Final exam for Spartans' Cousins

Every Thursday night during football season, Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins took a test on the upcoming opponent and game plan. And every time, he aced it. "There's really no corrections I make on the test," quarterbacks Dave Warren said. "He knocks them out of the ballpark every time." It's a testament to Cousins' preparation and constant attention to detail. The fifth-year senior, a rare three-time captain, is down to the last test of his college career. Cousins will make his final appearance for the Spartans Monday afternoon against Georgia in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. It will be the end of an era in East Lansing. Few players make an impact on and off the field the way Cousins has throughout his career. He is the winningest quarterback in Michigan State history (26-12 as a starter) and also ranks No. 1 in completions (696), completion percentage (64.6 percent), touchdown passes (65), passing efficiency rating (148.3) and 200-yard passing games (25). Cousins needs just 102 yards to break Jeff Smoker's school record (8,932 from 2000-03) for passing yardage in a career. Underrated as a high-school quarterback coming out of Holland Christian (near Grand Rapids, Mich.), Cousins proved to be mature beyond his years from his first day on Michigan State's campus. He went on to provide numerous intangibles with his natural leadership skills. It was Cousins who was selected to speak on behalf of all Big Ten football players during the conference's kickoff luncheon last summer. Replacing him on the field will be difficult. But living up to everything he stood for as a student-athlete will be next-to-impossible. "He's a giver, he's not a taker," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said of Cousins. "He's a person that has a great impact on others. He has the ability to walk into a room and make everybody feel comfortable with themselves, and then walk out of that room and people just say, 'Wow, that guy is special.' "That doesn't come along too often. Football has given him a platform. The end result is the quality of person he is and what he's done for people. He'll be long remembered here not just for his football ability, but for his abilities as an individual to impact so many people." In the end, all that's really missing in Cousins' career is a Rose Bowl appearance. He and the Spartans have to bounce back from a dream-crushing 42-39 loss in early December to Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, which sent them to Tampa instead of Pasadena. Cousins is part of a senior class that has more victories (36) during their careers than any other class in Michigan State football history. It's a group that arrived on campus when the Spartans were a nonfactor in the national picture, not to mention the Big Ten. They helped turn this into a top-15 program with double-digit victories each of the last two years. "I feel like I've given everything I could to this university and to this program," Cousins said, reflecting on his career. "I'll have no regrets when I take off that jersey. The fact of the matter is I've given all I have. "I'm excited for new horizons upcoming and new opportunities for me going forward. Win or lose, I'll be very proud of the effort that I and our senior class have given to Michigan State for the past four or five years." Asked what he considers his greatest contribution, Cousins answered, "I've never held back whether it is academics, whether it's on the field, whether it's my preparation in the off-season, representing the university in community events or speaking engagements or simply socially when I go out places, just understanding that I'm constantly representing Michigan State and our football program. I feel as though I've been committed to representing them in the highest way possible and I believe I've done that." Cousins now will try to win his final game, something he has never done since becoming a Spartan. He completed just 23-of-45 passes (51.1 percent) with three interceptions and one touchdown in bowl losses the last two seasons. Cousins is also trying to help end Michigan State's five-game bowl losing streak. He's going to have to solve one of the nation's top-ranked defenses to make it happen. Georgia is No. 3 in total defense, No. 8 in pass defense, No. 9 in rush defense and No. 17 in scoring defense. Cousins likes the challenge. The Spartans have a chance to beat a team that played in the SEC championship game, to win 11 games for the second straight year, all in a game that's considered one of the more attractive bowl match-ups this season. "Those are big steps for this program if we can get a win," Cousins said. It only seems appropriate for him to go out that way, doesn't it? "He certainly deserves to finish his career at Michigan State on a win," said Warren, Cousins' position coach. "He's done so much for this football program, this university. I feel very lucky to have him around for the five years he's been here. There would be no better way to send him out of here than with a victory."