Spartans rally to knock off Penn State, 35-31

Published 12:37 pm Monday, November 19, 2007

By By STEVE MORRISON / Niles Daily Star
EAST LANSING – With post-season bowl hopes melting like an icicle in a rainstorm, the Michigan State Spartan football team staged one of their most impressive second half rallies in history to stun visiting Penn State's Nittany Lions 35-31 on Saturday night, before a soaked, partisan crowd of 59,116.
Michigan State, which had lost all of its five defeats, this season, by seven or fewer points, virtually assured itself of a bowl bid for the holidays by finishing with two wins (including last week's 48-1 drubbing of Purdue) to finish the season with a 7-5 record overall. Likely the Insight Bowl, in Tempe, Ariz. or Detroit's Motor City Bowl will come calling for the Spartans.
"We've been in every single game," gushed Spartan Head coach Mark Dantonio. "Our players kept playing throughout the entire game." The Spartans finished with the lead for points scored in the Big Ten Conference at 278 and led league with 409 points in overall competition. On the other hand, the much-maligned MSU defense with, weak secondary pass coverage, was third from the bottom in points allowed with 260 in the conference and 322 overall, which had led to late-game collapses against Wisconsin, Northwestern, Ohio State, Iowa, and Michigan. This time the Spartans; however, were determined not to let negative history repeat itself.
Penn State began the fourth quarter with a 10 play combination of passing and running plays by Anthony Morelli and Rodney Kinlaw to break away 31-21 and it appeared that the Spartan season was about to come to a bitter end, just like the discouraging previous three collapses under deposed former Spartan coach John L. Smith.
Brian Hoyer and company only took four plays to score again, with Devon Thomas hauling in his record-tying third touchdown pass of the day from Hoyer. Brett Swenson's kick was good and the Spartan crowd sensed a miracle in the making, down, now, 31-28.
The defense shut down Penn State on the next set, setting up the possession and play highlight of the season for the Spartans.
After Boone's 53-yard punt to MSU was returned by Terry Love for a careless four-yard loss, Hoyer led out the offense with 9:50 left. After starting at their own 20, the Spartans faced fourth and five on their own 25- yard line. On a direct snap from center Jehuu Caulcrick roared around the left side for a 17-yard gain on a fake punt. That straw broke the Lions' backs.
Eight plays later, Caulcrick blew one yard into the end zone with the most important of his 103 yards rushing on 22 carries, for the night, to post the winning score 35-31.
Miraculously the Spartan defense held off Morelli and Kinlaw in Penn's last-ditch effort, to preserve the MSU victory. Long-due pressure from the defensive line forced Morelli into four straight incompletions to end the Lion's hopes.
"I looked in his (Caulcrick's) eyes and saw he was going to do whatever it took to win this football game!" praised Dantonio. Tune in to check out where the Spartans will go for the holidays.
Penn State 7 10 7 7 – 31
Michigan State 7 0 14 14 35
MSU – Devon Thomas 12 pass from Brian Hoyer (Brett Swenson kick)
PSU – Deon Butler 37 pass from Anthony Morelli (Kevin Kelly kick)
PSU – Kelly 21 field goal
PSU – Rodney Kinlaw 4 run (Kelly, kick)
PSU – Kelly 5 run (Kelly kick)
MSU – Jeff McPherson 3 pass from Hoyer (Swenson kick)
MSU – Thomas 33 pass from Hoyer (Swenson kick)
PSU – Kinlaw 4 run (Kelly kick)
MSU – Thomas 26 pass from Hoyer (Swenson kick)
MSU – Jehuu Caulcrick 1 run (Swenson kick)