# 2018 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 2018 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan, and competed in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by 12th-year head coach Mark Dantonio.
The Spartans returned 19 starters from their Holiday Bowl-winning 2017 team, and began the year at 11th in the AP Poll. In the second game of the year, the team was upset on the road by unranked Arizona State. The team fell out of the top 25 after falling to Northwestern on homecoming, but bounced back with a road win against then-No. 8 Penn State. The Spartan offense struggled mightily in the second half of the season, and the team failed to score more than 7 points in losses to Michigan, Ohio State, and Nebraska. They finished the regular season in fourth in the East Division with a conference record of 5–4. Michigan State was invited to the Redbox Bowl, where they lost to Oregon by a score of 7–6, which matched their final record.
The team was characterized by a stark dichotomy in performance between offense and defense; the defense finished in the top ten nationally in six categories, while the offense finished in the bottom 20 nationally in six categories. Junior quarterback Brian Lewerke led the team in passing, finishing the year with 2,040 passing yards, 8 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was replaced by redshirt freshman Rocky Lombardi in several games as Lewerke struggled with injuries and poor performance. Connor Heyward, replacing the injured LJ Scott, led the team in rushing. On defense, Kenny Willekes led the Big Ten in tackles for a loss (21), and was named the conference's Defensive Lineman of the Year. Linebacker Joe Bachie was also an impact player, being named first team all-conference by the coaches.

## Offseason
### 2018 NFL Draft

MSU kept its streak of 78 years of having at least one player drafted in the NFL Draft alive when Brian Allen was drafted in the fourth round.
| Round | Pick | Team | Player | Position |
| 4 | 111 | Los Angeles Rams | Brian Allen | Offensive lineman |
Additionally, one player, Chris Frey Jr., was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent.

### Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for 2019 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Xavier Henderson DB | Pickerington, Ohio | Pickerington High School Central | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | Sep 9, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Trenton Gillison TE | Pickerington, Ohio | Pickerington High School Central | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jan 29, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Theo Day QB | Dearborn, Michigan | Divine Child High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | Feb 26, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Christian Jackson CB | Marietta, Georgia | Lassiter High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Mar 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Edward Warinner LB | Powell, Ohio | Olentangy Liberty High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 222 lb (101 kg) | Apr 12, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Michael Dowell DB | North Ridgeville, Ohio | St. Edward High School (Lakewood) | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | May 29, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jeslord Boateng LB | Dublin, Ohio | Dublin Coffman High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jun 12, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Davion Williams CB | Belleville, Michigan | Belleville High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jun 17, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Dimitri Douglas OT | Saline, Michigan | Saline High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 282 lb (128 kg) | Jun 19, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jacob Slade DE | Lewis Center, Ohio | Olentangy High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | Jun 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Zachary Slade DE | Lewis Center, Ohio | Olentangy High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Jun 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Javez Alexander WR | Sandusky, Ohio | Sandusky High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Jun 28, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Parks Gissinger DE | West Hills, California | Chaminade College Preparatory School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 227 lb (103 kg) | Jul 20, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Chase Kline LB | Chardon, Ohio | Chardon High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Jul 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Julian Major WR | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Penn Hills High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jul 29, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| James Ohonba OT | Stockbridge, Georgia | Woodland High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 345 lb (156 kg) | Sep 29, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Elijah Collins RB | Detroit, Michigan | University of Detroit Jesuit High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | Sep 29, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jacob Isaia OG | Las Vegas, Nevada | Bishop Gorman High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Oct 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kalon Gervin CB | Detroit, Michigan | Cass Technical High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Dec 2, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| La'Darius Jefferson QB | Muskegon, Michigan | Muskegon High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | Dec 9, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jalen Nailor WR | Las Vegas, Nevada | Bishop Gorman High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Feb 3, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| 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: "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 26, 2018. |||||||

