If the Spartans 55-17 win over the Penguins of Youngstown State told the world anything Saturday afternoon, it is that they have solved their quarterback situation.
It may have took three weeks for Michigan State to find their starting quarterback in one Connor Cook, but it came just in time with a huge matchup against Notre Dame looming next weekend.
Cook went 15-of-22 attempts for four touchdowns and 202 yards, averaging 9.2 yards per pass. He also had two carries for 25 yards.
Tyler O’Connor also got some game time, going 7-of-10 attempts for 68 yards.
The Spartans had 547 total yards in the game against the Penguins, going 10-for-15 in third down conversions and successfully converting their one fourth down attempt.
Jeremy Langford had a 3-yard run to score first in the game early on, and then another 2-yard run for six-points in third. Nick Hill had a 35-yard touchdown run in the third as well. Langford ran for 68 yards while Hill ran for 83.
For this first time this season, we finally got a chance to see what the Spartans receiving core are capable of, with four different guys getting touchdown passes. MacGarrett Kings, Jr., Bennie Fowler, Andre Sims Jr. and Trevon Pendleton each recorded TD’s, with Sims and Pendleton’s catches being their only ones of the game.
Kings had 61 yards while Fowler has 39.
Michigan State’s defense was on display once more, allowing just 17 points throughout the game and holding the Penguins to 172 total yards with 121 passing.
For the first time this season, the Spartans not only didn’t have to rely on defense to win the game but also had their first appearance without a defensive TD.
Overall, the Spartans passed for 270 yards and rushed for 274 yards, making the day a dominant effort in all facets of the game.
But now they face their first true test of the season…
The Fighting Irish will head into East Lansing next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. game, airing on NBC. Notre Dame have one of the top pass games in the nation with quarterback Tommy Rees able to get the job done in the air.
The Spartans are outranked in every facet of the game and will have some trouble defending against Notre Dame’s multiple threats. Michigan State should have no problem stunting Notre Dame’s pass game, but will face issues everywhere else on the field.
Notre Dame will likely hinder the Spartan’s own pass game, which hopefully will not lead head coach Mark Dantonio to thinking Cook isn’t his guy. The weak Spartan run game will not help either.
At the end of the day, expect Michigan State to suffer their first loss of the season to the Fighting Irish. And it won’t be pretty. Expect a 35-17 loss for the Spartans.
