We're heading down to the field with eight minutes left in the regular season. Check back at psucollegian.com for updates.
***
Caper just ran it for eight yards to mercifully end the third quarter for Michigan State.
How brutal was that for the Spartans?
-Cousins threw two picks, each of which resulted in Penn State touchdowns.
-His counterpart, Clark, went 6-for-6 for 130 yards and tossed three touchdowns, becoming Penn State's all-time (43) and single-season (23) touchdown pass leader.
-Royster ran the ball five times for 43 yards and is now averaging 8.8 yards per carry. He is at 114 yards on the afternoon, bringing us to...
-Penn State is 11-0 all-time when Royster eclipses the 100-yard rushing mark
Well, Penn State won't be falling to the Alamo Bowl. It probably won't even fall to the Outback Bowl. Wisconsin is losing at Northwestern right now, and if that holds up, the worst likely case for the Lions would be the Capital One Bowl.
Iowa beat Minnesota, 12-0, today, and right now it's all about style points for Penn State. Will a win by this margin (28) or better give the No. 14 Lions enough style points to jump the No. 13 Hawkeyes in the BCS standings? My money is on yes.
Don't be surprised to see Kevin Newsome get some snaps here, as predicted by yours truly on our Pigskin Preview page.
***
Graham Zug, the title is all yours.
Amish Lightning, that is.
Zug just took a Clark toss, made a man miss, and scooted into the end zone 27 yards for the score, Clark's fourth touchdown pass of the quarter. The throw makes Clark the all-time passing touchdown leader at Penn State.
Third quarter, :15,
Penn State 35, Michigan State 7
***
Daryll Clark, congratulations on your second consecutive first-team All-Big Ten selection.
You probably won it with your play through the season's first 11 games and your third quarter performance here today, but just to be certain, Cousins decided to gift-wrap you the honor himself with another awful pass, which Sean Lee picked off.
That's now back-to-back interceptions for the Lions, who will started at the Spartan 43.
***
Welcome to Florida, Penn State.
OK, maybe that's a bit premature in the third quarter, considering the Lions blew a 17-point third quarter lead last time here.
But Nick Sukay just had a 32-yard interception return down to the Michigan State 32-yard line, where Penn State went for the apparent knockout blow and struck successfully.
It was Clark to Zug for the 32-yard score on the drive's only play. Zug must really be after that Amish Lightning title again, as he has redeemed himself following a costly drop late in the second quarter.
Third quarter, 5:22
Penn State 28, Michigan State 7
***
Three big plays resulted in Penn State's third touchdown of the game.
Clark hit Quarless for 11 yards, Royster ran for 30 and Clark then found the fullback Suhey on what looked like a wheel-route out of the I-formation for a 30-yard touchdown. No one was near Suhey on the play until he dove in. The play was reviewed and upheld, and the Lions now find themselves up two scores here in the latter half of the third quarter.
Clark took a hit on his left leg upon his release of the drive's first play -- the completion to Quarless -- and was limping as he headed back to the huddle. It didn't seem to matter the rest of the way.
Third quarter, 6:19,
Penn State 21, Michigan State 7
***
No, that wasn't Drake with another big play. It was the junior cornerback Cedric Jeffries, also No. 7, who drilled Cunningham on a 3rd-and-5 toss from Cousins.
Bates' punt seventh punt of the afternoon was a short one but it took a friendly Spartan bounce to the Lion 34, and that's where Clark and the Lion offense will start their third drive of the second half.
***
Suhey and Royster went for 9 yards on two rushes, but the offensive line again failed to protect Clark, who was sacked for a loss of two on 3rd-and-1 by Jones and Tyler Hoover.
Boone's punt went out of bounds at the Spartan 29, and Cousins will start from there.
***
Penn State will get the ball with good field position again, as the Lion offense will take the field at their own 35.
Caper ran twice for 13 total yards on Michigan State's first two plays, but the Spartan drive stalled three plays later after a 3rd-and-2 toss to Linthicum went off the reserve tight end's hands.
***
I lied again, as it looks like you folks are stuck with me for the rest of the game.
It may be a turn of fortunes for Penn State, however, as the Lions may have just found their return man of the future (it took them this long?).
Green returned the kickoff 36 yards to the Lion 45, where Clark found Moye for 22 yards on Penn State's second play of the drive. A late hit on Clark by defensive end Trevor Anderson cut Penn State's distance to the goal in half, and on the very next play Curtis Drake took an option pass and tossed it to a double-teamed Quarless in the end zone for the 14-yard score. That's touchdown No. 2 on the day for Mr. Quarless, and Kevin Newsome may have to get used to those heated benches on the sideline as the Lions might just have another decent arm behind Clark for next season.
