For the second time in three seasons, the Spartans are heading to Indianapolis.
Following a 30-6 victory over Northwestern on Saturday in Evanston, Ill., the No. 11 MSU football team (10-1 overall, 7-0 Big Ten) clinched the Legends Division title, punching its ticket to the Big Ten Championship Game for a highly-anticipated matchup with Leaders Division champion No. 3 Ohio State (11-0, 7-0), a team that will present its share of challenges.
Sophomore quarterback Connor Cook threw for a career-high 293 yards and two touchdowns while junior running back Jeremy Langford crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season after rushing for 150 yards — his sixth-consecutive 100-yard game — along with a pair of touchdowns on the day.
“Very happy for our program and everybody associated with it,” head coach Mark Dantonio told the media after the game. “Like I said, we got a hat on. Hopefully we want to wear this hat for a couple of weeks and we’ll trade it in, but we will see.
“That’s what makes things so special.”
After a slow start that saw the Spartans fall behind 3-0, Langford swung the momentum by capping an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
With the Spartans facing third down on their own 8-yard line late in the first half, Cook threw a back-shoulder pass to senior wide receiver Bennie Fowler, who briefly bobbled the ball before reeling it in and breaking away from a Wildcat defender for an 87-yard score.
Facing heavy criticism after a lackluster 2012 season, Fowler has responded as a consistent target for the Spartans.
He’s accumulated 30 receptions for 481 yards and six touchdowns.
And with the fiery criticism directed at the team by the media and fans to start the season in mind, Cook said it’s been a point of pride for MSU to outwork the team’s harshest critics.
“I’m so happy and so proud of the guys we have on offense for all the criticism we took early on in the year,” Cook said. “We put our heads down and worked so hard the whole year and didn’t let any of the harsh words from the media and the fans get to us, and we just kept working.”
Northwestern kicker Jeff Budzien hit a 20-yard field goal to make it a 14-6 game before halftime.
In the first drive of the second half, freshman kicker Michael Geiger drained a 37-yard field goal. Geiger now has made 12-of-13 field goal attempts this season, including 6-of-6 in the 40-49 yard range.
On MSU’s next offensive possession, Cook showed off his accuracy, completing four passes for 15 yards or more, including a 15-yard touchdown strike to redshirt freshman tight end Josiah Price.
Cook attributed his success to playcalling on the part of coaches.
He feels the playcalling on offense has been improving as the season has progressed.
“Coach (Dave) Warner has done a great job calling plays ever since Big Ten play started, even before then,” Cook said. “He has put me in good situations out there on the field.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Langford drove a dagger through Northwestern’s comeback effort, taking a 37-yard carry to the house for MSU’s final offensive touchdown of the day in a triumphant effort.
Replacing former workhorse running back Le’Veon Bell, Langford has 1,076 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns this season.
He also has 17 receptions for 110 yards and a receiving touchdown.
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Langford ranks 21st in the country in individual rushing yards on the year.
“We’ve still got our goals ahead of us, and we just have to keep going and win,” Langford said after the game. “At the beginning of the season, we weren’t the most popular team. In our room, we stayed positive.
“Now we’re doing well, and our room is still staying positive. We just keep moving forward and keep winning.”
The Big Ten Championship Game takes place Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (8:17 p.m., FOX).
For ticket information, visit ticketmaster.com.