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Joe Bachie | LB | JR |
| Maxwell Award | Brian Lewerke | QB | JR |
| Maxwell Award | LJ Scott | RB | SR |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Brian Lewerke | QB | JR |
| Doak Walker Award | LJ Scott | RB | SR |
| Butkus Award | Joe Bachie | LB | JR |
| Jim Thorpe Award | David Dowell | S | JR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Joe Bachle | LB | JR |
| Outland Trophy | David Beedle | G | SR |
| Ray Guy Award | Jake Hartbarger | P | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Khari Willis | DB | SR |
| Walter Camp Award | Brian Lewerke | QB | JR |
| Ted Hendricks Award | Kenny Willekes | DE | JR |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Brian Lewerke | QB | JR |
| Manning Award | Brian Lewerke | QB | JR |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Utah State* | No. 11 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | BTN | W 38–31 | 73,114 |
| September 8 | 10:45 p.m. | at Arizona State* | No. 15 | Sun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ | ESPN | L 13–16 | 53,599 |
| September 22 | 7:30 p.m. | at Indiana | No. 24 | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN (rivalry) | BTN | W 35–21 | 45,445 |
| September 29 | 12:00 p.m. | Central Michigan* | No. 21 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | FS1 | W 31–20 | 73,752 |
| October 6 | 12:00 p.m. | Northwestern | No. 20 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | FS1 | L 19–29 | 72,850 |
| October 13 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 8 Penn State | | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | BTN | W 21–17 | 106,685 |
| October 20 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 6 Michigan | No. 24 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI (rivalry) | FOX | L 7–21 | 76,131 |
| October 27 | 12:00 p.m. | Purdue | | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ESPN | W 23–13 | 72,657 |
| November 3 | 12:00 p.m. | at Maryland | | Maryland StadiumCollege Park, MD | ESPN2 | W 24–3 | 31,735 |
| November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 8 Ohio State | No. 24 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | FOX | L 6–26 | 74,633 |
| November 17 | 12:00 p.m. | at Nebraska | | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | FOX | L 6–9 | 88,793 |
| November 24 | 4:00 p.m. | Rutgers | | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | FOX | W 14–10 | 64,951 |
| December 31 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. Oregon* | | Levi's StadiumSanta Clara, CA (Redbox Bowl) | FOX | L 6–7 | 30,212 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
Source

## Personnel
### Roster

Position key
| Back | B | Center | C | Cornerback | CB | Defensive back | DB |
| Defensive end | DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E |
| Fullback | FB | Guard | G | Halfback | HB | Kicker | K |
| Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker | LB |
| Long snapper | LS | Punter | P | Punt returner | PR | Quarterback | QB |
| Running back | RB | Safety | S | Tight end | TE | Wide receiver | WR |

### Coaching staff

On January 2, 2018, Harlon Barnett was hired as defensive coordinator for Florida State, leaving the Spartans after spending the previous 14 years with head coach Mark Dantonio. On January 19, the school announced that co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel was promoted to defensive coordinator with the departure of Barnett.
Also on January 19, former Kent State head coach Paul Haynes was hired as the secondary coach. Haynes, who was fired from Kent State after five seasons as head coach, returned to the Spartans after serving as defensive backs coach from 2003 to 2004. On January 22, the school announced the hiring of former Kent State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell, who had coached with the Spartans on two prior occasions, as a defensive backs and special teams coach. On February 1, the school hired Chuck Bullough as defensive ends coach.
| Name | Position | Joined staff |
| Mark Dantonio | Head coach | 2007 |
| Mark Staten | Assistant head coach/offensive line | 2007 |
| Dave Warner | Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs | 2007 |
| Jim Bollman | Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends | 2013 |
| Mike Tressel | Defensive coordinator/linebackers | 2007 |
| Brad Salem | Quarterbacks | 2010 |
| Terrence Samuel | Wide receivers | 2011 |
| Ron Burton | Defensive Tackles | 2013 |
| Chuck Bullough | Defensive Ends | 2018 |
| Don Treadwell | Assistant Defensive Backs/Special Teams, Freshmen | 2018 |
| Paul Haynes | Secondary | 2018 |

