Maryland Terrapins vs Michigan State Spartans Match Player Stats On Nov 18, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Nov 18, 2017

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- LJ Scott rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown and No. 17 Michigan State grinded out a 17-7 win over Maryland on Saturday at Spartan Stadium.

A combination of rain and snow made conditions treacherous most of the way and forced both teams to rely on their running games. Michigan State outgained Maryland 271-83 on the ground, led by Scott's 29-carry performance.

The Spartans (8-3, 6-2 Big Ten) bounced back from a 48-3 loss at Ohio State but were officially eliminated from the East Division race by the Buckeyes' win over Illinois on Saturday.

Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke rushed for 63 yards on five carries and scored a touchdown. He completed just 2 of 14 pass attempts for 20 yards.

Lorenzo Harrison gained 50 yards on 13 carries and scored the Terrapins' touchdown.

Max Bortenschlager started at quarterback for Maryland (4-7, 2-6) after missing a game with a shoulder injury. He completed 13 of 25 passes for 121 yards. Ryan Brand replaced Bortenschlager for the third quarter but didn't attempt a pass.

The Terrapins, who have lost three straight, are guaranteed a losing record.

Scott gained 36 yards during Michigan State's first possession, which he finished off with a 2-yard scoring run. Scott, who had 112 yards by halftime, scored the 23rd rushing touchdown of his career.

Lewerke gave the Spartans a 14-0 lead by scoring on the first play of the second quarter. He faked a handoff, then cut left and slipped past the defense on a third-and-3 from the Maryland 25.

The Spartans squandered a chance to extend the lead in the second quarter after recovering a Bortenschlager fumble deep in Maryland territory. Gerald Holmes fumbled at the Terrapins 1 and cornerback RaVon Davis recovered.

Matt Coghlin's 27-yard field goal late in the third made it 17-0. Coghlin missed a 32-yarder moments earlier but got a reprieve with a running-into-the-kicker penalty.

With Bortenschlager returning at quarterback early in the fourth, the Terrapins finally broke through with 59-yard drive capped by Harrison's 4-yard scoring run.

Maryland had a chance to pull closer but Henry Darmstadter missed a 36-yard field goal attempt.

NOTES: Terrapins WR DJ Moore's second-quarter catch extended his receptions streak to 32 games, tops in the Big Ten. ... The Spartans lead the overall series 7-2, including a 5-1 record in East Lansing. ... Maryland and Michigan are the only teams this season to win at least one game with three different starting quarterbacks. ... Michigan State junior RB LJ Scott has rushed for 100 or more yards in eight career games.