1968 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 1968 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1968 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 15th season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 5–5 overall record (2–5 against Big Ten opponents) and finished in seventh place in the Big Ten Conference.[1][2]

1968 Michigan State Spartans football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–5 (2–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPAl Brenner
CaptainAl Brenner
Home stadiumSpartan Stadium
(capacity: 76,000)
1968 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Ohio State $ 7 –0 –010 –0 –0
No. 12 Michigan 6 –1 –08 –2 –0
No. 10 Purdue 5 –2 –08 –2 –0
Minnesota 5 –2 –06 –4 –0
Indiana 4 –3 –06 –4 –0
Iowa 4 –3 –05 –5 –0
Michigan State 2 –5 –05 –5 –0
Illinois 1 –6 –01 –9 –0
Northwestern 1 –6 –01 –9 –0
Wisconsin 0 –7 –00 –10 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Three Spartans were selected for the 1968 All-Big Ten Conference football teams. Defensive back Al Brenner was selected as a first-team player by both the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). Tackle Charles Bailey received first-team honors from the AP, and linebacker Rich Saul received second-team honors from both the AP and UPI.[3][4]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 21Syracuse*
W 14–1063,488
September 28Baylor*
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 28–1064,826
October 5at WisconsinNo. 19
W 39–049,067
October 12at MichiganNo. 12
L 14–28102,785
October 19Minnesotadagger
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
L 13–1474,321
October 26No. 5 Notre Dame*
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
W 21–1777,339
November 2at No. 2 Ohio StateNo. 16
L 20–2584,859
November 9IndianaNo. 17
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
L 22–2465,841
November 16No. 15 Purdue
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
L 0–968,362
November 23at Northwestern
W 31–1428,245
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel
  • DT No. 61 Charles Bailey, Sr.

Game summaries

Michigan
Week 4: Michigan State at Michigan
1 234Total
Michigan State 6 008 14
• Michigan 13 0015 28

On October 12, 1968, Michigan State lost to Michigan by a 28 to 14 score. The game was the 61st meeting in the Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry.[5] The Spartans had won three consecutive games from 1965 to 1967,[5] and the Wolverines came into the 1968 game as an unranked underdog facing an undefeated Spartans team that had routed Wisconsin 39-0 the prior week and was ranked #12 in the AP Poll.[6]

Michigan quarterback Dennis Brown completed 9 of 15 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Jim Mandich caught four passes for 125 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown reception, and John Gabler also caught a touchdown pass. Ron Johnson carried the ball 19 times for 152 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Garvie Craw also ran 25 yards for a touchdown and caught a pass from Brown for a two-point conversion. Tim Killian also kicked two extra points for Michigan. Michigan gained 420 yards in the game, 243 rushing and 177 passing. Michigan State gained 356 yards, 295 rushing and 61 passing.[7][8]

After defeating Michigan State, the Wolverines were ranked No. 17 in the weekly AP Poll.[9] It was the first time since early in the 1966 season that Michigan had been ranked.

References
  1. "Michigan State Yearly Results (1965-1969)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  2. "2015 Michigan State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. p. 146. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  3. "Podolak, Meskimen Make All-Big 10: 4 Ohio State, 6 Michigan Men Picked". Cedar Rapids Gazette. November 26, 1968.
  4. "Big Ten All-Conference Team". Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Michigan. November 30, 1968. p. 13.
  5. "Michigan vs. Michigan State". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  6. "Michigan State Yearly Results". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  7. Robert Markus (October 13, 1968). "Wolverines Win; Upset M.S.U. on Drives in 4th Quarter; Dennis Brown Paces Victory". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.
  8. "Michigan Defeats Mich. State, 28-14; Hands Spartans First Loss Before Crowd of 103,785". The New York Times. October 13, 1968.
  9. "Southern Cal Rises to Top in Grid Poll". Ironwood Daily Globe. October 15, 1968. p. 5.


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