No. 6 Michigan State rolls past Indiana 56-17
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The fourth quarters have been getting a little bit too interesting for Michigan State. This one was quick and boring.
The No. 6 Spartans did have a few harrowing moments Saturday at overmatched Indiana — even trailing 17-14 for 86 seconds in the second quarter. But their offense took over from there and their defense shut everything down in the second half, producing 42 straight points and a 56-17 rout at Memorial Stadium, and setting up a home date with rival Michigan.
And yes, MSU finished. Outscored 44-7 in the fourth quarters of games against Oregon, Nebraska and Purdue, the Spartans (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) were 21-0 in the fourth quarter of this one.
It was a satisfying way to wrap up the 100th game and 70th win of the tenure of Mark Dantonio, who is now tied with Charlie Bachman for second on the school's all-time football wins list. He needs 40 more to pass Duffy Daugherty for the top spot.
He got 332 passing yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Connor Cook, 123 receiving yards and a ridiculous over-the-shoulder catch from Tony Lippett, a career-high 178 rushing yards from Nick Hill, 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Jeremy Langford – who now has 100 yards against 11 straight Big Ten teams – and an overwhelming second half from his defense.
Indiana's top two quarterbacks were out with injuries, leaving true freshman Zander Diamont to take his first college snaps against MSU. He managed just five completions and 11 passing yards.
He was able to hand off to the nation's leading rusher, Tevin Coleman, and Coleman ran for 118 yards on 10 carries in the first half. The Hoosiers (3-4, 0-3) had 207 rushing yards as a team at the break, thanks to 75 more on a Shane Wynn reverse.
The second half? Fourteen yards for Coleman and 11 total yards for the Hoosiers.
So now MSU enters a season-defining stretch with Michigan (3-4, 1-2) looking to pull off a season-saving upset, followed by a Nov. 8 home game against Ohio State.
Things started just as they seem to every game – Michigan State's offense moving right down the field to grab a lead. A 69-yard drive was capped by a 32-yard Langford touchdown run.
Then Coleman got loose for the first time, racing through a huge gap in the MSU defense and getting 65 yards. MSU held IU to a field goal, then went 78 yards to go up 14-3, with Cook hitting Josiah Price for a 10-yard score.
And then things got interesting. Shane Wynn went 75 yards for a touchdown on a reverse, somehow breaking tackle attempts by Trae Waynes, Montae Nicholson and Ed Davis. Cook threw an interception. IU drove 39 yards off the pick, Diamont running untouched for a 9-yard score and 17-14 Indiana lead.
The Spartans looked to be in trouble. So they looked to Cook. He threw a pass to Price in coverage and Price plucked it out of the air and went 67 yards with it. Langford scored on an 8-yard run on the next play. And it was complete MSU domination from there.
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