Lombardi got it done Saturday, it wasn’t all pretty, but the redshirt-junior made it happen with 232 total yards and two passing touchdowns against one of the best defenses in the country. 

“Really big team win, obviously we needed this win as a team," Lombardi said. "It's just good to get out there and beat a really good team like Northwestern because it's just kind of the confidence boost we needed. We know we're a good team, we know we can beat good teams but it's kind of hard to believe in yourself until you do it."

He was 11-of-27 passing in the game which while not perfect, was enough with touchdown passes of 75 and 15 yards to Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor.

His running has been part of the playbook all season, according to Lombardi.

"I think it just comes down to getting more comfortable with the scheme," Lombardi said.

Lombardi was responsible directly for nine of MSU’s 17 first downs, four of his 11 completions and five of Lombardi’s rushes got first downs for a struggling offense Saturday. 

"Rocky did a good job today," Tucker said. "He had really good support from his teammates, offensive line, the (running) backs, our receivers, defensively. He doesn't have to do it by himself and he knows that. So he was able to play within our scheme and take what the defense gave him, he was able to make some throws, he ran the ball well and those were things we saw him do in practice."

Just weeks after being replaced by Payton Thorne against Indiana and benched against Iowa, Lombardi proved he could do it again, just as he once did against Michigan.

Coming into Saturday, Lombardi had completed 20-of-44 passes with five interceptions in his previous two appearances. Saturday, against one of the best defenses statistically in the FBS, Lombardi did enough to get the job done and upset the Wildcats.

"First of all, I don't compete against anybody except for myself," Lombardi said. "I think Payton's the same way, we try to help each other and we make each other better, and ultimately that's what's going to make our football team better."

That's all Lombardi is focused on, he said. The junior said leading up to the game it wasn't about who played, but getting back to what got him to the position he is in.

What got him to two fourth-quarter runs for first downs? What helped Lombardi lead MSU on a scoring drive to take a 23-20 lead?

Fundamentals.

"For me, it was really just going back and trusting the process," Lombardi said. "Coach (Jay) Johnson always talks about processing the play and I feel like I was just out there trying to do too much. Not so much with my arm or with my legs, but with my mind."

"For me, it was just going back to the fundamentals," he said.

Sometimes the game is simpler than one might think.