TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 THE GAME OF THE CENTURY 4 2 THE EARLY YEARS 12 BIG SUCCESS 18 26 4 BIG TEN BIG SPLASH 5 CHAMPIONS AGAIN 30 6 MODERN SPARTANS 36 TIMELINE 42 QUICK STATS 44 QUOTES ANECDOTES 45 GLOSSARY 46 MORE INFORMATION 47 ONLINE RESOURCES 47 INDEX 48 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 48
Fans filled Spartan Stadium for the 1966 Michigan State Notre Dame game
1 THE GAME OF THE CENTURY MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SENIOR BUBBA SMITH WAS HIS DORM ROOM ON A CRISP FALL NIGHT IN 1966. A FAMILIAR CHANT AROSE FROM OUTSIDE HIS WINDOW A CROWD OF APPROXIMATELY 5,000 STUDENTS HAD GATHERED OUTSIDE ON THE LAWN THEY WERE CHANTING KILL BUBBA KILL THAT CHEER WAS USUALLY RESERVED FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOONS THAT'S WHEN SMITH A 6 FOOT 6 INCH 280 POUND DEFENSIVE END USUALLY SPENT HIS DAY TERRORIZING OPPOSING QUARTERBACKS But this was a special week On November 19 1966 second ranked Michigan State would play No. I Notre Dame Fans and media began calling it The Game of the Century The rivalry between the Spartans and the Fighting Irish dated to 1897. Now they were about to meet as the two highest ranked teams in the country The Spartans had already won five national titles But the Fighting Irish were ranked No. I for good reason They had outscored their
