Junior quarterback Brian Hoyer was feeling the heat after last week’s loss to Michigan, but he was on fire in MSU’s 48-31 victory Saturday against Purdue. Hoyer rarely threw a bad ball all game, completing 22-of-31 passes for 266 yards, and most of his incompletions could be credited to dropped passes. At one stretch midway through the game, Hoyer completed 11 consecutive passes.
“Hopefully a lot of the criticism will come off his back, because we all know he’s a very good quarterback, and he just went out there and showed it today,” senior running back Jehuu Caulcrick said.
He had great protection throughout the game, giving him time to find receivers open in the creases of Purdue’s soft zone defense, Hoyer said.
“It’s amazing how when everybody does their job how good we can be,” he said.
After an emotional battle against the Wolverines last week, Hoyer said he played his most relaxed game of the season Saturday.
Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell said Hoyer’s performance did not surprise him.
“He’s probably just continuing to relax a little more with each game under his belt, and not trying to do it all,” Treadwell said.
Hoyer threw two touchdown passes and also ran a 1-yard quarterback sneak on the goal line for his first rushing touchdown of the season.
“I was real excited for him,” Caulcrick said. “It’s just showing that he’s not one dimensional.
“As ugly as it looks when he runs,” he said with a laugh, “he gets the job done.”
SirDarean Adams steps up
Two weeks ago, senior linebacker SirDarean Adams did not even travel with the team when the Spartans played Iowa. But on Saturday, he showed up in a big way — intercepting two passes.
At the start of the second quarter, he flew over the middle, swiping Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter’s pass, returning to set up an MSU touchdown.
Then, with seconds left in the half, Adams did it again. He returned an interception 37 yards, lining up an MSU field goal.
“He did a great job of dropping back in coverage and reading the quarterback’s eyes,” senior linebacker Kaleb Thornhill said.
“He has a great knack for dropping back and breaking up balls.”
Adams’ two interceptions, coupled with senior safety Travis Key’s fumble return for a touchdown, amounted to 17 points for the Spartans.
Bowl chances still alive
The Spartans (6-5 overall, 2-5 Big Ten) finally got over the hump, notching their sixth win and becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since 2003.
They will not be guaranteed a trip to a bowl, however, unless they beat Penn State at Spartan Stadium next weekend.
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There are currently 10 teams in the Big Ten with six wins and bowl eligibility, but the conference only sends seven teams to bowls, leaving the other three hoping for an invitation to a non-Big Ten bowl.
Making history
Thanks to Caulcrick and Thomas, the Spartan record books will be receiving a makeover.
Caulcrick’s two rushing touchdowns gave him 20 for the season, breaking Blake Ezor’s single-season record of 19 set in 1989. He also set the MSU single-season record for points with 120.
Thomas’s 10 catches tied him with Charles Rogers for the most receptions in a single season with 68. He also had 111 all-purpose yards, giving him 2,134 on the season. That breaks the MSU record of 2,094 set by Lorenzo White in 1985.
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