The 2001 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Bobby Williams, the Spartans compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for eighth place in the Big Ten. Michigan State was invited to the Silicon Valley Football Classic, where the Spartans defeated Fresno State. The team played home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
The controversial final play of the home game against Michigan on November 3 led to a change in the official timekeeping policy of the Big Ten Conference. Beginning in 2002, a neutral official appointed by the Big Ten keeps track of the game time on the field.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 8 | 1:00 p.m. | Central Michigan* | | | | W 35–21 | 73,879 | [1] |
September 22 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 23 Notre Dame* | | | NBC | W 17–10 | 80,795 | |
September 29 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 16 Northwestern | No. 23 | | ABC | L 26–27 | 40,103 | |
October 13 | 12:00 p.m. | Iowa | | - Spartan Stadium
- East Lansing, MI
| ESPN2 | W 31–28 | 73,680 | |
October 20 | 12:00 p.m. | at Minnesota | | | | L 19–28 | 47,385 | |
October 27 | 12:00 p.m. | at Wisconsin | | | ESPN Plus | W 42–28 | 79,108 | |
November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 6 Michigan | | - Spartan Stadium
- East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
| ABC | W 26–24 | 75,262 | [2] |
November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Indiana | No. 22 | - Spartan Stadium
- East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
| | L 28–37 | 73,990 | |
November 17 | 12:00 p.m. | at Purdue | | | ESPN2 | L 14–24 | 55,660 | |
November 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Penn State | | - Spartan Stadium
- East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
| ESPN | L 37–42 | 72,658 | |
December 1 | 11:00 a.m. | Missouri* | | - Spartan Stadium
- East Lansing, MI
| ESPN2 | W 55–7 | 72,823 | |
December 31 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. No. 20 Fresno State* | | | FSN | W 44–35 | 30,456 | |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Eastern time
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Note: The Missouri game originally scheduled for September 15 was rescheduled to December 1 because of the September 11 attacks.
Roster
2001 Michigan State Spartans football team roster
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Players
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Coaches
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Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Roster
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References
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Venues | |
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Bowls & rivalries | |
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Culture & lore | |
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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National championship seasons in bold |