and has an increased role on the offensive line heading in his third season in East Lansing. He started the three games at right guard this season before missing two games with an injury (Maryland, Iowa). He returned to play 33 snaps at Rutgers on Oct. 14 and was back in the starting lineup at right guard vs. Michigan on Oct. 21; however, he did not play at Minnesota on Oct. 28. VanDeMark again returned to the starting lineup in the win over Nebraska on Nov. 4.

• Redshirt sophomores Ethan Boyd and Kevin Wigenton II also earned their first letters as Spartans last year and have seen increased time in the playing rotation. Wigenton earned starts in three straight games at right guard (vs. Maryland, Iowa and Rutgers) with VanDeMark sidelined and has four starts overall, while Boyd has seen his snap count increase at right tackle throughout the season. Boyd earned his first career start on Oct. 28 at Minnesota and started again on Nov. 4 vs. Nebraska.

• Assistant head coach Chris Kapilovic is in his fourth season as MSU’s offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Kapilovic’s unit in 2021 was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best offensive line.

►TIGHT ENDS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #6 Maliq Carr (2L, R-Jr., 6-6, 260, Inkster, Mich./Purdue)
(7 games/5 starts, 19 catches, 201 yards, 10.6 avg., 28.7 ypg, 1 TD)

• #19 Jaylan Franklin (Gr.-6, 6-5, 240, Brownstown Township, Mich./Wisconsin)
(9 games, 5 catches, 70 yards, 14.0 avg.; 7.8 ypg)

• #92 Evan Morris (2L, R-Jr., 6-5, 245, Elsie, Mich./Ovid-Elsie)
(9 games/7 starts, 2 catches, 5 yards, 2.5 avg.; 0.6 ypg)

• #82 Brennan Parachek (Fr., 6-5, 250, Dexter, Mich./Dexter)
(6 games, 4 catches, 49 yards, 12.3 avg.; 8.2 ypg)

• Redshirt junior Maliq Carr leads the tight ends with a career-high 19 catches for 201 yards, but has not played the last two games (Minnesota, Nebraska). Carr had a career-high six receptions for 43 yards in the first quarter alone at Iowa before leaving the game with an injury. He also had five catches for 53 yards in the Big Ten opener vs. Maryland. After playing basketball during the winter of 2021-22, Carr had a full offseason with the team heading into this fall.

• Graduate transfer Jaylan Franklin (Wisconsin) joined the team in January and has five catches for 70 yards, including a career-long 46-yard reception last week vs. Nebraska. Fellow graduate transfer Tyneil Hopper (Boise State) had two catches for 24 yards and one TD but suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 vs. Washington.

• In addition, redshirt senior Evan Morris will be relied upon his blocking skills, and he earned a start in the season opener against the Chippewas while also recording his first career reception (4 yards). Morris has started seven games overall and has two receptions for 5 yards.

• True freshman Brennan Parachek, a four-star recruit from Dexter High School, has seen his playing time increase the second half of the season. He has four catches for 49 yards, all in the last three games (vs. Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska).

• Ted Gilmore is in his fourth year at Michigan State as the tight ends coach.

A LOOK AT THE SPARTAN DEFENSE

►DEFENSIVE LINE

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #8 Simeon Barrow Jr. (2L, R-Jr., 6-3, 290, Grovetown, Ga./Grovetown)
(9 games/8 starts at DT, 28 tackles, 3.5 TFLs for 29 yards, 2.5 sacks for 28 yards)

• #2 Khris Bogle (1L, R-Sr., 6-4, 245, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Florida)
(8 games/5 starts at DE, 11 tackles, 2.0 TFLs for 9 yards, 1.5 sacks for 8 yards)

• #45 Dre Butler (Gr.-5, 6-5, 300, Covington, Ga./Liberty)
(3 games, 9 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 1 yard)

• #98 Avery Dunn (1L, R-Jr., 6-4, 250, Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights)
(7 games/1 start at DE, 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL for 2 yards, 1 FR)

• #97 Maverick Hansen (3L, R-Sr., 6-4, 300, Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison)
(9 games/4 starts at DT, 16 tackles, 1.5 TFLs for 6 yards, 1.5 sacks for 6 yards, 1 PBU)

• #41 Derrick Harmon (1L, R-So., 6-5, 320, Detroit, Mich./Loyola)
(9 games/7 starts at DT, 27 tackles, 3.5 TFLs for 10 yards, 1.5 sack for 8 yards, 1 FF, 1 PBU)

