Final Score: #25 Michigan State 40 Indiana 31

Brief Recap: This game was tight throughout. Michigan State was supposed to take care of Indiana fairly easily according to Vegas, but the game remained a one-score contest the entire way (up until the final play). The Spartans won late more so because of their defense, which has been the case all season long. Spartans QB Brian Lewerke led a game-winning drive with 2:00 left to play, setting up the 21-yard field goal with five seconds left. Michigan State recovered a fumble in the end zone on the final play to make it a nine-point win.

Key Moment: Indiana forced Michigan State to punt when the Hoosiers led 24-21. Hoosiers WR Whop Philyor had a big punt return that got called back due to holding during the kick. Indiana had to settle for starting its drive on their own 11-yard-line. Michigan State would go on to force a quick three-and-out and then proceeded to score and take a 28-24 lead after a Brandon Sowards 22-yard return.

Key Stat: Michigan State’s defense held Indiana to a 2.5 yards-per-carry average in the game. The Hoosiers had great success throwing the football, but gaining 70 yards on 28 rushing attempts proved that the Spartans could key in on Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Penix had a great stat-line, but only scored seven points in the final 14 minutes of the game (and when the Spartans knew the Hoosiers would be throwing).

Key Player: Brian Lewerke. Michigan State’s quarterback didn’t have as pretty of a stat-line as Penix (Lewerke finished going 18-of-36 for 300 yards and 3 TD to zero INT). Lewerke, however, did exactly what he needed to do late: go down and win the game with a score when it was tied at 31.

What it means for Michigan State: The Spartans move to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play. If there was any hope for Michigan State to compete in the Big Ten East division with teams like Ohio State and Penn State, it needed to beat Indiana at home. The Spartans did that. Both the offense and defense had its moments to shine, though it certainly wasn’t perfect. Michigan State travels to face No. 5 Ohio State next week.

What it means for Indiana: Indiana’s goal this season wasn’t to win a national championship. However, the Hoosiers did want to compete. They certainly did that in this game, but a loss is a loss. The team is now 0-2 in Big Ten play and 3-2 overall. If Indiana wants to right the ship and make a bowl game, it will have to win three of its last eight games. The Hoosiers got a big boost from Penix returning from his injury and if he can stay healthy, this team should be able to compete with most of its opponents.