# 1995 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 1995 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University as member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Nick Saban, the Spartans compiled an overall record of 6–5–1 with a mark of 4–3–1 in conference play, placing fifth in Big Ten. Michigan State was invited to the Independence Bowl, where they lost on December 29 to LSU. The team played home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 9 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 2 Nebraska* | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ABC | L 10–50 | 73,891 |
| September 16 | 12:00 p.m. | at Louisville* | Cardinal StadiumLouisville, KY | | W 30–7 | 34,027 |
| September 23 | 2:30 p.m. | at Purdue | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | ABC | T 35–35 | 43,070 |
| September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | Boston College* | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ABC | W 25–21 | 72,981 |
| October 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Iowa | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | Creative | L 7–21 | 73,732 |
| October 14 | 12:00 p.m. | at Illinois | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | Creative | W 27–21 | 65,653 |
| October 21 | 1:00 p.m. | Minnesota | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | | W 34–31 | 70,123 |
| October 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Wisconsin | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | Creative | L 14–45 | 78,043 |
| November 4 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 7 Michigan | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI (rivalry) | ABC | W 28–25 | 74,667 |
| November 11 | 1:00 p.m. | at Indiana | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN (rivalry) | PASS Sports | W 31–13 | 24,027 |
| November 25 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 14 Penn State | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI (rivalry) | ESPN | L 20–24 | 66,189 |
| December 29 | 5:30 p.m. | vs. LSU* | Independence StadiumShreveport, LA (Independence Bowl) | ESPN | L 26–45 | 48,835 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Nebraska

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska | 10 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 50 |
| Michigan State | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Date: September 9, 1995
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 73,891
* Box score and Game recap

### Louisville

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 3 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 30 |
| Louisville | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky
* Date: September 16, 1995
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 34,027
* Box Score

### Purdue

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 14 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 35 |
| Purdue | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
at Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
* Date: September 23, 1995
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 43,070
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
MSU - Mason 43 pass from Banks (C Gardner kick)
PUR - Alford 29 pass from Reeves (Bobich kick)
MSU - S Greene 21 run (C Gardner kick)
Second quarter
PUR - Alford 69 pass from Alstott (Bobich kick)
PUR - Alstott 6 run (Bobich kick)
MSU - Mason 7 pass from Banks (kick failed)
Third quarter
MSU - S Greene 3 run (Banks run for two-point conversion)
Fourth quarter
PUR - Rogers 1 run (Bobich kick)
MSU - S Greene 70 run (C Gardner kick)
PUR - Rogers 4 run (Bobich kick)
Top Rushers
MSU - S Greene 17 rushes, 161 yards, 3 TDs
PUR - Alstott 20 rushes, 136 yards, 1 TD
Top Passers
MSU - Banks 16/25, 208 yards, 1 INT
PUR - Alstott 1/1, 69 yards, 1 TD
PUR - Trefzger 9/15, 110 yards
PUR - Reeves 9/16, 122 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Top Receivers
MSU - Mason 7 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TDs
PUR - Olivadotti 5 receptions, 73 yards
PUR - Alford 4 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TDs :

### Boston College

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Boston College | 0 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 21 |
| Michigan State | 3 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 25 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Date: September 30, 1995
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 72,981
* Box score and Game recap

### Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Iowa | 0 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 21 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Date: October 7, 1995
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 73,732
* Box score and Game recap

### Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 27 |
| Illinois | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: October 14, 1995
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 65,653
* Box Score

### Minnesota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minnesota | 7 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| Michigan State | 14 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 34 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Date: October 21, 1995
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 70,123
* Box Score

### Wisconsin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: October 28, 1995
* Game time: 11:30 a.m. CST
* Game attendance: 78,447
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
WIS - C. Martin 5-yard run (J. Hall kick)
MSU - S. Greene 2-yard run (C. Gardner kick)
Second quarter
WIS - J. Hall 43-yard FG
WIS - C. Martin 5-yard run (J. Hall kick)
WIS - Nyquist 7-yard pass from Bevell (J. Hall kick)
Third quarter
WIS - T. Simmons 1-yard pass from Bevell (J. Hall kick)
WIS - Nyquist 2-yard pass from Bevell (J. Hall kick)
Fourth quarter
MSU - Mason 31-yard pass from Banks (C. Gardner kick)
WIS - Waerig 12-yard run (J. Hall kick)
Top Rushers
MSU - Crenshaw 5 rushes, 41 yards
WIS - C. McCullough 19 rushes, 91 yards
Top Passers
MSU - Banks 17/30, 207 yards, 3 INTs
WIS - Bevell 17/27, 265 yards
Top Receivers
MSU - Muhammad 6 receptions, 83 yards
WIS - T Simmons 5 receptions, 70 yards :

### Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan | 3 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 25 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Date: November 4, 1995
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 74,667
* Box Score

### Indiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 21 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| Indiana | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
* Date: November 11, 1995
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game attendance: 24,027
* Box Score

### Penn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penn State | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Date: November 25, 1995
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 66,189
* Box Score

### 1995 Independence Bowl

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 7 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 26 |
| LSU | 7 | 14 | 21 | 3 | 45 |
at Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
* Date: December 29, 1995
* Game attendance: 48,835
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
MSU - Muhammad 78 pass from Banks (C Gardner kick)
LSU - Cleveland 6 run (A Lafleur kick)
Second quarter
MSU - S Greene 3 run (kick failed)
LSU - Kennison 92 kickoff return (A Lafleur kick)
MSU - Mason 100 kickoff return (S Greene run for two-point conversion)
LSU - Faulk 51 run (A Lafleur kick)
MSU - FG C Gardner 37
Third quarter
LSU - Faulk 5 run (A Lafleur kick)
LSU - Northern 37 fumble return (A Lafleur kick)
LSU - Kennison 47 pass from Tyler (A Lafleur kick)
Fourth quarter
LSU - FG Richey 48
MSU - Safety, Kessler tackled in end zone
Rushing
LSU - Faulk 25-234-2, Cleveland 13-23-1, Toomer 4-13-0, Kennison 1-6-0, Tyler 4-(-1)-0, Kessler 1--3-0
MSU - Renaud 16-79-0, Greene 8-48-1, Crenshaw 1-1-0, Banks 10--28-0
Passing
LSU - Tyler 10-20-1-164 1TD
MSU - Banks 22-44-3-348 1TD
Receiving
LSU - Kennison 5-124-1, LaFleur 2-31-0, Toomer 1-9-0, Cleveland 1-(-4)-0, Faulk 1-4-0
MSU - Muhammed 9-171-1, Mason 6-74-0, Renaud 2-47-0, Carter 2-16-0, Outlaw 2-24-0, Keur 1-16-0
Punting
LSU - Kessler 4 punts, 44.5 yard avg.
MSU - Salani 6 punts, 37.5 yard avg. :

## 1996 NFL Draft

The following players were selected in the 1996 NFL draft.
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL Team |
| Tony Banks | 2 | 42 | Quarterback | St. Louis Rams |
| Muhsin Muhammad | 2 | 43 | Wide receiver | Carolina Panthers |
| Scott Greene | 6 | 193 | Running back | Carolina Panthers |