College Football: Michigan State Remains Undefeated Behind The Arm of Kirk Cousins

You have to give a lot of credit to both teams, Northwestern for showing up from snap one to push the Spartans to the very brink of upset and to Michigan State for finding a way, yet again, to stave off defeat.

From the very start, it seemed the Spartans were shell-shocked. After a failed first possession, Dan Persa and his Northwestern Wildcats moved the ball with ease, on their second possession, converting two key third-down plays inside the 30-yard line before Persa tucked the ball and ran in for the score—7-0 Northwestern.

By stark contrast, Kirk Cousins and company found little room to breathe against the Wildcats—early—committing two three-and-outs before Edwin Baker fumbled in Spartan territory to return the ball to a rabid Wildcat team that was ready to pounce.

While that was by no means the only opportunity the Wildcats would have on the day, it was the best point for them to make a major statement. Instead, the goal line challenge was met by the Spartans, and the Wildcats would have to settle for three.

The latter point is a valid one, given the missed opportunity Northwestern left on the table to really place Michigan State squarely behind the eight ball—by entering the half with a 21-point lead instead of a 10-point one.

By the start of the second-half, Michigan State remembered their top 10 ranking and started to play like a team that actually wants to be taken seriously by the BCS. They finished the game on a 28-10 run—capped off in the final seconds by a 25-yard touchdown run by Edwin Baker.

The Spartans escape the State of Illinois undefeated and a valiant effort by Dan Persa, who rushed for three touchdowns on the game, is all but erased by defeat.