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Rapid Reaction: Michigan State needs late surge to avoid upset against Indiana
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Final score: No. 18 Michigan State 17 Indiana 9
Quick recap
Michigan State and Indiana really put the “foot” back in football. The first three quarters was comprised mostly of punts and field goal attempts. There wasn’t much offense to speak of for most of the contest.
Late in the game, though, the Spartans were finally able generate something on that side of the football, reaching the end zone on their final two drives. Both defenses were stingy and neither surrendered much. It was one of those old-school, defensive B1G games that made the conference famous.
In the end, Michigan State made just enough plays to clip the Hoosiers and avoid an upset on its home turf. This was a “how did Michigan State win that” type of game for which Mark Dantonio has become famous.
Key play: Felton Davis’ 16-yard gain on a double-reverse
This doesn’t seem like much, but in a game in which every yard was precious, Felton Davis’ 16-yard gain on a double-reverse to get the Spartans inside the red zone was absolutely huge.
Michigan State couldn’t get anything going offensively for the entire game, but the double reverse worked perfectly. It got the Spartans to the IU 13-yard line and set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Brian Lewerke to Felton Davis two plays later. Aside from the two touchdowns, it was the biggest play for the Spartan offense.
Stat of the game: Indiana’s 10 penalties for 115 yards
Again, every single yard was precious in this game. Indiana gave up 115 yards in penalties, whereas Michigan State had just three penalties for 35 yards. And in a one-score game, you can believe Tom Allen will be harping on that.
For the second-straight week, the Hoosiers had a chance to pull off an upset. But one too many mental errors really hurt their chances in East Lansing.
What it means
Michigan State is bowl eligible and remains undefeated in B1G play. That means that all the Mark Dantonio-on-the-hot-seat talk is officially over. And, it also sets up some great match-ups in the B1G East down the stretch. With the Spartans’ defense playing this well, they really can compete with just about anyone.
It’s back to the drawing board for Indiana. Allen preached about finally breaking through this season, but the Hoosiers have fallen short at pulling off two big upsets in back-to-back weeks. Though Indiana has been so much more competitive this season, it still doesn’t have the talent or the depth to hang with some of the B1G powers.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB