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Michigan State football survives lowly Rutgers, 14-10

The Spartans had a 179-85 edge in total yards in the opening half.
Credit: Mike Carter, USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State running back Connor Heyward runs the ball during the first half against Rutgers at Spartan Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, in East Lansing.

EAST LANSING — Where to begin?

The crowd? Spartan Stadium was around half-full or so.

The weather? A constant drizzle and rain.

The play on the field? Well … it matched the lackluster energy and gray day. And that might be a compliment.

Michigan State football’s offense continued to struggle to produce, and the added malaise that comes with facing bottom-dwelling Rutgers contributed to even more doldrums.

Cody White’s 22-yard touchdown run with 3:57 to play helped the Spartans avoid an ugly loss, escaping with a 14-10 victory over the Scarlet Knights on Saturday.

The Spartans (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) now must wait to learn their bowl fate. The season is over for Rutgers (1-11, 0-9), which has lost 12 straight league games.

Horrid half

It was an abysmal first half for both teams’ offenses, but the Spartans managed to somehow find new and interesting ways to make things difficult.

MSU’s defense gave up a rare first-quarter touchdown, a 27-yard throw from Rutgers QB and Warren De La Salle grad Giovanni Rescigno to tight end Travis Vokolek to put the Scarlet Knights up 7-0 with 2:19 left in the opening period.

Meanwhile, with Rocky Lombardi starting his second straight game and third this season at quarterback, MSU’s offense sputtered on its first four drives, including getting stopped for no yardage on third- and fourth-and-1 at its own 33 to set up that Scarlet Knights score.

Finally, late in the second quarter, the Spartans started moving the ball – thanks in large part to a pair of 15-yard penalties by Rutgers that aided an 81-yard drive. Lombardi found senior tight end Matt Sokol on a corner route for an 18-yard touchdown with 3:09 remaining to tie the score.

That was MSU’s first touchdown in 153 minutes and 56 seconds of game action, going back to Connor Heyward’s 80-yard TD run with 11 minutes to play at Maryland. The Spartans did not score one in losses to Ohio State and Nebraska, going a total of 35 offensive possessions between touchdowns.

After another drive fizzled near midfield, a William Przystup punt bounced off the heel of Rutgers’ Saquon Hampton and the Spartans recovered at the Scarlet Knights’ 13 with 53 seconds remaining.

MSU’s offense again could not generate anything, and Matt Coghlin came in to attempt a 30-yard kick. However, the snap was low, holder Brian Lewerke improvised and heaved a pass to the end zone that was picked off.

The Spartans had a 179-85 edge in total yards in the opening half.

Late comeback

It was a tough day for Lombardi, whose receivers didn’t get much separation and whose passes missed their mark when they did get some room.

The redshirt freshmen went 19 of 43 for 173 yards, a TD and an interception. MSU had three straight three-and-out drives in the third and fourth quarters. Rutgers got a go-ahead field goal after the third one, a 34-yarder from Justin Davidovicz.

It took a punt-and-pin from William Przystup to flip the field, then MSU got an 18-yard punt return from Brandon Sowards to set up the Spartans at Rutgers’ 35 with 4:39 to play. Lombardi threw two bad passes but ran a 13-yard keeper to convert on third down to keep the drive alive. On the next play after a timeout, White took the flip from Lomardi up the right side and followed blocks from Tyler Higby and Cole Chewins for the winning TD.

Rescigno and Rutgers threatened again, moving to MSU’s 21, but cornerback Josiah Scott got his second interception on fourth-and-6. Connor Heyward helped MSU pull to the victory and escape an embarrassing loss.

The Spartans had 310 yards of offense, including 81 yards rushing on 19 carries by Heyward, while their defense held Rutgers to 217 yards (109 through the air and 108 on the ground).

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