Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan State Spartans Match Player Stats On Oct 03, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Oct 3, 2015

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- LJ Scott scored two first-half rushing touchdowns and Connor Cook broke the school record for most wins by a starting quarterback as No. 2 Michigan State held on for a 24-21 victory over Purdue on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium.

Scott, a freshman tailback, gained a career-high 146 yards on 18 carries in the Spartans' Big Ten opener. Cook passed for 139 yards and a touchdown while going over the 7,000-yard mark for his career but the Spartans (5-0) nearly squandered a 21-point lead. The senior is now 28-3 as the starting quarterback, surpassing Kirk Cousins' previous school record of 27 wins.

Freshman running back Markell Jones gained a career-high 157 yards on 22 carries and scored twice, including a 68-yard touchdown run, for Purdue (1-4).

Boilermakers redshirt freshman quarterback David Blough passed for 136 yards and a touchdown in his second career start. He passed for 340 yards and two touchdowns against Bowling Green in his first start a week earlier.

Michigan State led 21-0 at halftime with the aid of three Boilermakers' turnovers.

Midway through the first quarter, Blough fumbled an attempted handoff and senior defensive tackle Joel Heath pounced on it at the Boilermakers' 27. Scott dropped a first-down pass, then carried for 9 yards before bursting through for an 18-yard scoring run.

Scott spun completely around for a 22-yard gain on the Spartans' next scoring drive, which culminated with his 1-yard run in the final minute of the quarter.

Junior receiver R.J. Shelton scored after the Boilermakers' second turnover, a Jones fumble. Shelton took a shovel pass from Cook and scooted around the right side on a 23-yard touchdown.

Purdue got on the board with 5:30 left in the third after Spartans freshman punter Jake Hartbarger mishandled a snap. The Boilermakers only needed to go 21 yards, and sophomore receiver Gregory Phillips got the last one on a pass from Blough.

Jones' 68-yard run during the opening minute of the fourth pulled Purdue within seven at 21-14.

Michael Geiger's 30-yard field goal gave Michigan State some breathing room.

Jones then scored from 3 yards out with 6:44 left to make it 24-21.

Purdue turned the ball over on downs on its last possession.

NOTES: Spartans sophomore LT Dennis Finley was carted off late in the first half with a right leg injury. He was starting in place of junior Jack Conklin, who was inactive with a knee injury. ... Michigan State has now won the last seven meetings. ... Purdue's last road game against a team ranked as high as No. 2 was 1990, when it lost to top-ranked Notre Dame 37-11. ... The Boilermakers haven't won a Big Ten opener since 2011. ... The Spartans were playing their 100th homecoming game. They are 66-31-3 on those occasions. ... Michigan State's school record of 12 consecutive games with 30 or more points was snapped.