“We knew what we had to do," senior tight end Matt Seybert said. "We get in the huddle, and on the sideline before we went on the field we said ‘It’s on us. We have to get this done. No one else is going to do it for us. We got to get this done.'"

That upcoming drive was a big moment for the MSU offense. Through the Spartans' first four games, it was Michigan State's defense getting the praise and the credit, while the offense got called out in press conferences.

It was the offense that needed the defense to score against Tulsa to put the game away — which it did. And the offense needed the defense to hold Arizona State to end the Sun Devils' upset hopes — which it couldn't do.

But, Saturday against the Hoosiers it was Michigan State's defense that needed support. So, the Spartan offense had to deliver.

In two plays the Spartans drove down to the 1-yard line and after a couple kneel-downs sealed the 25th-ranked Spartans' 40-31 win on a 21-yard Matt Coghlin field goal with 5 seconds left.

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And, for once, Michigan State's offense was able to do the saving.

“It definitely feels good to be able to score when we need to and drive down there at the end and get points when the defense wasn’t having their best day,” senior quarterback Brian Lewerke said after the win.

For the first time all year, MSU's defense got gashed. The Hoosiers gained 356 yards offensively, the most Michigan State's defense has given up to an opponent this season, as the Spartan defense struggled to stop Indiana redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

But throughout the game, it was Michigan State's offense that stepped up each and every time.

After Penix connected with Whop Philyor for a 28-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7, Michigan State's offense responded by driving down the field and scoring on a 5-yard pass to Darrell Stewart Jr.

Then, Penix Jr. tied the game at 14. After he scampered into the end zone from two yards out, MSU answered a couple minutes later when Lewerke executed the two-minute drill to perfection and found Stewart again from 26 yards out for his second touchdown.

When Indiana took its first lead on a 12-yard touchdown from Penix to Donavan Hale, the Spartans went back ahead on a 10-yard touchdown pass to Seybert.

And after the Hoosiers tied the game at 31 when Penix Jr. and Philyor connected again, Michigan State's offense went on the field with the game in its hand.

On a broken play, Lewerke heaved the ball downfield to Stewart Jr., who came down with a 44-yard reception to immediately put the Spartans in IU territory.

Lewerke scrambled for 30 yards to the one-yard line on the ensuing snap. A couple of plays later, Coghlin — who missed his first field goal attempt for 43 yards away — put the game on ice.

“We’re growing, the growth is the biggest thing," Seybert said, who scored his third touchdown in the past two games. "We’re growing from week to week and I think we did an outstanding job today. And we’re looking to grow each week and thats what we’re looking for.” 

Two games into the conference slate, that growth is noticeable.

Last weekend, Michigan State scored 30 points against a Power Five opponent in Northwestern for the first time since Sept. 22, 2018. The Spartans racked up 442 yards of offense and four touchdowns against the Hoosiers.

The real test will come next week, when MSU travels to Columbus to take on No. 5 Ohio State (7:30 p.m., ABC), where the Spartans can't afford for one side of the ball to be carried throughout the game.

It was enough against the Hoosiers. With Michigan State's defense begging for help Saturday evening, the Spartan offense was able to stand up for itself and take care of business.

On its own terms.

"We were made for times like this," Stewart Jr. said. "This is adversity. One thing you've got to understand is that in football there’s going to be adversity. If you think there’s not going to be adversity, you’re sadly mistaken."

"We get put in situations like this all the time. Coach (Dantonio) puts us in situations like this day-in and day-out and we just respond to them the correct way.”