1996 Michigan State Spartans football team

1996 Michigan State Spartans football
1996 Michigan State Spartans football
Sun Bowl, L 0–38 vs. Stanford
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	6–6 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach	Nick Saban (2nd season);
Offensive coordinator	Gary Tranquill (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro set
Defensive coordinator	Dean Pees (2nd season)
Base defense	4–3
MVP	Duane Goulbourne
Captain	Duane Goulbourne, Ike Reese, Chris Smith
Home stadium	Spartan Stadium
	Seasons ← 1995 1997 →

The 1996 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Nick Saban, the Spartans compiled an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 5–3, tying for fifth place in the Big Ten. Michigan State was invited to the Sun Bowl, where they lost to Stanford, 38–0, on December 31. The team played home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.

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1996 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 2 Ohio State +	7	–	1	11	–	1
No. 15 Northwestern +	7	–	1	9	–	3
No. 7 Penn State	6	–	2	11	–	2
No. 18 Iowa	6	–	2	9	–	3
No. 20 Michigan	5	–	3	8	–	4
Michigan State	5	–	3	6	–	6
Wisconsin	3	–	5	8	–	5
Purdue	2	–	6	3	–	8
Minnesota	1	–	7	4	–	7
Indiana	1	–	7	3	–	8
Illinois	1	–	7	2	–	9

+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

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Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	12:30 p.m.	Purdue	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	ESPN	W 52–14	72,511
September 7	12:00 p.m.	at No. 1 Nebraska*	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	ABC	L 14–55	75,590
September 21	1:00 p.m.	Louisville*	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI		L 20–30	70,311
September 28	12:30 p.m.	Eastern Michigan*	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	SCD	W 47–0	69,941
October 5	2:00 p.m.	at Iowa	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA		L 30–37	70,397
October 12	12:00 p.m.	Illinois	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	ESPN+	W 42–14	71,639
October 19	4:00 p.m.	at Minnesota	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN		W 27–9	45,434
October 26	12:30 p.m.	Wisconsin	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	ESPN2	W 30–13	69,217
November 2	12:00 p.m.	at No. 9 Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	ABC	L 29–45	106,381
November 9	1:00 p.m.	Indiana	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI (rivalry)		W 38–15	64,719
November 23	3:30 p.m.	at No. 7 Penn State	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	ABC	L 29–32	96,263
December 31	2:30 p.m.	vs. Stanford*	Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, TX (Sun Bowl)	CBS	L 0–38	42,271
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Player	Round	Pick	Position	NFL team
Derrick Mason	4	98	Wide receiver	Tennessee Oilers
Nigea Carter	6	197	Wide receiver	Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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