1933 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 1933 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1933 college football season. In their first season under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 4–2–2 record and lost their annual rivalry game with Michigan by a 20 to 6 score. In inter-sectional play, the team defeated Syracuse (27-3) and played scoreless ties with Kansas State and Carnegie Mellon.[1][2]

1933 Michigan State Spartans football
ConferenceIndependent
Record4–2–2
Head coach
Offensive schemeNotre Dame Box
MVPArthur Buss
CaptainBernard G. McNutt
Home stadiumCollege Field
Seasons
← 1932
1934 →
1933 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
DePaul     6 0 1
Detroit     7 1 0
Michigan State Normal     5 2 0
Saint Louis     6 3 0
Central State (MI)     5 2 1
Michigan State     4 2 2
Missouri Mines     4 3 0
Western State Teachers (MI)     3 3 1
Marquette     3 4 1
Notre Dame     3 5 1
Haskell     2 6 3
Detroit City     2 5 1

Tackle Art Buss was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) as a second-team player and by the Associated Press (AP) and Collier's Weekly as a third-team player on the 1933 College Football All-America Team.[3][4][5]

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30GrinnellW 14–0
October 7at MichiganL 6–2022,090
October 14Illinois Wesleyan
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
W 20–12
October 21at MarquetteW 6–02,000[6]
October 28Syracuse 
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
W 27–39,000
November 4Kansas State
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
T 0–0
November 11Carnegie Tech
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
T 0–0
November 25at DetroitL 0–1423,000[7]
  •  Homecoming

Game summaries edit

Michigan edit

Michigan State at Michigan
1 234Total
Michigan St. 0 006 6
Michigan 20 000 20

On October 7, 1933, the Spartans opened their season against Michigan. Michigan won the game, 20–6, on "a misty, soggy field, with occasional misty rain" at Michigan Stadium.[8] Michigan scored all of its points in the first quarter. Early in the game, Whitey Wistert downed the ball at the Spartans' two-yard line after a long punt by John Regeczi. The Spartans punted the ball back to Michigan, and Michigan got the ball at Michigan State's 18-yard line. Herman Everhardus ran for a touchdown, and Ted Petoskey's extra point kick was unsuccessful. Eight minutes into the game, Michigan scored again. A 37-yard punt return by Everhardus gave Michigan the ball at the Spartans' 19-yard line. On second down, Jack Heston ran for the touchdown, and Everhardus kicked the extra point. Later in the quarter, John Kowalik recovered a Michigan State fumble at the Spartans' 23-yard line. Everhardus ran for his second touchdown of the quarter and followed with his second extra point kick.[9] Neither team scored in the second or third quarters. Early in the final period, with Michigan leading 20–0, Michigan State completed an 86-yard drive with a touchdown on a short pass from Muth to Kurt Warmbein.[9] The touchdown was the first scored by Michigan State against Michigan in 15 years.[9][10]

Charlie Bachman, in his first game as Michigan State's head coach, used a passing game to attempt a comeback. The Spartans completed five of 18 passes for 74 yards. The Wolverines completed one of four passes.[8] After the game, Bachman told reporters: "I am pleased with the outcome of the game, despite the loss, because we got rid of that inferiority complex with Michigan. My two sophomore backs... played as if they never heard of Michigan. To them, Michigan was just another football team."[11]

References edit

  1. ^ "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 146, 153. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  2. ^ "1933 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  3. ^ "AP All America". Bismarck Tribune. December 2, 1933.
  4. ^ "Rice Picks His All-American". Modesto Bee And News-Herald. December 23, 1933. (Collier's)
  5. ^ "NEA All America". Bismarck Tribune. December 2, 1933.
  6. ^ Robert W. Rawley (October 22, 1933). "Marquette Drops 6-0 Encounter to Michigan State". The Wisconsin State Journal. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ W. W. Edgar (November 26, 1933). "University of Detroit Eleven Takes Early Lead and Beats Spartans, 14 to 0: McCracken Registers Twice for Titan Team". Detroit Free Press. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "Michigan Pressed by Michigan State: Scores All of Its Points in First Period of 20-to-6 Battle Before 30,000". The New York Times (AP story). October 8, 1933.
  9. ^ a b c 1934 Michiganensian, Michigan State game summary, page 108.
  10. ^ "Michigan Wins Over Michigan State, 20 to 6: Wolverines Score 3 Times in First quarter; Strong Start". Chicago Daily Tribune. October 8, 1933. p. A4. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
  11. ^ "Inferiority Complex Ends, Bachman Says". The Owosso Argus Press. October 9, 1933. p. 8.