Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft. He also played for the New York Giants and the New York Jets, and caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII as the Giants beat the then-undefeated New England Patriots.
The Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy is an American college football rivalry between the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans. The teams first played in 1898 and have met 116 times. The game has now been played uninterrupted, every year since 1945. In 1949 Michigan State was accepted into the Big Ten conference, though it was not until 1953 that the rivalry became a Big Ten conference game, due to protests from the University of Michigan administration. Prior to 1958 all but six matchups were played in Ann Arbor. The winner of each year's game receives the Paul Bunyan – Governor of Michigan Trophy, a four-foot wooden statue of a lumberjack that was first presented in 1953 to commemorate Michigan State's beginning football competition as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
James Joseph Harbaugh is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 2015 to 2023, the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, Stanford University from 2007 to 2010, and the University of San Diego from 2004 to 2006. Harbaugh played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986 and in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons from 1987 to 2000, with his longest tenure (1987–1993) as a player with the Chicago Bears.
Jamar Mondell Israel is an American former professional football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was a two-time All-American selection. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft, and he also played for the San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals.
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 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State named national champions, defeating Virginia Tech in the BCS Sugar Bowl.
John Lawrence Smith is an American college football coach. He was the head football coach at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky, a position he held from 2016 until he was fired by the university in 2018.
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 the major wire-service: AP Poll and/or Coaches' Poll. The Spartans have also won eleven conference championships, with two in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and nine in the Big Ten.
Mark Justin Dantonio is an American football coach and player. His most recent head coaching position was at Michigan State University, a position he had held from 2007 to 2019.
Greg Wayne Randall is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL draft. He played college football at Michigan State.
Hayden Scott Epstein is an American former professional football placekicker and punter who played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1998 to 2001 and played professional football in the National Football League (NFL), NFL Europe, and Canadian Football League (CFL).
The 1999 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bob Davie and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.
The 2000 Citrus Bowl was a college football bowl game following the 1999–2000 football season. The game matched the Michigan State Spartans against the Florida Gators.
The 1999 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth year under head coach Lloyd Carr, the Wolverines compiled a 10–2 record, tied for second place in the Big Ten, defeated Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl, and were ranked No. 5 in the final AP and coaches polls.
The 1966 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. Michigan State lodged a 9–0–1 record, with a season-concluding tie against Notre Dame in the "game of the century", considered among the greatest games in college football history.
The 1999 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. Coached by Gerry DiNardo in his last year at LSU, the Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU fired DiNardo before the final game of the season against conference opponent Arkansas after eight consecutive losses and named Assistant Coach Hal Hunter as interim head coach for the final game. DiNardo was given the opportunity to coach the game vs. Arkansas, but refused.
The 1999 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season was Steve Spurrier's tenth as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The Gators returned to the SEC Championship Game after a two-year hiatus, but did not bring home another SEC Championship trophy. After losing the SEC Championship Game 34–7 to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Gators ended their season with a last-second 37–34 loss to the Michigan State Spartans in the Citrus Bowl. Spurrier's 1999 Florida Gators posted a 9–4 overall record and a 7–1 record in the Southeastern Conference, placing first among the six SEC Eastern Division teams.
The 1955 Michigan State Spartans football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State University in the 1955 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third season playing in Big Ten Conference and their second season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 9–1 record ,and outscored opponents by a total of 253 to 83. The team's sole loss was on the road and early in the season against rival Michigan by a 14–7 score.
The 1957 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1957 Big Ten Conference football season. In their fourth season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled an 8–1 overall record, finished in second place in the Big Ten Conference, and were ranked No. 3 in both the final AP and Coaches polls. Michigan State was named national champion by Dunkel System, an NCAA-designated major selector.
The 2021 Peach Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 2021, with kickoff at 7:00 p.m. EST and televised on ESPN. It was the 54th edition of the Peach Bowl, and was one of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Sponsored by restaurant chain Chick-fil-A, the game was officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
