MSU's seniors went out with a bang in their final home game.
Led by quarterback Jeff Smoker and defensive end Greg Taplin, the Spartans (8-4 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) beat Penn State (3-9, 1-7) Saturday, 41-10, finishing the season with their best record since 1999 and snapping a three-game losing streak.
This is the eighth time since 1965 that the Spartans have won at least eight games in a season. That same year, MSU won the national and conference championships.
Smoker, who left the field to a thundering standing ovation with four minutes remaining, threw for 357 yards on 29-for-50 passing with four touchdowns. The four touchdowns tied an MSU single-game record for touchdown passes in a game.
On the other side of the ball, Taplin, one of the team's emotional leaders, ran rampant as he rampaged through the Nittany Lions' offensive line.
"(Taplin) was dynamite today," head coach John L. Smith said.
Though he was double-teamed for most of the afternoon, Taplin still racked up three sacks and would have had a fourth had he been a little more patient, according to Smith.
"Right before the offsides sack, I swear (I told him), 'Don't be offsides; that guy can't block you.' So I'm giving the ole rah-rah pep talk, 'Be onside!'" he said. "Apparently, he listened to the 'Get-him-on-his-back' part instead of the 'Be onsides' part."
On offense, four different Spartans caught touchdown passes from Smoker.
Down 3-0 in the first quarter, Smoker hit sophomore wide receiver Kyle Brown on a short route and Brown broke two tackles en route to an 80-yard touchdown catch.
Junior tight ends Eric Knott and Jason Randall both caught touchdowns, while sophomore receiver Jerramy Scott added another. In an increased role in the team's final regular-season game, Scott had seven receptions for 82 yards.
Scott played on offense instead of sophomore receiver Agim Shabaj. Shabaj and sophomore receiver Matt Trannon played little offensively, but Smith would not indicate what the reason behind the move was.
The Spartans' defense shut down the struggling Nittany Lions and held them out of the end zone until the final seconds. Joe Paterno's team was able to manage only 238 yards all game, averaging 3.7 yards a play.
MSU is tied for fourth place in the Big Ten with Iowa and Minnesota, both teams the Spartans beat.
With Michigan beating Ohio State, the Wolverines won the conference and most likely will be headed to the Rose Bowl, but there is still a slim chance they can play for the national championship. The Buckeyes either will go to a BCS game or the Capital One Bowl.
MSU, meanwhile, is excited just to be playing in the postseason.
"I can't wait to find out where we go; I want to go somewhere hot," Taplin said. "I want to pull my shorts out, my nice, pretty Michigan State hat and look good."
That leaves the Spartans headed to either the Outback Bowl, Alamo Bowl, Sun Bowl or Music City Bowl. The win most likely eliminates the chances of going to the Motor City Bowl in Detroit, which makes players like Taplin, who want to go somewhere warm, happy.
"I don't think we're going to the Motor City Bowl; I wouldn't want to go to the Motor City Bowl," Taplin said. "I don't feel like we're the No. 7 team in the Big Ten that goes to the Motor City Bowl."
Jon Malavolti can be reached at malavol2@msu.edu.
Jon Styf can be reached at styfjona@msu.edu
