GAME
• The kickoff temperature was 33 degrees, MSU’s coldest of the season so far. . . it was also the third-coldest October game in Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium history.
SERIES
• Saturday marked the 49th meeting between Michigan State and Minnesota, and despite the loss, the Spartans still lead the all-time series, 30-19, including 13-12 in games played in Minneapolis. . . MSU is now 2-2 in games at Huntington Bank Stadium. . . Overall, Michigan State has won 24 of the last 32 meetings dating back to 1977, and MSU has still won five of the last seven, though Minnesota has won two in a row.
VIOLATION
• MSU scored on its opening possession for the second time in the last three games and its second straight road game, also doing so with a touchdown at Rutgers (10/14) . . . Jonathan Kim kicked a 38-yard field goal to cap MSU’s first drive Saturday.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Katyn Houser started his third straight game. . . Houser finished 12 of 22 for 117 yards. . . Houser completed a 34-yard pass to the senior out Montori Foster Jr in the second quarter, which was Houser’s second longest pass of the season and longest in a starting role, as his career passing game was 61 yards against Washington (9/16) coming off the bench.
• Freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt threw the first TD pass of his Spartan career, hitting the sophomore wide receiver Tyrell Henry for a 9-yard TD in the fourth quarter. . . Levitt finished the game 8 of 12 passing for 73 yards with one TD and one INT, posting season highs in completions, attempts, yards and TDs. . . Leavitt also rushed six times for 52 yards with a long of 22 yards, MSU’s longest drive of the day. . . the six catches and 52 yards were also season bests for the freshman QB.
• Graduated senior wide receiver Tre Mosley now has at least one catch in 25 straight games and in 42 of 44 career games played. . . the streak of 25 consecutive games with a catch is the second longest active streak in the Big Ten and the 19th longest in the nation.
• Redshirt sophomore Ethan Boyd registered his first career start on the offensive line, getting the starting nod at right tackle.
• Senior wide receiver Montori Foster Jr caught a season-long 34-yard pass in the second quarter. . . it was Foster’s second-longest catch of his career behind 52 yards against Maryland in 2021.
• Sophomore wide receiver Tyrell Henry caught his team-leading third TD catch of the season with a 9-yard catch by the freshman QB Sam Leavitt . . . Henry now has at least one reception in the last six games as part of seven of eight this season.
DEFENSE
• Michigan State’s defense had a season-high three sacks Saturday with two fumble recoveries and an interception. . . the Spartan defense also had three scores against Rutgers (10/14).
• Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Derrick Harmon registered his first career forced fumble in the first quarter, leading to a Spartan field goal.
• Sophomore defensive back Jayden Mangham collected his first career fumble recovery by picking up a fumble forced by Harmon in the first quarter. . . Mangham added an interception in the third quarter and now leads the MSU defense with three interceptions this season. . . Saturday was Mangham’s third straight game with a pass defense as part of five total, with three oskies and two pass breakups.
• Redshirt junior linebacker Kal Halladay recorded his second double-digit tackle count of the season and 13th of his career with a season-high 11 tackles on Saturday. . . The 11 tackles surpassed his previous season-best of 10 stops in the season opener against Central Michigan (9/1) . . . Halladay has six games in double figures in his last 13 games since last season.
• Freshman linebacker Jordan Hall recorded his first career sack and a forced fumble with a strip in the first quarter. . . he finished with a career-high nine tackles and two sacks.
• Redshirt junior linebacker Avery Dunn had his first career recovery by covering up a fumble caused by Hall’s first-quarter forced punt, setting up MSU’s second field goal of the first quarter.
• Redshirt junior linebacker Simeon Barrow Jr blocked a field goal in the second quarter. . . it was MSU’s first blocked field goal since then Michael Fletcher blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt against Indiana on November 18, 2022.
• Senior defensive back Angelo Grose recorded a season-high 10 tackles for his first double-digit outing of the season and fourth of his career. . . The 10 stops were his most since recording 11 tackles last season against Minnesota (9/24/22).
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Graduated senior placekicker Jonathan Kim split the uprights 38 yards in the first quarter and added 42 yards later in the opening stanza, finishing 2-of-3 after missing a wide 53-yarder down the left side in the third quarter. . . Kim now has at least one field goal in six of eight games and is now 9-of-12 on the season, including 5-of-5 on field goals from 30-39 yards and 2-of-3 from 40-49 yards out. . . Saturday was Kim’s second hit of the season, both coming in the last four games and both on the road, joining three field goals at Iowa (9/30).
• Redshirt freshman Ryan Eckley punted six times for a 42.7 ypp average with 54 carries and tied a season high with three inside the 20, matching Iowa (9/30) . . . Eckley had two punts of more than 50 yards, a 54-yarder and a 53-yarder on back-to-back punts in the first quarter. . . the two 50+ yard punts marked Eckley’s second game with multiple 50+ yard punts and the second most after four against Iowa. . . Eckley now has eight punts this season of 50+ yards and 11 inside the 20.