## Game summaries
### Utah State

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| First meeting |||
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Utah State | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
| No. 11 Michigan State | 6 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 38 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
* Date: August 31, 2018
* Game time: 7:01 pm EDT
* Game weather: 80°F, Wind: 11 mph SSE, Sunny
* Game attendance: 73,114
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (Play-by-play), Glen Mason (analyst), Elise Menaker (sideline)
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
(12:58) USU TD: Love 1 yard rush, Eberle kick Utah State 7–0; 8 plays, 70 yards, 2:02
(9:34) MSU FG: Coghlin 49 yard field goal Utah State 7–3; 5 plays, 43 yards, 3:21
(2:58) MSU FG: Coghlin 32 yard field goal Utah State 7–6; 9 plays, 34 yards, 5:03
Second Quarter
(10:49) MSU TD: White 7 yard pass from Lewerke, Coghlin kick Michigan State 13–7; 4 plays, 42 yards, 1:16
(6:55) USU TD: Thompson 2 yard rush, Eberle kick good Utah State 14–13; 10 plays, 72 yards, 3:48
(0:28) MSU TD: Davis 10 yard pass from Lewerke, Coghlin kick Michigan State 20–14; 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:27
Third Quarter
(9:06) MSU TD: Heyward 17 yard rush, Coghlin kick Michigan State 27–14; 11 plays, 81 yards, 5:43
(2:00) USU FG: Eberle 40 yard field goal Michigan State 27–17; 8 plays, 28 yards, 3:17
(1:50) USU TD: Ferguson 40 yard interception return, Eberle kick Michigan State 27–24
Fourth Quarter
(10:27) MSU FG: Coghlin 24 yard field goal Michigan State 30–24; 14 plays, 38 yards, 1:27
(5:05) USU TD: Thompson 1 yard rush, Eberle kick Utah State 31–30; 17 plays, 63 yards, 5:18
(2:00) MSU TD: Heyward 13 yard rush, 2-point pass good Michigan State 38–31; 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:05
Passing
USU – Jordan Love: 29/44, 319 yards, 2 INT
MSU – Brian Lewerke: 23/33, 287 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
USU – Darwin Thompson: 10 carries, 28 yards, 2 TD
MSU – LJ Scott: 23 carries, 84 yards
Receiving
USU – Dax Raymond: 7 receptions, 76 yards
MSU – Darrell Stewart Jr.: 7 receptions, 55 yards :
The Spartans opened the 2018 season under the lights at home against Mountain West opponent Utah State.
Utah State received the opening kickoff and took little time scoring on their opening drive, taking only just over two minutes to score on a Jordan Love one-yard run. The MSU offense stalled at midfield on their first drive, but Matt Coghlin made a 49-yard field goal to put the Spartans on the board, 7–3. After a turnover on downs on the following Utah State possession, Michigan State added another field goal, bringing them within a point. The second quarter featured sloppy play from both teams. As Michigan State was driving into Utah State territory, Brian Lewerke was sacked and attempted to throw the ball away. After review, the officials determined that Lewerke had not completed a forward throwing motion, that he had fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by Utah State. However, the Aggies did not score off of the turnover. Several possessions later, the Aggies committed a turnover of their own when Jordan Love threw an interception that resulted in Michigan State points when Brian Lewerke connected with Cody White on a seven-yard pass for a touchdown. The score gave the Spartans their first lead of the game, 13–7. Utah State answered with a touchdown of their own on the following possession, retaking the lead 14–13. The Spartan offense drove deep into Utah State territory and Felton Davis scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Brian Lewerke with 28 seconds left in the half to give MSU a 20–14 lead at halftime.
The Spartans extended their lead after in the second half when a 17-yard Connor Heyward touchdown run increased their lead to 27–14. Late in the third quarter, Utah State added a field goal to narrow the lead to 27–17. The following Michigan State possession ended in disaster when a Brian Lewerke pass intended for Jalen Nailor was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Gage Ferguson to bring Utah State within three, 27–24. Michigan State increase their lead with a field goal early in the fourth quarter, but Utah State retook the lead with five minutes remaining in the game on a Darwin Thompson one-yard touchdown run. Brian Lewerke led the offense down the field the following possession, completing five straight passes before Connor Heyward scored the go-ahead touchdown on an option pitch from Lewerke to give Michigan State a 36–31 lead with two minutes remaining. Lewerke then connected with Davis on the two-point conversion pass to give MSU a 38–31 lead. With less than two minutes remaining, Utah State drove the ball to the MSU 46-yard line. However, MSU linebacker Joe Bachie leapt to deflect a pass and secured the interception to seal the win for the Spartans, avoiding a major upset. Michigan State extended its home opening winning streak to 20 games with the victory.

