# 2002 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 2002 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. This was the third and final season for head coach Bobby Williams, who was replaced after the Michigan game by interim head coach Morris Watts.
The Spartans were coming off a 7–5 season which ended with a victory in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic over the Fresno State Bulldogs. However, the 2002 season turned out to be very different. The Spartans finished 4–8, their worst record since 1994, and second losing season out of the previous three. Michigan State also finished 2–6 in the Big Ten, their 3rd straight losing season in Big Ten play.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 3:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan* | No. 18 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ESPN+ | W 56–7 | 73,927 |
| September 7 | 1:05 p.m. | Rice* | No. 15 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | | W 27–10 | 74,014 |
| September 14 | 12:00 p.m. | California* | No. 15 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ESPN2 | L 22–46 | 72,634 |
| September 21 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 12 Notre Dame* | | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI (Megaphone Trophy) | ABC | L 17–21 | 75,182 |
| September 28 | 1:05 p.m. | Northwestern | | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | | W 39–24 | 74,215 |
| October 12 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 17 Iowa | | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | ESPN | L 16–44 | 70,397 |
| October 19 | 12:00 p.m. | Minnesota | | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ESPN+ | L 7–28 | 74,232 |
| October 26 | 7:00 p.m. | Wisconsin | | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ESPN2 | L 24–42 | 74,504 |
| November 2 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 15 Michigan | | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (Paul Bunyan Trophy) | ESPN2 | L 3–49 | 111,542 |
| November 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at Indiana | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN (Old Brass Spittoon) | | W 56–21 | 29,253 |
| November 16 | 12:00 p.m. | Purdue | | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ESPN+ | L 42–45 | 72,828 |
| November 23 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 15 Penn State | | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (Land Grant Trophy) | ABC | L 7–61 | 108,755 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## 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 |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
| BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Draft picks

| Rnd. | Pick No. | NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Conf. | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | | Charles Rogers | WR | | | |