Michigan State is an enigma. On this Saturday, however, Spartan fans didn’t mind it.

The Spartans were a two-touchdown underdog against Penn State in Happy Valley, but quarterback Brian Lewerke and receiver Felton Davis III came up with some huge plays late in the game, propelling MSU to an improbably 21-17 win over the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions. The win comes just one week after a loss to Northwestern in East Lansing.

And now, Michigan State is right in the thick of the B1G East race. Penn State has essentially been eliminated.

Lewerke didn’t have a great outing, completing just 24-of-52 passes for 259 yards. But late in the second half, he led two important scoring drives. Both of the drives were capped by touchdown passes to Davis, who ended the day with 100 yards on eight catches.

Penn State’s offense was able to do something no other team had done this season, rushing for 205 yards on the Spartans. Heading into the contest, Michigan State’s defense hadn’t allowed a single team to rush for 100 yards on the season. You would’ve assumed that kind of success on the ground would’ve led to a Lions win.

But Michigan State controlled the tempo and refused to allow Trace McSorley, Miles Sanders and KJ Hamler to speed the game up. Mark Dantonio’s hard-nosed approached worked, at least on this particular Saturday.

It really makes you wonder, doesn’t it? How could Michigan State not get enough points to knock off Arizona State? Why were they so bad against Northwestern? For the Spartans, thinking about the “what ifs” has to be frustrating.

On this weekend, though, that frustration has been silenced, at least temporarily. Though Michigan State has been eliminated from the College Football Playoff picture, it’s still very much alive in the B1G East. And after some less-than-impressive performances from Ohio State, the Spartans may have a legitimate chance.

Maybe that’s a bit of stretch. Perhaps an overreaction to a huge win in Happy Valley. But for once, the enigma that is Michigan State was a positive.

Now it has to find a way to build on the biggest upset of the year.