Senior running back Javon Ringer gets congratulated by the student section after MSU’s win against Purdue. Saturday was Ringer’s last home game with the Spartans.
With an ugly 21-7 win Saturday over Purdue, the Spartans are sitting pretty for a shot at the Big Ten championship.
A stingy defense that held Purdue to 191 total yards and gave the Spartans offense superb field position on two touchdown drives propelled MSU to a win on Senior Day at Spartan Stadium.
With the victory, the No. 18 Spartans (9-2 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) have a chance to become Big Ten champions if they can knock off heavily favored Penn State in two weeks.
If Penn State beats Iowa and Indiana in its next two games but loses to MSU, the Spartans would likely earn a Rose Bowl appearance. The Spartans own a tiebreaker over Penn State and Ohio State if all three teams end the season with one conference loss, which would put MSU in line for a trip to Pasadena, Calif.
“When you shoot for something and talk about it for so long and all of a sudden it’s done, it’s a little numbing,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said of positioning his team for a Big Ten title game. “I knew it could happen. I knew we’d have to win close games, and we’ve been able to do that.”
Senior running back Javon Ringer led MSU on the ground with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries. Ringer was unable to shake free for a long run but pounded home 1-yard touchdown runs in the first and third quarters.
Senior quarterback Brian Hoyer was unspectacular for the Spartans, going 10-of-22 for 154 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Spartans left points on the board with four turnovers, including three in Purdue territory. Hoyer’s two interceptions and fumbles on mishandled tosses to Ringer and redshirt freshman Ashton Leggett stopped promising MSU drives.
“We hurt ourselves, but I think it shows where our team is that not everybody has to have their best game for us to win,” said Hoyer, who had not thrown an interception his previous two games.
Purdue running back Kory Sheets anchored the Purdue (3-7, 1-5) offense with 93 yards on 22 carries. The Spartans contained Purdue’s sophomore dual-threat quarterback Justin Siller, sacking him five times, limiting him to 83 passing yards and returning an interception for a touchdown.
“We knew he was a good athlete and we wanted to get after him,” MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said. “The kids did a good job executing, and that’s what it always comes down to.”
The Spartans appeared to be heading for a blowout win after forcing a Purdue three-and-out on the Boilermakers first drive and converting good field position into a 1-yard Javon Ringer touchdown run on an eight-play, 47-yard drive.
But a bevy of mistakes — including Leggett’s fumble, a Hoyer interception into double coverage and a failed fourth-and-1 conversion deep in Purdue territory — kept the MSU offense out of the end zone in the first half.
The MSU defense chipped in, though, with six points off an interception return for a touchdown with nine seconds remaining by freshman cornerback Johnny Adams. The Akron, Ohio, native jumped Siller’s pass near the left sideline, intercepted the ball and returned it to the end zone.
Purdue struggled mightily on offense in the first half, mustering two first downs and 38 yards of total offense on 32 plays. A tenacious MSU front seven blew through the Boilermakers’ offensive line in the first two quarters and notched four sacks of Siller, who made his second career start Saturday.
“We were so emotional before the game,” senior defensive Brandon Long said of the MSU defense, which players admitted lacked some passion before last week’s win over Wisconsin. “It was so sweet that everyone came in prepared and the game plan was great.”
After entering halftime with a 14-0 lead, the Spartans added a third touchdown on their second drive of the second half. Ringer bowled his way forward for a 1-yard touchdown run to finish a five-play, 61-yard drive keyed by a 49-yard deep pass into double coverage from Hoyer to junior wide receiver Blair White.
The Boilermakers ended MSU’s bid for a shutout with less than one minute remaining on a 1-yard touchdown run by Siller to cap a 98-yard drive that took more than nine minutes.
Saturday marked the final home game for MSU’s 16 seniors, many of whom marched to the Spartans’ student section after the game and gave high-fives to fans after the win.
“I definitely wanted to take time to thank all our fans,” said Ringer, who was chided for taking a few more minutes than other players to acknowledge his supporters. “I wanted to make sure they know I appreciate them.”
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MSU’s conference title showdown is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Nov. 22 in State College, Pa.
