The next year, in their first year of Big Ten Conference play, Michigan State tied for the conference title with Illinois and defeated UCLA in the 1954 Rose Bowl. With Munn as head coach and Daugherty as an assistant, the Michigan State football team compiled a record of 54–9–2.
The following year, in their first season within the Big Ten Conference, Michigan State tied for the conference title with Illinois and defeated UCLA in the 1954 Rose Bowl. Under Munn as head coach and Daugherty as an assistant, the Michigan State football team finished with a record of 54–9–2.