Michigan State overcomes first-half hiccup to beat Ohio State and goes 4-0 in Big TenDetroit News
For a minute on Saturday, Michigan State was experiencing a miserable case of déjà vu. In an early Big Ten showdown at Ohio State, the Spartans watched the Buckeyes explode in the final minutes of the first half, much like they did a year ago when Michigan State was the No. 1 team in the nation and got blown out.
Cassius Winston, Nick Ward carry Michigan State past Ohio State, 86-77Detroit Free Press
Michigan State basketball faded last year at Ohio State after a late first-half run by the Buckeyes. Cassius Winston, Nick Ward and the Spartans’ veterans made sure they didn’t wilt again. Winston and Ward combined for 46 points, and No. 8 MSU got a number of key plays from its upperclassmen down the stretch to pull out an 86-77 Big Ten road victory over No. 14 Ohio State on Saturday at Value City Arena.
Michigan State pulls away late to top No. 14 Ohio State on the roadMLive
Ohio State once again put Michigan State on its heels with a late first-half scoring barrage. But this time, Michigan State had a response. No. 8 Michigan State pulled away in the final five minutes to top No. 14 Ohio State, 86-77, on Saturday afternoon at Value City Arena.
Michigan State proves it’s elite in gritty Ohio State winSpartan Avenue
It was a game of runs and at halftime, Spartan fans were collectively muttering “just like last year” but Tom Izzo and Michigan State made the correct halftime adjustments and came out swinging in the second half.
Michigan State fends off Ohio State in Columbus
Michigan State passed its first major test of the new year, snapping a two-game losing streak in Value City Arena with an 86-77 win over No. 14 Ohio State Saturday afternoon. After an uneasy first half, the No. 8-ranked Spartans (13-2, 4-0 Big Ten) shot a blistering 76.5 percent in the final 20 minutes to remain unbeaten in league play.
Big Second Half Propels No. 8 Michigan State Past No. 14 Ohio State, 86-77MSU Official
Junior guard Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) scored 25 points and junior forward Nick Ward (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) had 21 points and eight rebounds as No. 8 Michigan State used a big second half to pull away from No. 14 Ohio State for an 86-77 win at Value City Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Nick Ward is hoping he will finally have a happy homecoming. Kyle Ahrens’ hometown is coming to him. And his family is waiting. And Michigan State basketball is looking to end a two-year drought at Value City Arena when the eighth-ranked Spartans visit No. 14 Ohio State on Saturday. Tipoff is at noon on Fox.
This is becoming an increasingly more difficult piece to do on a weekly basis when you have games where nothing really happens for 90% of it. The pattern seems to pretty clear at this point. Michigan State’s defense shuts teams down, and the offense struggles.
I feel absolutely sick for the defense. Every single week they go out there and do their job. Most times they even go above and beyond. And Saturday’s assignment was incredibly tough — containing OSU’s offense to allow your struggling offense to do the bare minimum to get the win. The MSU offense couldn’t even do that.
No. 18 Michigan State Falls to No. 10 Ohio State, 26-6Michigan State Official
In a tight defensive struggle, the Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 10 CFP) enjoyed a huge advantage in field position during the second half. Chrisman’s punts forced Michigan State (6-4, 4-3, No. 18) to start its first five drives after halftime from its own 5, 6, 3, 1 and 2-yard line.
Late mistakes doom Michigan State in loss to Ohio StateSpartan Tailgate
Stuck in a loop of stopping the Buckeyes near midfield and regaining possession deep in its own territory, MSU gambled by purposefully snapping the ball out of the end zone for a safety on fourth down. The idea was to break the field-position cycle, and it fell apart instantly as Cole Hahn’s ensuing kick went out of bounds, setting the Buckeyes up on the 50-yard line.
Michigan State gives away game in 26-6 loss to Ohio StateThe Only Colors
If ever there was a game lost because of coaching decisions, it was Saturday’s loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. In cold conditions, the Michigan State Spartans found a way to stay alive all game long against the No. 10 Buckeyes. But a handful of questionable coaching decisions prevented MSU from taking advantage. MSU dropped another home game, this time 26-6 in East Lansing.
Ohio State pulls away late for win at Michigan StateMLive.com
Michigan State’s defense gave the team an opportunity to pull off an upset against a top-10 opponent. The Spartans’ offense, however, prevented that from being a real possibility. No. 18 Michigan State (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) used a pair of quarterbacks for the second straight game, struggled moving the ball and made crucial mistakes late as No. 10 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) pulled away for a 26-6 win in East Lansing on Saturday.
Michigan State implodes in fourth quarter in 26-6 loss to Ohio StateDetroit Free Press
Michigan State football appeared ready to take Ohio State into another fourth-quarter fight. Then Mark Dantonio opted to take a safety instead of punting out of his own end zone with a freshman punter. And everything unraveled from there.
Michigan State offense sputters in loss to Ohio StateThe Detroit News
Michigan State’s defense played well enough to win on Saturday, holding the highest scoring offense in the Big Ten in check most of the game. However, the MSU offense continued to play poorly as No. 10 Ohio State took advantage and came away with a 26-6 victory in front of 74,633 at Spartan Stadium.
Michigan State botched a lot vs. Ohio State, including Rose Bowl chanceDetroit Free Press
It was like watching bad, slapstick comedy. Somebody slips on a banana peel. Gets up and falls face first in mud. Then, gets up and fumbles in the end zone. Then, botches a punt. Then, botches an option.
Ohio State loss is on coaching staffSpartan Avenue
At some point, you have to look yourself in the mirror and admit that you’re the problem. That’s been tough to do for a prideful Michigan State coaching staff, but Mark Dantonio and Co. were the reason the Spartans squandered a valiant defensive effort against the Buckeyes, losing 26-6.
Outcoached and outplayed, Spartans fall in winnable game to Ohio StateSpartan Nation
Coming off of back-to-back wins, No.18 Michigan State looked to continue its ‘November push’ on Saturday afternoon as the Spartans played host to No. 10 Ohio State at Spartan Stadium with the hopes of avenging last year’s 48-3 loss in Columbus.
Michigan State football stock watch post-Ohio StateSpartan Tailgate
It was another lackluster and anemic performance by Michigan State’s offense Saturday, as the No. 24 Spartans fell to the 8th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 26-6 at Spartan Stadium. The defeat marks the first time in his career that Mark Dantonio has lost to the Buckeyes three straight times. It is also the first time since last season’s matchup against OSU that the Spartans have not scored a touchdown.
Michigan State wastes another defensive gem in loss to Ohio StateMLive.com
Michigan State’s defense held Ohio State to its fewest yards all season on Saturday. It held the Buckeyes offense to just 17 points, its lowest total of the season and less than half of its season average. And yet the Spartans still walked off the field on Saturday afternoon after a 20-point home loss to the Buckeyes.
Dantonio’s quarterback decision could shatter Spartans’ cohesionDetroit Free Press
Mark Dantonio’s postgame speech to his team after No. 24 Michigan State’s 26-6 loss to No. 8 Ohio State carried prevailing themes of unity. “Don’t start pointing fingers.” “Make sure we’re all accountable in this.” “To stay together and to stay close.” But it is becoming apparent that something will need to be done at quarterback to prevent things from falling apart for the Spartans.
Michigan State QB shuffle leaves unanswered questionsDetroit News
Rocky Lombardi, sighed, took a long pause, and decided after a few seconds he’d pass on the question he was just asked. It was just after Ohio State had beaten Michigan State, 26-6, at Spartan Stadium on Saturday in another game where the Spartans’ offense couldn’t get anything going. It was also another game where the Michigan State coaching staff was going back and forth on quarterbacks.
Michigan State offense fails again in loss to Ohio StateMLive.com
Four quarters and just two field goals. That was the output for Michigan State on Saturday as the offense turned in another disappointing performance in a 26-6 loss to Ohio State in East Lansing. “The defense is keeping us in the game and it’s just really frustrating that time and time again, we can’t get it going,” quarterback Brian Lewerke said. “I feel very bad for them because they played their asses off, the defense did.”
Game of feet: Buckeyes punter sticks it to SpartansDetroit News
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio has often said he believes the punt is the most important play in football. Sometimes it seems like a bit of an exaggeration, but on Saturday as Michigan State hosted Ohio State, the Spartans’ coach nailed it. The only problem was that it was the Buckeyes who fared best on the “most important play” of the game.
Michigan State’s offensive problems spill over to defense Ohio State lossDetroit Free Press
Michigan State had a stretch against Ohio State on Saturday where it started five straight drives inside its own 10-yard line. During those drives, linebacker Joe Bachie and the defense tried to aid the offense any way it could. With turnovers. “We got to try and get a turnover,” Bachie said. “We couldn’t get one. When we get the ball back and defense starting around the 50-yard line, we got to try and get a turnover in that situation right there.”
Couch: Dantonio’s QB decisions derail Michigan State’s chances against Ohio StateLansing State Journal
I don’t get how a football coach who values the inches can waste so many. And squander so much time. Six drives, to be exact. Six chances to score against Ohio State. Thrown away in part because Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio chose to start a quarterback who, if you listen to him, will tell you his arm’s not right and, right now, he has no shot.
Joe Bachie grew up an Ohio State fan and didn’t have much of a choice. Raised in the Cleveland suburb of Brook Park, there was only one program to root for. “Every street’s got Ohio State flags,” Bachie said. “That’s just what it is. You don’t see fans of any other (program) there in that city.”
For Michigan State, one team has provided the path to championships over the past decade, and that team is Ohio State. More often, if the Spartans have ended with winning or playing for the Big Ten championship, the Buckeyes have stood in the way.
Some final thoughts, observations, and perspectives as kickoff approaches for #18 Michigan State and #10 Ohio State at Spartans Stadium on Saturday in the renewal of a rivalry based on respect.
Ohio State is on tap this week as the Spartans will play in the first true cold weather game of the year. Should be a good test for both sides and while last year’s game was a blowout, the six games between these two teams before that yielded a score differential of just two points total, in MSU’s favor. So if you are playing close games, special teams can always be a factor. Here’s how they stack up.
The Ohio State Buckeyes travel up to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday afternoon, and let’s just hope this meeting goes nothing like the 2017 version.
Want to know what the enemy thinks? We conducted a Q&A with Ohio State writer Charlie Lockhart ahead of the Ohio State vs. Michigan State football matchup.
It’s been 20 years nearly to the date since Michigan State, as four-touchdown underdogs, stunned No. 1-ranked Ohio State, 28-24, in Columbus. It remains among the signature wins of the Nick Saban era and a fond memory for the Spartan faithful — Renaldo Hill’s goal-line interception, Julian Peterson living in the Buckeyes’ backfield. It led to nothing, though. That MSU team didn’t even reach a bowl game.
T-minus one day until MSU kicks off at noon, again, in hopes to spoil Jim Delaney’s dream of an OSU-UM matchup that means something. Can MSU do it? I mean, maybe. Let’s take a walk down the 3-2-1 preview to see what has to happen for our Spartans to have a shot.
After a second consecutive win, beating Maryland on the road 24-3, the Spartans may not be settled offensively, but they are finding a way to score. Facing the Ohio State Buckeyes this Saturday, the MSU offense will need to score early and often. But with a constant back-and-forth between the starting lineup and the injury report, the Spartans will need to find some semblance of an offensive attack to keep up with a high-flying OSU team.
Michigan State (6-3, 4-2 in the Big Ten) is as healthy as its been all year, which could mean a lot against an Ohio State team (8-1, 5-1 in the Big Ten) has been been struggling the past few weeks, losing to Purdue by 29 points and barely beating a seven-loss Nebraska team last week in Columbus.