### At Arizona State

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 1–1 | Sep. 13, 1986 | Arizona State, 20–17 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 15 Michigan State | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Arizona State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 16 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ
* Date: September 8, 2018
* Game time: 10:45 pm EDT
* Game weather: Clear skies, 100 °F (38 °C)
* Game attendance: 53,599
* Referee: Mike Cannon
* TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (Play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
No scoring plays
Second Quarter
(13:19) MSU – Matt Coghlin 37-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:31; Michigan State 3–0)
Third Quarter
(9:37) MSU – Matt Coghlin 28-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:23; Michigan State 6–0)
(7:48) ASU – Brandon Ruiz 49-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 1:49; Michigan State 6–3)
(1:27) MSU – Cody White 31-yard pass from Brian Lewerke, Matt Coghlin kick (Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:15; Michigan State 13–3)
Fourth Quarter
(14:19) ASU – Brandon Ruiz 24-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 2:02; Michigan State 13–6)
(8:45) ASU – N'Keal Harry 27-yard pass from Manny Wilkins, Brandon Ruiz kick (Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:27; Tied 13–13)
(0:00) ASU – Brandon Ruiz 28-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 4:55; Arizona State 16–13)
Passing
MSU – Brian Lewerke – 27/39, 314 yards, TD, INT
ASU – Manny Wilkins – 30/48, 380 yards, TD, INT
Rushing
MSU – Connor Heyward – 5 carries, 22 yards
ASU – Eno Benjamin – 13 carries, 27 yards
Receiving
MSU – Cody White – 9 receptions, 113 yards, TD
ASU – Kyle Williams – 7 receptions, 104 yards :

### At Indiana

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 47–15–2 | Oct. 21, 2017 | MSU, 17–9 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 24 Michigan State | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Indiana | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
* Date: September 22, 2018
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 45,445
* Referee: Mark Kluczynski
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (Play-by-play), Glen Mason (analyst), Elise Menaker (sideline)
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
(8:11) MSU TD: Jalen Nailor 16-yard pass from Brian Lewerke, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 7–0; 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:57
(5:35) MSU TD: Shakur Brown 69-yard interception return, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 14–0
Second Quarter
(6:54) IU TD: Stevie Scott 8-yard pass from Peyton Ramsey, Logan Justus kick Michigan State 14–7; 10 plays, 51 yards, 3:18
(0:19) MSU TD: Matt Dotson 11-yard pass from Brian Lewerke, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 21–7; 7 plays, 74 yards, 1:04
Third Quarter
(4:47) MSU TD: Matt Coughlin 6-yard run, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 28–7; 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:49
Fourth Quarter
(14:43) IU FG: Logan Justus 35-yard field goal Michigan State 28–10; 4 plays, -11 yards, 0:56
(8:19) IU TD: Whop Philyor 65-yard pass from Peyton Ramsey, Ramsey pass to Nick Westbrook for 2 points Michigan State 28–18; 7 plays, 90 yards, 1:58
(3:28) IU FG: Logan Justus 36-yard field goal Michigan State 28–21; 10 plays, 57 yards, 2:28
(3:17) MSU TD: Jalen Nailor 75-yard run, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 35–21; 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11
Passing
MSU – Brian Lewerke: 14/25, 213 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
IU – Peyton Ramsey: 32/46, 272 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing
MSU – Jalen Nailor: 3 carries, 79 yards, TD
IU – Stevie Scott: 11 carries, 18 yards
Receiving
MSU – Felton Davis III: 5 receptions, 79 yards
IU – Whop Philyor: 13 receptions, 138 yards, TD :

### Central Michigan

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 7–3 | Sep. 26, 2015 | MSU, 30–10 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Central Michigan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 20 |
| No. 21 Michigan State | 0 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
* Date: September 29, 2018
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game attendance: 73,752
* TV: FS1
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
(13:09) FG CMU: Ryan Tice 45-yard field goal Central Michigan 3–0; 5 plays, 43 yards, 1:51
Second Quarter
(10:57) TD MSU: Brian Lewerke 3-yard run, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 7–3; 4 plays, 35 yards, 2:03
(2:03) TD MSU: Brian Lewerke 5-yard run, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 14–3; 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:52
(0:29) FG MSU: Matt Coughlin 33-yard field goal Michigan State 17–3; 8 plays, 19 yards, 1:29
Third Quarter
(10:24) TD MSU: Connor Heyward 2-yard run, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 24–3; 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:27
(4:18) TD MSU: La'Darius Jefferson 2-yard run, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 31–3; 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:42
Fourth Quarter
(13:29) TD CMU: Julian Hicks 10-yard pass from Tommy Lazzaro, Ryan Tice kick Michigan State 31–10; 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:49
(12:08) FG CMU: Ryan Tice 40-yard field goal Michigan State 31–13; 6 plays, 26 yards, 1:19
(6:44) TD CMU: Tony Poljan 29-yard pass from Jonathan Ward, Ryan Tice kick Michigan State 31–20; 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:06
Passing
CMU – Tommy Lazzaro: 19/34, 153 yards, TD
MSU – Brian Lewerke: 16/25, 185, INT
Rushing
CMU – Tommy Lazzaro: 11 carries, 32 yards
MSU – La'Darius Jefferson: 13 carries, 56 yards, TD
Receiving
CMU – Brandon Childress: 3 receptions, 46 yards
MSU – Felton Davis III: 3 receptions, 66 yards :

