Defense leads Spartans to victory

Published 9:37 am Monday, November 10, 2008

By By KEN JORDAN
Dowagiac Daily News
EAST LANSING – Credit the Michigan State defense Saturday as it led the way to a 21-7 Big Ten Conference win over the Purdue Boilermakers at cold, wind blown Spartan Stadium.
With the victory, the Spartans improve to 9-2 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten. A win at Penn State on Nov. 22 would guarantee MSU at least a tie for its first Big Ten title since 1990.
Freshman Johnny Adams stepped in front of an errant Justin Siller pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with only nine seconds remaining in the first half to extend the Spartan lead to 14-0.
The MSU defense dominated throughout, in holding Purdue to a season low 191 yards in total offense.
Javon Ringer made his final appearance at Spartan Stadium a memorable one as he ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns. After the game, Ringer took an emotional lap around the stadium shaking hands with many of the remaining Spartan faithful.
Michigan State scored on its first possession of the game, taking advantage of great field position after an 18-yard Purdue punt gave them the ball at the Purdue 47.
Ringer scored from one yard out, but the key play of the drive was a 21-yard Ringer run to the Purdue 5-yard line. During that run, Ringer became the second all-time leading rusher in MSU history, trailing only Spartan great, Lorenzo White.
MSU had other opportunities to put Purdue away early, but the Boilermakers recovered an Ashton Leggett fumble at their own 22 late in the first quarter.
In addition the Boilermakers stopped Ringer on a fourth and one at their own 10-yard line early in the second quarter.
Brett Swenson failed to convert a 44-yard field goal attempt into a stiff wind late in the first half.
Purdue failed to take advantage as they only generated 38 yards and two first downs in the first half.
The Spartans iced the game early in the third quarter.
Blair White was on the receiving end of a 49-yard heave from Brian Hoyer to the Purdue 12. Ringer scored his second touchdown from 1-yard out to extend the lead to 21-0.
Hoyer completed 10-22 for 154 yards on the day, as the Spartans generated 300 yards of offense.
Purdue scored their only touchdown on a Justin Siller 1 yard run with 42 seconds remaining in the game. Siller, in his second start in place of the injured Matt Painter, was held to 83 yards passing and six yards rushing, after generating over 350 yards and four touchdowns in his debut against Michigan last week.
Kory Sheets ran for 93 yards in 22 rushing attempts.
Purdue dropped to 3-7, 1-5 in being eliminated from the bowl picture for just the second time in Coach Joe Tillers 12th and final season as coach of the Boilermakers.
The Spartans are off next week after being the only BCS conference team to play 11 straight weekends.
MSU coach Mark Dantonio reflected after the game, "We've got a bunch of happy guys in that locker room, the opportunity to go to Penn State in two weeks, which will be nice – we need a break, to win a Big Ten Championship is real. And that's what's exciting."