Northwestern Tops Michigan State 29-19 Michigan State Official Athletic Site
Clayton Thorson threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, and Northwestern recovered from another second-half slip, beating No. 20 Michigan State 29-19 on Saturday.
Northwestern upsets No. 20 Michigan State in East Lansing MLive.com
After falling behind by double-digits for the first time this season, Michigan State rallied to reclaim a second-half lead. However, the No. 20 Spartans (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) were unable to hold onto it as Northwestern (2-3, 2-1 Big Ten) pulled out a 29-19 upset win in East Lansing on Saturday. The Wildcats snapped a three-game losing streak while Michigan State’s hopes of winning a Big Ten title took a major hit.
Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State’s 29-19 loss to Northwestern Lansing State Journal
Lansing State Journal columnists Graham Couch breaks down the Spartans’ performance against Northwestern.
Michigan State has problems galore in 29-19 loss to Northwestern Detroit Free Press
A screen pass to Alante Thomas. Minus-6 yards. A drop back by Brian Lewerke … sack. Minus-4 yards. A holding penalty on a Lewerke scramble under duress. Minus-5 yards. An attempted screen pass from in Michigan State’s own end zone. Incomplete. That fourth-quarter drive, which came after a missed Northwestern field-goal attempt, summed up the problems on offense for the 19th-ranked Spartans on Saturday.
Wildcats ride big plays to strike down Spartans Detroit News
Michigan State lost to Northwestern for the third straight time on Saturday, but its problems go much deeper than that. The Wildcats, who entered the game having lost three straight, used two big plays in the first half to spark a 29-19 victory over No. 20 Michigan State, its third straight in the series and the third consecutive victory in Spartan Stadium.
MSU blows second-half comeback in loss to Northwestern The Only Colors
For the third time in as many years, the Michigan State Spartans have lost to the Northwestern Wildcats. A sloppy game from start to finish ended with multiple wasted opportunities for Michigan State. The Spartans erased a double-digit lead and took a brief lead in the third quarter, but the offense fell flat allowing Northwestern to take complete control in the win.
Michigan State all but detonates Big Ten title hopes. Who’s to blame? Detroit Free Press
There were many reasons why Michigan State lost on Saturday to Northwestern, 22-19. It was the overall execution — like running a 14-yard route when they needed 15. It was blown opportunities — getting field goals when they needed touchdowns. It was the play calling — is that really the best they can do in the red zone?
Losing the QB duel and bad O-line play doom MSU in loss to Northwestern MLive.com
Michigan State, which has been known for making timely plays throughout the Mark Dantonio era, found itself on the opposite side of nearly every big play on Saturday. The defense gave up two touchdowns on 30-plus yard throws in the first half, the offense couldn’t maintain drives or score in the red zone and the defense gave up an uncharacteristically long drive.
Michigan State football report card: Offense worst in already bad game Detroit Free Press
Chris Solari rates the 19th-ranked Spartans on a scale of 1 to 10 after their 29-19 loss to Northwestern on Saturday.
Cam Chambers has breakout moment as injuries mount Detroit Free Press
Cam Chambers finally had his breakthrough moment with Michigan State’s football team. Chambers, who had been forced to wait his turn after being one of MSU’s most heralded recruits in the 2016 class, caught five passes for a career-high 82 yards in Saturday’s 29-19 loss to Northwestern at Spartan Stadium.
MSU’s offensive failures will get even worse if nothing changes Detroit Free Press
His face was heavy with frustration. About the loss, for sure. But it was deeper than that. More troubling. “I’m not sure what the answer is, or what the reason is, why we aren’t executing at the end of games,” MSU co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner said on Saturday after Northwestern’s 29-19 victory over the Spartans. “But obviously it needs to be addressed and needs to be corrected.”
Post-Game Notes: Northwestern Michigan State Official Athletic Site
In the 57th meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern, the Wildcats defeated the Spartans, 29-19, Saturday in Spartan Stadium . . . MSU leads the all-time series, 37-20 . . . Mark Dantonio is 5-5 in his tenure against NU, while Pat Fitzgerald is 5-6 against MSU . . . MSU leads the series in East Lansing, 18-9.
Vulnerability to big play hurt Spartans again Detroit News
There has been plenty of focus on Michigan State’s offense this season, and for good reason. The running game continues to be a non-factor and the Spartans simply aren’t scoring points at a rate that will give them a chance to win most weeks. But things haven’t been perfect on the defensive side of the ball, either.
Missed opportunities and mistakes pile up as Michigan State upset by Northwestern MLive.com
Michigan State had the ball and a chance. Taking over 98 yards from the end zone and trailing Northwestern by three points with less than four minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Spartans needed to mount a drive to either tie the game or take the lead. Neither happened.