See-saw battle goes to the Spartans, giving Coach Smith his first Big Ten win.
The Spartans kicked off to start the game for the touchback. Maryland began the game trying to get the running game going, but after a couple short pickups, they went to the air to grab the first down. On the second series, they were forced into another third and short, but they managed to run for a second 1st down. After a deep shot sailed too far, Maryland had a third 3rd down, this one with 8 to go, but they managed to move the chains on a busted play that finished with a shovel pass to avoid the sack. On the 4th series, they faced another 3rd and 8, and a screen pass to Tai Felton ended in yards after catch for yet another 1st down at the MSU 30. The Spartans got called for a pass interference penalty on the next play, another deep shot, which put Maryland at the 15. On 2nd down, Billy Edwards lofted a corner route to Felton, and this time the pass was complete for a touchdown. Maryland methodically moved down the field on their first drive. 7-0 Terps.
Michigan State started their first drive from the 15 after a short kick return. Like the first game, the first pass went to Montorie Foster, this one a screen that picked up 7 yards. On 2nd, Chiles’ pass went through the hands of Jaron Glover. Nick Marsh got the catch on 3rd to move the chains, and he drew a late hit on the play as well, to move MSU out to the Maryland side of the field. Nate Carter then busted through the line and picked up 30 down to the 15. After another Carter rush and an incompletion, Chiles hit Foster on a slant in the endzone for the score. Chiles was accurate and decisive on his first action of week 2. 7-7 tie.
Both offenses looked good early on and it felt like the game could come down to who could get the most stops and/or turnovers.
Charles Brantley blew up an end-around to begin Maryland’s 2nd drive to get them behind the chains. On 3rd and 5, Maryland continued their perfection on 3rd down plays for the game and moved the chains. Then a holding penalty put Maryland in a 1st & 20. Two incompletions later, it was 3rd & 20, and this time, MSU’s defense was able to force out the punt team. Foster called for the fair catch at the MSU 19.
On MSU’s 2nd drive, they failed to get any 1st downs. Chiles sailed a pass on 3rd down that ended up getting picked off and Maryland returned it down to the MSU 17. A play later it was 1st and goal, and then Billy Edwards kept the ball and bootlegged to his left and crossed the goalline. 14-7 Terps.
The first play of MSU’s next drive began with a 23-yard pass to Jack Velling… but the play was negated by an illegal formation. They went back to Velling to get those yards back. On the next play, Glover caught a pass for a first down, had the ball knocked loose, and Foster recovered it for some more yards. Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams then got his first action, rushing for 8 yards. Chiles took the deep shot on 2nd down, but his pass just went past Foster’s hands in the endzone. Chiles kept it himself on 3rd and just got enough to move the chains. After a negative run, Chiles slung it to Marsh on the perimeter to bring up 3rd & 4. Lynch-Adams then made some nice moves to get 16 and keep the drive going. A personal foul against MSU for an illegal block put the Spartans in a 2nd & 23. Chiles said, “No worries,” and hit Glover on a seam route for his second touchdown pass of the game. 14-14 tie.
Maryland errantly brought the ensuing kickoff out of the endzone and also picked up a penalty on the return, resulting in a drive beginning at their 5-yard line. The Terrapins picked up a pair of first downs, but on the first-down play of the next series, Khris Bogle got off the edge and sacked Edwards for a loss of 9. Two plays later, MSU forced another Maryland punt, which they let bounce into the endzone for a touchback.
Chiles led the Spartans back out onto the field with 5:25 remaining in the first half. The Spartans avoided another interception on the first play after a pass squirted through the hands of Marsh and nearly into the arms of a diving defender. Two plays later, the drive was over, and MSU punted for the first time, getting it to Maryland’s 35.
Two runs brought up a 3rd & 1, which Maryland ruined with a false start. The MSU defense shut down a screen pass on 3rd & 6 and forced a punt, which Foster fair-caught at the 12.
With 2:20 left until halftime and two timeouts, MSU drove down the field, picking up five first downs. But with time running out, Chiles took an untimely sack which moved MSU back to the Maryland 37 with 5 seconds left. MSU took their last timeout and brought on the field goal unit. Jonathan Kim missed a 55 yarder, but Maryland was flagged for offsides, and Kim redeemed himself by making a 50 yarder to send MSU to the locker rooms with the lead. 17-14 Spartans.
Michigan State received the ball to start the second half. Nate Carter got things going with a 13 yard run on the first play. Jaron Glover then caught a pass on 3rd & 10 for another first down, and then Lynch-Adams busted a run through the line for another 23 yards into Maryland territory. Then it was a trickeration reverse play that picked up 14 more yards to the 21. A holding call moved MSU back ten yards, and then Chiles tried taking another shot to the endzone, but had his pass sailed and was intercepted in the corner. His second interception of the game ended a scoring opportunity for MSU.
Maryland took over at the 20 and immediately took the deep shot, with an Edwards pass to Felton being caught at the MSU 45. They followed that up with a 17 yard shot to Felton, but then they stagnated and only picked up six yards on the next three plays to settle for a 40-yard field goal… which became a 45-yarder after a delay of game. 17-17 tie.
On MSU’s 2nd 2nd half possession, they started with a holding penalty to move back to 1st & 20. Chiles then threw passes of 5, 6, and 9 to get the first down by a hair. But on the 3rd down play, Jack Velling, who caught the pass, came down on the ball and needed help getting up. After a commercial, MSU got caught for a loss of four on a run to the right. Chiles came up just short trying to get the first with his legs, and MSU elected to punt rather than go for it on 4th & 1 from their own 45. Ryan Eckley booted the punt into the endzone for a touchback.
To start their next drive, Maryland tried a halfback pass which was intercepted by MSU, but a pass interference penalty nullified the penalty and moved Maryland up 15 yards. Maryland then converted a 3rd & 6 to get to midfield and keep the drive alive. The Terrapins then picked up yet another 3rd down to move to MSU’s 39. And on the final play of the 3rd quarter, Maryland moved the chains on, yep, a 3rd down run to the 28. On the opening play of the 4th, Dylan Wade got wide open down the left side and Edwards easily got him the ball for the trot into the endzone. 24-17 Terps.
WOW! MSU goes deep on the first play. Chiles hits Marsh in stride over the middle. The play goes for 57 yards down to the Maryland 18. False start on MSU makes it 1st & 15. Carter run gets stopped in the backfield leading to 2nd & 19. Chiles gets caught in the pocket and just gets back to the line. And on 3rd & 19, Chiles has the ball slip out of his hands and Maryland catches it for the interception, their third of the day, at the 37. The Spartans lost 19 yards after that big first play and came away with no points.
Maryland’s knack for picking up 3rd downs continued on the ensuing drive. But then some good fortune swung our way as a pass went off Felton’s fingers and was intercepted by Charles Brantley at the MSU 23. Big play!
Unfortunately, MSU could not do anything off the turnover and went three and out after gaining just three yards. The Eckley punt moved Maryland back to their own 23… but wait, there’s flags on the play. Wait, those were on us? They totally ran into the punter. Facemask on us. Damn.
So Maryland takes over at their 38 with 8:57 to play. The Terrapins went to the ground game to start chewing up the clock. MSU forced a 3rd and 13 on the second series. Predictably, Edwards hit Felton over the middle for 23 yards and a first down. That was a backbreaker for the Spartans as Maryland was now in field goal range. Finally, MSU stopped a 3rd down play after that, and Maryland’s kicker pushed the kick wide right to give MSU life.
The Spartans took over with 4:22 to go. WOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Nick Marsh does it again. 77 yards to the house. The kick is good. 24-24 tie.
F*%^!! Kickoff out of bounds. Maryland starts with a negative run but then gets a big pass to set up 3rd & 1. But the MSU defense gets through and blows up the run for no gain. Maryland punts the ball with 2:20 remaining and pins MSU at the 16.
Michigan State comes onto the field with all three timeouts in their pocket and momentum on their side. The first play was a rush that goes nowhere. And there is that 2-minute warning. Chiles threw incomplete on 2nd down, and then on 3rd down MSU gets the benefit of a pass interference call. From the 31, Chiles passed it to Antonio Gates Jr. for 7 yards, and then Chiles kept it on 2nd to get the first out at the 44. On first down, Chiles hit Foster for 12 to move past midfield, but the clock is now under a minute. Next play, another reception to Marsh and another first down at the Maryland 32. Chiles rushes for 3 yards and MSU calls a timeout with 37 seconds left. On 2nd down, Chiles hits Marsh on a misdirection play, but Marsh gets stopped a yard short of the sticks. This time, Maryland calls a timeout with half a minute remaining. MSU went with a QB-keep on 3rd & 1 and, after a measurement, the Spartans are awarded a fresh set of downs with the clock down to 24 ticks. Nate Carter got 3 on the ground and Maryland calls their 2nd timeout. Carter picked up 2 more on 2nd and MSU burned another timeout with ten seconds on the clock. On 3rd & 5, MSU got called for a false start, backing the ball up to the 21. One more run to Carter got to the 18 along the right hash and MSU calls their last timeout with five seconds to go. Jonathan Kim comes out onto the field for the winning attempt. The 37 yard try gets delayed by Maryland’s final timeout. It matters not! Kim nails the kick! A penalty on Maryland is irrelevant. With one second left, MSU Leads 27-24!
Kickoff goes out the back of the endzone so it is time for some shenanigans on this final play from Maryland. Hook & ladder & ladder & ladder & ladder & tackle by Cal Haladay. Game Over.
VICTORY FOR MSU!
MSU is 2-0. Enjoy your Saturday night, Spartan Nation.