1959 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 1959 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1959 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 5–4 overall record (4–3 against Big Ten opponents), finished in second place in the Big Ten Conference, and were ranked No. 16 in the final Coaches Poll.^[1][2]

1959 Michigan State Spartans football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 16
Record	5–4 (4–2 Big Ten)
Head coach	Duffy Daugherty (6th season)
MVP	Dean Look
Captain	Donald Wright
Home stadium	Spartan Stadium
Seasons ← 1958 1960 →

1959 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 6 Wisconsin $	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Michigan State	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Purdue	4	–	2	–	1			5	–	2	–	2
No. 13 Illinois	4	–	2	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Northwestern	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Iowa	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Michigan	3	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Indiana	2	–	4	–	1			4	–	4	–	1
Ohio State	2	–	4	–	1			3	–	5	–	1
Minnesota	1	–	6	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Quarterback Dean Look was selected by the Associated Press (AP) as a first-team player on the 1959 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Three other Spartans were selected for the third team: halfback Herb Adderly; tackle Palmer Pyle; and center Dave Manders.^[3][4]

The 1959 Spartans won all three of their annual rivalry games. In the annual Indiana–Michigan State football rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the Hoosiers by a 14 to 6 score. In the Notre Dame rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the Fighting Irish by a 19 to 0 score. And, in the annual Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the Wolverines by a 34 to 8 score.^[2] In non-conference play, the Spartans lost to Texas A&M, 9–7, and the Miami Hurricanes, 18–13.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 26	Texas A&M*		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	L 7–9	49,507–49,529	[5]
October 3	at Michigan		Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	W 34–8	103,234	[6]
October 10	at No. 10 Iowa		Iowa Stadium Iowa City, IA	L 8–37	59,300	[7]
October 17	Notre Dame*		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI (rivalry)	W 19–0	73,480
October 24	Indiana		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI (rivalry)	W 14–6	54,611
October 31	at Ohio State		Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	L 24–30	83,130
November 7	No. 14 Purdue		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	W 15–0	58,203
November 14	No. 6 Northwestern	No. 19	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	W 15–10	38,421
November 20	at No. 18 Miami (FL)*	No. 11	Burdine Stadium Miami, FL	L 13–18	40,870
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game