news

Michigan State scrapes by Purdue, 24-17, to keep its bowl hopes alive

Vaseline November 23, 2024

East Lansing – Michigan State’s bowl dreams live to see another day.

In a chilly Friday night game at Spartan Stadium, the Michigan State football team (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) scraped by in a 24-17 victory over Purdue (1-10, 0-8). What started as a strong performance against the Big Ten’s worst team turned into a game that was far too close for comfort for the Spartans given all that was at stake.

The first half went like a checklist of all the areas the Spartans needed improvement in this season. The pass rush snapped his six-game streak without a sack. It also forced its first turnover since Week 8. The offense scored a touchdown on the first drive for the first time since Week 3. And the problems in the red zone – what about them? The Spartans punched in a touchdown all three times they made it.

BOX SCORE: Michigan State 24, Purdue 17

Led by a rushing and receiving touchdown from running back Nate Carter, plus a receiving score from receiver Montorie Foster Jr., Michigan State scored on all four drives in the first half.

There was also fear in the first half. On the first drive, Jack Velling took a hard hit from Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman, and medical staff from both teams rushed in to treat him. He left the field on the spine board, but gave a thumbs up to the crowd and his teammates as the cart took him away. A Michigan spokesman said he was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

So many different areas that would have cost Michigan State losses didn’t show up in the first half. The Spartans took a 24-3 lead.

That didn’t last long.

In the second half, Purdue came out juiced, scoring two consecutive touchdowns as the Spartans’ defensive struggles resurfaced. A big fourth-down conversion by Purdue, followed by a toe tap by Devin Mockobee, set up the running back’s 2-yard touchdown in the third quarter. This cut MSU’s lead to two scores. Then, Purdue cut it to just under seven points after Hudson Card scrambled on third-and-21 to find receiver Jaron Tibbs in front of the sticks, leading to a touchdown by tight end Max Klare.

The biggest problem was Michigan State’s third-down defense, as evidenced by the Tibbs conversion, but also evident by Purdue’s 3-for-6 third-down conversion rate and 11 total first downs in the second half. The Spartans defense couldn’t get off the field.

Suddenly the game went from blowout to blowout. And when Michigan State punted for the third straight time with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter and had a seven-point lead, the few fans still present watched an upset brew.

Michigan State scored a fourth time on its reaction drive, potentially putting the game in the hands of its defense. Three plays later, linebacker Jordan Turner made a diving interception after defensive back Angelo Grose fumbled his own attempt to pick off Card. It was a much-needed swing for the Spartans in a game they had lost control of.

The play led to a fifth punt.

Purdue had one more chance to tie the game, but its own mistakes proved costly. Receiver Jahmal Edrine dropped a pass that would have been a touchdown. Then a drop by Tibbs, from previous heroics, set up a key fourth-and-6. Michigan State got the stop by forcing Card to throw a ball into the ground.

The Spartans’ final drive came down to a fourth-down QB sneak, decided by an official count, but Michigan State came out on top. And with that, quarterback Aidan Chiles knelt to run out the clock.

This match should have been a more comfortable win, and for half of it it was. But that second half showed so many mistakes that Michigan State couldn’t afford. Somehow it didn’t lose the match. And most importantly, it still has a chance to make a bowl game with a win over Rutgers next Saturday.

[email protected]

@ConnorEaregood