Post-Game Notes: Illinois
10/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 16, 2010
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• Michigan State improves to 7-0 for the first time since 1966, when the Spartans won their first nine games and finished the year 9-0-1 after tying Notre Dame to end the season...it marks the sixth time in school history MSU has started the season 7-0 (1913, 1951, 1952, 1965, 1966, 2010).
• MSU has now won 11 of the past 12 meetings against Illinois...the Spartans lead the overall series, 25-17-2, including a 13-8-1 record in East Lansing.
• MSU improves to 62-30-3 in 95 Homecoming games, including a 5-4-1 mark against Illinois.
• Kirk Cousins recorded his fifth-straight 200-yard passing game, completing 13-of-24 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown...his 48-yard TD strike to B.J. Cunningham gave MSU its first lead at 13-6 with 8:26 left in the third quarter...he completed throws to seven different receivers...Cousins has recorded at least one TD pass in 14 consecutive games (school record: 16 by Drew Stanton, 2005-06).
• Greg Jones recorded double-figure tackles for the second time this season and for the 20th time his career, posting a season-high 14 stops against the Illini...Jones has led the team in tackles in 27 of the last 33 games.
• Dan Conroy made a career-best four field goals against the Illini, hitting from 37, 34, 32 and 18 yards...Conroy remains perfect on the season, hitting his first 13 field-goal attempts...that's the best start by a placekicker in MSU history, breaking the mark previously held by Paul Edinger who made his first 10 field-goal attempts in 1999...Conroy, who hit his only field-goal attempt of the 2009 season in the opener against Montana State, is 14-for-14 in his career (school record for consecutive field goals: 15 by Brett Swenson in 2008).
• Strong safety Marcus Hyde reached double-figures in tackles for the second time this season, finishing with 10 stops against Illinois...Hyde also recorded his third career interception in the second quarter.
• Defensive end Tyler Hoover posted a career-best nine tackles against Illinois, including his first career sack.
• Nose tackle Kevin Pickelman produced a career-high eight tackles against the Illini.
• For the second straight week, the Spartan secondary recorded three interceptions...in addition, strong safety Marcus Hyde and cornerback Johnny Adams came up with interceptions for the second-straight game...after intercepting six passes all of last season, Michigan State's defense has picked off 12 passes in the first seven games of 2010.
• With four takeaways against Illinois, Michigan State's defense has forced 18 turnovers in 2010...the Spartans totaled only 14 takeaways during the entire 2009 season.
• MSU was limited to season lows in total yards (294) and rushing yards (93)...MSU was also held to under 30 points for the first time this season.
• The Spartans were 5-for-5 in red zone scoring chances and are 24-for-27 this season scoring in the red zone.
• MSU didn't allow a touchdown for the first time since the 2009 season opener against Montana State (MSU won 44-3).
