1928 Michigan State Spartans football team

American college football season

1928 Michigan State Spartans football

Conference| Independent
Record| 3–4–1
Head coach|

* Harry Kipke (1st season)

Captain| Lewis A. Hornbeck
Home stadium| College Field

Seasons

← 1927

1929 →

1928 Midwestern college football independents records

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| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
Detroit |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 9  | – | 0  | – | 0
Butler |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 6  | – | 2  | – | 0
John Carroll |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 0
Kent State |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 4  | – | 2  | – | 2
Marquette |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 5  | – | 3  | – | 1
Ball Teachers |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 3  | – | 2  | – | 2
Notre Dame |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
DePaul |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 4  | – | 4  | – | 1
Haskell |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 5  | – | 5  | – | 0
Michigan Tech |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 2  | – | 2  | – | 1
Saint Louis |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 4  | – | 4  | – | 1
Wabash |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 4  | – | 4  | – | 1
Loyola (IL) |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 4  | – | 4  | – | 0
Lombard |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 3  | – | 4  | – | 1
Michigan State |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 3  | – | 4  | – | 1
Detroit City College |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 2  | – | 5  | – | 1
Valparaiso |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 1  | – | 6  | – | 0

The 1928 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College (MAC) as an independent during the 1928 college football season. In their first and only year under head coach Harry Kipke, the Spartans compiled a 3–4–1 record and outscored their opponents 153 to 66.[1][2]

On September 29, in their first game under coach Kipke, the Spartans scored 103 points against Kalamazoo, a total that was erroneously reported to be a school record.[3] The team scored 39 points in the first half but scored at an even higher pace in the second half. The Spartans scored six touchdowns in the third quarter. Sophomore Carl Nordberg played quarterback, scored three touchdowns and was credited with running the team with precision and making several brilliant runs. Substitute halfback Max Crall scored four touchdowns, including long touchdown runs of 60 and 80 yards.[3]

One week after their record-setting victory, the Spartans were upset by Albion by a 2 to 0 score. The game's only points were scored on a safety when Michigan State halfback Grove muffed a pass behind the goal line after trying to punt.[4]

On November 17, the Spartans lost their annual rivalry game against Michigan by a 3–0 score in Ann Arbor.[5]

In June 1929, Kipke was hired as the University of Michigan's new head coach.[6] Upon being hired by Michigan, Kipke said, "Coaching Michigan is the greatest football job in America. I would be foolish to turn down such an offer. It has been one of my greatest ambitions in life."[7]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

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September 29| Kalamazoo|

* College Field
* East Lansing, MI

| W 103–0| 15,000| [3]
October 6| Albion|

* College Field
* East Lansing, MI

| L 0–2| 6,000–7,000| [4][8]
October 13| Chicago YMCA|

* College Field
* East Lansing, MI

| W 37–0| | [9]
October 20| Colgate|

* College Field
* East Lansing, MI

| L 0–16| 10,000| [10]
November 3| Mississippi A&M|

* College Field
* East Lansing, MI

| T 6–6| | [11]
November 10| at Detroit|

* Dinan Field
* Detroit, MI

| L 0–39| | [12]
November 17| at Michigan|

* Michigan Stadium
* Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)

| L 0–3| 28,067| [5]
November 24| NC State|

* College Field
* East Lansing, MI

| W 7–0| | [13]

* Homecoming

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2017 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 142, 148. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
2. ^ "1928 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
3. ^ a b c "Kipke Eleven Swamps Kazoo In Record Game". Detroit Free Press. September 30, 1928. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.(erroneously referring to the result as a school scoring record -- the Spartans previously scored 109 points against Olivet College in 1920)
4. ^ a b "Albion Upsets Spartans, 2-0: Grove's Muff of Pass Behind State's Goal Line Results in Score". Detroit Free Press. October 7, 1928. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ a b Harry Bullion (November 18, 1928). "State Puts Up Hard Fight and Limits Michigan to 3-0 Victory: Hughes Register From Placement in Second Period". Detroit Free Press. pp. 21, 22 – via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Kipke Given Wieman's Job". The Daily Journal-Gazette and Commercial Star (Mattoon, Illinois). June 12, 1929. p. 5.
7. ^ "'Greatest Ambition in Life Came True,' Says Harry Kipke". The News-Palladium. June 13, 1929. p. 12.
8. ^ George S. Alderton (October 8, 1928). "Michigan State Chastened By Surprising Albion Win". Lansing State Journal. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Spartans Beat Chicago Team". Detroit Free Press. October 14, 1928. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Colgate Beats State Eleven". Detroit Free Press. October 21, 1928. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Dixie Eleven Ties Spartans: Mississippi Saved from Defeat by Pass Over Goal in Fourth Quarter". Detroit Free Press. November 4, 1928. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ W. W. Edgar (November 11, 1928). "Three Long Runs Help University of Detroit To Vanquish Michigan State, 39-0: Spartans Helpless Before Dorais Men". Detroit Free Press. p. 19.
13. ^ "Spartans Beat Southern Foe By Touchdown". Detroit Free Press. November 25, 1928. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.

* v
* t
* e

Michigan State Spartans football

Venues|

* Old College Field (1902–1922)
* Spartan Stadium (1923–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Indiana
* Michigan
* Notre Dame
* Penn State

Culture & lore|

* Sparty
* "Victory for MSU"
* Marching band
* Zeke the Wonder Dog
* 1966 "Game of the Century"
* 2001 Michigan game
* 2006 Northwestern game
* Trouble With the Snap

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

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*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties