2023 Michigan State Spartans football team

2023 Michigan State Spartans football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	East Division
Record	4–8 (2–7 Big Ten)
Head coach	Mel Tucker (4th season; first 2 games) Harlon Barnett (interim)
Offensive coordinator	Jay Johnson (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Scottie Hazelton (4th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Spartan Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ←  2022 2024  →

2023 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 1 Michigan xy$#^		9	–	0					15	–	0
No. 10 Ohio State		8	–	1					11	–	2
No. 13 Penn State		7	–	2					10	–	3
Maryland		4	–	5					8	–	5
Rutgers		3	–	6					7	–	6
Michigan State		2	–	7					4	–	8
Indiana		1	–	8					3	–	9
West Division
No. 24 Iowa xy		7	–	2					10	–	4
Northwestern		5	–	4					8	–	5
Wisconsin		5	–	4					7	–	6
Minnesota		3	–	6					6	–	7
Illinois		3	–	6					5	–	7
Nebraska		3	–	6					5	–	7
Purdue		3	–	6					4	–	8
Championship: Michigan 26, Iowa 0
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2023 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The Michigan State Spartans football team drew an average home attendance of 70,211 in 2023. ^[1]

The Spartans were led by Mel Tucker through the first two games of the season; Tucker was suspended without pay on September 10 and was fired for cause on September 27 following disclosures relating to alleged sexual harassment. ^[2] Defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett was appointed interim head coach, and former head coach Mark Dantonio agreed to return as the team's associate head coach. ^[3]

The Spartans finished the season 4–8, 2–7 in Big Ten play to finish in sixth place in the East division. They failed to qualify for a bowl game for the third time in four years.

On November 26, the school named Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith the team's new head coach. ^[4]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	7:00 p.m.	Central Michigan *	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	FS1	W 31–7	73,216
September 9	3:30 p.m.	Richmond *	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	BTN	W 45–14	70,049
September 16	5:00 p.m.	No. 8 Washington *	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	Peacock	L 7–41	70,528
September 23	3:30 p.m.	Maryland	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	NBC	L 9–31	70,131
September 30	7:30 p.m.	at Iowa	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	NBC	L 16–26	69,250
October 14	12:00 p.m.	at Rutgers	SHI Stadium Piscataway, NJ	BTN	L 24–27	52,879
October 21	7:30 p.m.	No. 2 Michigan	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI (Paul Bunyan Trophy)	NBC	L 0–49	74,206
October 28	3:30 p.m.	at Minnesota	Huntington Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN	BTN	L 12–27	47,392
November 4	12:00 p.m.	Nebraska	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	FS1	W 20–17	63,134
November 11	7:30 p.m.	at No. 1 Ohio State	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	NBC	L 3–38	105,137
November 18	12:00 p.m.	at Indiana	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN (Old Brass Spittoon)	BTN	W 24–21	40,666
November 24	7:30 p.m.	vs. No. 11 Penn State	Ford Field Detroit, MI (Land Grant Trophy)	NBC	L 0–42	51,927
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after October 31) All times are in Eastern time Source: [5]

Game summaries

vs Central Michigan

See also: 2023 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MSU -14.5	45.5

Central Michigan Chippewas (0–0) at Michigan State Spartans (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	0	7	0	0	7
Spartans	0	10	7	14	31

at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan

• Date: September  1st
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST/4:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), Wind: 4 mph S, Sunny
• Game attendance: 73,216
• Referee: Gregory Blum
• TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Spencer Tillman (analyst)
• Sources ^[6]

Game information

Second quarter (06:55) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 47-yard field goal MSU 3–0; 5 plays, 16 yards, 1:22 (01:51) CMU TD: Chris Parker 12-yard pass from Bert Emanuel Jr. (Tristan Mattson kick) CMU 7–3; 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:20 (00:48) MSU TD: Nathan Carter 2-yard run (Jonathan Kim kick ) MSU 10–7; 7 plays, 84 yards, 0:57 Third quarter (02:41) MSU TD: Jalen Berger 12-yard run (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 17–7 MSU; 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:50 Fourth quarter (13:26) MSU TD: Tyrell Henry 10-yard pass from Noah Kim (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 24–7; 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:24 (09:05) MSU TD: Maliq Carr 8-yard pass from Noah Kim (Stephen Rusnak kick) MSU 31–7; 5 plays, 55 yards, 2:22

Statistics	Central Michigan	Michigan State
First downs	19	20
Plays–yards	67–219	64–406
Rushes–yards	41–123	25–127
Passing yards	96	279
Passing: comp–att–int	12–24–1	18–32–0
Time of possession	34:26	25:34

