After a tale of two halves, MSU stays alive for a bowl game. Barely.
PREGAME
Before we get to football, let’s say congratulations to MSU Women’s Soccer who advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament with a 3-2 overtime win against Texas earlier today. Mackenzie Anthony scored the game winner for the Spartans in the third minute of the sudden death OT. Michigan State will now play top seeded Duke, which beat Texas Tech 3-0 today.
On to football, where there was unfortunate news with the release of MSU’s pre-game availability report. Charles Brantley, who was injured against Indiana and did not play at Illinois, is now listed as out for the season. Brantley had been one of the bright spots on the defense and was playing incredibly well against IU before suffering a lower leg injury.
Dillon Tatum, Chance Rucker, Armorion Smith, and Malik Spencer remained out as well, along with linebacker Wayne Matthews who missed last week against Illinois.
Purdue received the ball first, where head coach Ryan Walters continued in his play caller role, after taking over those duties midway through the season.
FIRST QUARTER
On their first two series, Purdue found themselves in third and short and ran the exact same play to convert both of them: a Hudson Card to Max Klare screen pass. The second one pushed Purdue to the MSU 29 yard line. A check down pass to Devin Mockobee got it to the 14 but the MSU defense held from there. Ade Willie covered up a fade to Shamar Rigby in the end zone nicely to get it to third and long. And then, something we’ve been waiting a LONG time for – a sack by Angelo Grose on a blitz to force a Purdue field goal. The 40 yard attempt was good and Purdue scored only their 10th first quarter point against D1 competition this year.
3-0 PURDUE
Michigan State’s first drive started slowly with Luke Newman going down on the first play. He was able to walk off under his own power. Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams went for a nice 11 yard run before MSU faced a third down on its next series. Aidan Chiles found Jack Velling for his first completion to get the ball to the 48. Chiles would target Velling again on the next play but a huge hit by Dillon Thieneman knocked the ball loose and injured Velling, who had to be carted off on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. Jack was moving but obviously a massive loss for MSU.
Oddly, the Spartans seemed to come to life after the injury to Velling. Chiles looked to go outside on a keeper but cut it inside up the hash marks and took it to the Purdue 30. Then, the Spartans found another way to get Marsh involved with a reverse that went for 11. Chiles to Ademola Faleye went for another first down and then Chiles connected with Foster on a perfectly thrown 7 yard TD.
7-3 MICHIGAN STATE
After a three and out and poor punt by Purdue, MSU appeared to have good field position near midfield but a holding call during the kick pushed them back to their own 28. MSU got moving again though with Lynch-Adams going for 9 on the first play and then picking up a first down off a pitch from Chiles. Two plays later, it was third and 8 but Chiles found Marsh on a crossing route over the middle to convert and take it to the end of the first quarter.
7-3 MICHIGAN STATE END OF FIRST QUARTER
The Spartans kept it rolling to open the second quarter with two Lynch-Adams runs picking up another first down; the second one on a nice 9 yard cutback. The drive stalled after that though when Chiles held it forever on the next play. He avoided the sack and flipped it to Michael Masunas but the result was a 7 yard loss. It soon became third and 17 before a nice screen to Lynch-Adams got 13 of it back. MSU opted for the field goal try and Jonathan Kim converted to extend the lead.
10-3 MICHIGAN STATE
Purdue picked up a first down to begin their next drive before we saw something else we’ve been waiting a long time for – a turnover. The Spartans caused a fumble on the next play, and Maverick Hansen recovered it, giving MSU the ball on Purdue’s 34. The Boilermakers would continue to self-destruct from there, with a pass interference call negating a Thieneman interception of Chiles – a huge break for the Spartans. Then a 10 yard run by Carter and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Boilers moved it to first and goal at the 4.
From there, Faleye found himself open in the end zone but couldn’t reel in the pass from Chiles. MSU recovered though with a couple of tough Nate Carter runs. The first one went up the middle for 2 when not much was there. The second was all Carter again as he showed tremendous effort around right end to carry some Purdue tacklers just past the pylon.
17-3 MICHIGAN STATE
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Purdue wasn’t ready to go away just yet though. They would face a fourth and 2 on their own side of the field. Walters rolled the dice and decided to go for it – why not at 1-9 – and it paid off with a big gainer to Klare down the seam. Later, a pass interference on Ed Woods put the ball at the MSU before the defense tightened up from there. Hansen and Alex VanSumeren combined for MSU’s second sack before Card looked for Klare in the end zone twice. He was well covered in the same spot on two consecutive plays to force a Purdue field goal attempt. A bad snap led to a blocked kick and a missed opportunity for Purdue.
Michigan State took over on their own 16 and Lynch-Adams picked up 5 before the 2 minute warning. After the break, Lynch-Adams picked up another 5 on the next two plays to move the chains. From here, we would see the variety that perhaps only Aidan Chiles can provide.
He appeared to not get his hips in the right spot on a roll out and missed Marsh along the sideline. Then he had to throw it away on the next play leading to third and 10. On a run that faked out a couple Purdue defenders, Chiles again showed what he can do with his legs to keep the drive moving. He evaded a couple of defenders on the next play but held onto the ball again and was dropped for a loss of one.
But two beautiful throws later, the Spartans were in the end zone again. A 33 yard sideline throw to Montorie Foster got it to the Purdue 20 before Chiles was on target again to Carter in the end zone.
24-3 MICHIGAN STATE
Purdue came out aggressive and picked up a first down before halftime but couldn’t get any farther. A Purdue punt ended the half.
Walters and several Purdue players were showing their frustration throughout the first half while MSU was doing exactly what they needed to, taking a big lead into the locker room.
