Michigan State's 2016 Season Opener Moved To Friday, Sept. 2
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State's 2016 season opener against Furman, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3, has been moved to Friday, Sept. 2 at Spartan Stadium. The game time and TV network will be announced at a later date.
This marks the sixth consecutive season the Spartans will open on a Friday night. MSU hosted its first Friday night game in 2011 vs. Youngstown State, and has also welcomed Boise State (2012), Western Michigan (2013) and Jacksonville State (2014) to East Lansing to start the season. Last year, MSU traveled to Kalamazoo on Friday, Sept. 4 to begin the 2015 campaign at Western Michigan. The Spartans are 5-0 in their previous Friday night games under 10th-year head coach Mark Dantonio.
A member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Furman went 4-7 last season and 2-5 in the Southern Conference. The matchup on Sept. 2 will be the first between the two teams.
The Spartans are 5-0 all-time against FCS schools, defeating Montana State, 44-3, in the 2009 season opener; Northern Colorado, 45-7, in Week 4 of the 2010 campaign; Youngstown State, 28-6, in the 2011 season opener; Youngstown State, 55-17, in Week 3 of the 2013 season; and Jacksonville State, 45-7, in the 2014 season opener. Michigan State has outscored its FCS opponents, 217-40 (average score of 43-8), in the five meetings.
Michigan State is 98-21 (.824) all-time in home openers, including a 17-game winning streak that began in 1999 with a win over Oregon. The 17-game home-opening winning streak is tied for the third-longest active streak in the nation. Mark Dantonio is 9-0 in home openers at MSU.