| Sport: | football |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Team: | Michigan State Spartans |
| Conference: | Big Ten Conference |
| Division: | East Division |
| Short Conf: | Big Ten |
| Record: | 2–5 |
| Conf Record: | 2–5 |
| Head Coach: | Mel Tucker |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Off Coach: | Jay Johnson |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Off Scheme: | Multiple |
| Def Coach: | Scottie Hazelton |
| Dc Year: | 1st |
| Def Scheme: | 4–3 |
| Stadium: | Spartan Stadium |
The 2020 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans competed as members of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. This was the program's first season under head coach Mel Tucker.
In a limited season, which was initially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being reinstated, the Spartans compiled a 2–5 record, all in conference games. On December 20, the program announced that it would not participate in any bowl game.[1]
The Spartans finished the 2019 season 7–6, 4–5 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place in the East Division. The Spartans received a bid to the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl where they defeated Wake Forest 27–21.[2]
On February 4, 2020, the school announced that head coach Mark Dantonio had retired and Mike Tressel would be taking over as interim head coach for the Spartans.[3] Tressel was previously the team's defensive coordinator.[4] On February 12, the school announced the hiring of Colorado head coach Mel Tucker as the university's 25th head football coach.[5] [6]
MSU kept its streak of 80 years of having at least one player drafted in the NFL Draft when cornerback Josiah Scott was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
| 4 | 31 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Josiah Scott | Cornerback | |
| 7 | 11 | Minnesota Vikings | Kenny Willekes | Defensive End |
Several other undrafted players signed free agent contracts with NFL teams:
After Dantonio abruptly retired in March, new head coach Mel Tucker took approximately 10 days to assemble his assistants for the season.[14] Tucker brought with him from his Colorado staff offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, running backs coach William Peagler, and special teams coordinator Ross Els. Former Spartan wide receiver Courtney Hawkins was named the wide receivers coach, Ted Gilmore the tight ends coach, and Scottie Hazelton the defensive coordinator. Former MSU defensive coach Harlon Barnett returned to coach the secondary after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Florida State.[15] Ron Burton (defensive line) and Mike Tressel (safeties) were the only holdovers from Dantonio's staff.
Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2020 poll, Michigan State was projected to finish in fifth in the East Division.[16]
| Media poll (East Division) | |||
| 1 | Ohio State | 237 (33) | |
| 2 | Penn State | 204 (1) | |
| 3 | Michigan | 169 | |
| 4 | Indiana | 134 | |
| 5 | Michigan State | 94 | |
| 6 | Maryland | 76 | |
| 7 | Rutgers | 38 | |
On July 9, 2020, the Big Ten announced that member teams will only play conference games in effort to reduce issues related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[17] On July 24, the school announced that the entire team, which had returned to campus for voluntary workouts, was being placed on a 14-day quarantine after two staff members and one player tested positive for COVID-19.[18]
On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten canceled the college football season for the fall of 2020 due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.[19] [20] [21] On September 16, the conference reversed course and announced that a season would be played. Teams would begin play on October 24.[22] [23] On September 19, the conference announced an eight-game schedule.[24]
One game, against Maryland, was canceled due to the school's COVID-19 outbreak.[25] A scheduled rematch on December 19 as part of the Big Ten Champions Week was also canceled due to continued COVID-19 issues at Maryland.[26]
| Head coach | 1st | ||
| 1st | |||
| Offensive Line/run game coordinator | 1st | ||
| Ted Gilmore[27] | 1st | ||
| 1st | |||
| William Pegler[28] | Running backs | 1st | |
| 1st | |||
| Defensive line | 7th | ||
| Defensive backs | 12th | ||
| Ross Els | Special Teams | 1st | |
| Linebackers | 14th |
Michigan State's 2020 schedule originally was planned to begin with a conference home game against Northwestern, followed by three non-conference opponents: the independent BYU Cougars, Toledo of the Mid-American Conference, and finally Miami of the ACC. The non-conference slate was canceled on July 9 due to the Big Ten Conference's decision to play a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[29]
On August 4, the Big Ten Conference announced the schedule for all Big Ten teams.[30] In conference play, the Spartans were play all members of the East Division, as well as Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota from the West Division. The season was canceled by the conference on August 11, 2020.