### Northwestern

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 38–18 | Oct. 28, 2017 | NW, 39–31 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northwestern | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 |
| No. 20 Michigan State | 3 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 19 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
* Date: October 6, 2018
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game attendance: 72,850
* TV: FS1
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Passing
NW –
MSU –
Rushing
NW –
MSU –
Receiving
NW –
MSU – :

### At Penn State

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 16–15–1 | Nov. 4, 2017 | MSU, 27–24 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| No. 8 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
* Date: October 13, 2018
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C); cool, cloudy
* Game attendance: 106,685
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler (Play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (analyst), Lisa Byington (sideline)
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
(5:03) PSU TD: K. J. Hamler 5-yard pass from Trace McSorley, Jake Pinegar kick Penn State 7–0; 4 plays, 94 yards, 1:32
Second Quarter
(13:25) MSU TD: La'Darius Jefferson 1-yard rush, Matt Coughlin kick Tie 7–7; 11 plays, 81 yards, 4:03
(4:33) PSU TD: Miles Sanders 48-yard rush, Jake Pinegar kick Penn State 14–0; 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:18
Third Quarter
(6:10) MSU TD: Felton Davis 20-yard pass from Brian Lewerke, Matt Coughlin kick Tie 14–14; 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:16
Fourth Quarter
(9:21) PSU FG: Jake Pinegar 20-yard field goal Penn State 17–14; 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:15
(0:19) MSU TD: Felton Davis 25-yard pass from Brian Lewerke, Matt Coughlin kick Michigan State 21–17; 8 plays, 76 yards, 1:00
Passing
MSU – Brian Lewerke: 24/52, 258 yards, 2 TD, INT
PSU – Trace McSorley: 19/32, 192 yards, TD
Rushing
MSU – La'Darius Jefferson: 15 carries, 60 yards, TD
PSU – Miles Sanders: 17 carries, 162 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
MSU – Felton Davis III: 8 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD
PSU – K. J. Hamler: 5 receptions, 66 yards, TD :

### Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan
* Date: October 20
* Game time: 12:05 p.m.
* Game weather: Partly cloudy • 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind 13 W
* Game attendance: 76,131
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
* Box Score
Game information :
Michigan
Shea Patterson 14/25, 212 Yds, 2 TD
Karan Higdon 33 Rush, 144 Yds
Donovan Peoples-Jones 1 Rec, 79 Yds, TD
Michigan State
Brian Lewerke 5/25, 66 Yds
LJ Scott 10 Rush, 25 Yds
Darrell Stewart 2 Rec, 24 Yds :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | MICH | MSU |
| 2 | 14:55 | 14 | 84 | 7:56 | Michigan | Nico Collins 6-yard touchdown reception from Shea Patterson, Quinn Nordin kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 3 | 11:12 | 2 | 7 | 0:48 | Michigan State | Brian Lewerke 4-yard touchdown reception from Darrell Stewart, Matt Coghlin kick good | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | 2:24 | 1 | 79 | 0:11 | Michigan | Donovan Peoples-Jones 79-yard touchdown reception from Shea Patterson, Quinn Nordin kick good | 14 | 7 |
| 4 | 10:21 | 13 | 84 | 6:41 | Michigan | Ben Mason 5-yard touchdown run, Quinn Nordin kick good | 21 | 7 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 21 | 7 |