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Michigan	Passing	Bert Emanuel Jr.	11/17, 87 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Bert Emanuel Jr.	17 carries, 41 yards
	Receiving	Mitchel Collier	3 receptions, 30 yards
Michigan State	Passing	Noah Kim	18/31, 279 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	18 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jaron Glover	3 receptions, 75 yards

vs Richmond

See also: 2023 Richmond Spiders football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MSU -29.5	44.5

Richmond Spiders (FCS) (0–1) at Michigan State Spartans (1–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Spiders (FCS)	0	0	0	14	14
Spartans	7	10	21	7	45

at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan

• Date: September  9th
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST/12:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), Wind: 3 mph NE, Cloudy
• Game attendance: 70,049
• Referee: Tim O'Dey
• TV announcers (BTN): Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), and Dannie Rogers (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (7:26) MSU TD: Tre Mosley 11-yard pass from Noah Kim (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 7–0; 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:31 Second quarter (13:44) MSU TD: Tyneil Hopper 13-yard pass from Noah Kim (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 14–0; 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:41 (05:17) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 52-yard field goal MSU 17–0; 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:03 Third quarter (12:28) MSU TD: Nathan Carter 2-yard run (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 24–0; 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:26 (8:25) MSU TD: Nathan Carter 44-yard run (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 31–0; 4 plays, 63 yards, 2:31 (8:25) MSU TD: Nathan Carter 6-yard run (Stephen Rusnak kick) MSU 38–0; 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:57 Fourth quarter (14:36) UR TD: Aaron Banks 47-yard fumble return (Jayden Alsheskie kick) MSU 38–7 (11:33) MSU TD: Antonio Gates Jr. 45-yard pass from Noah Kim (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 45–7; 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:55 (5:16) UR TD: Sean Clarke 5-yard pass from Jackson Hardy (Jayden Alsheskie kick) MSU 45–14; 4 plays, 25 yards, 2:06

Statistics	Richmond (FCS)	Michigan State
First downs	11	21
Plays–yards	54–193	61–465
Rushes–yards	29–75	38–162
Passing yards	118	303
Passing: comp–att–int	18–25–0	19–23–0
Time of possession	29:49	30:11

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Richmond (FCS)	Passing	Kyle Wickersham	16/22, 102 yards
	Rushing	Owen Laughlin	1 carries, 20 yards
	Receiving	Jerry Garcia JR.	4 receptions, 34 yards
Michigan State	Passing	Noah Kim	18/22, 292 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	19 carries, 111 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Tre Mosley	5 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD

vs No. 8 Washington

See also: 2023 Washington Huskies football team

Pregame line	Over/under
UW -16	57.5

No. 8 Washington Huskies (2–0) at Michigan State Spartans (2–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Huskies	14	21	6	0	41
Spartans	0	0	0	7	7

at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan

• Date: September  16th
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. EST/2:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) Wind: 3 mph SW, Sunny
• Game attendance: 70,528
• Referee: Matthew Richards
• TV announcers (Peacock): Brendan Burke (play-by-play), Chris Simms (analyst), and Caroline Pineda (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (09:51) UW TD: Germie Bernard 1-yard run (Grady Gross kick) UW 7–0; 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:12 (01:14) UW TD: Jack Westover 5-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Grady Gross kick) UW 14–0; 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:07 Second quarter (10:44) UW TD: Ja'Lynn Polk 30-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Grady Gross kick) UW 21–0; 3 plays, 95 yards, 1:39 (06:49) UW TD: Jack Westover 13-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Grady Gross kick) UW 28–0; 4 plays, 48 yards, 1:41 (00:06) UW TD: Jack Westover 7-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Grady Gross kick) UW 35–0; 5 plays, 66 yards, 00:35 Third quarter (10:43) UW FG: Grady Gross 22-yard field goal UW 38–0; 8 plays, 66 yards, 4:10 (03:45) UW FG: Grady Gross 29-yard field goal UW 41–0; 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:48 Fourth quarter (05:48) MSU TD: Katin Houser 4-yard run (Jonathan Kim kick) UW 41–7; 11 plays, 99 yards, 5:25

Statistics	Washington	Michigan State
First downs	26	15
Plays–yards	72–713	62–261
Rushes–yards	33–177	27–53
Passing yards	536	208
Passing: comp–att–int	29–39–1	14–35–1
Time of possession	35:32	24:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Washington	Passing	Michael Penix Jr.	27/35, 473 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Tybo Rogers	15 carries, 74 yards
	Receiving	Rome Odunze	8 receptions, 180 yards
Michigan State	Passing	Noah Kim	12/31, 136 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	17 carries, 48 yards
	Receiving	Christian Fitzpatrick	1 reception, 61 yards

vs Maryland

See also: 2023 Maryland Terrapins football team

Pregame line	Over/under
UMD -7.5	52.5

Maryland Terrapins (3–0) at Michigan State Spartans (2–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Terrapins	7	14	0	10	31
Spartans	0	3	6	0	9

at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan

• Date: September  23rd
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST/12:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C) Wind: 10 mph W, Sunny
• Game attendance: 70,131
• Referee: Ron Snodgrass
• TV announcers (NBC): Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst), and Zora Stephenson (analyst)

