| Year: | 1933 |
| Team: | Michigan State Spartans |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Record: | 4–2–2 |
| Head Coach: | Charlie Bachman |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Off Scheme: | Notre Dame Box |
| Mvp: | Arthur Buss |
| Captain: | Bernard G. McNutt |
| Stadium: | College Field |
The 1933 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1933 college football season. In their first season under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 4–2–2 record and lost their annual rivalry game with Michigan by a 20 to 6 score. In inter-sectional play, the team defeated Syracuse (27-3) and played scoreless ties with Kansas State and Carnegie Mellon.[1] [2]
Tackle Art Buss was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) as a second-team player and by the Associated Press (AP) and Collier's Weekly as a third-team player on the 1933 College Football All-America Team.[3] [4] [5]
On October 7, 1933, the Spartans opened their season against Michigan. Michigan won the game, 20–6, on "a misty, soggy field, with occasional misty rain" at Michigan Stadium.[6] Michigan scored all of its points in the first quarter. Early in the game, Whitey Wistert downed the ball at the Spartans' two-yard line after a long punt by John Regeczi. The Spartans punted the ball back to Michigan, and Michigan got the ball at Michigan State's 18-yard line. Herman Everhardus ran for a touchdown, and Ted Petoskey's extra point kick was unsuccessful. Eight minutes into the game, Michigan scored again. A 37-yard punt return by Everhardus gave Michigan the ball at the Spartans' 19-yard line. On second down, Jack Heston ran for the touchdown, and Everhardus kicked the extra point. Later in the quarter, John Kowalik recovered a Michigan State fumble at the Spartans' 23-yard line. Everhardus ran for his second touchdown of the quarter and followed with his second extra point kick.[7] Neither team scored in the second or third quarters. Early in the final period, with Michigan leading 20–0, Michigan State completed an 86-yard drive with a touchdown on a short pass from Muth to Kurt Warmbein.[7] The touchdown was the first scored by Michigan State against Michigan in 15 years.[7] [8]
Charlie Bachman, in his first game as Michigan State's head coach, used a passing game to attempt a comeback. The Spartans completed five of 18 passes for 74 yards. The Wolverines completed one of four passes.[6] After the game, Bachman told reporters: "I am pleased with the outcome of the game, despite the loss, because we got rid of that inferiority complex with Michigan. My two sophomore backs... played as if they never heard of Michigan. To them, Michigan was just another football team."[9]