1978 Michigan State Spartans football | |
---|---|
Big Ten co-champion | |
Conference | Big Ten Conference |
Ranking | |
AP | No. 12 |
Record | 8–3 (7–1 Big Ten) |
Head coach |
|
Defensive coordinator | George Dyer (1st season) |
MVP | Ed Smith |
Captain | Mel Land, Ed Smith |
Home stadium | Spartan Stadium (capacity: 76,000) |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 5 Michigan + | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 12 Michigan State + | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 13 Purdue | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ohio State | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wisconsin | 3 | – | 4 | – | 2 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois | 0 | – | 6 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northwestern | 0 | – | 8 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 10 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The 1978 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University during the 1978 Big Ten Conference football season. Finishing the season on a seven-game winning streak, the Spartans won their fourth Big Ten Conference championship, which they shared with in-state rival Michigan. The Spartans finished number 12 in the final AP Poll.
Wide receiver Kirk Gibson caught 42 passes for 806 yard during the 1978 season. [1] Gibson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017. [2]
Quarterback Ed Smith led the Big Ten in 1978 with 2,226 passing yards, a 139.0 passing efficiency rating, and 2,247 yards of total offense. [3] He was also selected as the most valuable player on the 1978 Michigan State team. [4] He finished his career as Michigan State's and the Big Ten's all-time leader with 5,706 passing yards. [5]
The team was put on probation during the 1978 season and could not appear in any bowl games. [6]
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 16 | at Purdue | L 14–21 | 60,365 | |||
September 23 | Syracuse * | W 49–21 | 74,511 | |||
September 29 | at No. 3 USC * | L 9–30 | 65,319 | |||
October 7 | Notre Dame * |
| L 25–29 | 77,087 | ||
October 14 | at No. 5 Michigan | W 24–15 | 105,132 | [7] [8] | ||
October 21 | Indiana |
| W 49–14 | 76,013 | ||
October 28 | Wisconsin |
| W 55–2 | 70,114 | ||
November 4 | at Illinois | No. 18 | W 59–19 | 48,077 | ||
November 11 | Minnesota | No. 17 |
| W 33–9 | 72,122 | |
November 18 | at Northwestern | No. 16 | W 52–3 | 14,157 | ||
November 25 | Iowa | No. 14 |
| W 42–7 | 57,007 | |
|
1978 Michigan State Spartans football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
| Defense
| Special teams
|
|
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white. The university participates in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision for football. The Spartans participate as members of the Big Ten Conference in all varsity sports. Michigan State offers 11 varsity sports for men and 12 for women.
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University (MSU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Spartans are members of the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State claims a total of six national championships, including two from major wire-service: AP Poll and/or Coaches' Poll. The Spartans have also won eleven conference championships, with two in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and nine in the Big Ten.
Lorenzo Dexter White is an American former football running back.
The 1965 Michigan State Spartans football team represented the Michigan State University in the 1965 Big Ten Conference football season. The Spartans won the Big Ten Championship and competed in the 1966 Rose Bowl, losing to UCLA. Despite the loss, the Spartans shared the national championship with Alabama. Michigan State was selected national champion by UPI/coaches, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, FB News, Helms, Litkenhous, NFF, Poling, Sagarin, and Sagarin (ELO-Chess) and also co-national champion by FW. Both Alabama and Michigan State were Consensus National Champions for the season.
The 1993 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Gary Moeller. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in almost all intercollegiate sports including men's college football. The team featured three All-Americans: Tyrone Wheatley, Buster Stanley, and Ty Law. Stanley, who was the team MVP, served as co-captain with Ricky Powers. The team posted an 8–4 overall record and won the 1994 Hall of Fame Bowl.
The 2010 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Mark Dantonio was in his fourth season with the Spartans. Michigan State played their home games in Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
The Michigan State Spartans baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. The team competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I and are members of the Big Ten Conference.
The 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, the 24th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game held on December 29, 2012 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona as part of the 2012–13 NCAA Bowl season.
The 1956 Michigan State Spartans football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State University in the 1956 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 7–2 overall record and were ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll and No. 10 in the final Coaches Poll.
The 1960 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1960 Big Ten Conference football season. In their seventh season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 6–2–1 overall record, finished in fourth place in the Big Ten Conference, and were ranked No. 15 in the final AP Poll.
The 1980 Michigan State Spartans football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State University in the 1980 Big Ten Conference football season. The Spartans finished in ninth place in the Big Ten Conference, compiled a 3–8 overall record, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 278 to 221. The team's .273 winning percentage was the worst in program history since the winless 1917 season. The team played its home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
The 1981 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second season under head coach Muddy Waters, the Spartans compiled a 5–6 overall record and finished in a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten Conference.
The 1956 Indiana Hoosiers football team was an American football team that represented the Indiana Hoosiers in the 1956 Big Ten Conference football season. The Hoosiers played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. The team was coached by Bernie Crimmins, in his fifth and final year as head coach of the Hoosiers. On November 28, 1956, Crimmins, at age 37, resigned as Indiana's head football coach. He had compiled a 13–32 record and was unable to produce a winning team in five years in the position.
The 1956 Big Ten Conference football season was the 61st season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1956 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1963 Big Ten Conference football season was the 68th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1963 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1975 Big Ten Conference football season was the 80th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1975 NCAA Division I football season.
The 1977 Big Ten Conference football season was the 82nd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1977 NCAA Division I football season.
The 1978 Big Ten Conference football season was the 83rd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season.
Ed Smith is a former American football quarterback.
Events from the year 1978 in Michigan.