Michigan State Football: Top 10 quarterbacks in school history
2. Kirk Cousins (2008-11)
It it weren’t for the past couple of seasons under Connor Cook, Kirk Cousins would likely still be the No. 1 quarterback in school history. It’s hard to believe that Cousins wasn’t even the clear-cut starter for the Spartans when he took over in 2009 since he was battling it out with Keith Nichol for the No. 1 QB duties.
Nicole eventually moved to receiver, where he did very well for himself, while Cousins became one of the most prolific passers in Michigan State history.
In 2009, the uncertainty was running rampant as the Spartans had just lost to Central Michigan early in the season and it looked like Dantonio’s third year as head coach was going to lead to his demise. I distinctly remember having friends text me and ask how much longer Coach D had before he would be fired, and I remember responding with ‘just trust him’.
Cousins was named the full-time starter and led the Spartans to a 6-7 record after an Alamo Bowl loss to Texas Tech — that proved to be Dantonio’s only season in which he finished under .500 at Michigan State.
How would Cousins respond to a poor record in his first year? Well, he came out slinging it as a junior, passing for 2,825 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions — a 200-yard improvement from the year before. It may not have seemed like a breakout year, but MSU went from 6-7 in 2009 to 11-2 in 2010 with a 49-7 Capital One Bowl loss to Alabama.
Already proving himself, Cousins had an even better senior year, passing for 3,316 yards and 25 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, leading Michigan State to its second straight 11-win season and an overtime Outback Bowl win over Georgia — Dantonio’s first bowl win in five tries.
Cousins finished his career with a 28-12 overall record. He’s also first in passing yards for now (9,131), first in completions (723), second in touchdown passes (66), first in passer efficiency rating (146.1) and second in career completion percentage (64.1%).
Next: 1. Connor Cook (2012-15)