Josh Mansour Special to Detroit Free Press Welcome to our live game blog for today's game between Michigan State and Purdue. Feel free to join in the banter and live analysis or just check in for the score. Special writer Josh Mansour leads the conversation during the game. Access to the game blog for mobile users.<doc-sep>Look, most of us have had hangovers. Some are worse than others. Some last a long time. Some last just until you get those greasy XXX biscuits and gravy in you (or a Drew Brees if you would rather). Purdue’s hangover lasted a week. They just never got it going today after beating Ohio State in spectacular fashion last weekend. The Purdue offense, which had been clicking on all cylinders, could only manage 13 points against a Michigan State team with a great run defense and a middle of the road passing defense. In the third quarter it looked like things might finally be turning around when Purdue went down the field with hardly any problem to make it a 13-16 game. After that though a spate of bad luck hit the offense. First, Purdue found Brycen Hopkins on a great pass when suddenly MSU came up on him and (possibly led with the helmet) put the hammer down forcing Hopkins to drop the ball which then landed on his outstretched legs resulting in MSU grabbing it and one of the strangest interceptions you’ll ever see. After that the defense was able to get another stop and give Purdue the ball back with over 5:00 left in the fourth quarter still down just three. Purdue’s drive stalled in field goal range after Rondale Moore just couldn’t get the yardage needed. Purdue lined up for the game tying field goal but it was blocked and that was all she wrote. Michigan State tacked on another touchdown in garbage time but it was of little consequence. Michigan State worked Purdue on both sides of the ball today. The Purdue defense, particularly the pass defense, looked lost against Rocky Lombardi (one of the greatest names in college football), and constantly gave 5-6 yard cushions off the wide receivers beyond the first down marker. Despite missing their best RB, their top WR, their starting QB, and at least two offensive lineman, Michigan State looked like the far superior unit when their offense was on the field. On offense things just never clicked. Blough threw three interceptions, having only two coming into this game, but at least one of them wasn’t his fault. He overthrew receivers and made some bad choices. It wasn’t all on Blough though as the offensive line didn’t give him much time to make the plays he needed. Overall this was a failure on all fronts. D.J. Knox did get some nice runs in the second half but it just wasn’t enough. Purdue falls to 4-4 on the season. With a couple tough games coming down the pike soon. Purdue’s just got to put this game behind them and be prepared for Iowa next week for another conference road game. Lots to learn from a loss like this and I expect Brohm and Holt will have lots of notes to improve for next week.<doc-sep>EAST LANSING – Cody White jogged out for warmups in his green uniform. Josiah Scott did as well. Neither played, but Michigan State appeared to be getting closer to full-strength Saturday morning. That changed quickly. The Spartans, who already were playing without starting quarterback Brian Lewerke and four other offensive starters, suffered even more injuries during Saturday afternoon’s 23-13 win over Purdue. Lewerke’s injured right shoulder kept him out, and MSU used redshirt freshman Rocky Lombardi to lead the victory in his absence. He was receiving snaps from first-time starting center Blake Bueter, another redshirt freshman pressed into duty due to injuries. “We have got a lot of different guys playing and a new quarterback playing so challenging, very challenging,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said. “I think the belief system is intact and you saw that at work.” With starting center Matt Allen out with a left foot issue, the offensive line endured even more injuries. MSU lost right tackle Jordan Reid early in the fourth quarter, and the sophomore did not return. Sophomore A.J. Arcuri replaced him for the rest of the game. The Spartans already were playing without left guard David Beedle for the third straight game and Allen for the first time. Tyler Higby, the only offensive lineman projected to start before the season to remain healthy, continued to start in place of Beedle. Right guard Kevin Jarvis, who returned in a reserve capacity last week against Michigan, sat out again Saturday but was available. Luke Campbell started in his place, as MSU started its seventh different offensive line in eight games. Campbell also left the game briefly with an apparent ankle injury but returned. Scott did not play at cornerback, nor did his previous replacement Josh Butler. White sat out his fourth straight game since suffering a broken left hand against Central Michigan, while Felton Davis III missed his first since tearing his left Achilles in last week’s loss to Michigan. Davis, who will miss the rest of the season, tweeted before the game that he had successful surgery. Dantonio said he expects White to return next week at Maryland (noon, ESPN2). MSU started Cam Chambers and Brandon Sowards along with Darrell Stewart Jr. at wide receiver. All three have been injured at some point this season, and Stewart had to