Game information

First quarter (07:52) UMD TD: Sean Greeley 1-yard pass from Taulia Tagovailoa (Jack Howes kick) UMD 7–0; 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:24 Second quarter (11:28) UMD TD: Tyrese Chambers 12-yard pass from Taulia Tagovailoa (Jack Howes kick) UMD 14–0; 11 plays, 95 yards, 3:40 (09:51) UMD TD: Taulia Tagovailoa 1-yard run (Jack Howes kick) UMD 21–0; 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:48 (03:39) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 37-yard field goal UMD 21–3; 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:00 Third quarter (03:44) MSU TD: Tyrell Henry 9-yard pass from Noah Kim, two-point conversion failed UMD 21–9; 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:46 Fourth quarter (03:18) UMD FG: Jack Howes 48-yard field goal UMD 24–9; 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:33 (3:18) UMD TD: Octavian Smith Jr. 31-yard pass from Taulia Tagovailoa (Jack Howes kick) UMD 31–9; 7 plays, 81 yards, 2:30

Statistics	Maryland	Michigan State
First downs	19	25
Plays–yards	67–362	76–376
Rushes–yards	31–139	31–102
Passing yards	223	274
Passing: comp–att–int	21–36–1	26–45–3
Time of possession	28:30	31:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Maryland	Passing	Taulia Tagovailoa	21/36, 223 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Colby McDonald	5 carries, 38 yards
	Receiving	Tai Felton	3 receptions, 67 yards
Michigan State	Passing	Noah Kim	18/32, 190 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	19 carries, 97 yards
	Receiving	Montorie Foster Jr.	6 receptions, 67 yards

at Iowa

See also: 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

Pregame line	Over/under
UI -11.5	36.5

Michigan State Spartans (2–2) at Iowa Hawkeyes (3–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Spartans	3	6	7	0	16
Hawkeyes	3	7	3	13	26

at Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa

• Date: September  30th
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), Wind: 10 mph SE, Sunny
• Game attendance: 69,250
• Referee: Mark Kluczynski
• TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (11:25) UI FG: Drew Stevens 40-yard field goal UI 3–0; 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:35 (03:48) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 31-yard field goal Tied 3–3; 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:22 Second quarter (11:04) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 32-yard field goal MSU 6–3; 14 plays, 61 yards, 6:09 (03:48) UI TD: Erick All 13-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick) UI 10–6; 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:16 (00:00) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 58-yard field goal UI 10–9; 6 plays, 35 yards, 0:35 Third quarter (13:08) MSU TD: Cal Haladay 42-yard fumble recovery MSU 16–10 (07:38) UI FG: Drew Stevens 53-yard field goal MSU 16–13; 4 plays, -5 yards, 2:02 Fourth quarter (05:19) UI FG: Drew Stevens 36-yard field goal Tied 16–16; 7 plays, 20 yards, 2:28 (03:45) UI TD: Cooper DeJean 70-yard punt return (Drew Stevens kick) UI 23–16 (00:59) UI FG: Drew Stevens 34-yard field goal UI 26–16; 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:30

Statistics	Michigan State	Iowa
First downs	20	14
Plays–yards	76–349	59–222
Rushes–yards	32–156	27–61
Passing yards	193	161
Passing: comp–att–int	25–44–3	14–32–1
Time of possession	33:40	26:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan State	Passing	Noah Kim	25/44, 193 yards, 3 INT
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	20 carries, 108 yards
	Receiving	Montorie Foster Jr.	8 receptions, 79 yards
Iowa	Passing	Deacon Hill	11/27, 115 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Leshon Williams	12 carries, 38 yards
	Receiving	Erick All	4 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD

at Rutgers

See also: 2023 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

Pregame line	Over/under
RU -4.5	39.5

Michigan State Spartans (2–3) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Spartans	7	10	7	0	24
Scarlet Knights	3	3	0	21	27

at SHI Stadium • Piscataway, New Jersey

• Date: October  14th
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST/9:00 a.m. PST
• Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), Wind: 4 mph NE, Sunny
• Game attendance: 52,879
• Referee: Larry Smith
• TV announcers (BTN): Cory Provus (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst)

