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Michigan State Postgame Notes
MSU extended its school-record bowl winning streak to four games after topping No. 18 Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl, 33-30 in triple overtime, edging TCU in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 17-16, defeating No. 5 Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl, 24-20 and beating No. 4 Baylor, 42-41, in the 2015 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. MSU's four-game bowl winning streak is currently the longest active streak in the Big Ten. Michigan State is one of just four schools in the FBS to win bowl games in each of the last four seasons to date (Louisiana-Lafayette, South Carolina, Texas A&M). Florida State and Oregon are yet to play in their respective bowl games in 2015 as of the end of the 2015 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
Eighth-year Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio made his eighth bowl appearance at MSU, setting a school record for most bowl appearances by a head coach (previous record: George Perles with seven from 1983-94). Dantonio is 4-4 in bowl games at Michigan State, including a school-record four-game winning streak (2012 Outback, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton). Dantonio has led his teams to 10 bowl berths in 11 seasons as a head coach (eight at MSU, two at Cincinnati).
Mark Dantonio made his 23rd appearance in postseason play (as a graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach), including four NCAA I-AA playoffs and 19 bowl games. Dantonio has compiled a 10-9 record (.526) in bowl games, including a 5-4 mark as head coach.
Dantonio is 93-48 (.660) overall in his 11th season as head coach, and 75-31 (.708) in his eighth season at MSU.
Michigan State concluded the best four-season mark in school history in terms of overall victories in history with a 42-12 (.778) record and a school-record four-consecutive bowl triumphs.
The 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic marked the second-ever meeting between Michigan State and Baylor. In the only previous matchup between the two schools, Michigan State defeated Baylor, 28-10, on Sept. 28, 1968, in Spartan Stadium.
Michigan State made its 25th postseason bowl appearance overall, but the first in the Cotton Bowl Classic . . . MSU is just the second Big Ten team as a conference member to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic (Ohio State, 1987). The Spartans are 11-14 overall (.440) in bowl games.
The 21 points scored by the Spartans in the fourth quarter was the most ever scored in a single quarter in MSU in its bowl history (previous high: 20 vs. Fresno State, 2001 Silicon Valley).
The Spartans came back from 20 points down, 41-21, for 4:03 left in the third quarter to beat Baylor. The rally from 20 down to win was the largest in MSU bowl history. The Spartans trailed Georgia, 16-0, at halftime of the 2012 Outback Bowl to win 33-30 in three overtimes.
OFFENSE
The Michigan State offense posted the second-most total offense yards in school bowl history with 552. The record is 586 vs. Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Bowl.
The Spartans entered the game already setting single-season school records in points, total offense, offensive touchdowns and rushing touchdowns . . . MSU finished the 2014 season with 559 points, 6,510 yards of total offense, 70 offensive touchdowns and 44 rushing touchdowns . . . MSU’s scoring average of 43.0 points per game also set a school record (previous record: 37.4 ppg. in 1978).
Fifth-year senior running back Jeremy Langford extended his school-record 100-yard rushing game streak to 10 games to close out his career . . . he finished with 162 yards on 27 carries . . . his 10 100-yard rushing games are second most in an MSU single season (record: Lorenzo White with 11 in 1985).
Langford’s 162 yards is third in MSU bowl history, behind only T.J. Duckett’s 184 in the 2001 Silicon Valley Bowl and Blake Ezor’s 179 in the 1989 Aloha Bowl.
Langford's 22 rushing TDs this season are a career high (18 in 2013) and tied for first in an MSU single-season with Javon Ringer (22 in 2008).
With three rushing TDs vs. Baylor, Jeremy Langford scored multiple rushing TDs in seven consecutive games - the longest active streak among active FBS players.
Michigan State scored a touchdown on its first possession in eight of its 13 games this season . . . MSU opened the game with a six-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard TD run by Langford . . . Langford’s career-long 65-yard rush set up the TD.
R.J. Shelton scored his second rushing TD of the season and fourth of his career with an 11-yard run on a jet sweep with 5:06 left in the first quarter.
Under Dantonio, Michigan State is 61-11 (.847) when outrushing its opponent, including a 45-4 record (.918) since 2010. The Spartans are 29-3 (.906) in games when gaining 200 or more rushing yards under Dantonio.
DEFENSE
The MSU defense set a team bowl record for fewest rushing yards by an opponent with minus-20 by Baylor. The previous record was 27, Boston College in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl).
The 603 passing yards by Baylor was the most allowed by MSU in school and bowl history . The previous record was 531 vs. Fresno State in 2001 Silicon Valley Classic).
