2002 Michigan State Spartans football team

2002 Michigan State Spartans football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record4–8 (2–6 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorMorris Watts (4th season)
Defensive coordinatorBill Miller (4th season)
Home stadiumSpartan Stadium (c. 72,027 natural grass)
Seasons
← 2001
2003 →
2002 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Ohio State $#+   8 0     14 0  
No. 8 Iowa %+   8 0     11 2  
No. 9 Michigan   6 2     10 3  
No. 16 Penn State   5 3     9 4  
Purdue   4 4     7 6  
Illinois   4 4     5 7  
Minnesota   3 5     8 5  
Wisconsin   2 6     8 6  
Michigan State   2 6     4 8  
Northwestern   1 7     3 9  
Indiana   1 7     3 9  
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

The 2002 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. This was the third and final season for head coach Bobby Williams, who was replaced after the Michigan game by interim head coach Morris Watts.

The Spartans were coming off a 7–5 season which ended with a victory in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic over the Fresno State Bulldogs. However, the 2002 season turned out to be very different. The Spartans finished 4–8, their worst record since 1994, and second losing season out of the previous three. Michigan State also finished 2–6 in the Big Ten, their 3rd straight losing season in Big Ten play.

  1. ^ "2002 NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 Postseason (Jan. 5)". ESPN. Retrieved November 29, 2010.