Game information

First quarter (07:32) MSU TD: Montorie Foster Jr. 13-yard pass from Katin Houser (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 7–0; 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:28 (02:52) RU FG: Jai Patel 22-yard field goal MSU 7–3; 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:40 Second quarter (13:21) RU FG: Jai Patel 47-yard field goal MSU 7–6; 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:15 (01:46) MSU TD: Katin Houser 12-yard run (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 14–6; 1 plays, 12 yards, 0:04 (00:02) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 37-yard field goal MSU 17–6; 10 plays, 44 yards, 1:31 Third quarter (03:41) MSU TD: Tre Mosley 4-yard pass from Katin Houser (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 24–6; 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:28 Fourth quarter (13:09) RU TD: Aaron Young 0-yard bumble recovery (Jai Patel kick) MSU 24–13 (08:30) RU TD: Isaiah Washington 4-yard pass from Gavin Wimsatt two-point conversion pass Christian Dremel from Gavin Wimsatt MSU 24–21; 12 plays, 73 yards, 3:45 08:41) RU TD: Kyle Monangai 21-yard run two-point conversion failed RU 27–24; 1 plays, 21 yards, 0:07

Statistics	Michigan State	Rutgers
First downs	22	20
Plays–yards	68–247	65–306
Rushes–yards	40–113	37–125
Passing yards	134	181
Passing: comp–att–int	18–29–0	13–28–2
Time of possession	29:16	45:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan State	Passing	Katin Houser	18/29, 133 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	20 carries, 52 yards
	Receiving	Montorie Foster Jr.	5 receptions, 48 yards, 1 TD
Rutgers	Passing	Gavin Wimsatt	13/28, 181 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Kyle Monangai	24 carries, 148 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Christian Dremel	6 receptions, 80 yards

vs No. 2 Michigan

See also: 2023 Michigan Wolverines football team

Pregame line	Over/under
UM -24.5	48

No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (7–0) at Michigan State Spartans (2–4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Wolverines	14	14	14	7	49
Spartans	0	0	0	0	0

at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan

• Date: October  21st
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), Wind: 3 mph NW, Cloudy
• Game attendance: 74,206
• Referee: Ron Snodgrass
• TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (08:50) UM TD: Blake Corum 1-yard run (James Turner kick) UM 7–0; 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:05 (01:55) UM TD: Roman Wilson 25-yard pass from J. J. McCarthy (James Turner kick) UM 14–0; 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:52 Second quarter (10:44) UM TD: Colston Loveland 22-yard pass from J. J. McCarthy (James Turner kick) UM 21–0; 11 plays, 66 yards, 5:10 (02:54) UM TD: Colston Loveland 22-yard pass from J. J. McCarthy (James Turner kick) UM 28–0; 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:59 Third quarter (09:49) UM TD: Mike Sainristil 72-yard interception (James Turner kick) UM 35–0 (06:44) UM TD: Aj Barner 11-yard pass from J. J. McCarthy (James Turner kick) UM 42–0; 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:06 Fourth quarter (00:08) UM TD: Alex Orji 6-yard run (James Turner kick) UM 49–0; 5 plays, 33 yards, 3:02

Statistics	Michigan	Michigan State
First downs	28	10
Plays–yards	69–477	58–190
Rushes–yards	34-120	29-49
Passing yards	357	133
Passing: comp–att–int	28-35-0	16-29-2
Time of possession	32:52	20:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan	Passing	J. J. McCarthy	21/27, 287 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Blake Corum	15 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	A. J. Barner	8 receptions, 99 yards, 1 TD
Michigan State	Passing	Katin Houser	12/22, 101 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	17 carries, 36 yards
	Receiving	Maliq Carr	2 receptions, 32 yards

at Minnesota

See also: 2023 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

Pregame line	Over/under
UMN -7	40.5

Michigan State Spartans (2–5) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (4–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Spartans	6	0	0	6	12
Golden Gophers	0	10	0	17	27

at Huntington Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: October  28th
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST/12:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), Wind: 8 mph W, Cloudy
• Game attendance: 47,392
• Referee: Chris Coyte
• TV announcers (BTN): Cory Provus (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), and Brooke Fletcher (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (13:19) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 38-yard field goal MSU 3–0; 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:22 (09:49) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 42-yard field goal MSU 6–0; 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:50 Second quarter (04:54) UMN FG: Dragan Kesich 22-yard field goal MSU 6–3; 8 plays, 94 yards, 2:55 (00:19) UMN TD: Daniel Jackson 22-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis (Dragan Kesich kick) UMN 10–6; 8 plays, 94 yards, 2:55 Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter (12:07) UMN TD: Jordan Nubin 18-yard run (Dragan Kesich kick) UMN 17–6; 9 plays, 87 yards, 5:25 (8:37) MSU TD: Tyell Henry 9-yard pass from Sam Leavitt two-point conversion failed UMN 17–12; 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:30 (04:11) UMN TD: Jordan Nubin 2-yard run (Dragan Kesich kick) UMN 24–12; 7 plays, 46 yards, 4:25 (03:25) UMN FG: Dragan Kesich 31-yard field goal UMN 27–12; 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:30

Statistics	Michigan State	Minnesota
First downs	15	23
Plays–yards	55–299	72–400
Rushes–yards	21–109	50–200
Passing yards	190	200
Passing: comp–att–int	20–34–1	14–22–1
Time of possession	23:45	36:15

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan State	Passing	Katin Houser	12/22, 117 yards
	Rushing	Sam Leavitt	6 carries, 52 yards
	Receiving	Montorie Foster Jr.	4 receptions, 55 yards
Minnesota	Passing	Athan Kaliakmanis	14/22, 200 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jordan Nubin	40 carries, 204 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Daniel Jackson	7 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

vs Nebraska

See also: 2023 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Pregame line	Over/under
NEB -3	34.5

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5–3) at Michigan State Spartans (2–6) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cornhuskers	0	10	0	7	17
Spartans	3	7	3	7	20

at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan

• Date: November  4th
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST/9:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), Wind: 2 mph W, Sunny
• Referee: Jerry McGinn
• TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Spencer Tillman (analyst)

Game information

First quarter (11:51) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 35-yard field goal MSU 3–0; 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:04 Second quarter (12:40) NEB TD: Heinrich Haarberg 5-yard run (Tristan Alvano kick) NEB 7–3; 10 plays, 59 yards, 4:31 (09:14) MSU TD: Christian Fitzpatrick 11-yard pass from Katin Houser (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 10–7; 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:26 (00:06) NEB FG: Tristan Alvano 24-yard field goal Tied 10–10; 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:56 Third quarter (05:11) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 50-yard field goal MSU 13–10; 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:24 Fourth quarter (12:13) MSU TD: Montorie Foster Jr. 25-yard pass from Sam Leavitt (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 20–10; 4 plays, 38 yards, 1:15 (03:35) NEB TD: Emmett Johnson 4-yard run (Tristan Alvano kick) MSU 20–17; 4 plays, 65 yards, 0:56

Statistics	Nebraska	Michigan State
First downs	18	11
Plays–yards	69–283	55–295
Rushes–yards	41–154	31–63
Passing yards	129	232
Passing: comp–att–int	12–28–2	15–23–0
Time of possession	31:31	28:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nebraska	Passing	Heinrich Haarberg	12/28, 129 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Emmett Johnson	13 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Thomas Fidone II	3 receptions, 43 yards
Michigan State	Passing	Katin Houser	13/20, 165 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	15 carries, 50 yards
	Receiving	Montorie Foster Jr.	4 receptions, 94 yards, 1 TD

at No. 1 Ohio State

See also: 2023 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

Pregame line	Over/under
OSU -32.5	48

Michigan State Spartans (3–6) at No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (9–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Spartans	0	3	0	0	3
No. 1 Buckeyes	14	21	3	0	38

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

• Date: November  11th
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), Wind: 7 mph N, Cloudy
• Game attendance: 105,137
• Referee: Mark Kluczynski
• TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (11:20) OSU TD: Marvin Harrison Jr. 19-yard run (Jayden Fielding kick) OSU 7–0; 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:40 (6:56) OSU TD: Marvin Harrison Jr. 26-yard pass from Kyle McCord (Jayden Fielding kick) OSU 14–0; 4 plays, 61 yards, 1:30 Second quarter (14:58) OSU TD: Marvin Harrison Jr. 9-yard pass from Kyle McCord (Jayden Fielding kick) OSU 21–0; 13 plays, 84 yards, 5:37 (5:38) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 53-yard field goal OSU 21–3; 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:32 (3:30) OSU TD: TreVeyon Henderson 9-yard run (Jayden Fielding kick) OSU 28–3; 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:08 (0:15) OSU TD: Cade Stover 18-yard pass from Kyle McCord (Jayden Fielding kick) OSU 35-3; 8 plays, 74 yards, 1:26 Third quarter (11:56) OSU FG: Jayden Fielding 36-yard field goal OSU 38–3; 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:34

Statistics	Michigan State	Ohio State
First downs	11	25
Plays–yards	54–182	66–530
Rushes–yards	29–94	32–177
Passing yards	88	353
Passing: comp–att–int	13–25–0	26–34–0
Time of possession	28:48	31:12

