Spartans emerge winners in sloppy game

Ringer rushes for 198 yards, Hoyer solid throughout

Bloomington, Ind. — It could have been the back breaker that brought out those dreaded words: Same Old Spartans.

MSU had pinned the Indiana Hoosiers inside their own five. The down was third-and-seven. The Spartan defense was hungry for a safety, already leading 34-29 late in the third quarter.

Hoosiers backup quarterback Ben Chappell dropped back for a pass and lofted a deep ball to receiver Terrance Turner, who was sprinting down the field, more open than a 7-Eleven.

Turner hauled in the pass and waltzed into the end zone for a touchdown.

On the opposite side of the field, Chappell and a few teammates congratulated each other for taking the lead.

And there it was, laying on the ground next to the jubilant Hoosiers — a single yellow flag, contrasting sharply against the red-painted end zone.

Holding was the call. The guilty party: Offensive lineman Cody Faulkner for tackling MSU defensive tackle Justin Kershaw in the end zone.

The result: A safety for MSU and a clear path to a well-earned win.

“That really would have swung the momentum for them,” Kershaw said. “You can never let a 100-yard pass like that.”

From there on, with a 36-29 lead in hand and senior running back Javon Ringer in the backfield, the Spartans added two field goals for a 42-29 victory to open conference play.

“After that call, that was game-changing right there,” Indiana running back Marcus Thigpen said. “After that, the momentum just went to their side.”

In a phrase that has started to become monotonous because of its consistency, Ringer compiled stellar numbers on the ground, rushing for 198 yards and one touchdown on 44 carries.

Through five games, Ringer has averaged 37 carries and 180 yards, statistics that will continue to thrust him into the race for the Heisman Trophy.

Ringer could have become the first running back in MSU history to reach 200 rushing yards for the third consecutive week, but MSU head coach Mark Dantonio opted to take a knee on the Spartans’ final drive, leaving the Dayton, Ohio, native two yards short of that mark.

“The 200-yard thing, if that comes, it comes,” Ringer said, forgoing personal accolades for a hard-fought victory.

Senior quarterback Brian Hoyer solidified his best game of the season Saturday at Memorial Stadium, going 14-of-26 for 261 yards, a pair of touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Although the final score and 970 yards of total offense might suggest the work of two sound offenses, both teams struggled with penalties, dropped balls and several mental mistakes.

The most one-sided gaffe, however, was in the turnover department, where the Spartans recorded two interceptions, one forced fumble and zero giveaways.

“You never want to be in a shootout game, but I think we responded today,” MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said. “It was nice to come out and play average and come away with a win.”

Junior kicker Brett Swenson put MSU on the board first with a 45-yard field goal six minutes into the first quarter.

The Hoosiers responded with a 76-yard drive capped by an 8-yard pass from quarterback Kellen Lewis to wide receiver Ray Fisher.

MSU came back with a 48-yard field goal from Swenson, followed by a Brian Hoyer quarterback sneak for a touchdown and a 14-yard pass from Hoyer to wide receiver Mark Dell, all within eight minutes.

The Hoosiers responded again with nine points of their own on a 6-yard run by Thigpen and a safety that resulted from a blocked punt, bringing the score to 20-16.

Both teams traded big-play touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half — MSU with an 82-yard connection between Hoyer and sophomore tight end Charlie Gantt and Indiana with a 78-yard run by Thigpen — resulting in a 27-22 MSU lead at halftime.

The fireworks didn’t end at the half. MSU came out with a touchdown on its first drive courtesy of a Ringer 1-yard touchdown plunge and Thigpen evaded Wiley on a 79-yard touchdown catch to put the score at 34-29.

The negated 97-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter gave MSU two points from a safety and a seven-point lead.
Swenson tacked on two field goals in the fourth quarter, one of which was the result of Fortener’s interception, to put the game away.

“A lot of big plays shifted the momentum of the game throughout,” Indiana head coach Bill Lynch said. “We came up a little short there in the late third quarter and into the fourth quarter, and then once we got down two scores, it made it a little bit different.”

MSU continues conference play next Saturday against Iowa. The home game is scheduled to begin at noon.