Highs and Lows: Michigan State

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Penn State fell to 7-5 on the 2021 regular season with a 30-27 loss at No. 12 Michigan State on Saturday.

Recapping the highs and lows from the game:

PLAYER OF THE GAME Any number of Michigan State players could take this spot, but the Spartans’ QB Payton Thorne made clutch plays to deliver the win over Penn State. Finishing completing 19 of 30 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns, plus eight runs for 39 yards and a score, Thorne was the key driver of the Spartans’ 30-27 win.

PLAY OF THE GAME On fourth-and-15 at the 20-yard line, nursing a 23-20 lead, Michigan State hit paydirt. Snow blanketing Spartan Stadium, Payton Thorne let receiver Jayden Reed battle for position in the end zone to make a clutch, fourth-quarter, game-clinching touchdown catch. 

BEST PASS Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford’s best passes of the afternoon came in quick succession late in the first quarter. First connecting with Jahan Dotson on a crucial, on-the-button first down to get into the fringe red zone, Clifford followed it with a perfectly placed ball to Dotson down the sideline. This time, Dotson’s elite playmaking, not only making the catch but stretching the ball to get into the end zone, got the Nittany Lions on the scoreboard.

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BEST RUN Keyvone Lee stretched to the sideline late in the first half. That was enough. Riding his blocks successfully, the Nittany Lion running back picked off a personal season-long 33-yard carry before stumbling out of bounds.

BEST CATCH The outstretched arms, the fingertip catch, the presence-of-mind to stretch the ball over the pylon while falling out of bounds. All of it was not just the epitome of what Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson has done this season, it also further cemented his place as one of the nation’s top receivers. Parker Washington’s acrobatic, one-handed snag for 16-yards in the second quarter also deserves a nod here. Reed’s game-clinching touchdown catch was equally impressive.

WORST DROP In prime position to make a late run at a lead or tie, Keyvone Lee’s third-and-3 fumble put an end to the notion. Already trailing Michigan State, 23-20, in the middle of the fourth quarter, Lee’s fumble returned possession to the Spartans at the Penn State 45-yard line. Penn State return man John Lovett’s kickoff return fumble was equally crushing to any chance of a late-game comeback.

BEST HIT A second-effort carry for Payton Thorne in the second quarter went sideways quickly. Coming from Thorne’s right, Penn State linebacker Curtis Jacobs unloaded a wicked shot to the Michigan State quarterback to force a fourth down and punt.

BEST EFFORT Executing his role expertly as he’s done throughout his career, Penn State gunner Drew Hartlaub’s swat on Jordan Stout’s punt was tremendous. The all-effort play pushed the kick out of bounds to pin Michigan State at its 1-yard line early in the game. 

BEST KICK Stout continued his outstanding season with yet another impressive performance Saturday. His first two kicks of the game left the Spartans to start with field position at their 1- and 7-yard lines. 

WORST KICK Whether it was Stout’s missed 30-yard attempt at the end of the first half, or his doinked PAT to open the second, points were lost for Penn State as a result of the relatively simple miscues.

BEST RETURN Penn State corner Daequan Hardy had an opportunity he didn’t let slip. Outmuscling Michigan State receiver Jayden Reed on third down deep in Spartan territory, the Nittany Lions’ slot corner stepped in front of a bad Payton Thorne pass and sped his way 17 yards into the end zone. The sequence delivered Penn State its first lead of the game with 11:07 left to play in the third quarter. 

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BEST DECISION Michigan State’s call to the end zone in the fourth quarter, converting for a 20-yard touchdown, took some courage. A makable field goal, were it not for the conditions, would have forced a Penn State touchdown but a touchdown could end it. Mel Tucker and the Spartans opted for the clincher and it paid off. 

WORST DECISION Though Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith whiffed on a would-be tackle, an inexplicable no-call on Daequan Hardy was more egregious. A clear block in the back in the fourth quarter, the play led to a Michigan State first down. 

MOST TELLING MOMENT From the opening kick, the reality of the challenge for both teams playing in wet, windy, snowy conditions at Spartan Stadium made itself known. Jordan Stout’s kickoff barely made it off the ground, a fitting entry for a day filled with plays impacted by the conditions.