Third quarter, 13:53,
Penn State 14, Michigan State 7
***
Clark did his best to respond, but ultimately it was Big Ten preseason defensive player of the year (and likely regular season winner, announced Monday) Greg Jones coming up big, sacking the Lion quarterback with :07 left at the Spartan 34.
Green gave Penn State solid field positions with a 27-yard kickoff return to the Lion 33, and Clark completed back-to-back passes to Drake and Graham Zug, respectively, for a total of 38 yards. Zug then dropped a beauty from Clark near the Spartan 10, a big blow because Clark got sacked on the next play.
That brought up a 51-yard field goal attempt from Wagner, and although I probably don't even have to tell you how that went, I will anyway:
Not good.
It actually had the distance but was too far to the left with :02 to go. Cousins took a knee to end the half with the score tied at 7.
Halftime,
Penn State 7, Michigan State 7
***
Sometime between my remark before the game and the :45 mark of the second quarter, Spartan Stadium filled up. And it was just in time to see Cousins' two-minute drill, a work of magic against a Penn State defense that had not allowed much for the first 58 minutes of the half.
Passes to Gantt, Cunningham and White went for a total of 32 yards. Cousins then found Dell on back-to-back plays of 20 and 24 yards, respectively. Penn State called a timeout to challenge the second catch, which was awfully close to the Michigan State sideline. Nonetheless, the call was upheld, and two plays later Cousins found the tight end Gantt again, this time for an 11-yard touchdown strike to knot things up at 7.
The Spartans went 87 yards in just eight plays, taking 1:41 off the clock.
If I had a vote for first-team All-Big Ten quarterback, it would go to the winning signal-caller from this game. After that drive, I'd say advantage Cousins.
Second quarter, :45,
Penn State 7, Michigan State 7
***
That was quick.
Penn State's offense needed just five plays and 2:12 on its drive to break this scoreless tie. Clark throws to Zug, Shuler and Moye totaled 27 yards, but a 29-yard strike to the wide open Quarless in stride down the Lion sideline put points on the board.
Second quarter, 2:10
Penn State 7, Michigan State 0
***
Penn State's defense forced a three-and-out allowing only a five-yard pass to Blair White going for positive yardage on the Michigan State drive.
Bates' punt hooked out of bounds at the Lion 44, so Clark and Co. will have good field position as it tries to put some points on the board before this half ends in 4:22.
***
Penn State finally got Green where he belongs, on the outside. The result? A 31-yard screen pass down the Lion sideline to the Spartan 42. Strong safety Trenton Robinson made the touchdown-saving tackle on the play, a huge stop. Free safety Danny Fortener's stop may have been even bigger.
After Royster ran for 21 on the Lions' next play, Clark had an open Quarless in the end zone before Fortener made a last second tip on it. A screen pass to Suhey then lost a yard before Clark was forced to scramble for two on 3rd-and-11, leading to more special teams woes.
Collin Wagner hooked a 38-yard try wide right, and this contest remains scoreless.
***
Stephfon Green was drilled on Penn State's first play of the drive by Greg Jones for a loss of five. Clark then connected with Moye for 11 before the Lions called a timeout on 3rd-and-4 from their own 16.
Second quarter, 9:26 remaining
Penn State 0, Michigan State 0
***
The freshman Edwin Baker took off on a nice 34-yard run out of the timeout, but only a three-yard short pass from Cousins to reserve tight end Brian Linthicum netted positive yardage on the next series.
Cousins had to throw it away on 3rd-and-15 after Caper was stopped for an eight-yard loss on the previous play by Sean Stanley and (who else?) Bowman.
Astorino called for a fair catch at his own 10, which is where the Lions will start.
***
The announced crowd of 73,711 erupted upon the scoreboard showing the Ohio State-Michigan final. It then erupted as the Michigan State offense finally got something going on the ground, as Capers carried it twice for 10 and nine yards, respectively, before the Spartans called a timeout with the ball at their own 30.
***
I lied, I'm back for one more quarter.
Nothing changed on the drive for Penn State. Royster ran for four, and Clark failed to connect with Zug and Andrew Quarless. It looked like there was some miscommunication with the throw to Quarless.
