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Rapid Reaction: Michigan State earns bowl eligibility with late defensive stand vs Maryland
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Final Score: Maryland 16, Michigan State 19
Brief Recap: Well, it wasn’t pretty once again for the Spartans, but Michigan State secured a sixth win and bowl eligibility by locking down Maryland’s big-play offense late in the fourth quarter. Michigan State trailed at the end of the first quarter as Maryland scored on a long touchdown pass from Josh Jackson to Dontay Demus Jr. Then, the Spartans battled back to take a 13-7 lead into halftime on a short Brian Lewerke touchdown. The third quarter was all Maryland as the Terrapins pushed across a field goal and 63-yard touchdown by Anthony McFarland. But thanks to two fourth-quarter field goals and a late defensive stand, the Spartans squeaked out the victory.
Key Moment: With seven minutes left in the game, Lewerke and the offense got the ball back on their own 11-yard line. Lewerke drove the offense steadily down the field, completing seven passes on the drive. The entire drive covered 12 plays and 74 yards while taking up five minutes of game time. Though the Spartans did not punch the ball into the end zone, they drove all the way to the 15-yard line and set up kicker Matt Coghlin for a 33-yard field goal with just over two minutes to go in the game.
Key Stat: 1-for-11, Maryland’s conversion rate on third downs. The Terrapins scored with two long plays to keep the game close. Unfortunately, that was all the offense they could manage. In a game slowly grinding into a defensive struggle, Maryland’s inability to convert and maintain steady drives proved to be the difference.
Key Player: This goes to Michigan State QB Brian Lewerke. In yet another game that saw the offense struggle at times to put points on the board, the Spartans leaned heavily on their senior leader. He completed 30-of-40 passes for 342 yards and battled hard despite two early interceptions. He also had 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground and was absolutely the difference-maker on the game-winning drive.
What it Means for Maryland: After two blowout wins to start the season, Maryland finishes the year on a 1-9 skid. The lone conference win for the Terrapins came against Rutgers, and the fact that Locksley and company kept the score close against the Spartans is little consolation. There’s no denying Locksley’s offense showed flashes during the year. Unfortunately, it currently looks like he needs at least a couple of years to get things rolling in a positive direction.
What it Means for Michigan State: In what can appropriately be described as a lost season for the Spartans, it is some consolation that Michigan State will go to a bowl game. That means Mark Dantonio will maintain just one season of missing a bowl game as head coach in East Lansing (2016). However, there are a number of questions moving forward. Everyone in East Lansing has said the right things that point toward Dantonio leading the team in 2020. But if he does get the chance to return, he will likely have to make some serious changes on the offensive side of the ball.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.