THE STATE OF MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL POST MARYLAND
The Michigan State Spartan Football regular season is finally over. After a 6-6 disaster, the Spartans are awaiting their bowl bid. Do they head to NYC for the Pinstripe Bowl? How about Detroit and the Quick Lane Bowl?
No matter where they go, it won't fix the 2019 season. Now the attention turns to what happens in this offseason? In the above video, longtime Spartan Nation senior writer Jon Schopp talks with us about the State of Michigan State Football post-Maryland.
Before you get to that there has been some good news for Spartan Football. Several defensive players earned honors. You can read about those in the press release sent out by the MSU SID department below:
Michigan State’s Kenny Willekes Named First-Team All-Big Ten For Second Straight Year
Willekes becomes the third Spartan defensive end in school history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors twice.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State fifth-year senior defensive end Kenny Willekes was named first-team All-Big Ten for the second year in a row by the media as the conference announced its defensive and special teams all-league honorees on Tuesday. Willekes joins Charles “Bubba” Smith (1965-66) and Shilique Calhoun (2013-15) as the only Spartan defensive ends in school history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors twice.
Other Spartan All-Big Ten honorees include fifth-year senior defensive tackle Raequan Williams (second team, media; third team, coaches), junior cornerback Josiah Scott (second team, media; honorable mention, coaches), senior linebacker Joe Bachie (third team, media; honorable mention, coaches), fifth-year senior defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk (honorable mention, coaches and media), junior linebacker Antjuan Simmons (honorable mention, coaches and media), sixth-year senior punter Jake Hartbarger (honorable mention, coaches and media), junior placekicker Matt Coghlin (honorable mention, media) and fifth-year senior safety David Dowell (honorable mention, media). In addition, Williams was named MSU’s Sportsmanship Award honoree.
MSU head coach Mark Dantonio has produced 41 first-team All-Big Ten selections during his 13-year tenure in East Lansing.
Overall, seven players from MSU’s defense, which ranks No. 15 in the FBS in rushing defense (108.6 ypg) and No. 18 in total defense (319.2 ypg), earned All-Big Ten recognition.
MICHIGAN STATE ALL-BIG TEN SELECTIONS
MEDIA
First Team: DE Kenny Willekes
Second Team: DT Raequan Williams, CB Josiah Scott
Third Team: LB Joe Bachie
Honorable Mention: PK Matt Coghlin, S David Dowell, P Jake Hartbarger, DT Mike Panasiuk, LB Antjuan Simmons
COACHES
Second Team: DE Kenny Willekes
Third Team: DT Raequan Williams
Honorable Mention: LB Joe Bachie, P Jake Hartbarger, DT Mike Panasiuk, CB Josiah Scott, LB Antjuan Simmons
Sr. DE Kenny Willekes (first team, media; second team, coaches)
Team captain became MSU’s all-time leader in tackles for loss on Senior Day with 2.5 TFLs vs. Maryland and now has 49.5 TFLs in his career . . . leads MSU and ranks tied for fourth in the Big Ten with a career-high nine sacks . . . ranks first among all Big Ten defensive linemen with 69 tackles . . . leads all active FBS players in career tackles for loss (1.27 per game) . . . has 14.5 tackles for loss in 2019 . . . Burlsworth Trophy finalist . . . first Spartan defensive player to win the Governor’s Award (team MVP) twice . . . 2018 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and 2018 first-team All-American . . . has 220 tackles overall in 39 career games.
Sr. DT Raequan Williams (second team, media; third team, coaches)
Team captain has started 41 consecutive games at defensive tackle, the longest active streak on the team and tied for the most in the Mark Dantonio era (Shilique Calhoun) . . . has a career-high five sacks this season . . . has 41 tackles overall and seven TFLs . . . ranks 19th in MSU history with 28.5 tackles for loss in his career . . . also named MSU’s Sportsmanship Award honoree . . . was a third-team All-Big Ten choice by the coaches and media as a junior in 2018 and an honorable mention selection by the media in 2017.
Jr. CB Josiah Scott (second team, media; honorable mention, coaches)
Tied for second in Big Ten with three interceptions . . . tied for fourth in Big Ten with 11 passes defended (eight pass break-ups, three interceptions) . . . has started all 12 games at cornerback . . . has a career-high 50 tackles this season along with one forced fumble and fumble recovery . . . has 93 tackles, 25 pass break-ups and seven interceptions in 29 career games . . . was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the media as a freshman in 2017.
Sr. LB Joe Bachie (third team, media; honorable mention, coaches)
Two-time team captain . . . recorded 285 career tackles, 22nd most in MSU history . . . played in 40 career games, including 34 starts . . . his 27.5 tackles for loss rank 20th most in school history . . . ranks third on the team with 71 tackles, including 8.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks . . . named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week vs. Northwestern . . . was a first-team all-conference pick as a junior in 2018 by the coaches and a third-team choice by the coaches and media in 2017.
Jr. PK Matt Coghlin (honorable mention, media)
Ranks among the Big Ten leaders in PATs (first at 100 percent; 28-of-28), field goals (second with 20), kick scoring (third with 8.0 ppg) and scoring (fifth with 8.0 ppg) . . . his 20 field goals rank seventh most in an MSU single-season . . . kicked game-winning field goals against Indiana and Maryland . . . was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore in 2018 by the media and honorable mention as a redshirt freshman in 2017.
Sr. S David Dowell (honorable mention, media)
Has played in 48 career games, including 35 consecutive starts at safety . . . has 51 tackles, two pass break-ups, one interception and one fumble recovery . . . has 172 career tackles . . . leads all active Spartans with eight career interceptions . . . this marks Dowell’s third All-Big Ten recognition (first team by media in 2017; third team by media in 2018).
Sr. P Jake Hartbarger (honorable mention, coaches and media)
Ranks fourth in the Big Ten in punting (43.1 avg.) . . . has played in 53 career games, one shy of the MSU record . . . named to final watch list for the Ray Guy Award . . . has placed 17 punts inside the 20 . . . has booted 16 punts 50-plus yards . . . was also an honorable mention choice as a sophomore in 2017.
Sr. DT Mike Panasiuk (honorable mention, coaches and media)
Veteran on the defensive line has started 40 career games . . . has posted career highs this season in tackles (33), tackles for loss (9.0) and sacks (2.0) . . . has 97 tackles, including 18 for losses and four sacks, in 50 career games . . . this marks the third consecutive season Panasiuk has earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades.
Jr. LB Antjuan Simmons (honorable mention, coaches and media)
Leads team and tied for sixth in Big Ten with 15 tackles for loss . . . also leads team with 81 tackles . . . has 3.5 sacks . . . has started all 12 games (10 at Star linebacker, two at Mike linebacker) . . . has 147 tackles, including 17 for losses, in 38 career games.
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