• #99 Jalen Sami (Gr.-6, 6-7, 330, Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado)
(7 games, 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL for 4 yards)

• #55 Jalen Thompson (Fr., 6-3, 260, Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech)
(5 games, 14 tackles, 4.0 TFLs for 7 yards, 2.0 sacks for 5 yards, 1 FF)

• #26 Brandon Wright (4L, R-Sr., 6-2, 250, Euclid, Ohio/Euclid)
(9 games/4 starts at DE, 16 tackles, 2.0 TFLs for 13 yards, 2 sacks for 13 yards)

• #9 Zion Young (1L, So., 6-6, 265, Atlanta, Ga./Westlake)
(9 games/6 starts at DE, 25 tackles, 4.5 TFLs for 20 yards, 1.5 sacks for 5 yards)

DIRON REYNOLDS IN FIRST SEASON AS SPARTAN DEFENSIVE LINE COACH
• Diron Reynolds, who was named the program’s defensive line coach in January, got his first on-field look at the position group during spring practice. Reynolds has more than 25 years of coaching experience both at the NFL and Power 5 levels and previously spent the past seven seasons (2016-22) as the defensive line coach at Stanford. He has coached on multiple championship teams, including winning a Super Bowl ring with the Colts, and has worked with numerous All-Americans, NFL Draft picks and All-Pro players.

ROTATING D-LINE: SPARTANS HAVE STARTED NINE DIFFERENT DEFENSIVE LINEMEN IN 2023
• Sophomore defensive end Zion Young leads the Spartan defensive line with 4.5 tackles for loss (20 yards) and also has 1.5 sacks (5 yards). According to Pro Football Focus, Young is tied for the team lead with 21 total QB pressures on the season.

• The Spartans have started a total of six defensive ends, including Young (six games), seniors Khris Bogle (five games), Avery Dunn (one game) and Brandon Wright (four games), and true freshman Jalen Thompson (one game).

• Thompson earned his first career start vs. Nebraska on Nov. 4 and responded with a huge game, recording five tackles and two sacks, including a forced fumble. He has 14 tackles and four tackles for loss in just five games of action.

• Bogle, a Florida transfer and former top-100 recruit, only played in four games last season due to an injury in his first season in East Lansing. He has 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks in eight games this season, including five starts.

• Dunn saw his playing time increase toward the end of last season with starts against Rutgers and Indiana, and he recorded career highs in tackles (28), tackles for loss (5.5) and sacks (3.0) to earn his first letter. He earned his first start of the season in Week 4 vs. Maryland and has six tackles this season.

• In his second full season at defensive end after spending time as a running back his first two years in East Lansing, Wright played in eight games with two starts, including 14 tackles. He has a career-high 16 tackles and two sacks this season in nine games, including four starts, and is tied for the team lead with 21 QB pressures.

BARROW, HARMON & HANSEN LEAD THE SPARTAN INTERIOR
• Along the interior, redshirt senior Maverick Hansen has played in 40 career games at defensive tackle, including four starting assignments. He has 16 tackles in 2023, including a career-high 1.5 sacks on Senior Day vs. Nebraska. Hansen, who owns a 3.77 grade-point average as a hospitality business major, was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is the top scholar-athlete award in college football. He is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recipient.

• Redshirt sophomore Derrick Harmon has started seven games this season and has 27 tackles, including 3.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. He has started in 11 career games for MSU.

• Redshirt junior Simeon Barrow Jr. has started in 27 games over the past two-plus seasons (2021-23) and has 28 tackles, 3.5 TFLs (29 yards) and 2.5 sacks (28 yards) in nine games and eight starts this season. He is tied for the team lead with 21 quarterback pressures and was named to the Senior Bowl preseason watch list.

• The Spartans also signed three highly ranked players at defensive end as part of their 2023 recruiting class. Bai Jobe, the No. 1 player in the state of Oklahoma, played in the All-American Bowl and was ranked the No. 54 overall player in the nation according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. Andrew Depaepe, a consensus top-150 recruit from Bettendorf, Iowa, also enrolled in January for the Spartans. Jalen Thompson, a four-star prospect from Detroit Cass Tech and the consensus No. 1 defensive end in the state of Michigan, joined the Spartans over the summer and has 14 tackles in five games.

