1995 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 1995 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University as member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Nick Saban, the Spartans compiled an overall record of 6–5–1 with a mark of 4–3–1 in conference play, placing fifth in Big Ten. Michigan State was invited to the Independence Bowl, where they lost on December 29 to LSU. The team played home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
| 1995 Michigan State Spartans football | |
|---|---|
| Independence Bowl, L 26–45 vs. LSU | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference | 
| Record | 6–5–1 (4–3–1 Big Ten) | 
| Head coach | 
 | 
| Offensive coordinator | Gary Tranquill (1st season) | 
| Offensive scheme | Pro set | 
| Defensive coordinator | Dean Pees (1st season) | 
| Base defense | 4–3 | 
| MVP | Scott Greene | 
| Captain | Yakini Allen, Tony Banks, Scott Greene | 
| Home stadium | Spartan Stadium (capacity:72,027) | 
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Northwestern $ | 8 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Ohio State | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Penn State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 Michigan | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 4 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 25 Iowa | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 2 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 0 | – | 8 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 
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Schedule
    
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 9 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 2 Nebraska* | ABC | L 10–50 | 73,891 | |
| September 16 | 12:00 p.m. | at Louisville* | W 30–7 | 34,027 | ||
| September 23 | 2:30 p.m. | at Purdue | ABC | T 35–35 | 43,070 | |
| September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | Boston College* | 
 | ABC | W 25–21 | 72,981 | 
| October 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Iowa  | 
 | Creative | L 7–21 | 73,732 | 
| October 14 | 12:00 p.m. | at Illinois | Creative | W 27–21 | 65,653 | |
| October 21 | 1:00 p.m. | Minnesota | 
 | W 34–31 | 70,123 | |
| October 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Wisconsin | Creative | L 14–45 | 78,043 | |
| November 4 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 7 Michigan | 
 | ABC | W 28–25 | 74,667 | 
| November 11 | 1:00 p.m. | at Indiana | W 31–13 | 24,027 | ||
| November 25 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 14 Penn State | 
 | ESPN | L 20–24 | 66,189 | 
| December 29 | 5:30 p.m. | vs. LSU* | ESPN | L 26–45 | 48,835 | |
| 
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Roster
    
| 1995 Michigan State Spartans football team roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Offense 
 | Defense 
 | Special teams 
 | 
 
 
 
 
 
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game summaries
    
    Nebraska
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 10 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 50 | 
| Michigan State | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
- Date: September 9, 1995
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 73,891
- Box score and Game recap
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
Louisville
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 3 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 30 | 
| Louisville | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
Purdue
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 14 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 35 | 
| Purdue | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 | 
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
Boston College
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | 0 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 
| Michigan State | 3 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 25 | 
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
- Date: September 30, 1995
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 72,981
- Box score and Game recap
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
Iowa
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 0 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 
| Michigan State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
- Date: October 7, 1995
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 73,732
- Box score and Game recap
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
Illinois
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 27 | 
| Illinois | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
Minnesota
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 7 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 31 | 
| Michigan State | 14 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 34 | 
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
Wisconsin
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 
| Wisconsin | 7 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 45 | 
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
Michigan
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 3 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 25 | 
| Michigan State | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 | 
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
Indiana
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 21 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 31 | 
| Indiana | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 
at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
- Date: November 11, 1995
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 24,027
- Box Score
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
Penn State
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 24 | 
| Michigan State | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 
| Game information | 
|---|
| First quarter 
 Second quarter 
 Third quarter 
 Fourth quarter 
 | 
1995 Independence Bowl
    
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 7 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 
| LSU | 7 | 14 | 21 | 3 | 45 | 
at Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
- Date: December 29, 1995
- Game attendance: 48,835
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
1996 NFL Draft
    
The following players were selected in the 1996 NFL Draft.
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL Team | 
| Tony Banks | 2 | 42 | Quarterback | St. Louis Rams | 
| Muhsin Muhammad | 2 | 43 | Wide receiver | Carolina Panthers | 
| Scott Greene | 6 | 193 | Running back | Carolina Panthers | 

