By By KEN JORDAN / Special to Daily Star
EAST LANSING – The transformation of the Michigan State Spartan offense from the spread to power football is complete. Led by Javon Ringer's 203 yards on 29 carries, the Spartans won their first Big Ten game of the season, before 73,449 excited fans on Homecoming Saturday Night.
The Spartans out rushed Indiana 368 yards to 22 and out gained them 558 yards to 193. MSU ran 90 offensive plays to Indiana's 36 in dropping the Hoosiers to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play. The Spartans improved to 5-2 and 1-2 in the conference. Both teams need one more victory to become bowl eligible.
Ringer scored on touchdown runs of 3- and 64-yards, while Jehuu Caulcrick scored three short yardage touchdowns on his way to a 97-yard rushing night. It was Ringer's fourth straight 100-yard game; the first time a Spartan has accomplished that since Blake Ezor in 1989. Caulcrick reached a milestone of his own, becoming only the 14th Spartan to rush for over 2,000 yards.
Brian Hoyer was very efficient in completing 20-of-23 passes for 190 yards. Hoyer hooked up with Devin Thomas for a 34-yard scoring strike in the Spartans first possession of the third quarter to extend the MSU lead to 31-13. At 6-foot-2, Thomas out jumped the Hoosiers 5-foot10 Leslie Majors to haul in the Hoyer heave.
In all, Thomas totaled 254 yards, including 148 receiving, 14 yards rushing and 92 kickoff return yards.
After the game, Spartan Head Coach, Mark Dantonio, talked about Thomas, "He looks like one of those guys on 'Madden Football.' He's very, very versatile."
Senior, Jonal Saint-Dic, continued to lead the Spartan defensive efforts. Saint Dic sacked Hoosier quarterback, Kellen Lewis, forcing him to fumble on his own 12-yard line late in the third quarter. Spartan Defensive End, Ervin Baldwin made the scoop and score, to extend the Spartan lead to 45-13. It was Saint-Dic's seventh forced fumble of the season, tying a Big Ten record.
Indiana scored two late third quarter touchdowns to close to 45-27, but the Spartans answered with a 15 play, 71-yard drive that consumed 6:37 culminating in Caulcrick's 3rd TD of the day to ice the Spartan win.
MSU had an aggressive attitude throughout the contest. They gained first downs on four different fourth down attempts, including a faked field goal on its first series.
Dantonio
admitted this was by design. "We were taking no prisoners and challenging our players. We were going for it."
The Spartans will need to maintain this attitude as they prepare to head to Columbus to face the Ohio State Buckeyes next Saturday. The Buckeyes were elevated to No. 1 in the latest AP poll released Sunday afternoon.
For Dantonio, it's a homecoming as he served as the defensive coordinator at Ohio Sate for three seasons including their 2002 National Championship season.
It'll be a chance for Dantonio to measure how far the Spartans aggressive, power game has come in the place where "three yards and a cloud of dust" was born.
Indiana 10 3 14 0 – 27
Michigan State 17 7 21 7 – 52
MSU – Caulcrick, Jehuu 1 run (Swenson, Brett kick)
IND – Lewis, Kellen 59 run (Starr, Austin kick)
MSU – Ringer, Javon 3 yd run (Swenson kick)
MSU – Swenson 23 field goal
IND – Starr 40 field goal
MSU – Ringer 64 run (Swenson kick)
IND – Starr 47 field goal
MSU – Thomas, Devin 34 pass from Hoyer, Brian (Swenson kick)
MSU – Caulcrick 2 run (Swenson kick)
MSU – Baldwin, Ervin 12 fumble recovery (Swenson kick)
IND – Hardy, James 37 pass from Lewis (Starr kick)
IND – Porter, Tracy 76 fumble recovery (Starr kick)
MSU – Caulcrick 3 run (Swenson kick)