Brian Lewerke threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Felton Davis with 5:59 remaining, and No. 18 Michigan State edged Indiana 17-9 on Saturday night. Lewerke struggled for much of the game, but he was able to connect with an open Davis to the left side of the end zone. The extra point by Matt Coghlin put Michigan State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) ahead 10-9.
Source: Michigan State University Official Athletic Site
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Late surge lifts Michigan State past Indiana for fourth straight win MLive
Michigan State’s defense did the heavy lifting for four quarters. The Spartans’ offense, meanwhile, made a late surge to avoid an upset. No. 18 Michigan State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) rallied from a 9-3 deficit with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns for a 17-9 win against Indiana (3-4, 0-4) on Saturday at Spartan Stadium. The victory was the fourth straight for the Spartans and makes them bowl eligible, one season after finishing 3-9.
Michigan State continues feel-good start by surviving Indiana, 17-9 Detroit Free Press
LJ Scott didn’t miss much time. Michigan State’s offense skipped more than a few beats. And the Spartans’ feel-good start to the season nearly turned ugly.
MSU bowl-eligible after toppling Indiana Detroit News
Winning the tight ones — the games when everything doesn’t go smoothly yet somehow, by the time the clock runs out, a team manages to find itself on the winning side — is crucial in college football. Every successful season has them, some more than others.
Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State’s 17-9 win over Indiana Lansing State Journal
Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch gives three quick takes on Michigan State’s 17-9 win over Indiana Saturday
MSU defeats Indiana 17-9, becomes bowl eligible State News
It was never pretty, the Spartans scored just three measly points in the first 45 minutes of play. But in the crucial final quarter, with the game’s balance hanging up in the air, MSU finished and came out on top 17-9 over the Indiana Hoosiers.
MSU is going bowling after IU win The Only Colors
Roughly 99 percent of Michigan State’s game against Indiana was downright offensive to most football sensibilities. Which, somehow, seems fitting given the game’s trophy. However, for as ugly as the game was, Michigan State’s defense took charge and the offense did just enough late to earn the 17-9 win. With the win, the Spartans became bowl eligible and are almost certainly going to return to the college football postseason.
Michigan State-Indiana talking points: Freshman receivers, offensive woes and an ill-advised TD MLive
Here’s what Michigan State fans are talking about after the Spartans’ 17-9 win over Indiana
Dantonio: Easy call to play LJ Scott after arrest Detroit News
“Ultimately, sometimes you’re put in situations where you have to make very tough decisions,” Dantonio said after Michigan State’s 17-9 victory. “However, this was not one of them.”
Overheard: What players and coaches said after MSU’s win vs. Indiana Detroit Free Press
Here’s what MSU coaches and players had to say after overcoming a 9-3 deficit in the fourth quarter Saturday. The No. 19 Spartans scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes of play to defeat the Indiana Hoosiers 17-9 at Spartan Stadium.
Spartans’ defense shines again in gritty win over Indiana Impact Sports
In a game that featured lowly offensive showings from both Indiana and Michigan State, the Spartans (6-1, 4-0 B1G) squeezed out a 17-9 win against the Hoosiers (3-4, 0-4 B1G), taking the Old Brass Spittoon trophy back to East Lansing.
Instant analysis: Michigan State 17, Indiana 9 MLive
Watch Michigan State beat writers Matt Wenzel and Kyle Austin break down the Spartans’ win over the Hoosiers to go to 6-1.
Defense steps up big-time in Indiana victory Spartan Avenue
Despite struggling on offense through three quarters, Michigan State football relied heavily on its defense to pull out a 17-9 win over Indiana.
Spartans survive scare, but offensive issues are clear isportsweb
The Spartans will take this win and move on, but one thing has become clear: offensive inconsistency will hold this team back.
Michigan State entered today’s game as the No. 78 team in the country in yards per game, and they didn’t do themselves any favors against the Hoosiers, gaining a total of 274 yards.
What it means: Michigan State escapes with win over Indiana Land of 10
Michigan State didn’t make it easy against Indiana, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in a 17-9 victory Saturday night. Here’s what we learned
MSU scores late touchdowns to top Indiana 17-9 Spartan Tailgate
It took Michigan State a little more 54 minutes of game action to finally find the end zone Saturday against Indiana. Thanks to a defense that continued to carry the load for the Spartans, that would be enough for MSU to come away with a 17-9 win over the Hoosiers.
Freshmen wide receivers come up big late in Michigan State’s win over Indiana MLive
Freshmen wide receivers Cody White and Hunter Rison came to Michigan State known largely for their fathers. Rison is the son of former Michigan State great Andre Rison. White is the son of Cody White, a former NFL player and Lions front office executive who is now the team’s recruiting director.
