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Rapid Reaction: Michigan State falls flat, loses nail-biter in wild finish with Arizona State
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Final Score: Arizona State 10, Michigan State 7
Brief Recap: What just happened? Obviously, the Spartan offense is a big storyline, but a bigger storyline after the final whistle is the madness at the end of regulation in Michigan State’s 10-7 loss to Arizona State. Brian Lewerke and the offense finally found the end zone in the fourth quarter and put the team in position to tie the game at the end of regulation, but a missed 47-yard field goal gave Michigan State its first loss of the season.
Key Moment: With 11 seconds remaining in regulation, kicker Matt Coghlin lined up for a game-tying field goal and drilled it from 42 yards out. Unfortunately, the Spartans were flagged for having 12 men on the field after a video review gave them the penalty. That pushed Coghlin’s try back to 47 yards with six seconds left, and he missed the try badly as time expired.
Key Stat: 0-for-3, Michigan State on field goal attempts after Coghlin entered the game 7-for-7 on the season. Most attention will be drawn to the seven points and one touchdown scored, but the offense actually moved the ball throughout the afternoon with over 400 yards of offense. In addition to the kicking woes, Michigan State committed 10 penalties for 91 yards. Obviously, that was one penalty too many, but the offense cannot hope to be effective with the continued penalty struggles.
Key Player: Defensively, Joe Bachie Jr. was everywhere. He came up with some big stops late in the game but just couldn’t keep the Sundevils out of the end zone late in the game. Offensively, Darrell Stewart Jr. was Lewerke’s favorite target with many a clutch grab. He finished the game with nine catches for 121 yards and converted many timely plays.
What it Means: Michigan State’s offense came crashing back down after the 51 point outburst in Week 2. Granted, nobody expected things to be as easy against Arizona State, but that’s not what fans were looking for before starting B1G play. Hopefully, Dantonio and company can adjust and get better moving forward.
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.