2011 GAME RECAPS GAME 12 • NO. 11/10 MICHIGAN STATE 31, NORTHWESTERN 17 Game 12 vs. Northwestern Nov. 26, 2011 • Evanston, Ill. Ryan Field • Att: 32,172
SCORE BY QUARTERS Michigan State (10-2, 7-1) Northwestern (6-6, 3-5)
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - All week long Michigan State vowed to look straight ahead at Northwestern instead of a week down the road to the Big Ten Championship Game. The Spartans were true to their word, beating Northwestern 31-17 in a competitive tuneup. With a spot in next Saturday’s title game secured, Michigan State wasn’t about to coast in the regular-season finale. Michigan State wanted 10 wins and even though the Spartans had already clinched the Legends Division by virtue of a tiebreaker over Michigan, they wanted to ensure the best record in their division. All of it was accomplished on a drizzly day at Ryan Field. Keshawn Martin returned a punt 57 yards for a TD just before half, Kirk Cousins became the school’s career TD pass leader with two more and Michigan State’s leaguebest defense came up with six sacks. Cousins threw a 33-yard TD to B.J. Cunningham in the third quarter and hit him again on a juggling 29-yard TD pass with 5:17 left to complete a 93-yard drive. It was the 62nd career touchdown pass for Cousins, breaking the school record held by Jeff Smoker (61). Northwestern (6-6, 3-5) had its four-game winning streak snapped in the regularseason finale and now hopes for a bowl bid. The Wildcats closed to 24-17 early in the final quarter on Dan Persa’s 12-yard TD pass to Demetrius Fields, set up by a clutch fourth-down pass from Persa to Jeremy Ebert. The Wildcats got the ball back at the MSU 47, but a holding penalty and Jerel Worthy’s sack of Persa forced a punt and then MSU went on its long, game-clinching drive. Cousins completed 14 of 20 for 214 yards and Cunningham had six catches for 120 yards. Persa completed 23 of 32 for 245 yards and two TDs. Michigan State scored two touchdowns in the final 1:40 of the second quarter, including Martin’s punt return, and took a 17-3 lead at the intermission. Instead of being ahead, all of a sudden Northwestern was behind by two touchdowns. With the score tied at 3-3, Northwestern was driving when Treyvon Green fumbled after a hit by Max Bullough and Michigan State’s Denzel Drone recovered at the Spartan 3 with just more than five minutes left in the half. Northwestern called a timeout -- presumably to have the play reviewed - but Michigan State retained possession. MSU then took off on a 97-yard drive - Cousins hit Brian Linthicum for 15 yards and heaved a 46-yarder to Martin that carried to the NU 7. Le’Veon Bell then carried the final 7 yards for a TD, completing an eight-play march that put the Spartans up 10-3. The Spartans defense then forced a Northwestern punt and Martin fielded Brandon Williams’ boot, broke to his right, signaled to blockers and sailed in for a 17-3 lead. The two TDs came just 66 seconds apart.
SCORING SUMMARY
1 3 0
2 14 3
3 7 7
4 7 7
-
F 31 17
FIRST QUARTER MSU (3-0) Conroy 25-yard field goal, 4:00 left Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 5:17 SECOND QUARTER NU (3-3) Budzien 34-yard field goal, 14:03 left Drive: 12 plays, 44 yards, 4:57 MSU (10-3) Bell 7-yard run (Conroy kick), 1:40 left Drive: 8 plays, 97 yards, 3:45 MSU (17-3) Martin 57-yard punt return (Conroy kick), 0:34 left THIRD QUARTER NU (10-17) Ebert 2-yard pass from Persa (Budzien kick), 13:02 left Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 1:58 MSU (24-10) Cunningham 33-yard pass from Cousins (Conroy kick), 7:35 left Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:27 FOURTH QUARTER NU (17-24) Fields 12-yard pass from Persa (Budzien kick), 13:57 left Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:13 MSU (31-17) Cunningham 29-yard pass from Cousins (Conroy kick), 5:17 left Drive: 9 plays, 93 yards, 5:05
TEAM STATISTICS
MSU
NU
First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Offense Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time
20 36-166 214 14-20-1 380 4-39.0 1-0 8-66 29:10
21 41-117 253 24-34-0 370 4-44.2 2-1 6-70 30:18
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING (YARDS-CARRIES) MSU: Bell 16-86, Baker 15-47, Cousins 4-25, Martin 1-8; NU: Schmidt 14-39, Green 7-32, Mark 2-20, Colter 4-18, Siemain 1-14, Team 1-(-1), Persa 12-(-5). PASSING (C-A-I-YARDS-TD) MSU: Cousins 14-20-1-214-2; NU: Persa 23-32-0-245-2; Siemian 1-2-0-8-0. RECEIVING (RECEPTIONS-YARDS) MSU: Cunningham 6-120, Linthicum 3-31, Bell 3-6, Martin 2-57; NU: Ebert 7-39, Colter 6-44, Fields 4-36, Jones 3-20, Lawrence 2-37, Dunsmore 1-69, Schmidt 1-8. TACKLES-TOP FIVE (TOTAL-SOLO-ASSISTS) MSU: Pickelman 8 (8-0), Robinson 8 (7-1), Bullough 8 (5-3), Norman 7 (5-2), four others with five; NU: Matthews 9 (7-2), Campbell 8 (7-1), McNaul 7 (4-3), Jones 6 (5-1), Peters 6 (5-1).
Keshawn Martin returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown in MSU’s 31-17 victory at Northwestern. The win clinched the Legends Division outright for the Spartans.
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