The game started about as good as we could have hoped for. Michigan State kicked off and immediately forced a three-and-out after a Penn State fumbled snap led to a ten-yard loss on 3rd. The Spartans took over at their 43 after the punt, and on 1st down, Elijah Tau-Tolliver found a hole on the right side and took it all the way for the touchdown. Spartans 7-0.
Penn State answered with a TD of their own on the next drive, going 75 yards over 12 plays to draw even. The drive was kept alive with a 4th-and-2
play from just past midfield that the Nittany Lions converted. From there, they had a 25-yard pass play followed by runs of 5 and 8 to get to the endzone. 7-7 tie.
MSU and PSU traded three-and-outs, and then traded turnover-on-down drives, MSU’s being 4 plays and PSU’s taking 6 plays. Taking over from their 42 early in the second quarter, MSU picked up a 3rd down conversion with a 32-yard pass to ET-T. On the next play, ET-T ran for 11 and another 1st down to the Penn State 8. Michigan State got as close as the 4, but Alessio Milivojevic took a sack on 3rd, and MSU settled for a field goal. Spartans 10-7.
Just like the first MSU scoring drive, Penn State had an answer, this time needing just one play as Ethan Grunkemeyer hit Devonte Ross for a 75-yard touchdown. Nittany Lions 14-10.
Michigan State sandwiched two drives which totaled 27 yards around a Penn State possession which ended in another turnover on downs. PSU took a knee and went to the locker room up 3.
The Spartans received the ball to begin the 2nd half. After a fair catch, MSU picked up a couple first downs and crossed midfield but stalled from there. The Ryan Eckley punt was fair caught at the 9.
Penn State picked up one first down to get out to their 20, but the Spartan defense buckled down on the next series and got a sack on 3rd down when Grunkemeyer held the ball too long. Jalen Satchell and David Santiago were credited for the sack. The PSU punt took a good bounce for them and MSU’s Omari Kelly was brought down at the 22.
The ensuing possession lasted less than a minute. On 3rd and 7, Alessio had Nick Marsh over the middle, but his pass was too high and Marsh could not bring it down. Eckley’s punt went 58 yards and the MSU special teamers made an immediate tackle at the PSU 17.
Penn State took the ball out of their QB’s hands on the next drive. They went with six straight running plays, but after the first 3 plays moved them almost to the 50, MSU’s defensive line finally stiffened up and forced the punt. Unfortunately, the punt hit the turf and rolled to a stop at the Spartan 4.
MSU took over with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and Makhi Frazier started things off with a 9-yard gash. A short Frazier run on 2nd would move the sticks. A 3rd straight handoff to Frazier went for 11 and another 1st down. On 2nd down, a pass to TE Michael Masunas at the 40 picked up another first. The next series started with a 7-yard sack, and then an illegal snap penalty made it 2nd and 22. That was MSU’s first penalty of the day, and that was how the quarter ended. The game was stuck at the 14-10 score we had at halftime.
Behind the chains, MSU had to go to the air, but Penn State got to Alessio again, this time for an 8-yard sack. A six-yard run on 3rd & 30 led to another Eckley punt. This one went 55 and Penn State only managed four on the return to take over at their 24.
Penn State stayed with the ground game, using 10 straight rushes, three of which were QB scrambles, to get to 1st and goal. Two more rushes got it down inside the 5, and then an end-around got the visitors into the endzone to wrap up a drive that lasted 9:05 and pretty much ended the game. No way was MSU going to score 11 points in the final 4:32. Nittany Lions 21-10.
From their 25, MSU started with a dump-off to ET-T for 16. After a 4-yard pickup, MSU benefitted from a roughing the passer penalty. That got MSU across midfield to the PSU 35. And then there was a second consecutive play with a roughing the passer call. MSU had the ball at the 20, but PSU brought pressure and a pair of guys crunched Milivojevic ten yards back and forced a fumble that they, of course, recovered. It looked like Alessio hurt his left arm on the play.
Penn State got the ball up two scores and with 3:15 left in the game. Predictably, they went to the ground. After a short 2-yarder to open the drive, Kaytron Allen hit the hole for 42 yards down to the MSU 26. The next play may have been a sign of MSU’s defense not trying, or at least not focusing, because Allen took a handoff left and jogged in completely untouched for another PSU TD. Announcers saying something about the play clock reaching zero, but if there is no whistle, you got to play. Nittany Lions 28-10.
2:07 remaining. I hope MSU just takes a knee. Nope. Alessio came back on the field and hit Jack Velling for 6 to get to the 2-minute timeout (why can’t they call it “warning” like the NFL?) A completion to ET-T picked up a first down. But MSU would not get any more first downs as a sack, Alessio’s fifth of the day, led to a turnover on downs.
Penn State was able to kneel out the clock and shower their interim coach with the Gatorade bucket. The Land Grant Trophy will travel back to Happy Valley. Michigan State is officially eliminated from bowl contention.
Since MSU scored their field goal early in the 2nd quarter to go up 10-7, they amassed only 127 yards, 30 of which came on those back-to-back roughing the passer penalties. Penn State scored the final 21 points of the game.
Can’t wait for these final two games to be behind us.
