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Dec. 31, 1996
Cardinal Rolls Past Michigan State In Sun Bowl, 38-0
Leroy Pruitt and Josh Madsen teamed up on a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown and Adam Salina and receiver David Dunn ran for scores as Stanford pounded Michigan State, 38-0, in the most lopsided Sun Bowl in 18 years.
Corey Hill returned a blocked punt for a score for the Cardinal (7-5), which closed the season with five straight wins and gave the Pac-10 its first bowl triumph in three tries. California lost to Navy in the Aloha Bowl and Washington fell to Colorado in the Holiday Bowl.
Chad Hutchinson was 22-for-28 for 226 yards and a touchdown as Stanford compiled 495 yards while holding Michigan State to 227. Spartans tailback Sedrick Irvin, who averaged nearly 95 yards per game, was limited to 31 in nine carries. Todd Schultz, who had passed for better than 200 yards in his last four games, was 8-for-21 for 68 yards and two interceptions.
It was the first shutout in the Sun Bowl since 1978, when Texas routed Maryland, 42-0. Stanford improved to 9-8-1 all-time in bowls and notched its first post-season shutout since 1936, when it blanked Southern Methodist in the Rose Bowl.
The blanking ended a turbulent season for Michigan State (6-6), which was placed on four years probation for rules violations by the NCAA but is eligible for the post-season.
The Spartans have not won a bowl game since 1990 and were shut out in a bowl for the first time since 1938, when they were beaten 6-0 by Auburn in the Orange Bowl.
1 2 3 4 F
- - - - --
Stanford 7 14 10 7 38
Michigan St 0 0 0 0 0 FINAL
Stanford-Pruitt 79 lateral from Madsen (Miller kick)
Stanford-Ritchie 8 pass from Hutchinson (Miller kick)
Stanford-Salina 1 run (Miller kick)
Stanford-FG Miller 24
Stanford-Dunn 27 run (Miller kick)
Stanford-Hill 6 blocked punt return (Miller kick)
Stanford Michigan St
First downs 25 13
Rushed-yards 40-207 31-68
Passing yards 238 151
Sacked-yards lost 3-20 5-33
Return yards 173 22
Passes 23-30-1 13-33-3
Punts 2-52.5 9-41.9
Fumbles-lost 3-1 3-2
Penalties-yards 1-10 5-30
Time of possession 35:42 24:18
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Stanford-Bookman 11-103, Mitchell 16-74, Dunn 1-27,
Walters 1-8, Ritchie 2-4, Salina 2-minus 1, Hutchinson 7-minus
8. Michigan St-Goulbourne 12-51, Irvin 9-31, Burke 5-2, Schultz
5-minus 16.
PASSING: Stanford-Hutchinson 22-28-1-226, Husak 1-2-0-12.
Michigan St-Schultz 8-21-2-68, Burke 4-7-0-71, Ornstein
1-4-1-12, Irvin 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING: Stanford-Ritchie 5-37, Dunn 4-63, Manning 3-42,
Kirwan 3-35, Clark 3-30, Mitchell 2-minus 11, Evans 1-26,
Walters 1-9, Salina 1-7. Michigan St-D Mason 4-43, Long 2-46, N
Carter 2-34, Irvin 2-0, Payne 1-12, Gould 1-10, Keur 1-6.