Sept. 4: Boise State Broncos Sept. 11: Oklahoma Sooners Sept. 18: Arizona Wildcats Sept. 25: UCLA Bruins Oct. 2: Michigan State Spartans Oct. 9: South Carolina Gamecocks Oct. 16: Wisconsin Badgers Oct. 23: Missouri Tigers Oct. 30: Iowa Hawkeyes Nov. 6: TCU Horned Frogs Nov. 13: Northwestern Wildcats Nov. 20: Texas A&M Aggies Nov. 27: Nevada Wolf Pack
Football Writers Association of America Oct. 4, 2010
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ted Gangi
214-909-9314
Spartans bounce Wisconsin with coach in hospital
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MICHIGAN STATE IS TOSTITOS FIESTA
BOWL NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) – With their 34-24 win over No. 11 Wisconsin, the Michigan State Spartans (5-0) are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Oct. 2.

Playing without head coach Mark Dantonio, who suffered a mild heart attack after the Spartans defeated Notre Dame in overtime two weeks ago, the Spartans improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1999. Dantonio planned to return for the game, but the school announced hours before kickoff that he had been hospitalized again because of a blood clot in his leg.

Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes, the last a one-yard pass to B.J. Cunningham to cap a 15-play, 84-yard drive that sealed the win with 2:43 left in the game.

"We are very, very proud of our young men," offensive coordinator Don Treadwell said after the game. "Coach Dantonio addressed the group afterwards. Coach D was able to share with our football team of how proud he is of what took place today in terms of our young men's effort and determination and all the things a head coach would want."

Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 2 included:

Alabama (5-0): In Tuscaloosa, the top-ranked Crimson Tide held No. 7 Florida without a touchdown for the first time in 61 games in a 31-6 romp. The win was Alabama's 17th straight at home.

Oregon (5-0): The Ducks rallied from an early 21-3 hole to blow past No. 9 Stanford, 52-31, in Eugene. LaMichael James ran for 257 yards and three touchdowns to help Oregon win its 10th straight game.

Washington (2-2): Erik Folk nailed a 32-yard field goal on the final play as the Huskies stunned USC, 32-31, in Los Angeles to give them their first road win since 2007 and their first win at USC since 1996.

The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the seventh season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during the 2010 college football regular season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.

Founded in 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted six games that have decided the college football national championship, including three Bowl Championship Series title games. This season, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will host the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 10, 2011 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be played on Jan. 1, 2011 in Glendale and the Insight Bowl will be played on Dec. 28, 2010 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, go to footballwriters.com or fiestabowl.org.

2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Teams of the Week
Weekend of Sept. 4: Boise State Broncos
Weekend of Sept. 11: Oklahoma Sooners
Weekend of Sept. 18: Arizona Wildcats
Weekend of Sept. 25: UCLA Bruins
Weekend of Oct. 2: Michigan State Spartans
Weekend of Oct. 9: South Carolina Gamecocks
Weekend of Oct. 16: Wisconsin Badgers
Weekend of Oct. 23: Missouri Tigers
Weekend of Oct. 30: Iowa Hawkeyes
Weekend of Nov. 6: TCU Horned Frogs
Weekend of Nov. 13: Northwestern Wildcats
Weekend of Nov. 20: Texas A&M Aggies
Weekend of Nov. 27: Nevada Wolf Pack

2010 FWAA ALL-AMERICA COMMITTEE
Desmond Conner Hartford Courant Big East
Robert Gagliardi Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Mountain West
Cory Giger Altoona Mirror Big Ten
Kate Hairopoulos The Dallas Morning News Conference USA
Jorge Milian Palm Beach Post ACC
Ted Miller espn.com Pacific-10
Brian Murphy Idaho Statesman WAC
Joshua Parrott Lafayette Daily Advertiser Sun Belt
Randy Rosetta Baton Rouge Advocate SEC
John Sahly DeKalb Daily Chronicle MAC
Phil Steele Phil Steele Publications Independents
Jake Trotter The Oklahoman Big 12