Playing without its star quarterback Connor Cook, Michigan State went on the road Saturday and stunned No. 3 Ohio State, 17-14.
The Spartans got the ball on the Buckeyes' 48-yard line and went 25 yards before Michael Geiger connected on a 40-yard field goal to win the game as time expired.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN STATE | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| OHIO STATE | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
The Buckeyes' offense was almost non-existent the entire game as it racked up just 132 yards of total offense. Ezekiel Elliott was limited to just 33 yards on 12 carries and J.T. Barrett completed just 9-of-16 passes for 46 yards.
Michigan State racked up 294 yards of total offense, 203 of which came on the ground.
Ohio State took a 14-7 lead late in the third quarter when Terry McLaurin recovered a muffed punt and Barrett connected with Jalin Marshall for a 6-yard touchdown. Michigan State responded on its next drive, however, going 75 yards on 13 plays capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Gerald Holmes.
The first half also left much to be desired, for both teams, as the Buckeyes and Spartans were deadlocked at 7-all after the first two quarters.
Ohio State’s offense was in ultra-conservative mode as the Buckeyes refused to throw the ball downfield and found little success in the running game. Ohio State was limited to just 75 yards of total offense on 28 plays. Barrett attempted only nine passes, completing five, for 29 yards. Elliott carried the ball 10 times for 30 yards and a touchdown. Elliott’s 1-yard touchdown run came after a turnover, as Sam Hubbard forced a fumble and the Buckeyes recovered.
Michigan State wasn’t much better offensively as it rotated between Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry at quarterback in place of Cook. The Spartans had just 122 yards of total offense, but did score when O’Connor connected with Trevon Pendleton for a 12-yard touchdown pass to cap a nine-play, 75-yard drive.
Ohio State travels to Michigan next weekend for its regular-season finale.
| Ohio State | Stat | MICHIGAN STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 132 | NET TOTAL YARDS | 294 |
| 86 | RUSHING YARDS | 203 |
| 29 | RUSHING ATTEMPTS | 51 |
| 3.0 | AVERAGE PER RUSH | 4.0 |
| 1 | RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS | 1 |
| 46 | PASSING YARDS | 91 |
| 9-16 | COMPLETIONS–ATTEMPTS | 8-16 |
| 5.1 | AVERAGE PER COMPLETION | 11.4 |
| 1 | PASSING TOUCHDOWNS | 1 |
| 5 | 1st DOWNS | 17 |
| 4 | RUSHING 1st DOWNS | 14 |
| 1 | PASSING 1st DOWNS | 3 |
| 0 | PENALTY 1st DOWNS | 0 |
| 45 | TOTAL PLAYS | 67 |
| 2.9 | YARDS PER PLAY | 4.4 |
| 2-2 | RED ZONE | 2-2 |
| 4-14 | 3rd DOWNS | 7-15 |
| 1-1 | 4th DOWNS | 1-1 |
| 4-20 | PENALTIES | 4-30 |
| 21:50 | POSSESSION | 38:10 |
Game Notes
- Ohio State had the nation’s longest win-streak snapped at 23 games. That was one shy of tying the school record of 24 set by the Ohio State teams from 2012-13.
- The loss also ended a 30-game winning-streak in conference games, which was a Big Ten and current FBS conference landscape record.
- Running back Ezekiel Elliott had his FBS-leading streak of 15 consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing ended against Michigan State. Elliott’s 12 carries were his fewest since the season-opener at Virginia Tech (11).
- Elliott’s rushing touchdown in the second quarter was his 17th of the season and the 37th of his career, which ties him for fourth all-time in OSU history with Carlos Hyde (2010-13).
- Ohio State has scored a rushing touchdown in 50 of 52 games under Urban Meyer.
- Wide receiver Michael Thomas has caught a pass in 27 consecutive games.
- Defensive end Sam Hubbard recorded the first forced fumble of his career in the first quarter which led to the Buckeyes’ first touchdown of the day. Hubbard was also credited with a sack on the play, giving him 5.5 on the season.
- Linebacker Joshua Perry made a team-high 15 tackles on the night. That was his fourth game this season with 10 or more tackles and the seventh of his career.
- Punter Cameron Johnston recorded three punts inside the 20 and now has 81 in his career, breaking A.J. Trapasso’s (2005-08) previous school record of 78.
