Michigan State Spartans (2-2, 0-1) at Iowa Hawkeyes (3-1, 0-1)
The Michigan State Spartans will look to get back on the right track on Saturday evening in Iowa City when they take on the Big Ten West's Iowa Hawkeyes.
Michigan State is looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses over the last two weeks to the Washington Huskies (41-7) and the Maryland Terrapins (31-9). The Hawkeyes are 3-1 on the season, but are coming off an embarrassing 31-0 loss to Penn State last week in which the Hawkeyes only totaled 76 yards in the game.
When, Where, How to Watch:
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 30 (Kickoff at 7:37 p.m. Eastern Time)
WHERE: Kinnick Stadium (69,250) - Iowa City, Iowa
TV: NBC (Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge)
Radio: Spartan Media Network (FIND YOUR LOCAL STATION)
SiriusXM: Sirius/XM (Ch. 85), SiriusXM app (Ch. 85)
Coaching matchup
Michigan State - Harlon Barnett (Acting Head Coach)
- Career Record: 0-2
- Record at Michigan State: 0-2
- Record against Iowa: 0-0
Iowa - Kirk Ferentz (25th year at Iowa; 28th year overall)
- Career Record: 201-137
- Record at Iowa: 189-116
- Record against Michigan State: 8-8
Series History:
This will be the 49th matchup of all time between Michigan State and Iowa since the two programs first played each other in 1953. The Hawkeyes, through the first 48 matchups, hold a 24-22-2 series lead, though the Spartans have won four of the last six meetings between the two programs. The last time the two teams met was in 2020, a 49-7 win for the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.
Latest betting lines:
Iowa is a -12.5-point favorite over Michigan State, with the over/under at 36.5 points. That is the lowest over/under for the Spartans season, the previous low being 43.5. The under has hit in three of the Spartans' four games this season.
Game Notes
Courtesy of the Michigan State Athletic Department:
• After four consecutive games at home to start the 2023 season, Michigan State travels to Iowa for its first road game to take on the Hawkeyes Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT in Kinnick Stadium. The game will be televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock with Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (sidelines) on the call. MSU (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) fell in its Big Ten opener to Maryland last Saturday, 31-9, while Iowa (3-1, 0-1) lost at No. 7/7 Penn State, 31-0.
• Saturday's game marks the 49th meeting between Michigan State and Iowa. The Hawkeyes hold a slim 24-22-2 series lead, but the Spartans have won three of the past four meetings. Iowa does lead the series in Iowa City, 14-10-1, including a 49-7 win in the last matchup between the two schools in 2020. MSU defeated Iowa in the 2015 Big Ten Championship Game, 16-13, to secure the program's third Big Ten title in five years and earn a berth to the College Football Playoff.
• 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. 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).
• Redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 24th in the FBS averaging 92.3 rushing yards per game. Carter is also tied for sixth in the conference and 32nd in the FBS with four rushing touchdowns. He 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. The UConn transfer rushed for 100 yards in his first two games wearing the Green and White (113 yards on 18 carries vs. Central Michigan in Week 1; 111 yards on 19 carries vs. Richmond in Week 2) and had 17 carries for 48 yards vs. Washington in Week 3. In his first Big Ten game, Carter rushed for 97 yards on 19 carries (5.1 avg.) against Maryland.
• Haller also announced on Sept. 10 that former MSU head coach Mark Dantonio, the winningest head coach in school history, will return to the Spartan staff as an associate head coach. Dantonio will serve as an advisor to Barnett and the coaching staff on game days and throughout the week at practice and in meetings. After a storied 13 seasons as head coach of the Michigan State football program, Dantonio announced his retirement on Feb. 4, 2020. He finished his career with a record of 114-57 in East Lansing, 132-74 in 16 seasons overall. During his time at the helm of the Spartan program, Dantonio compiled an impressive list of accomplishments including three Big Ten Championships, two victories in the Big Ten Championship Game, victories in the 2014 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, and an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff, finishing his career as the winningest football coach in Michigan State history.
• Defensive analyst TJ Hollowell has been designated as MSU's 10th on-field assistant coach. Hollowell is in his fourth season as a defensive analyst at Michigan State and was one of seven coaches at this year's training camp with the Houston Texans as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
• Two Spartan freshmen – linebacker Jordan Hall and cornerback Chance Rucker – started their first career games last Saturday against Maryland. A consensus four-star recruit and top-100 player by Rivals, Hall was the first-ever three-time captain at IMG Academy. He has 13 tackles and three tackles for loss in his first four games. Rucker has also played in the first four games of the season and has seven tackles. He played a career-high 66 snaps against Maryland, tying for the most on the defense, while Hall played a career-high 48 snaps.
• Michigan State has the top-two players in the Big Ten in yards per catch in redshirt junior Christian Fitzpatrick (23.7 avg.) and redshirt freshman Jaron Glover (22.6 avg.). Fitzgerald has seven catches for 166 yards, including a 72-yarder in the season opener vs. Central Michigan and a 61-yarder in Week 3 vs. Washington. Glover has nine receptions for 203 yards, including a team-best five catches of 20-plus yards.
• Redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay, who led the Big Ten in tackles per game last season (10.0 pg; 120 total), ranks third on the team with 25 tackles through four games in 2023. Haladay has collected 241 tackles in his 33-game career, including 27 starting assignments. He was named to preseason watch lists for the Butkus Award, the Bednarik Award and the Nagurski Trophy.
• Sophomore defensive end Zion Young leads the team and ranks tied for 11th in the Big Ten with 3.5 tackles for loss. Young also has 1.5 sacks and 16 tackles overall.
LAST TIME OUT
• Michigan State fell to Maryland, 31-9, last Saturday in the 107th Homecoming game in school history.
OFFENSE
• Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim was 18-for-32 passing for 190 yards and one TD . . . the 18 completions tied Kim's career high for the third time this season; he also completed 18 passes in the season opener vs. Central Michigan and Game 2 vs. Richmond . . . Kim has thrown at least one TD pass in three of the four games this season.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Katin Houser was 6-for-10 passing for 75 yards, for new career highs in all three categories.
• Freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt made his Spartan debut and was 2-for-2 passing for 9 yards, adding two rushes for 7 yards.
• Redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter rushed 19 times for 97 yards, just missing his third 100-yard outing in his four games as a Spartan . . . the 19 carries matched Carter's season high as a Spartan . . . Carter added a career-high five catches for 23 yards, topping his previous career-best of four receptions from his freshman season at UConn vs. Yale (10/16/21).
• Senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. snared a career-high six catches for a career-best 67 yards . . . the six receptions tops his previous top mark of four vs. Penn State (11/27/21), while the 67 yards betters his previous mark of 54 yards vs. Ohio State (10/8/22) . . . Foster entered last Saturday's game with five catches for 80 yards through the first three games and had all six catches and 67 yards in the first half.
• Redshirt junior tight end Maliq Carr also had a career-high five receptions for 53 yards . . . the 53 yards are a season high and the second-highest outing of his career behind his top mark of 72 yards vs. Wisconsin (10/15/22).
• Sophomore wide receiver Tyrell Henry snared his second TD of his career, both coming this season, with the 9-yard catch from Noah Kim in the third quarter . . . Henry finished with a career-high tying two catches for a career-best 33 yards.
• Graduate senior wide receiver Tre Mosley snared two catches for 13 yards . . . Mosley now has at least one catch in 21 straight games and in 38 of 40 career games played.
• Michigan State committed five turnovers in the game (three interceptions, two fumbles), the most for the Spartans since the 2020 season opener (seven vs. Rutgers on Oct. 24, 2020) . . . Maryland scored 21 points off of Michigan State turnovers.
• The Spartans outgained Maryland in total yardage, 376-362 . . . MSU also had more passing yards (274-223) than the Terrapins.
DEFENSE
• MSU started a pair of true freshmen on defense in linebacker Jordan Hall and defensive back Chance Rucker, and both made their first starts of their Spartan careers.
• Sophomore defensive back Dillon Tatum tallied a career-high 11 tackles, nearly doubling his previous career-best of six stops, done twice in his career, most recently last time out vs. Washington (9/16/23) . . . Tatum has posted five or more stops in three of the four games, with five vs. Central Michigan and six vs. Washington, before the 11 stops last Saturday . . . Tatum added one pass break-up and one QB hurry.
• With the 11 tackles, Tatum becomes the second Spartan defender with double-digit stops this season, joining junior linebacker Cal Haladay's 10 tackles in the season-opener vs. Central Michigan (9/1/23).
• Sophomore defensive back Malik Spencer tied a career-high tackle total for the second time in four games, with his nine stops matching nine tackles in vs. Central Michigan (9/1/23) in the season opener . . . Spencer has posted seven or more tackles in three of the four games with seven stops last game vs. Washington (9/16/23) . . . Spencer added one pass break-up and one QB hurry.
• Graduate linebacker Aaron Brule matched his jersey number with a season-high seven tackles . . . the seven stops are also the most during his Spartan career, as he transferred from Mississippi State prior to the 2022 season . . . Brule added one pass break-up and one QB hurry.
• Freshman defensive back Chance Rucker had career highs of five tackles and two pass break-ups . . . Rucker had a total of two tackles in the previous two games.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Graduate senior placekicker Jonathan Kim split the uprights from 37-yards out in the second quarter, marking his third field goal of the season, and his now 3-for-4 on the season after getting a 46-yard attempt blocked on the final play of the first half . . . Kim also had three kickoffs for a 64.3 ypk average with two touchbacks.
Weather
According to Accuweather, it has a chance to be a record-breaking in Iowa City with a high of 92 degrees. The previous high for the day was 91, which was set in 2002. As the day goes on, it will get considerably cooler, and by the evening, it will be in the 70s. The temperature at kickoff is expected to be around 82 degrees. There will be some wind in the evening with gusts up to 15 mph, but no precipitation is expected. It should be a terrific day for football and tailgating.