►LINEBACKERS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #33 Aaron Alexander (R-Fr., 6-1, 225, Belleville, Mich./Massachusetts)
(9 games, 4 tackles)

• #7 Aaron Brule (1L, Gr.-6, 6-2, 240, New Orleans, La./Mississippi State)
(9 games/6 starts, 44 tackles, 6.5 TFLs for 25 yards, 4 sacks for 18 yards, 1 PBU)

• #27 Cal Haladay (2L, R-Jr., 6-1, 235, Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia)
(9 games/9 starts, 65 tackles, 5.0 TFLs for 15 yards, 1 sack for 11 yards, 1 INT for 2 yards, 2 FR for 42 yards)

• #5 Jordan Hall (Fr., 6-3, 235, Fredericksburg, Va./IMG Academy)
(9 games/4 starts, 47 tackles, 5.5 TFLs for 27 yards, 2.5 sacks for 20 yards, 1 FF, 1 PBU)

• #23 Darius Snow (2L, R-Jr., 6-1, 230, Frisco, Texas/Hebron)
(4 games, 6 tackles)

PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE AT LINEBACKER FOR SPARTANS
• The linebackers, coached by fourth-year Secchia Family Defensive Coordinator Scottie Hazelton, feature two experienced starters in sixth-year graduate senior Aaron Brule and redshirt junior Cal Haladay, along with talented freshman Jordan Hall. Fifth-year senior Jacoby Windmon started the first three games of the season but has since suffered a season-ending injury. In addition, redshirt junior Darius Snow has played in four games after missing nearly the entire 2022 season with an injury, but hasn’t seen game action the past three weeks.

HALADAY LEADS TEAM, RANKS NINTH IN BIG TEN IN TACKLES
• Redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay leads the team and ranks ninth in the Big Ten with 7.2 tackles per game (65 total). In addition, he ranks third on the team with five tackles for loss. He has 281 total tackles for his career in 38 games, which is just eight tackles away from climbing into MSU’s all-time top 20. Haladay led the Big Ten in tackles per game last season (10.0 avg.; 120 total).

• During the third quarter at Iowa, Haladay tied a school record with the third defensive touchdown of his career as he returned a fumble 42 yards for a scoop-and-score in the third quarter against the Hawkeyes. He had two interception returns for touchdowns in 2021 (30 yards vs. Indiana and 78 yards vs. Pitt in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl). Haladay is the fourth Spartan in school history to score three defensive touchdowns, joining RJ Williamson (2012-15), Shilique Calhoun (2012-15) and T.J. Turner (1997-2000).

• Haladay was named to preseason watch lists for the Butkus Award, the Bednarik Award and the Nagurski Trophy.

BRULE PLAYING IN 62ND COLLEGIATE GAME ON SATURDAY
• Sixth-year graduate senior linebacker Aaron Brule leads the team in tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (4.0) and ranks sixth with 44 tackles overall. Brule, who played four seasons (2018-21) at Mississippi State before transferring to Michigan State in 2022, will be playing in his 62nd collegiate game overall on Saturday against Ohio State (40 at Mississippi State, 21 at Michigan State). For his career, Brule has 215 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.

JORDAN HALL: FRESHMAN BY NAME ONLY
• True freshman Jordan Hall, the only three-time captain in IMG Academy history, enrolled in January and has made an early impact in his first year with the Spartans. The consensus four-star recruit ranks tied for third on the team with 47 tackles, tied for second with 2.5 sacks, and second with 5.5 tackles for loss.

• Hall earned the first start of his collegiate career in his first Big Ten game against Maryland in Week 4 and has started in four games overall (Maryland, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska).

• On Oct. 28 at Minnesota, Hall had a career-high two sacks, including a forced fumble on one in the first quarter that led to a Spartan field goal. Hall had a career-high nine tackles overall against the Gophers.

ON THE MEND
• Jacoby Windmon, who transferred to MSU from UNLV in 2022, burst onto the scene last season with four sacks in his Spartan debut against Western Michigan to earn Big Ten and National Defensive Player of the Week honors. He became the first Spartan and just the sixth Big Ten player to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades three times in one season (vs. Western Michigan, Akron and Wisconsin), and he was also named the National Defensive Player of the Week in his first start at linebacker vs. Wisconsin in Week 7 after starting the first six games at defensive end. The New Orleans native, who led the team in TFLs (10.5) and sacks (5.5) and ranked first in the nation with six forced fumbles, returned to his natural position of linebacker in the spring and earned the start in Week 1 vs. Central Michigan. He had 15 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack in the first three games of the season before being declared out for the year due to an injury.

