EAST LANSING – Under partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 60s, fourth-year Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio sent his team through a 3-hour “controlled” scrimmage in Spartan Stadium on Saturday as the Spartans completed their ninth of 15 allotted spring practices.

Utilizing a modified scoring system, the defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns and came up with a goal-line stand to rally from a 35-point deficit for a 93-90 overtime victory in the first spring scrimmage, reclaiming the Green (home) jersey from the offense.

The scrimmage format provided the defense with 18 different scoring opportunities, while the offense had 11 ways to put points on the scoreboard, including the traditional TD and field goal.

The first-team offense scored on four of its first five possessions, producing two TDs and two field goals, while the second team scored TDs on back-to-back drives as the Green built a 62-27 lead midway through the 130-play scrimmage.

Two interception returns for TDs fueled the White team’s comeback. First, on a third-and-6 play, cornerback Mitchell White (6-1, 172, So.) intercepted Andrew Maxwell’s (6-3, 200, R-Fr.) pass attempt and returned it 40 yards for a score, worth 12 points, as the defense pulled to within 66-61.

Two series later, strong safety Marcus Hyde (6-0, 202, Sr.-5) picked off Kirk Cousins (6-3, 202, Jr.), throwing from his own end zone, and returned it 12 yards for another 12 points, as the White team took its first lead of the scrimmage at 73-71.

Leading 90-81, the offense had a chance to ice the game, facing first-and-goal from the White 5-yard line. Three plays netted 4 yards and on fourth-and-goal from the 1, defensive end Denzel Drone (6-2, 252, R-Fr.) stuffed Edwin Baker (5-9, 199, So.) for no gain and added six points to the White team’s total.

Cornerback Chase Parker’s (5-9, 177, Jr.) pass break-up on the final play of regulation gave the defense three more points and sent the game into overtime tied at 90.

When Dan Conroy’s (5-10, 185, So.) 41-yard field-goal attempt into the wind sailed wide left, it touched off a wild celebration for the White team as it claimed a 93-90 win in overtime.

“I thought it was a great scrimmage,” Dantonio said. “Early on, the offense played extremely well, and you can certainly see the value of having an experienced quarterback running the show. It’s also apparent that we have great skill players on offense, and those guys produced a number of big plays, especially in the early going. The offensive line allowed only two sacks, so that’s another positive.

“Give the defense credit for a great comeback. The defense returned two picks for touchdowns, and with the way we score things, it became a very competitive game at the end. It also reinforces just how difficult it becomes to win a football game when the offense turns the ball over multiple times. The defense also had an impressive goal-line stand to help send the scrimmage into overtime.

“I was really impressed with the hitting, especially when you consider that the scrimmage lasted 130 plays. All in all, we’re very pleased with what we got accomplished in the first scrimmage. Our focus will be to continue improving over these last six practices.”

Cousins, who took nearly all of the snaps with the first-team offense, completed 19-of-30 throws for 188 yards, two scores and two interceptions. Cousins capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive with a 30-yard TD strike to Keith Nichol (6-2, 220, Jr.). He also hooked up with Keshawn Martin (5-11, 185, Jr.) for a 25-yard scoring play on third-and-10.

“We’re focused on learning and improving,” Cousins said. “There were certainly some mistakes made today, but we have a lot of guys who are working hard and trying to get better. I made a huge mistake, throwing a pick six. I know that I can’t do that, especially coming off our goal line, but I’m learning too. We called that same play later in the scrimmage, and we got a completion off of it. So that’s a positive sign.

“We have a lot of playmakers on offense, so we simply have to make sure that we’re all operating on the same page. When we’re running the football effectively, it makes my job as quarterback very easy. We’ll be extremely difficult to contain if we can remained balanced on offense.

“The offensive line also did a great job today,” Cousins continued. “We have a lot of young guys playing up front, but they did a good job today picking up all of the different blitzes the defense threw at them. Those guys have a humble attitude. They’re hungry to learn, and they’re willing to put in the work to get better. Some may make a mistake now and then, but they’re learning because they’re not making the same mistakes twice. With their willingness to learn and commitment to improve, it’s easy for me to have patience as this group begins to develop chemistry.”

Maxwell, who played the majority of snaps with the second-team offense, connected on 15-of-27 passes for 199 yards, including TD toss of 69 yards to Le’Veon Bell (6-2, 230, Fr.) and 8 yards to Donald Spencer (6-2, 205, R-Fr.). He also played three series with the first team and threw one interception.