Observations on the first half with Michigan State, 17-7
Michigan converted 3 red zones for 17 points; Michigan State converted one red zone for 7 points. No turnovers in the half.
Offense gained 13 first downs, 254 yards in 38 offensive plays with 72 on the ground; they were 3 of 7 in 3rd and 4th down conversions. Shea Patterson was 14 of 21 for 182 yards and a TD. Ronnie Bell grabbed 7 of those for 118 yards. Hassan Haskins carried 6 times for 13 yards and a TD; Zach Charbonnet got 7 carries for 30 yards. Nick Eubanks caught a 5 yard TD pass; Nico Collins, Mike Sainristil, and Donovan Peoples-Jones had 2 receptions each. Xavier Henderson led the Spartans with 6 tackles; Antjuan Simmons had 5 stops.
The Spartans had 8 first downs, 118 net yards in 28 offensive plays with 39 on the ground; they were 3 of 7 in 3rd and 4th down conversions. Brian Lewerke was 6 of 11 for 79 yards and a TD; he also ran 5 times for 16 yards. Emilio Collins gained 18 yards in 8 carries. Defense was led by Josh Metellus with 5 tackles; Mike Danna had 4 tackles. Michigan held a 2 minute time of possession advantage which gave them 10 more offensive plays.
Special Teams play was good! Giles Jackson had 2 kickoff returns for 30 yards. Jake Moody had 3 kickoffs with 2 touchbacks. Will Hart punted once for 47 yards. Quinn Nordin hit a 28 yard field goal. Michigan State downed two punts inside the 20.
Second Half will continue to be a low scoring affair. No turnovers and we will gain a win; if we can create some Spartan turnovers, that would be even better. Go Blue!