• Redshirt junior Darius Snow, who began last season at linebacker after playing in the secondary his first two seasons, unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury vs. Western Michigan in the first game of the 2022 season. He returned to action for the first time in Week 3 vs. Washington in a reserve role and had three tackles while playing a season-high 20 snaps at Iowa on Sept. 30. Snow ranked third on the team and 18th in the Big Ten with 87 tackles as a sophomore in 2021. In four games this season, Snow has six tackles.

►SECONDARY

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #0 Charles Brantley (2L, Jr., 6-0, 170, Sarasota, Fla./Venice)
(3 games/3 starts at CB, 10 tackles, 1 TFL for 3 yards, 1 PBU)

• #3 Caleb Coley (R-Fr., 6-0, 185, Warner Robins, GA/Houston County)
(4 games/1 start at CB, 2 tackles, 1 TFL)

• #37 Khary Crump (R-Jr., 6-0, 180, Los Angeles, CA/Arizona)
(1 game/1 start at CB, 1 tackle)

• #15 Angelo Grose (3L, Sr., 5-10, 185, Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield)
(9 games/5 starts at NB, 2 starts at S, 47 tackles, 2.5 TFLs for 10 yards, 0.5 sack for 2 yards, 5 PBUs, 2 INTs)

• #12 Chester Kimbrough (2L, R-Sr., 6-0, 185, New Orleans, La./Florida)
(9 games, 10 tackles, 1.5 TFLs for 10 yards, 1 sack for 9 yards)

• #36 Brandon Lewis (Fr., 5-11, 185, Lansing, Mich./Lansing Catholic)
(3 games/1 start at CB, 1 tackle)

• #29 Marqui Lowery Jr. (2L, R-Jr., 6-0, 175, Charlotte, N.C./Louisville)
(3 games, 4 tackles, 2 PBUs)

• #1 Jaden Mangham (1L, So., 6-2, 185, Beverly Hills, Mich./Wylie E. Groves)
(8 games/7 starts at S, 39 tackles, 4 INTs, 3 PBUs, 1 FR, 1 TFL)

• #25 Chance Rucker (Fr., 6-1, 180, Denton, Texas/Ryan)
(9 games/5 starts at CB, 19 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PBUs)

• #43 Malik Spencer (So., 6-1, 195, Buford, Ga./Buford)
(9 games/7 starts at S, 57 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 1 yards, 5 PBUs)

• #21 Dillon Tatum (So., 5-11, 200, Farmington Hills, Mich./West Bloomfield)
(9 games/8 starts at CB, 45 tackles, 2.5 TFLs for 8 yards, 7 PBUs)

• #20 Ade Willie (1L, So., 6-1, 190, Baltimore, Md./IMG Academy)
(7 games/1 start at S, 2 tackles)

SPARTANS FEATURE FOUR UNDERCLASSMEN STARTERS IN SECONDARY
• Former Spartan All-American and NFL veteran Harlon Barnett is in 15th year overall on the defensive coaching staff at Michigan State. He was named acting head coach on Sept. 10 and is also the program’s secondary coach. First-year assistant Jim Salgado is the team’s cornerbacks coach.

• After recording an FBS-low two interceptions last season, Michigan State ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten and 36th in the FBS with nine picks this season, led by Jaden Mangham with four. Angelo Grose is second on the team with two, while Cal Haladay, Chance Rucker and Khalil Majeed have also picked off passes this season. MSU also has 33 pass break-ups as a team, which is fifth most in the Big Ten.

• Sophomore Malik Spencer started the first seven games of the season at safety and ranks second on the team with 57 tackles. He is also tied for second on the team with five pass break-ups. Spencer hasn’t started the past two weeks while primarily playing nickelback.

• Fellow sophomore Jaden Mangham has started in seven of the nine games at safety (DNP at Iowa due to injury). Mangham ranks tied for second in the Big Ten and tied for eighth in the FBS with four interceptions. He has recorded a pick in back-to-back games (at Minnesota, vs. Nebraska), and also had interceptions against Washington and Rutgers. In addition, he has three pass break-ups and ranks seventh on the team with 39 tackles.