Michigan State grades: Defense dominates, offense recovers vs. Indiana Detroit Free Press
Free Press sports writer Chris Solari rates 19th-ranked Michigan State football on a scale of 1 to 10 after their 17-9 win over Indiana on Saturday.
MSU’s defense bars door while offense gets on track Detroit News
A week after limping to the finish, Michigan State’s defense wasn’t about to have a repeat performance on Saturday. With the Spartans offense having trouble finding any sort of rhythm against Indiana, it was up to the defense to keep the Hoosiers at bay long enough for that offense to get moving. They did just that, holding Indiana to three field goals and limiting the Hoosiers to 253 total yards in No. 18 Michigan State’s 17-9 victory at Spartan Stadium.
Niyo: Freshman receivers grow up fast for Spartans Detroit News
One is a legacy, the other just feels like it, since he sees his dad around the football building every day. But for Michigan State’s rookie receiving tandem — freshmen Hunter Rison and Cody White — this still felt like a coming-of-age moment. Because as the Spartans salvaged a win Saturday, rallying in the fourth quarter for a 17-9 victory over Indiana, it was the kids who came up with the biggest plays.
Michigan State defense stifles Indiana before offense wakes up late MLive
Following back-to-back road wins in the rain, Michigan State returned home to Spartan Stadium and favorable conditions. It was 75 degrees and sunny in East Lansing at kickoff, meaning there were no concerns about a wet ball or restricting the play calling in a downpour.
Lewerke struggles but has finishing touch for MSU Detroit News
Brian Lewerke has had better games, but the Arizona native sure was glad that it at least wasn’t raining. After two straight weeks of playing in a downpour, it was downright pleasant on Saturday at Spartan Stadium as No. 18 Michigan State hosted Indiana.
Pair of freshmen wideouts emerge in crucial moments of MSU’s win State News
Cody White’s day started innocent enough in MSU’s win over Indiana. His first touch came when he caught a punt. Then a three-yard rush for a first down. Then a 15-yard reception later in the opening quarter for another first down. He started to gain some momentum again in the third quarter, hauling in three catches. And then finally, in the fourth — arguably the biggest play of the game.
Bowl eligibility a ‘big step’ for Spartans State News
or the first time since 2015, MSU is going bowling. The 18th-ranked Spartans earned a hard-fought win over Indiana Saturday, improving their record to 6-1 on the season and garnering that important sixth win to become officially bowl eligible. Head coach Mark Dantonio now has qualified for a bowl game in 10 of his 11 years at the helm of the Spartan program.
LJ Scott not embarrassed by arrest, goes on to lead Michigan State in rushing MLive
One week after recording career-high rushing totals in a breakout game this season, LJ Scott came off the bench. The reason the Michigan State junior running back didn’t start in Saturday’s 17-9 win against Indiana at Spartan Stadium was clear. Scott was arrested in East Lansing on Wednesday for driving with a suspended license.
Grading Michigan State’s win against Indiana MLive
Michigan State beat Indiana 17-9 on Saturday night for its fourth straight victory. Here are snap-judgement grades for the No. 18 Spartans (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten), who travel to Northwestern next week
Michigan State players happy to be back in bowl game but say that’s not enough MLive
For most of the Mark Dantonio era, win No. 6 hasn’t been treated with much fanfare. As the Spartans cruised to 11 or more wins in five out of six seasons from 2010-16, the win that technically qualified them for a bowl was often just a mile marker en route to a further destination. 3-9 changed all that.
Michigan State Spartans’ special teams key in win over Indiana, 17-9 Detroit Free Press
In a defensive grudge match, field position can be the difference maker. Michigan State’s special teams unit held the Spartans in the game and helped set the stage for two touchdowns in the final six minutes of play Saturday to defeat Indiana 17-9, and overcome a 3-9 deficit in the fourth quarter.
Michigan State: ‘We’re bowling’ … and not finished Land of 10
Coach Mark Dantonio reached back to the 1970s in his memory bank to pull out a simile to describe No. 18 Michigan State’s 17-9 win against Indiana at Spartan Stadium. “Tight as Dick’s hat band,” Dantonio said on Saturday night, referencing his defensive coordinator — Richard Bell — during his South Carolina playing days. And it seems as accurate a comparison as any. Michigan State’s 8-point win, a game in which it trailed until 6 minutes remained, turned out to be its widest margin during a 4-0 start to conference play.
Cody White makes magic happen down the stretch against Indiana Land of 10
Michigan State wide receiver Cody White didn’t have to go far to find his father and embrace him after the No. 18 Spartans’ 17-9 win against Indiana at Spartan Stadium. Sheldon White works as Michigan State’s executive director of player personnel and recruiting, so he’s always around. His job is largely to interact with young prospects, but even he couldn’t find words for his son’s performance on Saturday. “He was speechless,” the younger White said. “Just a big hug.”