Northwestern upsets Michigan State 49-14

By Kyle Dudley  |   Saturday, October 22, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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At Spartan Stadium in East Lansing the #22 Michigan State Spartans (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) were upset by the Northwestern Wildcats (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) 49-14. The Spartans never really got going as the Wildcats steam rolled them from the second quarter on. The game was hyped as a battle between two of the Big Ten and nation's top offenses. However, a series of errors by the Spartans led to a Wildcat route. It was the third straight win for Northwestern and third straight loss for Michigan State.

Northwestern senior quarterback, Brett Basanez was a big part of this win for Northwestern as he threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-30 passing. The senior, who played part of his freshman year with a broken leg and last season with a shoulder injury, also managed to run for two more touchdowns. 138 of those yards came to Shaun Herbert on 10 passes. On the ground, freshman running back Tyrell Sutton ground out 109 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.

The Wildcats found themselves up 21-7 at the half after they picked off two Michigan State passes in the end zone and watched the Spartans miss two field goals. A fumble returned for a score was the final nail in the Spartans first half coffin. The first drive of the second half found Basanez throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Eric Peterman to go up 28-7 and essentially polish off Michigan State.

Playing in their homecoming game, one might have expected Michigan State to start fast, and they did. The Spartans went 75 yards on only three plays, capped off by an 18 yard touchdown pass from Drew Stanton to Kerry Reed. It was the last time the Spartans would get on the board until midway through the fourth quarter, when the game was already out of reach.

Stanton had entered the week as the nation's passing efficiency leader. Saturday, however, he didn't show it. He had 234 yard and a touchdown on 20-of-38 passing, but it was his 3 interceptions and fumble that proved costly, though, as two ended up in the end zone. Freshman running back Javon Ringer was the lone Spartans bright spot as he went for 104 yards on 18 carries.

Next week, Northwestern will host Michigan. The Michigan State Spartans will travel to Bloomington to face off against the Indiana Hoosiers.
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