leave the game briefly in the second half. The Spartans lost linebacker Joe Bachie for a few plays with an apparent arm injury in the second half. Cornerback Justin Layne, who helped fill in at receiver, also left but returned. “It just comes back to heart,” Layne said. “We just gotta do what we gotta do. We gotta keep pushing. We can’t complain, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.” Another punter Dantonio also said punter Tyler Hunt was lost for the season during practice this week, suffering a torn ACL during a non-contact drill. In his place, MSU used redshirt freshman Bryce Baringer, who joined the team less than two months ago as a walk-on after Jake Hartbarger was lost for the season with a broken leg. “I don't think I've ever lost one punter, been on a team that's lost one punter, let alone two,” Dantonio said. Baringer averaged 38.5 yards on his four punts, including a 44-yarder. Dangerous Purdue return man Rondale Moore had just two returns for 8 total yards, and Dantonio praised Baringer and his coverage team for limiting the freshman star. “He was ready to punt,” Dantonio said. Double-duty Layne admitted he was tired after playing both cornerback and wide receiver for the second straight week. “My number was called, so I just had to go in there,” Layne said. “I’m not the type of player to complain. I just went in there and did what I did.” The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Layne, a 4-star recruit at wide receiver out of high school, debuted on offense in 2016 before shifting to defensive back. He finally got his first catch as a wideout on MSU’s second drive, an 11-yard pass from Lombardi. “My nerves were going crazy,” he said. “I actually couldn’t believe the ball came to me on that first slant. It just felt good to catch the ball again on offense.” That was Layne’s only catch despite being targeted four times, mostly on deep routes. He also made seven tackles and had a career-high four pass breakups on defense. “I’m tired,” Layne said, “but I’m in pretty good shape. I’m all right. I don’t know, I just did it.” Streak ends Kicker Matt Coghlin hit two field goals in the first half to extend his program record streak to 18. But it ended in the third quarter, when Purdue’s Lorenzo Neal broke through MSU’s line and blocked the sophomore’s 37-yard attempt. Coghlin began anew about 5 1/2 minutes later, when he hit from 34 yards out. He is now 11 of 12 on the season. Scott sits Scott dressed and went through team warmups before the game, then sat in the locker room during the first half to serve his suspension from the Holiday Bowl targeting penalty. The sophomore did not play in the game, but he will not need to sit out another game per an MSU spokesman and the university’s compliance office. Whether or not Scott will return to the field after August surgery on his left meniscus remains to be seen. He can still play in four games this season and redshirt since he played last year as a true freshman. Related: Michigan State's Rocky Lombardi should have started against Michigan Michigan State beats Purdue. Internet falls in love with Rocky Lombardi Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!<doc-sep>Purdue has lost seven in a row to Michigan State in football. Mark Dantonio has never lost to Purdue. Can we end that streak? Well, we may never get a better chance. The Spartans have a ton of injuries to an offense that was not that good in the first place. Let’s get a win and be a step away from a bowl game.<doc-sep>
Michigan State football hosted a red-hot Purdue team, fresh off an upset win over Ohio State. What did we learn about the Spartans and Boilermakers? It’s been a disappointing season for Michigan State. The Spartans escaped an upset at the hands of Utah State in their opening game but picked up three losses over the course of their next six games. That’s not the sort of start Mark Dantonio‘s team was looking for considering they entered the year with Big Ten Title aspirations. Although they entered the game with an identical record to Michigan State (4-3), Purdue’s fortunes are decidedly trending upward. They shocked the nation with a monumental upset over Ohio State in Week 8 and are playing well under head coach Jeff Brohm. Two completely different teams heading in two different directions met in Week 9. The drama surrounding a pair of near-.500 teams didn’t capture a national audience, but the game itself still played an important role in the trajectories of both of these programs. When it was all said and done Michigan State found a way to squeak out a much-needed win. What did we learn about both teams in this Week 9 Big Ten tilt? 1. Winning ugly still counts There wasn’t much worth remembering about this game. Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke was sidelined with an injury, forcing backup Rocky Lombardi into starting duty. Star tailback, still nursing an injury of his own, saw action but was unable to do much on the ground. There were a few big plays scattered into the contest, but most of the game was littered with drops, overthrown passes and two-yard runs. Neither team is going to hold this game up as their blueprint to success, and that goes for the defense too. In games like this, the most important thing to leave the field with is a win. Michigan State did that. The rest is best left in the rearview mirror.