UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mark Dantonio said last week he wanted his team to play like they were 5-0, not 3-2.
The Spartans faced eighth-ranked Penn State Saturday night as the underdogs, with the Nittany Lions favored -14 on their homecoming, in a striped out stadium.
But Michigan State (4-2, 2-1 in Big Ten) came out victorious, beating Penn State (4-2, 1-2) 21-17, thanks to a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brian Lewerke to wide receiver Felton Davis III with 19 seconds left in the game.
And in the words of safety Khari Willis, the Spartans brought their poker chips today.
“Khari Willis said, ‘Hey, we got to bring that chip mentality back. Bring a poker chip with you to the game,’" Dantonio said. “So, everybody got a poker chip and we walked in and we slammed it down. As a source of commitment.”
The Spartans haven’t gotten off to their ideal start. A 16-13 loss to Arizona State Sept. 8 and a 29-19 loss to Northwestern Oct. 6 on homecoming had fans doubting MSU.
The outside noise gave MSU a chip on its shoulder, which Davis said the Spartans prefer, rather than being the favorites.
“We play better when we got the chip on our shoulder,” Davis, who had a team-high eight catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns, said. “The attitude when we go to the weight room, with our shirts we got a chip on the side of it. That’s what we carry with us all the time, our lunch box, like we going to work and that’s how we like it.”
Dantonio said though his team has had “tough moments” this season, he never thought they would fall apart. It’s not in this year’s Spartans’ DNA.
“There’s never been any doubt in our character,” Dantonio said. “I’ve always believed we’ve had a good belief system, we’ve got good chemistry and we’re just gonna keep playing. Things aren’t always gonna go our way, but I keep saying, 'That’s a part of life — things don’t always go that way.' I’m very, very proud of how we’ve played through things.”
Dantonio said seeing his team react after the win is what motivates him to keep coaching.
“Moments like this, you just see people just sort of gear up, get themselves ready to go,” Dantonio said. “I can’t describe it to you really. Very proud of our football team, how they handled things and how they went forward, and how they just kept playing. Things weren’t perfect, that’s for sure.”
Dantonio’s right, thing weren’t perfect. Lewerke finished 24-of-52 for 259 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
The offense couldn’t get too much going, forcing punter Tyler Hunt to punt 10 times. And while MSU didn’t lose any fumbles, it still fumbled the ball four times.
But the Spartans rose up to the occasion in front of the 106,685 fans at Beaver Stadium.
“When you’re at odds with things, rising up may be your biggest challenge, but it also might be your biggest triumph,” Dantonio said. “And that’s very rewarding when you do things like that.”
The unexpected adversity isn’t something only fans and media were surprised by, but also the Spartans.
Especially within the locker room, according to Willis. Which made Saturday’s win that much better.
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“I think this demonstrates the heart and character of our football team,” Willis, who had a team-high nine tackles, said. “I think it shows a collective effort, it shows the heart that we have and the things we are capable of doing as a football team. Now, we’re looking to build off that.”
The Spartans look to build off this win as they return to Spartan Stadium next week to face their biggest rival: University of Michigan (6-1, 4-0), and the rights for the Paul Bunyan trophy.
But for now, MSU will look to enjoy its upset win.
“I’ll worry about them (Michigan) tomorrow,” linebacker Joe Bachie said. “I’m going to enjoy this win — a big win. They’re (Penn State) is a good football team, coached very well. And it’s just exciting to get this win here.”
