1966 Michigan State Spartans football team
Encyclopedia
The 1966 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University
in the 1966 college football season
.
vs. Notre Dame
football game ("The Game of the Century
") remains one of the greatest, and most controversial, games in college football history. The game was played in Michigan State's Spartan Stadium
on November 19th, 1966. Michigan State entered the contest 9-0 and ranked #2, while Notre Dame entered the contest 8-0 and ranked #1. Notre Dame elected not to try for the endzone on the final series, thus the game ended in a 10-10 tie with both schools receiving national champion selections. Notre Dame claimed the AP and Coaches selections and earned a consensus title with a majority of selectors, while Michigan State was selected as the Football Research poll national champion and the Helms Foundation co-champion.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in the 1966 college football season
1966 college football season
The 1966 college football season was marked by controversy as the year of "The Tie", a November 19 game between the two top-ranked teams, Michigan State and Notre Dame. Neither team participated in a post-season bowl game. At the same time, 1966 was the first year that the professional football...
.
Regular season
The 1966 Michigan State Spartans footballMichigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
football game ("The Game of the Century
Game of the Century (college football)
The phrase "Game of the Century" is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century, the first full century of college football in the United States...
") remains one of the greatest, and most controversial, games in college football history. The game was played in Michigan State's Spartan Stadium
Spartan Stadium (East Lansing)
Spartan Stadium opened in 1923 in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Michigan State University Spartans...
on November 19th, 1966. Michigan State entered the contest 9-0 and ranked #2, while Notre Dame entered the contest 8-0 and ranked #1. Notre Dame elected not to try for the endzone on the final series, thus the game ended in a 10-10 tie with both schools receiving national champion selections. Notre Dame claimed the AP and Coaches selections and earned a consensus title with a majority of selectors, while Michigan State was selected as the Football Research poll national champion and the Helms Foundation co-champion.
Schedule
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Spartans points | Opponents | Record |
| 1 | Sept. 17 | North Carolina State | Win | 28 | 10 | 1-0-0 |
| 2 | Sept. 24 | Penn State | Win | 42 | 8 | 2-0-0 |
| 3 | Oct. 1 | @ Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51... |
Win | 26 | 10 | 3-0-0 |
| 4 | Oct. 8 | Michigan Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
Win | 20 | 7 | 4-0-0 |
| 5 | Oct. 15 | @ Ohio State 1966 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 1966 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1966-1967. The Buckeyes compiled a 4–5 record.-Schedule:-1967 NFL draftees:-References:Win/Loss statistics*... |
Win | 11 | 8 | 5-0-0 |
| 6 | Oct. 22 | @ Purdue 1966 Purdue Boilermakers football team The 1966 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented the Purdue University in the 1966 college football season. The Boilermakers, led by future NFL quarterback Bob Griese, won the .-Season:... |
Win | 41 | 20 | 6-0-0 |
| 7 | Oct. 29 | @ Northwestern Northwestern Wildcats football The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876... |
Win | 22 | 0 | 7-0-0 |
| 8 | Nov. 5 | Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes football The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
Win | 56 | 7 | 8-0-0 |
| 9 | Nov. 12 | @ Indiana Indiana Hoosiers football The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:... |
Win | 37 | 19 | 9-0-0 |
| 10 | Nov. 19 | Notre Dame 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team The 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1966 college football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with 9 wins and one tie, winning the national championship... |
Tie | 10 | 10 | 9-0-1 |
Rivalries
- Michigan State defeated Michigan to claim the Paul Bunyan TrophyPaul Bunyan TrophyThe Paul Bunyan–Governor of Michigan Trophy is a college rivalry trophy awarded to the winner of the annual American football game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game...
- The Spartans tied Notre Dame, and neither team claimed the Megaphone TrophyMegaphone TrophyStarted in 1949 the Megaphone Trophy is awarded each year to the winner of the football game between the University of Notre Dame and Michigan State University. Notre Dame and Michigan State started competing against each other 114 years ago in 1897...
- In the game for the Old Brass SpittoonOld Brass SpittoonThe Old Brass Spittoon is the name of the trophy that is annually awarded to the winner of the Big Ten Conference college football game between Indiana University and Michigan State University. First presented in 1950, it was Michigan State's idea to start up the trophy and Indiana quickly accepted...
, Michigan State defeated Indiana
Team members in the NFL
- In the 1967 NFL Draft1967 NFL DraftThe 1967 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft in the first year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players on March 14–15.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
, four of the top eight picks in the draft were players from Michigan State.
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Franchise |
| Bubba Smith Bubba Smith Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team... |
Defensive End | 1 | 1 | Baltimore Colts 1967 Baltimore Colts season The 1967 Baltimore Colts season was the 15th season for the team in the National Football League. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1967 season with a record of 11 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties. They tied for first in the Western Conference's Coastal division with the Los... |
| Clinton Jones | Running Back | 1 | 2 | Minnesota Vikings 1967 Minnesota Vikings season 1967 was the seventh year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of three wins, eight losses, and three ties, under their first-year head coach Bud Grant, who succeeded Norm Van Brocklin.-Notable... |
| George Webster | Linebacker | 1 | 5 | Houston Oilers 1967 Houston Oilers season The 1967 Houston Oilers season was their eighth in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 3–11, winning nine games. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Division standings:... |
| Gene Washington | Wide Receiver | 1 | 8 | Minnesota Vikings 1967 Minnesota Vikings season 1967 was the seventh year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of three wins, eight losses, and three ties, under their first-year head coach Bud Grant, who succeeded Norm Van Brocklin.-Notable... |
| Jeff Richardson | Defensive End | 6 | 146 | New York Jets 1967 New York Jets season The 1967 New York Jets season was the eighth season for the team in the American Football League . The season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–6–2 record from 1966 under head coach Weeb Ewbank. The Jets finished the season 8–5–1.... |
| James Summers | Defensive Back | 9 | 217 | Denver Broncos 1967 Denver Broncos season The 1967 Denver Broncos season was the eighth season for the team in the American Football League. The team posted a record of three wins and eleven losses. They finished last in the AFL's Western division. Floyd Little was team captain in his rookie season.... |
| Charlie Thornhill | Defensive Back | 9 | 232 | Boston Patriots 1967 Boston Patriots season The Boston Patriots finished the American Football League's 1967 season with a record of three wins, ten losses and one ties, and finished last in the AFL's Eastern division.-Staff:-Game-by-game results:-Roster:1967 Boston PatriotsHall of Fame = *... |
| Dick Kenney | Kicker | 14 | 358 | Philadelphia Eagles 1967 Philadelphia Eagles season -Offseason:The Eagles held their 1967 training camp for the last time at Hershey Park Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The following year they trained at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, home of the Albright College Lions.-NFL Draft:... |