On September 19, the conference changed course and announced a new, revised, eight-game schedule. A ninth game will be played the week of December 19 where the first place teams in each division will play for the Big Ten Championship, while the remaining teams will play the same-seeded team in the opposite division.[31]
On November 19, it was announced that the November 21 game against Maryland had been canceled as all team-related activities were paused because of an elevated number of coronavirus cases within the Terrapins' program.[32] A rescheduled game against Maryland as part of Big Ten Champions Week was also canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Maryland.
Radio coverage for all games will be broadcast statewide on the Spartans Sports Network[33]
See also: 2020 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team.
| 8–3 | Nov 23, 2019 | MSU, 27–0 |
On the first possession of the second half, MSU again turned the ball over on a Jordan Simmons fumble. Rutgers could not capitalize and punted the ball back to MSU. MSU was forced to punt, but a Rutgers fumble on the punt gave MSU the ball at the Rutgers 30. Jalen Nailor scored on the next play, a 30-yard touchdown catch to narrow the lead to 28–20. A Rutgers' fumble on their ensuing possession set MSU up at the 29-yard line. However, the Spartans were again stopped on a fourth down run, turning the ball over on downs. A Rutgers' field goal to start the fourth quarter pushed the Knights' lead to 31–20. The teams exchanged punts before Rutgers put the game out of reach with a 14-yard touchdown pass with just under five minutes remaining in the game. Another Jayden Reed touchdown catch brought the Spartans within 11. A Rutgers' punt preceded another turnover, the seventh in the game, as Lombardi was intercepted with under 40 seconds remaining. The Knights were able to run out the clock as the Spartans fell 38–27.
See also: 2020 Michigan Wolverines football team.
| 36–71–5 | Nov 16, 2019 | Mich, 44–10 |
In the second half, Michigan punted on their first possession and the Spartans moved the ball into Wolverine territory on the ensuing possession, but settled for another Matt Coghlin field goal to extend the lead to 17–10. Michigan tied it on their next possession with a one-yard touchdown run to put the score at 17–17. MSU retook the lead on their next possession as Coghlin connected on a 51-yard field goal to move MSU into the lead at 20–17. Following a Michigan punt, MSU moved to the Wolverine 23, but Coghlin missed a 40-yard field goal that would have moved the Spartan lead to six points. Michigan again failed to move the ball and was forced to punt on their next possession. Following the punt, MSU took over at their own eight-yard line with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game. The Spartans, helped by a Ricky White 31 yard reception, moved to the Michigan 13 with just over five minutes remaining. Lombardi then hit Heyward again for a 13-yard touchdown catch and run to push the Spartan lead to 10 at 27–17. The Wolverines scored on their next possession, but the 18-play drive took over four and a half minutes and left less than 40 seconds remaining on the clock while the Spartans held a 27–24 lead. The onside kick was recovered by Heyward and Lombardi gave the Spartans on a fourth down sneak to run out the clock as the Spartans defeated their rivals 27–24. The win moved MSU to 1–1 on the season.
See also: 2020 Iowa Hawkeyes football team.
| 22–23–2 | Sept 30, 2017 | MSU, 17–10 |
See also: 2020 Indiana Hoosiers football team.
| 48–16–2 | Sept 28, 2019 | MSU, 40–31 |
See also: 2020 Northwestern Wildcats football team.
| 38–20 | Sep 21, 2019 | MSU, 31–10 |
See also: 2020 Ohio State Buckeyes football team.
| 15–33 | Oct 5, 2019 | OSU, 34–10 |
See also: 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football team.
| 17–16–1 | Oct 26, 2019 | PSU, 28–7 |