In the loss, special teams had a field goal blocked, a muffed punt and a punt average of 31 yards.

The woes started with punting. The offense put senior punter Jake Hartbarger on the field seven times to punt. In his seven attempts, Hartbarger only managed an average of 31 yards per punt. He failed to punt for more than 44 yards on any, and only pinned Penn State’s offense inside their 20 one time.

The performance was a low for Hartbarger, who has averaged 46.5 yards per punt this season.

“Jake, I don’t think he’s ever punted like that in his career here and he’s been punting for quite some time, so I’m not sure what was happening,” Dantonio said.

Adding onto the special team struggles, the Spartans had an opportunity to score and make it a 14-3 game with four minutes left in the second quarter. Coghlin would line up to attempt a 46 yard field goal, but the line would collapse, and his kick would be blocked.

This was the first time in the game that a special teams error would lead to a score.

After the blocked kick, sophomore quarterback Sean Clifford would lead the Nittany Lions down the field and connect with the standout sophomore receiver K.J. Hamler on a 27 yard touchdown pass.

The error would put Penn State up 21-0 at the half.

“As far as the kick block, the right tackle needed to be firm and punch, and they penetrated in that area,” Dantonio said.

The struggles wouldn’t be adjusted at halftime. 

Michigan State’s defense would force a Penn State punt early in the third quarter, a punt that would go far into Spartan territory, and appeared it would take a bounce in the end zone, had it been let go, but it wasn’t.

Senior Brandon Sowards would back pedal to receive the ball, but would let it slip through his hands and off his chest for a fumble.

“The punt return, I think he could have let that one go, and it would’ve bounced into the end zone, for whatever reason he backed up on the ball … and he fumbled it. The conditions weren’t great, but he fumbled it,” Dantonio said.

Sowards’ fumble would put the ball on the six yard line for the Penn State offense. They would capitalize on the great field position, let up by the special teams, and find the end zone.

The six yard drive would be the only drive Penn State would score on, in the second half. 

Blame can travel around the horn for this game, as each part of Michigan State’s team struggled. Although the offense was able to put together a scoring drive for the first time in two games, and the defense only allowed 93 yards the entire second half.

The special teams had no bright spots in this match, and they were needed if Michigan State was going to have a chance in this one.

“You can’t win football games playing like that on special teams,” Dantonio said.