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The 1997 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1997 Big Ten Conference football season. Led by third-year head coach Nick Saban, the Spartans compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, tying for sixth place in the Big Ten. Michigan State was invited to the Aloha Bowl, where they lost, 51–23, on December 25 to Washington. The team played home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
| 1997 Michigan State Spartans football | |
|---|---|
Aloha Bowl, L 23–51 vs. Washington | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 7–5 (4–4 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Gary Tranquill (3rd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro set |
| Defensive coordinator | Dean Pees (3rd season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| MVP | Ike Reese |
| Captain | Ike Reese, Scott Shaw |
| Home stadium | Spartan Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Michigan $ | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Ohio State | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Penn State | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Purdue | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 6 | 12:30 p.m. | Western Michigan* | No. 25 | ESPN Plus | W 42–10 | 72,317 | |
| September 13 | 1:00 p.m. | Memphis* | No. 21 |
| W 51–21 | 72,131 | |
| September 20 | 1:30 p.m. | at Notre Dame* | No. 17 | NBC | W 23–7 | 80,225 | |
| October 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 12 |
| W 31–10 | 75,263 | |
| October 11 | 12:30 p.m. | at Indiana | No. 11 | ESPN2 | W 38–6 | 35,082 | |
| October 18 | 3:30 p.m. | at Northwestern | No. 12 | ABC | L 17–19 | 47,129 | |
| October 25 | 12:30 p.m. | No. 5 Michigan | No. 15 |
| ESPN | L 7–23 | 79,687 |
| November 1 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 9 Ohio State | No. 21 |
| ABC | L 13–37 | 74,903 |
| November 8 | 12:30 p.m. | at No. 24 Purdue | ESPN2 | L 21–22 | 55,539 | ||
| November 22 | 2:00 p.m. | at Illinois | W 27–17 | 30,087 | |||
| November 29 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 4 Penn State |
| ABC | W 49–14 | 73,623 | |
| December 25 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. No. 21 Washington* | No. 25 | ABC | L 23–51 | 34,419 | |
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Notre Dame
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Michigan State's first win versus Notre Dame since 1986.
- Nick Saban, head coach
- Gary Tranquill, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach
- Bobby Williams, running backs coach
- Charlie Baggett, wide receivers coach
- Pat Shurmur, tight ends coach, special teams coordinator
- Jim Bollman, offensive line coach
- Dean Pees, defensive coordinator, inside linebackers coach
- Todd Grantham, defensive line coach
- Mark Dantonio, defensive backs coach
- Greg Colby, defensive assistant
The following players were selected in the 1998 NFL draft.
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flozell Adams | 2 | 38 | Offensive tackle | Dallas Cowboys |
| Ike Reese | 5 | 142 | Linebacker | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Scott Shaw | 5 | 143 | Offensive guard | Miami Dolphins |
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