Fun Facts: Michigan State-Iowa

IOWA CITY -- I don't do Keys to the Game. To me, it's always block, tackle, execute, be disciplined, eat the right foods, close cover before striking, and don't hitchhike.

Now, on with this week's Fun Facts:

1. Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio attended South Carolina and Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz attended Connecticut. Other Big Ten head coaches have alma maters that include these: Brown, Muskingum, Findlay, Southwestern, and Ricks College. The only Big Ten coach who is working at his alma mater is Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald.

2. Since 2008, MSU's 27 conference wins tops the Big Ten. If you're finicky, that is. Ohio State has won 33 games league games in that time, but seven were vacated.

3. In five games, Iowa's defense has faced just one down-and-goal. That's kind of wild. It came against Northern Illinois in Week 1, by the way, and the Huskies settled for a field goal.

4. Since 2010, the Spartans are 9-3 on the road in Big Ten games. That includes wins at eight different sites, including a 37-21 win over Iowa in 2011.

5. Iowa and Michigan are the only FBS teams in the nation that haven't allowed a rushing touchdown.

6. MSU defensive end Shilique Calhoun scored three defensive touchdowns in the season's first two games, tying a school season-record. Calhoun's major is criminal justice, but he says his alter ego is "Bane," a comic book supervillain.

7. Iowa freshman cornerback Desmond King of Detroit holds the Michigan high school career record for interceptions with 29.

8. Michigan State play-by-play radio announcer George Blaha grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, and attended the first Iowa-MSU football matchup, in 1953. He has been the play-by-play voice of the Detroit Pistons since 1976.

9. MSU linebackers/special teams coach Mike Tressel graduated from Mount Vernon's Cornell College in 1996. He was a three-time Midwest Conference wrestling champion for the Rams under . His uncle is former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.

10. Iowa kicker Mike Meyer has made 100 consecutive PAT kicks. That's 26 from the league record, set by Michigan's J.D. Carlson from 1989-1991. But Meyer may not get the chance to set the record, because Northwestern's Jeff Budzien has a current streak of 122.