Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Post-Game Notes: Purdue
10/27/2018 8:36:00 PM | Football
SERIES
• Michigan State extended its school-record winning streak over Purdue with its eighth consecutive victory over the Boilermakers . . . MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is 8-0 against Purdue . . . MSU leads the all-time series 36-28-3, including a 22-12 record in games played in East Lansing.
Â
OFFENSE
• In his first career start at quarterback, redshirt freshman Rocky Lombardi threw for 318 yards and completed 26-of-46 passes, including two touchdowns (11 yards to Darrell Stewart in second quarter; 48 yards to Jalen Nailor in fourth quarter) . . . the 318 yards are the second most by a Spartan QB making his first career start (Ed Smith threw for 324 yards in his first career start at North Carolina State in 1976) . . . Lombardi is the first redshirt freshman QB to start for the Spartans since Brian Lewerke vs. Northwestern in 2016 . . . at the end of the first half, Lombardi directed a nine-play, 87-yard TD drive in just 1:26, capped by Stewart's 11-yard TD with 56 seconds left in the second quarter; Lombardi was 6-of-8 for 85 yards on the TD drive . . . the 87-yard drive was the longest of the season for MSU . . . Lombardi's 318 passing yards were the second-most ever by a Spartan QB against Purdue (Bill Burke 345 vs. Purdue in 1998).
• Michigan State held a 38:13-21:47 advantage in time of possession.
• Freshman Jalen Nailor led MSU with 94 all-purpose yards (70 receiving, 24 rushing) . . . on MSU's final drive of the game, Nailor rushed for 15 yards and a first down, then five plays later, he caught a flip pass from Lombardi and ran it 48 yards for a touchdown . . . the 48-yard TD reception was the longest of the season for the Spartans . . . Nailor also has the longest TD rush of the season for the Spartans (75 yards at Indiana on Sept. 22).
• Senior Brandon Sowards caught a career-high six passes for 48 yards.
• Sophomore Cam Chambers tied a career high with five catches for 53 yards.
• Sophomore tight end Matt Dotson had a career-high four receptions for 48 yards.
• Starting cornerback Justin Layne also played multiple snaps at wide receiver and caught his first career pass with an 11-yard reception . . . Layne also registered a career-high four pass break-ups and had seven tackles.
• MSU tied a season-high with two TD drives under 2:00 (1:26 in 2Q, 1:44 in 4Q), matching a pair of TD drives under 2:00 at Indiana on Sept. 22 . . . MSU scored on its opening possession for the second time this season, also scoring a field goal on its first possession against Utah State (Aug. 31).
• Brian Lewerke had his streak of 20 consecutive starts at quarterback snapped as he didn't play QB due to an injury; he still served as the team's holder in the game.
Â
DEFENSE
• Michigan State held Purdue to season lows in points (13), total offense (339), rushing yards (62) and first downs (13) . . . Purdue entered the game averaging 35.7 points (31st in the FBS), 514.3 yards of total offense (10th in the FBS) and 176.7 rushing yards.
• In holding Purdue to nearly 24 points below its season average of 35.7 points per game, the Spartan defense also held the Boilermakers scoreless in the fourth quarter and it marked the first time this season that the MSU defense held the opposition scoreless in the final frame for the first time this season . . . overall, it was the Spartan defense's ninth scoreless quarter this season . . . it was just the third time this season that Purdue's offense had been held scoreless in a quarter and first time in Big Ten action (3Q vs. Eastern Michigan and 4Q vs. Boston College).
• MSU held its sixth opponent of the season under 100 yards rushing.
• Michigan State recorded a season-high three interceptions (David Dowell in the first quarter; Tyriq Thompson and Matt Morrissey in the fourth quarter) . . . it marked Dowell and Morrissey's second interception of the season . . . it was the first interception of Thompson's career . . . MSU now has 12 interceptions in eight games this season.
• In addition to the three interceptions, MSU had nine pass break-ups . . . the Spartans also had eight QB hurries.
• Tre Person had a career-high eight tackles and also had a pass break-up.
• Raequan Williams tied his career high with six tackles.
• Purdue had the ball three times in MSU territory in the fourth quarter, but came away with zero points . . . on a fourth-and-3 play on the MSU 44 with under 13 minutes remaining, Khari Willis stopped Rondale Moore 1-yard short of a first down . . . on a first-and-10 from the MSU 28 with just over 10 minutes left, Tyriq Thompson recorded his first career pick at the MSU 22 . . . with MSU clinging to a 16-13 lead, Mike Panasiuk blocked Spencer Evans' 41-yard field-goal attempt with 3:42 left in the game . . . it marked MSU's first blocked field goal since Shilique Calhoun vs. Central Michigan in 2015 . . . on the ensuing drive, MSU's went on a six-play, 75-yard TD drive to seal the 23-13 win.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Matt Coghlin kicked two field goals in the first half (43 yards, 48 yards) to extend his school-record streak to 18 straight, but he had a 37-yard attempt blocked in the third quarter to snap the streak . . . Coghlin bounced back to connect on a 34-yard attempt later in the third quarter that put MSU on top, 16-6 . . . it marked Coghlin's second game of the season and fourth of his career with at least three field goals . . . Coghlin's 48-yard field goal was the second-longest of his career behind a 49-yarder vs. Utah State (Aug. 31), and he now has three field goals of 40+ this season and is now 7-of-9 on field goals of 40-49 yards for his career.
• In his first extended action of his career, redshirt freshman punter Bryce Baringer averaged 38.5 yards per punt (four punts for 154 yards), including one inside the 20 . . . Baringer punted twice at Indiana on Sept. 22 in his collegiate debut.
Â
Â
• Michigan State extended its school-record winning streak over Purdue with its eighth consecutive victory over the Boilermakers . . . MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is 8-0 against Purdue . . . MSU leads the all-time series 36-28-3, including a 22-12 record in games played in East Lansing.
Â
OFFENSE
• In his first career start at quarterback, redshirt freshman Rocky Lombardi threw for 318 yards and completed 26-of-46 passes, including two touchdowns (11 yards to Darrell Stewart in second quarter; 48 yards to Jalen Nailor in fourth quarter) . . . the 318 yards are the second most by a Spartan QB making his first career start (Ed Smith threw for 324 yards in his first career start at North Carolina State in 1976) . . . Lombardi is the first redshirt freshman QB to start for the Spartans since Brian Lewerke vs. Northwestern in 2016 . . . at the end of the first half, Lombardi directed a nine-play, 87-yard TD drive in just 1:26, capped by Stewart's 11-yard TD with 56 seconds left in the second quarter; Lombardi was 6-of-8 for 85 yards on the TD drive . . . the 87-yard drive was the longest of the season for MSU . . . Lombardi's 318 passing yards were the second-most ever by a Spartan QB against Purdue (Bill Burke 345 vs. Purdue in 1998).
• Michigan State held a 38:13-21:47 advantage in time of possession.
• Freshman Jalen Nailor led MSU with 94 all-purpose yards (70 receiving, 24 rushing) . . . on MSU's final drive of the game, Nailor rushed for 15 yards and a first down, then five plays later, he caught a flip pass from Lombardi and ran it 48 yards for a touchdown . . . the 48-yard TD reception was the longest of the season for the Spartans . . . Nailor also has the longest TD rush of the season for the Spartans (75 yards at Indiana on Sept. 22).
• Senior Brandon Sowards caught a career-high six passes for 48 yards.
• Sophomore Cam Chambers tied a career high with five catches for 53 yards.
• Sophomore tight end Matt Dotson had a career-high four receptions for 48 yards.
• Starting cornerback Justin Layne also played multiple snaps at wide receiver and caught his first career pass with an 11-yard reception . . . Layne also registered a career-high four pass break-ups and had seven tackles.
• MSU tied a season-high with two TD drives under 2:00 (1:26 in 2Q, 1:44 in 4Q), matching a pair of TD drives under 2:00 at Indiana on Sept. 22 . . . MSU scored on its opening possession for the second time this season, also scoring a field goal on its first possession against Utah State (Aug. 31).
• Brian Lewerke had his streak of 20 consecutive starts at quarterback snapped as he didn't play QB due to an injury; he still served as the team's holder in the game.
Â
DEFENSE
• Michigan State held Purdue to season lows in points (13), total offense (339), rushing yards (62) and first downs (13) . . . Purdue entered the game averaging 35.7 points (31st in the FBS), 514.3 yards of total offense (10th in the FBS) and 176.7 rushing yards.
• In holding Purdue to nearly 24 points below its season average of 35.7 points per game, the Spartan defense also held the Boilermakers scoreless in the fourth quarter and it marked the first time this season that the MSU defense held the opposition scoreless in the final frame for the first time this season . . . overall, it was the Spartan defense's ninth scoreless quarter this season . . . it was just the third time this season that Purdue's offense had been held scoreless in a quarter and first time in Big Ten action (3Q vs. Eastern Michigan and 4Q vs. Boston College).
• MSU held its sixth opponent of the season under 100 yards rushing.
• Michigan State recorded a season-high three interceptions (David Dowell in the first quarter; Tyriq Thompson and Matt Morrissey in the fourth quarter) . . . it marked Dowell and Morrissey's second interception of the season . . . it was the first interception of Thompson's career . . . MSU now has 12 interceptions in eight games this season.
• In addition to the three interceptions, MSU had nine pass break-ups . . . the Spartans also had eight QB hurries.
• Tre Person had a career-high eight tackles and also had a pass break-up.
• Raequan Williams tied his career high with six tackles.
• Purdue had the ball three times in MSU territory in the fourth quarter, but came away with zero points . . . on a fourth-and-3 play on the MSU 44 with under 13 minutes remaining, Khari Willis stopped Rondale Moore 1-yard short of a first down . . . on a first-and-10 from the MSU 28 with just over 10 minutes left, Tyriq Thompson recorded his first career pick at the MSU 22 . . . with MSU clinging to a 16-13 lead, Mike Panasiuk blocked Spencer Evans' 41-yard field-goal attempt with 3:42 left in the game . . . it marked MSU's first blocked field goal since Shilique Calhoun vs. Central Michigan in 2015 . . . on the ensuing drive, MSU's went on a six-play, 75-yard TD drive to seal the 23-13 win.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Matt Coghlin kicked two field goals in the first half (43 yards, 48 yards) to extend his school-record streak to 18 straight, but he had a 37-yard attempt blocked in the third quarter to snap the streak . . . Coghlin bounced back to connect on a 34-yard attempt later in the third quarter that put MSU on top, 16-6 . . . it marked Coghlin's second game of the season and fourth of his career with at least three field goals . . . Coghlin's 48-yard field goal was the second-longest of his career behind a 49-yarder vs. Utah State (Aug. 31), and he now has three field goals of 40+ this season and is now 7-of-9 on field goals of 40-49 yards for his career.
• In his first extended action of his career, redshirt freshman punter Bryce Baringer averaged 38.5 yards per punt (four punts for 154 yards), including one inside the 20 . . . Baringer punted twice at Indiana on Sept. 22 in his collegiate debut.
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
K
/ Football
TE
/ Football
S
/ Football
CB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DT
/ Football
CB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DT
/ Football
S
/ FootballJonathan Smith | Football Press Conference | Nov. 24 2025
Monday, November 24
Jonathan Smith Postgame Comments | Iowa
Saturday, November 22
Jonathan Smith | Football Press Conference | Nov. 17 2025
Monday, November 17
Jonathan Smith Post Game Comments | PSU | Nov. 15 2025
Saturday, November 15