### Purdue

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 36–27–3 | Oct. 3, 2015 | MSU, 24–21 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Purdue | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Michigan State | 6 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
* Date: October 27, 2018
* Game time: 12:02 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 37°F, Clear, NW 18 MPH
* Game attendance: 72,657
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (Play-by-Play), Dusty Dvoracek (Analyst) & Molly McGrath (Sideline)
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
(11:07) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 43-yard field goal Michigan State 3–0; 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:03
(8:11) PUR FG: Spencer Evans 28-yard field goal Tied 3–3; 6 plays, 20 yards, 1:35
(3:23) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 48-yard field goal Michigan State 6–3; 11 plays, 42 yards, 4:44
Second Quarter
(6:33) PUR FG: Spencer Evans 35-yard field goal Tied 6–6; 11 plays, 48 yards, 4:53
(0:56) MSU TD: Darrell Stewart 11-yard pass from Rocky Lombardi, Matt Coghlin kick Michigan State 13–6; 9 plays, 87 yards, 1:26
Third Quarter
(3:08) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 34-yard field goal Michigan State 16–6; 10 plays, 34 yards, 4:39
(0:35) PUR FG: Terry Wright 1-yard run, Spencer Evans kick Michigan State 16–13; 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:26
Fourth Quarter
(1:58) MSU TD: Jalen Nailor 48-yard pass from Rocky Lombardi, Matt Coghlin kick Michigan State 23–13; 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:44
Passing
PUR – David Blough – 29/49, 277 yards, 3 INT
MSU – Rocky Lombardi – 26/46, 318 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
PUR – D. J. Knox – 7 carries, 51 yards
MSU – LJ Scott – 15 carries, 52 yards
Receiving
PUR – Brycen Hopkins – 4 receptions, 80 yards
MSU – Jalen Nailor – 3 receptions, 70 yards, TD :

### At Maryland

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 7–2 | Nov. 18, 2017 | MSU, 17–7 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Maryland | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Maryland Stadium, College Park, MD
* Date: November 3, 2018
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game attendance: 31,735
* TV: ESPN2
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Passing
MSU –
UMD –
Rushing
MSU –
UMD –
Receiving
MSU –
UMD – :

### Ohio State

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 15–31 | Nov. 11, 2017 | OSU, 48–3 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Ohio State | 0 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 26 |
| No. 24 Michigan State | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
* Date: November 10, 2018
* Game time: 12:05 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), Overcast & Flurries, WNW 14 miles per hour (23 km/h)
* Game attendance: 74,633
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
No scoring plays
Second Quarter
(1:29) OSU TD: P. Campbell 1-yard pass from Dwayne Haskins, Blake Haubeil kick Ohio State 7–0; 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:26
(0:30) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 44-yard field goal Ohio State 7–3; 7 plays, 49 yards, 0:59
Third Quarter
(5:35) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 38-yard field goal Ohio State 7–6; 8 plays, 74 yards, 2:45
(0:42) OSU: TEAM 1-yard safety Ohio State 9–6
Fourth Quarter
(14:03) OSU TD: Dre'Mont Jones 0-yard fumble recovery, Blake Haubeil kick Ohio State 16–6
(12:22) OSU FG: Blake Haubeil 35-yard field goal Ohio State 19–6; 4 plays, -3 yards, 1:34
(1:12) OSU TD: Mike Weber 2-yard run, Blake Haubeil kick Ohio State 26–6; 9 plays, 42 yards, 3:59
Passing
OSU – Dwayne Haskins – 24/39, 227 yards, TD
MSU – Brian Lewerke – 11/28, 128 yards, INT
Rushing
OSU – Mike Weber – 22 carries, 104 yards, TD
MSU – Rocky Lombardi – 3 carries, 49 yards
Receiving
OSU – Terry McLaurin – 5 receptions, 63 yards
MSU – Cody White – 8 receptions, 115 yards :

