Spartans explode for early touchdown, but Penn State answers. A seesaw battle unfolds, with neither team gaining significant momentum before halftime.
The Spartans and Nittany Lions entered today locked in two very forgettable seasons—zero combined conference wins and sharing the basement of the Big Ten. Technically, both remain bowl-eligible, but only if they win all three of their final games.
Michigan State came in as 6.5-point underdogs despite playing at home. And while Penn State hasn’t won a conference game yet, they’ve lost every Big Ten matchup except Ohio State by just one score—including a last-second loss to No. 2 Indiana last week. So it’s no surprise MSU was a home underdog; they’d need the same energy they showed in their overtime battle with Minnesota to stay competitive.
1st Quarter
The Spartans grabbed all the early momentum. The crowd juice carried the defense to a quick three-and-out, and that was only the start. After a punt, MSU’s first offensive snap saw Elijah Tau-Tolliver pick up right where he left off last week—bursting through the Nittany Lions’ defense for a 57-yard touchdown to make it 7–0.
But games aren’t won on one drive. Penn State answered immediately, moving downfield with ease—including a fourth-down conversion—and punched in a touchdown to tie it 7–7 with 5:50 left in the first.
The quarter ended with both defenses trading punches. A near Penn State touchdown off a Spartan fumble briefly sucked the air out of the stadium, but it was overturned as an incompletion. The Nittany Lions opened the second quarter near midfield before MSU held strong and forced another punt.
2nd Quarter
Alessio Milivojevic finally found his footing against Penn State’s pressure. Using his legs to escape and throwing on the move, he strung together three key completions and pushed MSU inside the 5-yard line. But a tough Penn State red-zone stand forced a 24-yard field goal, giving MSU a 10–7 lead with 8:40 left.
Penn State responded instantly. On the first play of their drive, they hit a 75-yard touchdown, reclaiming the lead 14–10.
MSU went three-and-out, and Penn State capitalized by blocking the Spartans’ punt. The Nittany Lions didn’t gain much yardage, but a fourth-and-one conversion helped drain more clock. They pushed the ball to the 2-minute mark before MSU’s defense broke through on a fourth-and-three, finally getting off the field despite missed holding calls all over the place.
Michigan State got the ball back with enough time to put up points before halftime. A 16-yard Milivojevic scramble sparked the drive, but a short pass and two incompletions forced another punt. Penn State took over with :54 seconds left and bled the clock, heading into halftime with a 14–10 lead in East Lansing.
Michigan State: First Half Takeaways
The half wasn’t pretty—rarely is with this team—but there were bright spots.
Defensively, MSU has looked improved since the Michigan game. But one bad drive and a single blown assignment put 14 points on the board despite otherwise solid play.
Offensively, the Spartans struggled for most of the half. Tau-Tolliver once again provided the spark, continuing to be a bright light in a dark season. His emergence, along with Milivojevic’s growth these past two weeks, has kept MSU in games. Once Milivojevic settled in late in the half, he actually looked in command for a full drive. In the second half, he’ll need quicker decisions to avoid sacks and create actual touchdown opportunities.
The offensive line remains the biggest concern. Pass protection is a problem on nearly every dropback. Milivojevic is running for his life, and while he’s doing everything he can to stay poised, eventually forced throws and mistakes become inevitable when the pocket consistently collapses.
First-Half Stats
Alessio Milivojevic: 8/12, 59 yards; 2 rush, 14 yards
Elijah Tau-Tolliver: 4 rush, 70 yards; 4 rec, 41 yards; 1 TD
Nick Marsh: 1 rec, 3 yards
Malcolm Bell: 3 tackles
Darius Snow: 3 tackles
Armorion Smith: 3 tackles