Michigan State Spartans football

The Michigan State Spartans college football program competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State has won or shared a total of 6 national championships (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965 and 1966) and nine Big Ten championships. The team is known for placing some of the most talented players in the NFL, where currently 20 former Spartans are playing.

Today, the team competes in Spartan Stadium, a 75,005 person football stadium in the center of campus. Michigan State hired Mark Dantonio on November 27, 2006 as head coach to replace John L. Smith, who compiled 22-26 record in four years. He was relieved of his coaching duties on November 1, 2006 but coached the team’s final three games.^[1] MSU's traditional archrival is the University of Michigan, against whom they compete for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. MSU is traditionally the underdog, with a 28-65-5 record in the annual game.^[2] Michigan State is one of three Big Ten teams to have an annual non-conference football game against the University of Notre Dame. MSU's record against the Fighting Irish is 25-43-1.^[3]

[edit] History

Football has a long tradition at Michigan State. Starting as a club sport in 1884, football gained varsity status in 1896.^[4] In the 1950s, MSU led the nation in desegregation, allowing black athletes in all sports.

During the 1950s when Detroit was known as the world's leading automobile manufacturer, Michigan State was often referred to as the nation's "football factory." It was then that the Spartans churned out such impressive models as Lynn Chandnois, Dorne Dibble, Don McAulliffe, Tom Yewcic, Sonny Granddelius, Earl Morrall and Dean Look. In 1951, the Spartans finished undefeated and untied to claim a share of the national championship with Tennessee. The following year the team was again unbeaten and untied. They ended the 1952 season with the nation's longest winning streak (24 games) and were named the undisputed national champions by every official poll.

After waiting for several years, the team was finally admitted into the Big 10 as a regular member in 1953. They promptly went on to capture the league championship (losing only one game during the season) and beating UCLA in their first Rose Bowl game. After the 1953 season Biggie Munn, the legendary Spartan coach, turned the team over to his protégé and future legend Duffy Daugherty. It won the Rose Bowl in 1954, 1956, and 1988.

[edit] Head Coach

This section documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

On November 27, 2006 Mark Dantonio was hired from the University of Cincinnati to become Michigan State's new head coach. Dantonio served as an assistant coach at Michigan State from 1995-2000. Dantonio was Ohio State's defensive coordinator during their 2002 national championship season.^[5] He was also an assistant at Kansas and Youngstown state.

[edit] Stadiums

Until the 1920s, Michigan State's football team played on Old College Field just northwest of the current stadium. In 1923, In the early 1920s school officials decided to construct a new stadium to replace Old College Field. College Field, the future Spartan Stadium was ready in the fall of 1923 with a capacity of 14,000. Over the years the stadium grew. In 1935 the seating capacity was increased to 26,000 and the facility was dedicated as Macklin Field. By 1957, upper decks were added to the east and west ends, boosting the capacity to 76,000. That same season Michigan State dropped the name Macklin Stadium in favor of Spartan Stadium.^[6] the college opened what was opened in 1923 in East Lansing, Michigan.

After the addition of luxury boxes and club seating in 2004-2005 the capacity of the stadium grew from 72,027 to 75,005, making it the Big Ten's fifth largest stadium. It is regarded as one of the loudest stadiums in college football. Spartan Stadium is so loud that Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus (1960) uses a recording of the crowd noise during the 1959 Michigan State-Notre Dame game.^[7] The "Corner Blitz" is MSU's student cheering section. For the 2006 football season, they have around 3000 members.

[edit] Records

[edit] All-Time record

As of 2006, Michigan State's all-time win/loss/tie record is 590-400-44.^[8]

[edit] National Championships

Michigan State has won two wire national championships, being declared the national champion by the AP and Coaches Polls in 1952 and the Coaches Poll in 1965. Michigan State claims national championships in an additional 4 seasons^[9]:

1951, 1955, 1957, and 1966.

[edit] Big Ten Championships

1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987, 1990

[edit] Bowl Games

[edit] Trophy Games

Land Grant Trophy - Penn State Nittany Lions
Megaphone Trophy - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Old Brass Spittoon - Indiana Hoosiers
Paul Bunyan Trophy - Michigan Wolverines

[edit] Awards

[edit] Players

Maxwell Award

Brad Van Pelt - 1972

Fred Biletnikoff Award

Charles Rogers - 2002

Dick Butkus Award

Percy Snow - 1989

Lombardi Award

Percy Snow - 1989

Outland Trophy

Ed Bagdon - 1949

Chicago Tribune Silver Football

Eric Allen - 1971

Larry Bethea - 1977

Lorenzo White - 1987

[edit] Coach

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award

Duffy Daugherty - 1965

[edit] College Football Hall of Famers

[edit] Pro Football Hall of Famers

[edit] Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Abe Eliowitz

[edit] Notable players

[edit] Current players

[edit] Current NFL players

[edit] Other famous players

[edit] External links

[edit] References

^ College Football Data Warehouse. Michigan State Coaching Records.
^ College Football Data Warehouse. Michigan State vs. Michigan.
^ College Football Data Warehouse. Michigan State vs. Notre Dame.
^ Grinczel, Steve. (2003). They Are Spartans. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3214-2. p. 9.
^ [1]
^ College Gridirons, Spartan Stadium. Accessed 2006-06-23.
^ IMDB Trivia Listing for Spartacus. Accessed on June 23, 2006
^ All-Time Win/Loss/Tie Record
^ [2]
^ College Football Hall of Famers
^ Current NFL Players

	Images Images Michigan State University
Academics	Cyclotron • Hidden Lake Gardens • Kellogg Biological Station • Life Sciences Corridor • MSU Press • SOAR Telescope
Athletics	Basketbowl • Breslin Center • Championships • Cold War • Football • Land Grant Trophy • Izzone • Jenison Fieldhouse • Munn Ice Arena • Paul Bunyan Trophy • Spartan Stadium • Sparty
Campus	Beal Garden • Beaumont Tower • Cowles House • Demonstration Hall • East Lansing • Eustace-Cole Hall • Grand River Ave. • Horticulture Gardens • Michigan Ave. • Observatory • Pavilion • Red Cedar River • The Rock • Wharton Center
Colleges	Hospitality Business • Human Medicine • Eli Broad • Honors College • James Madison • Lyman Briggs • MSU Law • Residential College
History	Walter Adams • College Hall • John A. Hannah • John C. Holmes • MISTIC • Saints' Rest • Joseph R. Williams
People	Mark Dantonio • Rick Comley • Tom Izzo • Ron Mason • Joanne P. McCallie • Lou Anna Simon
Student Life	ASMSU • Capital News Service • MSU Fight Song • MSU Marching Band • RHA • The State News • WDBM • WKAR (AM/FM/TV)

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