### At Nebraska

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 2–8 | Nov. 7, 2015 | NEB, 39–38 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
at Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
* Date: November 17, 2018
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Overcast, 27 °F (−3 °C), N/NE 16 miles per hour (26 km/h)
* Game attendance: 88,793
* Referee: Don Capron
* TV announcers (FOX): Brian Custer and Ben Leber
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
(7:46) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 34-yard field goal Michigan State 3–0; 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:45
Second Quarter
No scoring plays
Third Quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth Quarter
(12:13) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 26-yard field goal Michigan State 6–0; 11 plays, 66 yards, 6:14
(11:07) NEB FG: Barret Pickering 36-yard field goal Michigan State 6–3; 5 plays, 36 yards, 1:00
(8:07) NEB FG: Barret Pickering 20-yard field goal Tied 6–6; 7 plays, 17 yards, 2:02
(5:13) NEB FG: Barret Pickering 47-yard field goal Nebraska 9–6; 6 plays, 23 yards, 1:59
Passing
MSU – Rocky Lombardi – 15/41, 146 yards, INT
NEB – Adrian Martinez – 16/37, 145 yards
Rushing
MSU – Connor Heyward – 21 carries, 80 yards
NEB – Devine Ozigbo – 18 carries, 74 yards
Receiving
MSU – Connor Heyward – 5 receptions, 78 yards
NEB – Stanley Morgan Jr. – 4 receptions, 67 yards :

### Rutgers

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 6–3 | Nov. 25, 2017 | MSU, 40–7 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rutgers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
* Date: November 24, 2018
* Game time: 4:11 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), Cloudy, Light Mist, SW 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
* Game attendance: 64,951
* Referee: Jeff Servinski
* TV: FOX
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
(6:15) RUT TD: Travis Vokolek 27-yard pass from Giovanni Rescigno, Justin Davidovicz kick Rutgers 7–0; 5 plays, 33 yards, 2:19
Second Quarter
(7:04) MSU TD: Matt Sokol 18-yard pass from Rocky Lombardi, Matt Coghlin kick Tied 7–7; 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:09
Third Quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth Quarter
(7:52) RUT FG: Justin Davidovicz 34-yard field goal Rutgers 10–7; 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:57
(3:57) MSU TD: Cody White 22-yard run, Matt Coghlin kick Michigan State 14–10; 4 plays, 35 yards, 0:42
Passing
RUT – Giovanni Rescigno – 9/17, 109 yards, TD, INT
MSU – Rocky Lombardi – 19/43, 173 yards, TD, INT
Rushing
RUT – Giovanni Rescigno – 13 carries, 61 yards
MSU – Connor Heyward – 19 carries, 81 yards
Receiving
RUT – Travis Vokolek – 4 receptions, 69 yards, TD
MSU – Darrell Stewart – 7 receptions, 53 yards :

### Vs. Oregon (Redbox Bowl)

| Series Record | Previous meeting | Result |
| 3–3 | 2015 | MSU, 31–28 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Oregon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
* Date: December 31, 2018
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. PST
* Game attendance: 30,212
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis, Brady Quinn and Bruce Feldman
* Sources:
Game information :
First Quarter
No scoring plays
Second Quarter
No scoring plays
Third Quarter
(9:57) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 34-yard field goal Michigan State 3–0; 12 plays, 64 yards, 4:59
(1:17) MSU FG: Matt Coghlin 34-yard field goal Michigan State 6–0; 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:30
Fourth Quarter
(11:19) ORE TD: Dillon Mitchell 28-yard pass from Justin Herbert, Adam Stack kick Oregon 7–6; 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:40
Passing
MSU – Brian Lewerke – 22/40, 172 yards, INT
ORE – Justin Herbert – 19/33, 166 yards, TD
Rushing
MSU – LJ Scott – 24 carries, 84 yards
ORE – C. J. Verdell – 14 carries, 43 yards
Receiving
MSU – Cody White – 6 receptions, 64 yards
ORE – Dillon Mitchell – 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD :

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
| AP | 11 | 15 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 20 | — | 24 | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | 12 | 13 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 19 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Awards and honors

Individual Awards :
| Player | Award | Ref. |
| Kenny Willekes | Smith–Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year | |
All-Big Ten :
| Player | Position | Coaches | Media |
| Kenny Willekes | DL | 1 | 1 |
| Joe Bachie | LB | 1 | 2 |
| Matt Coghlin | K | 3 | 1 |
| Justin Layne | DB | 2 | 2 |
| Raequan Williams | DL | 3 | 3 |
| David Dowell | DB | 3 | Hon. |
| Khari Willis | DB | Hon. | 3 |
| Andrew Dowell | LB | Hon. | Hon. |
| Mike Panasiuk | DL | Hon. | Hon. |
| Felton Davis III | WR | Hon. | Hon. |
| Connor Heyward | KR | – | Hon. |
| Hon. = Honorable mention. Reference: ||||

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 3 | 83 | Justin Layne | CB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 4 | 109 | Khari Willis | S | Indianapolis Colts |