A credit to the MSU faithful here as well. Watching from TV, there appeared to be a good crowd with the lower bowl, including the student section looking mostly filled up. The Spartan fans appeared to be loud and into it as well. Or maybe it’s the volume that my father insists on keeping the TV at. Regardless, the Spartans – both on the field and in the stands – appeared to show up for this one.
Perhaps with the weather turning even worse, the Spartans playing well and appearing to be in a comfortable spot, some of the fans may have opted to head for exits at halftime. They would save themselves from witnessing in person a second half of mostly misery and near disaster.
24-3 MICHIGAN STATE HALFTIME
Michigan State decided to take a shot to open the second half but Chiles threw just a little behind an open Marsh for what would have been a big gain. A couple of plays later, the Spartans faced a fourth and less than one on their own 34 and kept the offense on the field. A Chiles sneak up the middle kept the drive going for the time being but it stalled from there. Ryan Eckley punted for the first time after MSU couldn’t capitalize on the bomb attempt to Marsh. This would be a signal of what was to come for most of the rest of the game, at least for MSU’s offense.
Purdue took over on the 27 with light rain being added to the wind that was already pummeling Spartan Stadium. A 24 yard Card to Jahmal Edrine pass got it to the 50 before MSU forced a fourth and 5. Purdue went for it again and converted this time with Card finding Rigby for 17 to extend the Purdue drive. From there it was Card to Jaron Tibbs for 9 and then Card to Mockobee to the 5 yard line. The play was initially ruled out of bounds but replay showed that Mockobee got one foot in. A Card draw got the ball to the 2 before Mockobee took a pitch and ran it in around the left edge.
24-10 MICHIGAN STATE
At this point, Michigan State, and perhaps the fans that remained, may have thought about a couple of near Purdue comebacks earlier this year. The Boilermakers fell behind both Illinois and Northwestern before coming back to force both of those games to overtime before eventually falling short.
The Spartans picked up one first down on a 10 yard Lynch-Adams run on their next drive but that was about it. Chiles was sacked for a loss of 5, Chiles to Marsh, who had to reach back for the catch, for 12 and then Chiles missing Foster on a rollout led to MSU’s second punt in a row. Eckley had pinned Purdue at their own 5 but offsetting penalties for a hold on Purdue and personal foul on MSU led to a re-kick. This time, Purdue took a fair catch at the 15 to avoid being pinned really deep in their own end.
Purdue started moving again as Card went to Tibbs, who extended for a nice catch at the 36. Later on a third down, an official threw a very late flag on Angelo Grose for pass interference and that call put Purdue in MSU territory. Card then connected with Klare again for a first down to end the third quarter, which was a lot more productive for Purdue than the Spartans.
24-10 MICHIGAN STATE END OF THIRD QUARTER
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The third quarter started with Card being pressured and called for grounding resulting in a loss of 11. An incompletion led to third and 21 and, with the ball at their own 45, MSU absolutely had to get off the field. They couldn’t though as Card scrambled and heaved it to Tibbs inside the Spartan 10 yard line. One play later, Card found Klare in the end zone and, after doing everything they wanted in the first half, MSU was now reeling.
24-17 MICHIGAN STATE
MSU needed an answer on offense but didn’t get one. After starting with a 15 yard completion to Foster, Chiles overthrew a wide open Foster, who ran right past his man, along the sideline. On third and eight, Chiles was accurate to Marsh but Brennan Paracheck may have ran the wrong route, shielded Marsh, and it resulted in another incompletion. Eckley’s third punt in as many possessions went into the end zone and a revitalized Purdue took over on their 20.
Purdue’s drive started with a nice pass break up by Woods on a back shoulder throw to Edrine. A drop by Mockobee led to a third and ten and another chance for MSU to get off the field. But, once again, Purdue converted on a diving catch by De’Nylon Morrissette. Two more incompletions and another third and 10 followed. This time MSU held with Angelo Grose defending a pass to Edrine leading, finally, to a Purdue punt with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The next series went nowhere for MSU, resulting in Eckley’s fourth punt in a row and pressure squarely back on the defense, with almost no rest so far in the second half.
The Spartans, and Jordan Turner, would come up big though. The drive started with promise for Purdue with a great one-handed catch by Edrine, despite interference from Woods. On the next play, though, Turner came up with a great interception on a tip drill play. Replay took a look at it but the interception ruling stood.
It was more of the same on MSU’s next drive though. Lynch-Adams picked up a first down in two runs but then lost three to start the next series. Chiles to Paracheck for 7 made it third and manageable but then Chiles couldn’t connect with Marsh and it was time to punt again. This one also rolled into the end zone so Purdue started from their 20 again with just under 6 minutes to go.
Michigan State dodged a bullet on the next drive as a wide open Edrine dropped what could have been a catch and run TD. Purdue would fight on though as Card would continue to make plays and get the Boilermakers near midfield, where they faced a third and 6. Tibbs was open but another drop would prove costly here again. On fourth down, under heavy pressure, Card couldn’t connect with anyone and MSU took over on downs. Fortunately, we wouldn’t have to see Hudson Card and the Purdue offense again.
A holding call on Purdue got MSU going on the next drive but it was a struggle to the very end from there. Chiles thought he converted a game clinching conversion on a third down run but was ruled just short. After the 2 minute time out, the Spartans kept Kim on the sidelines in the bad weather and kept the offense on the field for fourth and inches. A Chiles sneak needed a measurement to confirm the first down and it was finally victory formation for MSU.
24-17 MICHIGAN STATE FINAL
Yes, after things were rolling along in the first half, the second half became almost unbearable. However, the Spartans are still clinging to bowl hopes. It’s going to take a much more complete game than this next week against Rutgers if they actually want to make those hopes a reality though.