A 49-0 throttling of Rutgers shouldn’t bring so much joy for a team that lost a gob of winnable games and stumbled through a season it thought could be historical — but it did.

Perhaps for them, it was what they needed.

“It was fun,” fifth-year senior tight end Josiah Price said, laughing almost reminiscing about what felt like to win again. “It was a lot of fun, I kept turning to guys like LJ (Scott) and Tyler (O'Connor) like, ‘man, this is fun’ when we come out here when we play to our potential and we come out and dominate a team.”

MSU football’s ills have been cured, for at least a week. For as insufferable, inept and unfit for the Big Ten as Rutgers’ football program is, MSU can feel a minor reprieve in a loathsome, regrettable season.

It’s hard to label it a coming out party for the Spartans who have sputtered all season and never let both sides of the ball work subsequently.

On Saturday all cogs churned on time, guided by an offense that pounded the ball through gaping holes in the Rutgers defense. For the first time since week two, the offense of line translated its efforts into a win.

LJ Scott lugged through the line for 122 yards. Gerald Holmes and Madre London combined for 107 yards on the back of London’s rarely used legs.

Trishton Jackson provided a glimpse at a quick and sleek future when the ball was in his hands on a 50-yard touchdown catch and run.

“He played quarterback in high school, so he's a guy that understands the schemes, concepts, route progressions and placements, and things of that nature, so he's ahead of the curve in his learning,” Dantonio said of Jackson.

After the drawn-out competition for quarterback, the epilogue came with fifth-year senior Tyler O’Connor taking over for the injured Brian Lewerke.

O’Connor played free, able to enjoy himself again using the increasingly rare but effective MSU play action pass twice near the goal line. He ended with a mundane but solid 10 completions for 141 yards and three touchdowns.

“I loved the call,” O’Connor said of the play action. “Coach (Dave) Warner called it well, getting me on the move, getting the outside and some play-action and some power.”

Warner shucked the conservative cocoon allowing for a fluid offense that didn’t rely on O’Connor having to improvise or rely on one side of the line to hold blocks.

The defense stuffed Rutgers time and again allowing only 149 total yards, eight first downs and 2.8 yards a play. Even without McDowell the defensive line finally stifled a subpar rush attack relinquishing a measly three yards per rush.

In a season which again saw the complete absence of “no-fly zone” Montae Nicholson and Demetrious Cox both snagged interceptions, Cox’s being returned 25 yards for a touchdown.

“Demetrious Cox getting the pick six felt really good for him because he's had a rough time,” co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett said. “He's been banged up and he's kept battling and trying to be a team leader.”

Tackles were clean, crisp and secure, especially for the young players being plugged into the swarm of the dismal season.

The future was able to present what the present hasn’t been able to do. All facets coalesced into a win over an inferior team. It’s come far too late, but for now it’ll be the proverbial relief of a pounding headache of a season.

“We tried to have fun in the locker room after the game,” junior linebacker Chris Frey said. ‘We know it's still not the season that we expected, but we know it's an opportunity to look forward. We got a win today, and we are looking forward to getting another one in the weeks following.”

They won’t win in the following weeks. Ohio State and Penn State University should wipe the floor with this battered group. Expect MSU to compete, but know its inexperience and talent just haven’t matured yet.

For now, cherish the last win of MSU football’s season and a performance that came far too late.