CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – To say Michigan State was a long shot on Saturday would be generous.
Down eight players because of suspension and a handful more because of injury, the Spartans were facing No. 16 Illinois at Memorial Stadium with no momentum, the home team sitting atop the Big Ten West.
Instead of crumbling, though, Michigan State responded with arguably its most spirited effort of the season, upsetting Illinois, 23-15, in front of 56,092 stunned Fighting Illini fans.
The Michigan State defense, a unit that has struggled all season and was down three starters, didn’t allow Illinois to convert any of its first five fourth-down chances, including two in the fourth quarter, to secure the victory and send the Spartans (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) into the final three games of the season with a realistic shot at reaching a bowl game.
The Spartans were scrappy all game, as Illinois (7-2, 4-2) ran for only 153 yards after averaging nearly 200 entering the game. They forced the five turnovers on downs while forcing a fumble in the first half to keep the Illini in check most of the game.
Offensively, Michigan State overcame an interception on the first play from scrimmage and did just enough to get the win with Payton Thorne throwing touchdown passes to Tre Mosley and Jayden Reed while Jarek Broussard scored on an 11-yard run.
Illinois never got in a rhythm offensively, though Chase Brown ran for 136 yards on 33 carries as Illinois averaged only 3.3 yards a carry. Isaiah Williams scored both touchdowns for the Illini.
The Illini had one last chance after Michigan State missed a field goal, but the clock ran out after a completion inside the MSU 20, ending the game.
Things did not start well for the Spartans as they turned it over on their first play from scrimmage when Thorne was intercepted by Sydney Brown. The defense stepped up, though, getting a stop on fourth down from inside the 5-yard line and keeping the Fighting Illini off the scoreboard.
Starting from its 2, the offense couldn’t get a first down and Michigan State punted into the wind. Two plays later, Illinois took a 7-0 lead when Williams took a pass from Tommy DeVito and dashed 60 yards for the touchdown.
Michigan State answered with a 14-play drive that went 72 yards before stalling inside the Illinois 5. Ben Patton kicked a 21-yard field goal, his first as a Spartan, to pull Michigan State within 7-3. And after the defense forced an Illinois punt, the Spartans got good field position and took advantage by going 61 yards on seven plays, taking a 9-7 lead on a 1-yard pass from Thorne to Mosley.
The extra point was no good, though, as the kicking game continues to struggle.
The Spartans then got a late sack and were the benefit of an Illinois personal foul to thwart a late scoring chance for the Illini, taking the 9-7 lead to the halftime locker room.
The Spartans took advantage of a big break early in the third quarter when Illinois punter Hugh Robertson basically whiffed on a kick, giving the Spartans the ball at the Illinois 29. Michigan State needed a fourth-down conversion on the drive, but it ended with an 11-yard touchdown run from Broussard to push the lead to 16-7 with 5:45 left in the third quarter.
The defense then got another fourth-down stop, giving the offense the ball at the Illinois 41. Broussard took a screen pass 21 yards to help set up a 16-yard touchdown pass from Thorne to Reed two plays later, giving Michigan State a 23-7 lead with 2:57 left in the third quarter.
Illinois responded with a 7-yard pass from DeVito to Williams two plays into the fourth quarter, then added a two-point conversion to pull within 23-15 with 14:27 to play.
After Michigan State was stopped, Bryce Baringer downed a punt at the Illinois 1 and the Illini quickly marched into MSU territory. But on fourth-and-2 from the 21, the Spartans stuffed the Illini to get the ball back with just more than eight minutes to play.
The Spartans got one more fourth-down stop and could have put the game away with a field goal. Instead, the defense held on in the final minute for the win.
