Post-Game Notes: Wisconsin

Oct. 2, 2010

• With his 269 passing yards against Wisconsin, Kirk Cousins became just the 10th quarterback in MSU history to eclipse the 4,000-yard career milestone...Cousins passed John Leister (3,999 yards) to move into 10th place on MSU's all-time list with 4,122 career passing yards...with three scoring passes, he also became just the seventh QB in Spartan history to record 30 or more career TD passes.

• Mark Dell recorded season highs in receptions (6) and receiving yards (91)...his six catches match his total against Western Michigan in the 2010 season opener.

• With eight tackles against Wisconsin, Greg Jones passed Josh Thornhill (395) and moved into fourth place on MSU's all-time list with 400 career tackles...with a season high three tackles for loss, Jones passed Travis Davis (39) and moved into third place on MSU's all-time chart.

• Michigan State's defense held Wisconsin to 165 rushing yards - nearly 93 yards below its season average...The Badgers entered the game ranked second in the Big Ten and No. 10 in the NCAA FBS in rushing, averaging 257.5 yards per game.

• MSU snapped Badger running back John Clay's 10-game streak of rushing for more than 100 yards and also scoring a rushing touchdown...those streaks were the nation's longest entering the game...Clay finished with 80 yards and was held out of the end zone.

• Keshawn Martin returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, MSU's first punt return for a touchdown since Ziehl Kavanaght returned a punt 88 yards for a score against Northwestern on Sept. 28, 2002...Martin has now been involved in a touchdown five different ways in his career: receiving (6 in his career), rushing (1 vs. Minnesota 2009), kick return (1 vs. Minnesota 2009), punt return (1 vs. Wisconsin 2010) and passing (1 vs. Notre Dame 2009)...Martin totaled 190 all-purpose yards against the Badgers (83 punt return, 71 kick return, 34 receiving, 2 rushing).

• Dan Conroy made both field goals (two 36-yarders) and is now 8-for-8 in field goals in his career and 7-for-7 this season.

• Michigan State held a 36:24 - 23:36 advantage in time of possession...MSU is 18-3 in the Dantonio era when leading time of possession...MSU ran 74 offensive plays compared to 56 for Wisconsin.

• MSU was 11-of-21 on third and fourth down conversions, while Wisconsin was just 3-of-12.

• Michigan State improved its record to 19-29 in its last 48 games against teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25...16 of those 19 wins over ranked teams have come while MSU was unranked or ranked below its opponent...No. 11 Wisconsin is the highest ranked opponent to be defeated by the Spartans since their 44-41 overtime victory at No. 10 Notre Dame in 2005.

• Michigan State is off to its first 5-0 start since 1999, when the Spartans started 6-0...MSU defeated an undefeated Michigan team, who was also 5-0, in 1999 to improve to 6-0 that season.

• Michigan State improved its record to 5-2 in Big Ten openers vs. Wisconsin, including a 3-0 mark in games played in Spartan Stadium.