Quarterback, Michigan State, to 2011

Kirk Cousins

Lettered 2008–⁠09 (school media guide)

Number
No. 8
Height
6′3″
Hometown
Holland, MI
Born
Aug 19, 1988

Kirk Cousins played quarterback at Michigan State (to 2011). The Washington Redskins took Cousins in round 4, No. 102 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
3,316
Passing yards, 2011 (Michigan State, 11–⁠3)
Drafted
No. 102
Round 4, 2012 NFL Draft (Washington Redskins)

Career highs

353passing yards, best game on filevs. Western Michigan, 20093touchdown passes, best game on filenine times; last vs. Wisconsin, 2011

Honors

Team titles: Big Ten champions, 2010

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Passing

Passing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCmpAttPctYdsY/ATDInt
2008*Michigan State324374.43107.221
2009Michigan State19832860.42,6808.2199
2010Michigan State22633866.92,8258.42010
2011Michigan State26741963.73,3167.92510
On file (2008–⁠11)7231,12864.19,1318.16630

Rushing

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2008*Michigan State3−12−4.006
2009Michigan State31601.9041
2010Michigan State40−136−3.418
2011Michigan State37−39−1.1021
On file (2008–⁠11)111−127−1.1141

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. * That team-season’s player lines are missing part of the team’s yards in our source, so these numbers may be short.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosHt
2008Michigan State8QB
2009Michigan State8QB
2010Michigan State8QB
2011Michigan State8QB6′3″

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Game by game

2011 Michigan State 14 games, 3,316 passing yards, 25 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 2vs.Youngstown StateW 28–⁠6182222210−12
Sep 10vs.Florida AtlanticW 44–⁠0162018320−6
Sep 17atNotre DameL 13–⁠31345332911−20
Sep 24vs.Central MichiganW 45–⁠7132221311–
Oct 1atOhio StateW 10–⁠7203225012−5
Oct 15vs.MichiganW 28–⁠141324120200
Oct 22vs.WisconsinW 37–⁠31223129030−27
Oct 29atNebraskaL 3–⁠24112786010
Nov 5vs.MinnesotaW 31–⁠24233429620−13
Nov 12atIowaW 37–⁠21183126030−7
Nov 19vs.IndianaW 55–⁠3162327230–
Nov 26atNorthwesternW 31–⁠1714202142125
Dec 3vs.WisconsinL 39–⁠422230281313
Jan 2 ✦vs.GeorgiaW 33–⁠3027503001323
2010 Michigan State 13 games, 2,825 passing yards, 20 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 4vs.Western MichiganW 38–⁠14132118610−4
Sep 11vs.Florida AtlanticW 30–⁠1791714211−4
Sep 18vs.Notre DameW 34–⁠31233324521−5
Sep 25vs.Northern ColoradoW 45–⁠7162029020–
Oct 2vs.WisconsinW 34–⁠24202926932−8
Oct 9atMichiganW 34–⁠17182528410−24
Oct 16vs.IllinoisW 26–⁠6132420110−11
Oct 23atNorthwesternW 35–⁠27294333130−15
Oct 30atIowaL 6–⁠37212919813–
Nov 6vs.MinnesotaW 31–⁠8920131013
Nov 20vs.PurdueW 35–⁠31283727631−13
Nov 27atPenn StateW 28–⁠221722152201
Jan 1 ✦vs.AlabamaL 7–⁠49101812001−56
2009 Michigan State 12 games, 2,680 passing yards, 19 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 5vs.Montana StateW 44–⁠3101718330–
Sep 12vs.Central MichiganL 27–⁠29131816410−5
Sep 19atNotre DameL 30–⁠332335302113
Sep 26atWisconsinL 30–⁠38173420121−10
Oct 3vs.MichiganW 26–⁠2015211520275
Oct 17vs.NorthwesternW 24–⁠14213128120−5
Oct 24vs.IowaL 13–⁠15163222510−23
Oct 31atMinnesotaL 34–⁠42213523621−1
Nov 7vs.Western MichiganW 49–⁠14222535320−5
Nov 14atPurdueW 40–⁠371125208303
Nov 21vs.Penn StateL 14–⁠4216281551210
Jan 2 ✦vs.Texas TechL 31–⁠4113272201218
2008 Michigan State 4 games, 310 passing yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 6vs.Eastern MichiganW 42–⁠10343200–
Oct 18vs.Ohio StateL 7–⁠45182516111−8
Nov 22atPenn StateL 18–⁠497981106
Jan 1 ✦vs.GeorgiaL 12–⁠24453600−10

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

Played in the 2012 Senior Bowl (North team, won 23–⁠13).

DrillCombine 2012
Height6′2⅝″
Weight214 lb
Arm length31¾″
Hand size9⅞″
Wingspan73⅝″W
40-yard dash4.93 s
10-yard split1.71 sW
Vertical jump28½″
Broad jump9′1″
3-cone drill7.05 s
20-yard shuttle4.50 s

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

15 seasons, 179 games with a stat; latest team: Las Vegas Raiders.

Pro Bowls: 4 (2016, 2019, 2021–⁠22)

SeasonTeamGCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
2012Washington Redskins333484664322
2013Washington Redskins5811558544714
2014Washington Redskins61262041,71010920
2015Washington Redskins163795434,166291148
2016Washington Redskins164066064,917251296
2017Washington Redskins163475404,0932713179
2018Minnesota Vikings164256064,2983010123
2019Minnesota Vikings153074443,60326663
2020Minnesota Vikings163495164,2653513156
2021Minnesota Vikings163725614,221337115
2022Minnesota Vikings174246434,547291497
2023Minnesota Vikings82163112,33118525
2024Atlanta Falcons143034533,50818160
2025Atlanta Falcons101662691,7211057
2026 (so far)Las Vegas Raiders51121721,269124−2
NFL career1794,0466,07145,969310135963

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0), matched to him by his draft pick and college (Player ids: DynastyProcess (GPL-3.0)). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat. Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams by NFL season: rosters and honors, Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

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