With bowl eligibility on the line over the next week, Michigan State football has no room for error. On Friday night, the Spartans were able to get the win against a Purdue Boilermaker team that has struggled all season. The Spartans came away with a 24-17 victory and improve to 5-6 on the season. This puts the team on the brink of their first bowl game since the victory in the Peach Bowl in 2021.
Before shifting to Rutgers though, lets take a look at this big victory that put the Spartans back on track.
1. Hudson Card sacked by Angelo Grose in first quarter
One of the biggest issues that the Spartan defense has had all season has been the ability to sack the quarterback. The Spartans had only 16 sacks going into the game against the Boilermakers. The bigger issues is that the last sack came against Boston College earlier in the season. There was a six-week drought that ended when Angelo Grose was able to sack Hudson Card. The Spartans were also able to add another sack to that total later in the game.
The Spartans are now tied for 98th in FBS with 18 sacks on the season. This play provided a good spark early in the game though that showed how the team was going to take advantage of an opponent who has clearly struggled this season. That allowed the Spartans to build some early momentum and confidence after a very rough stretch of games.
2. Jack Velling injury
While he has not had the season that many hoped that he would have, Jack Velling is an important guy to have in the locker room. The junior tight end has great potential and is experienced. When he transferred from Oregon State with Coach Smith and Aidan Chiles, it seemed that he would be a big factor in the offense.
Overall, it has been a tough year for him. That was not helped when he was rushed to the hospital early in the game on Friday night. Velling was on the receiving end of a big hit that ended up with him on the ground for a few minutes before being taken off. It was later reported that he was taken to the hospital just to be safe. This injury, takes away another weapon for an MSU offense that is in need of more playmakers. Hopefully, Velling will be able to make it back after he is healed up.
3. Aidan Chiles hits Nate Carter for a 20-yard TD in second quarter
There were a number of plays in the first half that showed off the skill that the Spartan offense possesses. The best snag from the first half was the touchdown grab from Nate Carter just before halftime. Nate Carter really showed how versatile he is. Even when he is not having a great day rushing, he can still provide big plays for the offense. That only became more exemplary when he flipped around to haul in the catch with a defender right on him.
This is one of a few moments where the offense showed how dangerous it can be. The only wish for Spartan fans is to be able to see that over the length of an entire game. The second half offense left a lot to be desired, and even though they got the win, the team got help. Hopefully as this team goes into the last game against Rutgers, they can continue to build on these improvements.
4. Jordan Turner interception in fourth quarter
When a game is getting out of hand, it is important to rely on your leaders. They provide the stability and can motivate when things don’t go to plan. That is exactly what Jordan Turner had to do during the entire second half against Purdue. Turner was very quiet in the first half when everything was going right for Michigan State football on both sides of the ball. His only tackle in the first half came with 23 seconds left in the second quarter. He made his presence known though in the second half when the rest of the team seemed to be unable to stop Card or Mockobee.
His best play of the night though was his clutch interception of Hudson Card. The pass was intended for tight end Max Klare but got tipped by two Spartan defenders before Turner dove and made the interception. At a time when nothing was going right and the Boilermakers were quickly closing the gap on the scoreboard, this provided a huge boost that helped prop this team up to victory.
5. Jahmal Edrine drops wide-open TD in fourth quarter
This game provided a lot of emotions for fans. More than we likely expected going into the game. The collapse on both sides of the ball for the Spartans allowed the Boilermakers to tighten up the game. It almost was a whole lot worse for Michigan State football fans when Hudson Card threw the ball to a wide open Jahmal Edrine on the sidelines. The coverage allowed Edrine to be all alone going down the sidelines. The play easily ends up as a touchdown if Edrine brings it in. The issue for Purdue, though, was that the ball just missed his hands and resulted in an incompletion.
The team did drive afterwards, but ended up turning over the ball without scoring. That left the game at 24-17 and after Aidan Chiles completed a quarterback sneak on fourth down, the game was over. The Spartans walked away with a win, but it is important to note that the game could have ended very differently if this ball was caught.
Overall thoughts
When this team is clicking, they are really clicking. The opposite is also true though. If this team wants to come out with a win and have the opportunity to go to a bowl game, there is no room for a repeat of this game. While they are not a powerhouse, the Scarlet Knights are much better than the Boilermakers. It should be a good game next Saturday, if the team plays 60 minutes of Spartan football. This group of seniors should be sent off right. Also, getting some bowl experience would be extremely valuable for this young team that has a lot of hope for next season and who want to end this season on a high note.
Catch Michigan State football on Saturday to see if it can punch its postseason ticket. The game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will be at Spartan Stadium with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be airing on FS1 and audio will be available courtesy of the Spartan Media Network.