• Senior Angelo Grose has started games at both safety and nickelback the past four seasons (2020-23) and has played in 37 games overall since his arrival on campus in 2020, including 32 starts (19 at safety, 13 at nickelback). The three-year letterwinner has 206 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss, 18 pass break-ups and three interceptions during his collegiate career. Grose has started at nickelback in five games and started at safety against Iowa and Minnesota. He is second on the team with two interceptions, ranks tied for second with five pass break-ups, and tied for third with 47 tackles.

• At cornerback, sophomore Dillon Tatum has started eight of the nine games and ranks fifth on the team with 45 tackles and first with seven pass break-ups, which is tied for fifth in the conference.

• True freshman Chance Rucker earned his first collegiate start vs. Maryland in Week 4 and has started every Big Ten game this season. Rucker has 19 tackles, three pass break-ups and one interception in nine games overall.

---

A LOOK AT THE SPARTAN SPECIAL TEAMS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:

Punters:
• #96 P Ryan Eckley (R-Fr., 6-2, 205, Lithia, Fla./Newsome)
(9 games, 36 punts for 1,634 yards, 45.4 avg., 14 inside the 20, 2 touchbacks, 16 fair catches, 13 50+)

• #42 P Michael O’Shaughnessy (Gr.-5, 6-3, 210, New Albany, Ohio/Ohio State)
(6 games, 11 punts for 445 yards, 40.5 avg., 4 inside the 20, 1 touchback, 6 fair catches, 1 50+)

Long Snappers:
• #35 LB/LS Sam Edwards (R-Jr., 6-1, 225, Williamston, Mich./Lansing Catholic)
• #41 LS Drew Wilson (Jr., 6-2, 230, Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union)

Placekickers:
• #97 K Jonathan Kim (Gr.-5, 6-0, 225, Fredericksburg, Va./North Carolina)
(9 games, 14-for-14 PATs, 11-for-15 FGs, 34 kickoffs for 2,154 yards, 63.4 avg., 21 touchbacks, 2 OB)

• #98 K Stephen Rusnak (R-So., 6-1, 190, Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston)
(2 games, 3-for-3 PATs, 3 kickoffs for 195 yards, 65.0 avg.)

Returns:
• #2 Kick/Punt Return Tyrell Henry (So., 6-0, 175, Roseville, Mich./Roseville)
(11 punt returns for 90 yards, 8.2 avg.; 10 kick returns for 167 yards, 16.7 avg.)

• #0 Kick Return Alante Brown (Sr., 5-11, 190, Chicago, Ill./Nebraska)
(3 kick returns for 52 yards, 17.3 avg.)

• Michigan State has a new look in the specialists room as the team features a new starting kicker and punter for the 2023 season.

• First-team All-American Bryce Baringer, who set a school record with his 49.0-yard average and was drafted by New England, is gone for the Spartans at punter. Redshirt freshman Ryan Eckley began the process to replace Baringer during spring practice, and he was joined by graduate transfer Michael O’Shaughnessy (Ohio State) in preseason camp.

• Eckley and O’Shaughnessy split time at punter during the first half of the season, but Eckley has been the primary punter the past three games. Eckley is averaging 45.4 yards per punt, which ranks third in the Big Ten and 16th in the FBS, including 13 of 50-plus yards, while O’Shaughnessy is averaging 40.5 yards per punt.

• Eckley has been added to the Ray Guy Award Watch List and was named one of “Ray’s 8” for the week of games on Nov. 4, as he averaged 48.3 yards per punt (seven punts for 338 yards) in the win over Nebraska, including three inside the 20 and five of 50-plus yards.

• The Spartans, who used multiple placekickers in 2022 and only made six field goals during the season, brought in graduate transfer Jonathan Kim from North Carolina over the summer. Redshirt sophomore Stephen Rusnak has also kicked in games this season.

• Kim is 11-for-15 on field-goal attempts, including a career-long 58-yarder at Iowa, which set a Kinnick Stadium record and was the fourth-longest in school history. He is also 14-for-14 on PATs. Kim’s 11 made field goals rank tied for fifth in the Big Ten.

• Junior college transfer Drew Wilson and redshirt junior Sam Edwards split the long-snapping duties for the Spartans.

• Sophomore Tyrell Henry returns punts for the Spartans, and also returns kicks in addition to Montorie Foster Jr. and Alante Brown.

• Ross Els in his his fourth year as the program’s special teams coordinator.

 

COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS