BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Michigan State football team rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Indiana, 24-21, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, reclaiming the Old Brass Spittoon from the Hoosiers.
Down 21-17 with 4:06 remaining, the Spartans marched down the field 75 yards for the game-winning touchdown drive. Redshirt freshman quarterback Katin Houser connected on a 36-yard TD pass to redshirt junior tight end Maliq Carr with just 1:19 left on the clock to put MSU on top, 24-21. Carr caught the ball inside the 15-yard line, absorbed a big hit, then raced into the end zone for the game-winning score.
Carr finished the game with a career-high seven catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns. He is the first Spartan tight end to record a 100-yard receiving game since Dion Sims in 2012 (122 vs. Eastern Michigan).
Houser also had his best game of the season, completing 25-of-39 passes for 277 yards and three TDs. Senior Montorie Foster Jr. had seven receptions for a career-high 94 yards, including a 29-yard TD catch in the second quarter.
Defensively, senior defensive back Angelo Grose recorded 10 tackles to lead the Spartans.
Michigan State leads the all-time series against Indiana, 50-18-2, including a 24-10-1 record in Bloomington.
"Great win by our guys," said MSU interim head coach Harlon Barnett. "They finished, kept competing and applied what we have been talking about. You guys have been hearing me say, "finish, finish, finish", and that's what we did. I'm really proud of our guys. They played really well and kept fighting."
SCORING SUMMARY
The Spartans scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the second time this season to take a quick 7-0 lead. MSU went 80 yards on eight plays, capped by a 17-yard TD pass from Houser to Carr.
Indiana tied the score at 7 on Trent Howland's 4-yard TD run at the 9:29 mark in the second quarter.
MSU regained the lead right before halftime as Foster had a highlight reel one-handed catch in the middle of the field at the IU 22-yard line, then spun around a defender and raced into the end zone to put the Spartans on top, 14-7, at the 1:10 mark.
Indiana took advantage of a 26-yard kickoff return on the ensuing series and attempted a 45-yard field goal with six seconds left in the first half, but Simeon Barrow Jr. blocked the kick, his second blocked field goal of the season to keep it 14-7 at the break.
The Hoosiers tied the game once again by driving 75 yards on eight plays, finished off with a 3-yard TD reception by James Bomba, on their first series of the second half.
Michigan State reclaimed the lead with 9:26 left in the game as Jonathan Kim booted a 43-yard field goal to make it 17-14, but Indiana went on an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on its next series to take its first lead of the game, 21-17, with 4:06 left to play.
The Spartans then responded with their own touchdown drive, going 75 yards on eight plays, capped by Carr's 36-yard TD.
On the last possession of the game, Indiana drove the ball to the MSU 25-yard line, but had an intentional grounding penalty which forced a 48-yard field goal with eight seconds left, which Chris Freeman missed wide right.
Michigan State returns to action for the regular-season finale on Friday, Nov. 24 at Ford Field in Detroit to take on Penn State. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on NBC. The Spartans celebrate in the locker room following the comeback win over Indiana.
