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| Detroit Free Press
Michigan State’s Mel Tucker after upset victory: ‘Closer to the football mark we need’
Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker speaks on Saturday, November 28, 2020, following the Spartans’ 29-20 victory over Northwestern in East Lansing.
Michigan state football nearly missed out on a masterful first half against the Northwestern No.13.
Connor Heyward ran for 71 yards in the first 30 minutes; Lombardi threw for 110 yards, with two touchdowns.
But MSU, who held a 17-6 halftime lead, wasted momentum in the second half. Northwestern was able to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
[ MSU FOOTBALL GRADES: Mel Tucker pulls off masterpiece upset ]
The Spartans responded late to survive against the Wildcats (5-1) in a 29-20 head-to-head victory Saturday at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
With 3:25 to go, Matt Coghlin registered a 48-yard field goal for what turned out to be the approval points. The Spartans completed the win with a fumble recovered for a touchdown over time.
Thanks to Northwestern’s five wins, he held four scoreless opponents in the second half.
The Spartans didn’t have much trouble, but they didn’t capitalize on their halftime lead either, scoring just two field goals in the final two quarters, before Kalon Gervin recovered. .
Lombardi was 11th of 27 for 167 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, with 10 carries for 65 yards. Heyward ran the ball 24 times for 96 yards, followed by Elijah Collins with 13 rushes for 34 yards. But this is all an upset victory.
Defense loses its lead, responds
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey delivered two strikes – 16 and 27 yards – to put Northwestern in MSU territory to open the second period. Running back Isaiah Bowser took the Wildcats to the 1-yard line, but Bowser and Ramsey were stopped short on second and third downs, respectively.
Just when it looked like the Spartans would hold the Wildcats, Ramsey scored on a bootleg to cut the deficit to four points in the third quarter, which changed the game’s momentum. The Wildcats took a 20-17 lead with 13:54 left in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard drive from Cam Porter.
Cornerback Shakur Brown has beaten Ramsey twice, recording his fourth and fifth interceptions this season. His second of the game was 6:22 left to keep the tie at 20 and set up Coglin’s basket.
Ramsey finished 21 of 43 for 210 yards, no passing touchdowns and two interceptions, adding a rushing touchdown. Drake Anderson made 10 carries for 41 yards.
The third defense was the key. Entering Saturday’s game, MSU’s opponents were 26 for 65 (40%) on the third downs. Northwestern was 5-for-18 (28%) on the third downs.
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Keep the wild cats from the first TD
In the first period, MSU’s defense was strong, holding Northwestern to six points and 167 yards.
The Spartans forced a 42-yard field goal to open the scoring for the Wildcats with 11:02 left in the first half.
About five minutes later, Ramsey, a transfer graduate from Indiana, marched to the end zone – with a 19-yard completion and defensive pass interference on a pair of third downs – but couldn’t put six points on the board. Kicker Charlie Kuhbander came onto the field for a 32-yard field goal.
Another example of MSU’s stepping up defense came with 59 seconds left in the first half, moments after Coghlin missed a 49-yard field goal. Ramsey made four straight passes to move Northwestern from his own 32-yard line to MSU 43.
As Northwestern approached the shooting range, the Spartans forced two incomplete passes. Defensive end Drew Beesley sacked Ramsey in third to complete the first half and silence the threat of a late score.
Evan Petzold is a sports reporting intern for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.
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