Boone kicked a beauty for 54 yards to Martin, who used a nice juke to make Morris miss on the tackle. Morris was then blocked behind by Mitchell White, but was able to recover and tackle Martin. After all that juking and running, Martin netted nothing on the return, and the Spartans will start from their own 11.
***
Royster ran for two and Clark hit Moye for 16 to the Lion 30, and that will take us to the second quarter, with both teams yet to score.
End of first quarter,
Penn State 0, Michigan State 0
***
Cousins did all he could for the Spartans on their last drive. The only problem for him was that Bowman did all he could for the Lions, and with this quite possibly being the redshirt junior's final regular season game in a Penn State uniform, he is making a statement.
The Buffalo Bill scout seated to our right seemed to be impressed, furiously jotting down notes after every big Bowman play on the drive.
A few highlights:
-stopping a Capers rush with Sean Lee
-sacking Cousins for a loss of nine
-breaking up a 3rd-and-22 Cousins pass intended for Gant
Cousins had his highlight on the drive, rushing for 12 yards on a 3rd-and-7 and emphatically signaling "first-down" with his right arm, but ultimately it was Bowman who had the last laugh.
Nate Stupar was charged with a controversial running-into-the-kicker penalty -- only a five-yard infraction -- and on the second kick Astorino signaled for a fair catch at his own 11. That's a perfect 3-for-3 for Astorino on the day.
***
If the run isn't working for Michigan State, it certainly is for Penn State. The question, of course, is why the Lions haven't done it more often?
They ran it on their first three plays of their second drive, with Royster taking it twice for a total of nine and Drake going for 18 on a 3rd-and-1.
In Spartan territory, however, the Lions tried to go through the air, and Clark was sacked twice for a combined loss of 13 yards. Royster had an eight-yard rush in between the sacks, as he is well over 1,000 yards on the season for the second consecutive year.
Michigan State will start from its own 19.
***
Michigan State got one big play on its second drive when it needed two.
A 3rd-and-5 pass from Cousins to B.J. Cunningham went for 15 yards, with Cunningham absorbing a vicious hit from Astorino on the way down. The Spartans then went the way of the run on their next series, however, putting them in a 3rd-and-11 hole. Cousins then found the hole in the Penn State defense but was unable to connect with Mark Dell, just overthrowing the wide open junior.
Michigan State ran four times on that drive, totaling just four yards on the ground. Penn State has been all over the rush and got lucky it wasn't taken advantage of through the air on Michigan State's last play of the drive.
Astorino was drilled upon catching Bates' punt, as Ross Weaver was in on the big hit at the Penn State 25.
***
A promising drive for Penn State ended without points.
Daryll Clark hit Joe Suhey on a screen for 10 yards and a first down and Evan Royster ran to the outside for 23 yards before the Lions went to the pass. Three straight incompletions -- intended for Mickey Shuler, Curtis Drake and Graham Zug -- fell incomplete and Jeremy Boone was forced to punt with the Lions at the Spartan 35. Keshawn Martin was on the return for Michigan State, which will start from its own 9.
***
Michigan State won the toss and elected to receive. Penn State chose to defend the south end zone.
The Lion defense was all over the Spartan offense on its first drive. Following a Kirk Cousins incomplete pass to the flat, Navorro Bowman made a nice stop on a Larry Caper rush, stuffing the freshman for a loss of one. Bowman again made the stop on 3rd-and-11, wrapping up Cousins on a six-yard scramble.
Drew Astorino managed to successfully field the Aaron Bates punt, even returning it for a few yards to the Michigan State 32-yard line.
***
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Hey folks, Matt Fortuna here to take you through the first quarter of Penn State's regular season finale against Michigan State. They've got themselves a very nice press box here in Spartan Stadium, although I'm not too fond of the whole "pay for food" part of it.
The Michigan State band is currently on the field welcoming the Spartan seniors. The press box P.A. announcer has informed us that the true freshman Stephon Morris will start over senior A.J. Wallace at corner today for the Nittany Lions.
For all the heat Penn State's student section has taken, it has put on a far better performance this season than that of Michigan State's today, as there are a number of empty spots in the Spartan student section (and throughout the entire stadium, for that matter.)
I was also informed that Big Ten championship t-shirts are present in the building, though that won't matter now, as Ohio State has topped Michigan for the sixth straight time and has clinched the outright Big Ten title. A Buckeye loss and Lion win would have given the Lions a share of the Big Ten title, although the Buckeyes are going to the Rose Bowl regardless.
We're just five minutes away from kickoff here in East Lansing, and we'll be back with game updates in a bit.
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