Michigan State barely got away from being upset by the Purdue Boilermakers
When the 1-3 Purdue Boilermakers strolled into Spartan Stadium to take on the No. 2 Michigan State Spartans, no one expected the second-ranked team in the country to have any trouble dispatching the lowly Boilermakers. After the first half of action as Michigan State held a 21-0 lead over Purdue, that continued to seem like the case. However, a furious comeback by a fiery Boilermakers team in the second half changed everything in this game and gave the Spartans a major scare.
Purdue caught their first big break of the second half when the Spartans coughed up the football on their second drive of the third quarter. That led to the Boilermakers getting their first touchdown with a David Blough pass to Gregory Phillips. They only continued their offensive attack in the fourth quarter.
Markell jones got the scoring going in the final period with a 68-yard rushing touchdown. After the Spartans grabbed a field goal, Jones added another touchdown, this one coming on a three-yard scamper. However, their efforts came up short in the end as they failed to get a score on their dramatic final drive late in the fourth quarter that ended with a deep pass being patted down by a Spartan defensive back. Michigan State took a knee from there to secure a tough victory.
Three stars
Markell Jones was a monster for the Boilermakers as the running back rushed for 157 yards on 22 carries and found his way into the endzone on two separate occasions.
LJ Scott continued to impress for the Spartans as he amassed 146 yards on 18 carries and found the endzone twice on the day.
It may be strange to see a punter’s name here, but Joe Schopper was huge for Purdue having a chance at this upset. He pinned Michigan State inside the 20 on three of his four punts on the afternoon, including a 63-yard rocket.
Odds
Anyone who was betting on Michigan State to cover in this game was sorely mistaken. The Spartans were favored by 22 points heading into this game and their three-point victory means the money goes to those who bet on the underdogs.
Next Week
Michigan State will be on the road next week as they try and rebound from this near upset against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Purdue will look to build upon this inspired effort as they are at home to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers
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