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan State	Passing	Katin Houser	12/24, 92 yards
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	11 carries, 52 yards
	Receiving	Christian Fitzpatrick	2 receptions, 23 yards
Ohio State	Passing	Kyle McCord	24/31, 335 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	TreVeyon Henderson	13 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Marvin Harrison Jr.	7 receptions, 149 yards, 2 TD

at Indiana

See also: 2023 Indiana Hoosiers football team

Pregame line	Over/under
IND -3.5	47

Michigan State Spartans (3–7) at Indiana Hoosiers (3–7) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Spartans	7	7	0	10	24
Hoosiers	0	7	7	7	21

at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana

• Date: November  18th
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST/9:00 a.m. PST
• Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), Wind: 2 mph NE, Sunny
• Game attendance: 40,666
• Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
• TV announcers (BTN): Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), Meghan McKeown (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (11:09) MSU TD: Maliq Carr 17-yard pass from Katin Houser (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 7–0; 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:44 Second quarter (09:29) IND TD: Trent Howland 4-yard run (Chris Freeman kick) Tied 7–7; 11 plays, 88 yards, 4:16 (01:10) MSU TD: Montorie Foster Jr. 29-yard pass from Katin Houser (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 14–7; 8 plays, 78 yards, 1:13 Third quarter (10:54) IND TD: James Bomba 3-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Chris Freeman kick) Tied 14–14; 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:06 Fourth quarter (09:26) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 36-yard field goal MSU 17–14; 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:09 (04:06) IND TD: Trey Walker 8-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Chris Freeman kick) IND 21–17; 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:20 (01:19) MSU TD: Maliq Carr 36-yard pass from Katin Houser (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 24–21; 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:47

Statistics	Michigan State	Indiana
First downs	21	23
Plays–yards	72–351	79–412
Rushes–yards	31–60	45–220
Passing yards	291	192
Passing: comp–att–int	26–41–2	19–34–0
Time of possession	30:20	29:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan State	Passing	Katin Houser	26/41, 245 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	11 carries, 42 yards
	Receiving	Maliq Carr	9 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD
Indiana	Passing	Brendan Sorsby	19/34, 192 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Trent Howland	19 carries, 77 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Donaven Mcculley	3 receptions, 72 yards

vs No. 11 Penn State

See also: 2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Pregame line	Over/under
PSU -20	42.5

No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions (9–2) at Michigan State Spartans (4–7) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11 Nittany Lions	3	10	15	14	42
Spartans	0	0	0	0	0

at Ford Field • Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November  24th
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: n/a (game played indoors)
• Game attendance: 51,927
• Referee: Chris Coyte
• TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (09:50) PSU FG: Alex Felkins 49-yard field goal PSU 3–0; 10 plays, 43 yards, 5:10 Second quarter (12:11) PSU FG: Alex Felkins 30-yard field goal PSU 6–0; 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:24 (04:51) PSU TD: Kaytron Allen 2-yard pass from Drew Allar (Alex Felkins kick) PSU 13–0; 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:25 Third quarter (10:13) PSU TD: Tyler Warren 8-yard pass from Beau Pribula two-point conversion pass KeAndre Lambert-Smith from Drew Allar PSU 21–0; 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:06 (04:13) PSU TD: Beau Pribula 2-yard run (Alex Felkins kick) PSU 28–0; 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:01 Fourth quarter (12:29) PSU TD: Theo Johnson 8-yard pass from Drew Allar (Alex Felkins kick) PSU 35–0; 3 plays, 28 yards, 1:43 (07:58) PSU TD: Nicholas Singleton 14-yard run (Sander Sahaydak kick) PSU 42–0; 4 plays, 58 yards, 2:11

Statistics	Penn State	Michigan State
First downs	23	5
Plays–yards	67–586	48–53
Rushes–yards	39–283	27– -35
Passing yards	303	88
Passing: comp–att–int	19–28–0	12–21–1
Time of possession	36:01	23:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	17/26, 292 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	15 carries, 137 yards
	Receiving	Nicholas Singleton	2 receptions, 68 yards
Michigan State	Passing	Katin Houser	11/19, 87 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	8 carries, 39 yards
	Receiving	Montorie Foster Jr.	2 receptions, 35 yards

Rankings

Further information: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	—	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
CFP	Not released									—	—					Not released

Personnel

Roster

2023 Michigan State Spartans football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 0 Alante Brown Sr RB 1 Jaren Mangham  Sr WR 2 Tyrell Henry So RB 3 Jaelon Barbarin Fr QB 4 Sam Leavitt Fr RB 5 Nathan Carter  So TE 6 Maliq Carr  Jr WR 7 Antonio Gates  Fr RB 8 Jalen Berger  Jr WR 9 Jaelen Smith Fr QB 10 Noah Kim  Jr WR 11 Aziah Johnson Fr QB 12 Katin Houser  Fr WR 13 Sebastian Brown  Jr WR 15 Jaron Glover  Fr WR 16 Christian Fitzpatrick  Jr WR 17 Tre Mosley  Sr QB 18 Andrew Schorfhaar  Jr TE 19 Jaylan Franklin WR 20 Aubrey Dawkins  Jr RB 22 Jordon Simmons Sr TE 23 Tyneil Hopper RB 24 Davion Primm  So RB 25 Joseph Martinez  Jr WR 31 Jack Yanachik Fr TE 47 Jackson Morse  Sr OL 53 Brandon Baldwin  Jr OL 54 Keyshawn Blackstock Jr OL 55 Cooper Terpstra Fr OL 56 Cole Dellinger Fr OL 57 Evan Brunning  Sr OL 58 Spencer Brown  Sr C 59 Nick Samac  Sr OL 64 Braden Miller  Fr OL 65 Stanton Ramil Fr OL 66 Ashton Lepo  Fr OL 67 J.D. Duplain  Sr OL 68 Gavin Broscious  Fr OL 69 Jacob Merritt  Fr OL 70 Kevin Wigenton II  So OL 71 Kristian Phillips  Fr OL 72 Dallas Fincher  Jr OL 74 Geno VanDeMark  So OL 75 Ben Nelson  Fr OT 76 Andy Hartman  Fr OL 77 Ethan Boyd  So WR 80 Zach Gillespie  Jr TE 81 Michael Masunas  Fr TE 82 Brennan Parachek Fr WR 83 Montorie Foster Jr. Sr WR 85 Grant Calcagno Fr WR 86 Nick Hunter  Sr TE 87 Jack Nickel  Fr TE 88 Ademola Faleye Jr TE 92 Evan Morris  Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 0 Charles Brantley Jr DB 1 Jaden Mangham So DL 2 Khris Bogle  Sr DB 3 Caleb Coley  Fr LB 4 Jacoby Windmon  Sr LB 5 Jordan Hall Fr DB 6 Semar Melvin  Sr LB 7 Aaron Brule DL 8 Simeon Barrow  Jr DL 9 Zion Young (S) So LB 10 Ma'a Gaotetote Jr LB 11 Quavian Carter  Fr DB 12 Chester Kimbrough  Sr DL 13 Jarrett Jackson DB 14 Sean Brown Fr DB 15 Angelo Grose (S) Sr DB 16 Harold Joiner III DB 17 Eddie Pleasant III Fr DB 18 Shawn Smith  Fr DB 19 Armorion Smith  So DB 20 Ade Willie So DB 21 Dillon Tatum So DL 22 Bai Jobe Fr LB 23 Darius Snow   Jr DB 24 Malcolm Jones (S)  Fr DB 25 Chance Rucker Fr DL 26 Brandon Wright  Sr LB 27 Cal Haladay  Jr DB 28 Philipp Davis Fr DB 29 Marquis Lowery  Jr DB 30 Justin White (S)  Sr DL 32 James Schott  Fr LB 33 Aaron Alexander  Fr DB 34 Khalil Majeed  So LB 35 Sam Edwards  Jr DB 36 Brandon Lewis Fr DB 37 Khary Crump (S)  Jr DB 38 Terry Roberts DB 39 Caleb Gash Fr DL 41 Derrick Harmon  So LB 42 David Millikin  Fr DB 43 Malik Spencer So DL 44 Ken Talley  Fr DL 45 Dre Butler  Sr DL 47 Jaxson Wilson Fr DL 50 Andrew Depaepe Fr DL 52 Tunmise Adeleye  So DL 55 Jalen Thompson Fr LB 56 Jay Coyne  Fr DL 91 Alex VanSumeren  Fr LB 92 James Burbar Jr DL 97 Maverick Hansen  Sr DL 98 Avery Dunn  Jr DL 99 Jalen Sami	Special teams Pos. # Name Class LS 31 Hank Pepper Jr K 39 Yousef Obeid Fr K 40 Tarik Ahmetbasic Fr LS 41 Drew Wilson Jr P 42 Michael O'Shaughnessy  Sr P 96 Ryan Eckley  Fr K 97 Jonathan Kim  Sr K 98 Stephen Rusnak  So	Head coach Harlon Barnett (interim) Coordinators/assistant coaches Mark Dantonio (associate head coach) Chris Kapilovic (assistant head coach/offensive line/run game coordinator) Scottie Hazelton (defensive coordinator/linebackers) Jay Johnson (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) Harlon Barnett (Secondary) Ross Els (special teams coordinator) Ted Gilmore (tight ends) Courtney Hawkins (wide receivers) Effrem Reed (running backs) Diron Reynolds (defensive line) Jim Salgado (cornerbacks) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: August 7, 2023

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Season
Mel Tucker	Head coach – removed after 2 games	4th
Chris Kapilovic	Assistant head coach/offensive line/run game coordinator	4th
Jay Johnson	Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks	4th
Scottie Hazelton	Defensive coordinator	4th
Ted Gilmore	Tight ends	4th
Courtney Hawkins	Wide receivers	4th
Harlon Barnett	Secondary/interim head coach week 2 through end of season	15th
Ross Els	Special Teams/linebackers	4th
Effrem Reed	Running backs	2nd
Diron Reynolds	Defensive line	1st
Jim Salgado	Cornerbacks	1st

Coaching changes

On January 4, defensive line coach Marco Coleman left MSU to join his alma mater, Georgia Tech, as their defensive line coach. ^[7] On January 25, the school named Stanford defensive line coach Diron Reynolds the team's new defensive line coach. ^[8] On March 4, pass rush specialist coach Brandon Jordan left to take a job with the Seattle Seahawks. ^[9] On March 16, the school named former Buffalo Bills safeties coach Jim Salgado as the new cornerbacks coach. ^[10]

Transfers

Outgoing

On April 30, the final day to declare for the transfer portal, two-year starting quarterback Payton Thorne announced he was entering the portal. ^[11] Wide receiver Keon Coleman also announced he would transfer. ^[12]

Name	Pos.	New School
Payton Thorne	QB	Auburn
Keon Coleman	WR	Florida State
Jack Stone	K	Baylor
Michael Fletcher	DE	Appalachian State
Jalen Hunt	DT	Houston
Dashaun Mallory	DT	Arizona State
Chase Carter	DE	Incarnate Word
Kobe Myers	LB
Elijah Collins	RB	Oklahoma State
Carson Casteel	LB	Vanderbilt
Jeff Pietrowski	DE	Wisconsin
Tate Hallock	DB	Western Michigan
Germie Bernard	WR	Washington
Terry Lockett	WR	Eastern Michigan
Cade McDonald	WR	Miami (OH)
Hamp Fay	TE/QB	Oklahoma
AJ Kirk	DB	Jones College (MS)
Itayvion 'Tank' Brown	DE

Source ^[13]

Incoming

Name	Pos.	Former School
Ademola Faleye	TE	Norfolk State
Jaylan Franklin	TE	Wisconsin
Semar Melvin	CB	Wisconsin
Jonathan Kim	K	North Carolina
Nathan Carter	RB	UConn
Jarrett Jackson	DL	Florida State
Aaron Alexander	LB	UMass
Jaren Mangham	RB	South Florida
Dre Butler	DE	Liberty
Tunmise Adeleye	DL	Texas A&M
Tyneil Hopper	TE	Boise State
Mason Arnold	LS	Ohio State
Michael O'Shaughnessy	P	Ohio State
Armorion Smith	S	Cincinnati
Jalen Sami	DT	Colorado
Alante Brown	WR	Nebraska
Terry Roberts	CB	Iowa

Source ^[13]

2023 NFL draft

Following the conclusion of the season, several players declared for the NFL draft. Three players were selected in the draft. ^[14]

Round	Pick	Team	Player	Position
2	50	Green Bay Packers	Jayden Reed	WR
6	192	New England Patriots	Bryce Baringer	P
6	214	New England Patriots	Ameer Speed	CB

Several other undrafted players signed free agent contracts with NFL teams: ^[14]

• Jarrett Horst, offensive lineman, Miami Dolphins
• Jacob Slade, defensive lineman, Arizona Cardinals
• Kendell Brooks, safety, Arizona Cardinals
• Xavier Henderson, safety, Washington Commanders
• Ben VanSumeren, linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles

References

1. "2023 FBS Attendance Trends". D1.ticker. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
2. Bromberg, Nick (September 10, 2023). "Michigan State coach Mel Tucker suspended without pay after sexual harassment allegations". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
3. "After Mel Tucker ban, Mark Dantonio 'excited to be back' with Michigan State football". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
4. "Michigan State hires Jonathan Smith: Oregon State coach leaves alma mater to take over Spartans job". CBSSports.com. November 25, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
5. "2023 Michigan State Football Schedule".
6. "Football vs Central Michigan on 9/1/2023 - Box Score". Michigan State University Athletics. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
7. Caudell, Jackson. "Report: Georgia Tech Hires Marco Coleman As New Defensive Line Coach". Sports Illustrated Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets News, Analysis and More. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
8. "Michigan State football: Diron Reynolds hired as defensive line coach". SpartanTailgate. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
9. "Brandon Jordan formally announces move from Michigan State to Seattle Seahawks". SpartanTailgate. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
10. "Michigan State football hires longtime assistant coach Jim Salgado to handle cornerbacks". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
11. "Spartans QB Thorne, WR Coleman enter portal". ESPN.com. April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
12. "Michigan State WR Keon Coleman posts statement on entering transfer portal". SpartanTailgate. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
13. "Michigan State football: 2023 transfer tracker". Spartans Wire. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
14. BrandonBD (April 30, 2023). "Michigan State Football Puts Three into the NFL via the Draft, Many More Signed". The Only Colors. Retrieved May 1, 2023.