Michigan State isn’t perfect.

In fact, the Spartans were 4-3 overall going into their game against Purdue on Saturday. Many were jumping on the Boilermakers bandwagon, too. Especially after Purdue just beat Ohio State by 29 points.

Michigan State wasn’t having it. The defense held strong once again, leading to a 23-13 win. Injuries are an excuse that some teams make.

The Spartans aren’t doing that. They’re just playing good, hard football — regardless of who’s out there. Starting QB Brian Lewerke was out. The team’s top WR in Felton Davis just had surgery. He was out.

Michigan State was down to its third-string punter. But, everything’s fine. Just keep playing hard.

Coach Mark Dantonio got his guys to do just that, and now, the Spartans are 5-3 and have games against Maryland, Ohio State, Nebraska and Rutgers remaining. It’d be a shock — even with all the injuries — to see Michigan State miss out on a bowl game.

After the 10-point win over Purdue, Dantonio spoke with the media: