Penn State Nittany Lions vs Michigan State Spartans Match Player Stats On Nov 28, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Nov 28, 2015

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Connor Cook returned from a one-game absence to throw three touchdown passes and No. 5 Michigan State advanced the Big Ten championship game with a 55-16 victory over Penn State on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium.

The Spartans (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten), who upset Ohio State 17-14 a week earlier and won East Division's head-to-head tiebreaker, will face No. 4 Iowa in Indianapolis on Saturday night. The victor will almost assuredly be selected for the College Football Playoff.

Cook, who missed the victory over the Buckeyes with a shoulder injury, passed for 248 yards as the senior broke Kirk Cousins' school record of 9,004 yards of total offense. Senior wide receiver Aaron Burbridge caught six passes for 75 yards and a score.

Spartans junior safety Demetrious Cox returned a fumble 77 yards for a touchdown and sophomore nose tackle Malik McDowell scored on a 13-yard interception return. Michigan State sophomore running back Gerald Holmes gained a combined 100 yards, including a rushing touchdown, and senior center Jack Allen scored on a 6-yard carry in the fourth quarter.

Senior quarterback Christian Hackenberg passed for 257 yards and two touchdowns, both to sophomore wide receiver Chris Godwin, for the Nittany Lions (7-5, 4-4). Godwin had a career-high 11 receptions for 109 yards. Penn State is now 0-5 against ranked teams under coach James Franklin.

The Spartans' 10-point halftime lead ballooned to 24 in the third quarter.

Burbridge spun away from two tackle attempts on his 29-yard touchdown reception early in the quarter. He went out of bounds before the catch, but the officials ruled that he was forced out.

Cook hit tight end Josiah Price on a 6-yard pass with 3:31 left in the third quarter, giving Michigan State a 34-10 lead.

Penn State scored nine seconds into the fourth quarter on Hackenberg's 5-yard hookup with Godwin. But the Spartans answered with three touchdowns in a 1:30 span.

The Spartans led 20-10 at halftime, highlighted by Cox's first career touchdown.

Penn State senior tight end Kyle Carter fumbled after a 10-yard pass from Hackenberg. Cox scooped up the ball, weaved his way toward the left sideline, then cut to the middle on his 77-yard score that gave Michigan State a 20-3 lead.

NOTES: Spartans senior WR Aaron Burbridge surpassed the career 2,000-yard receiving milestone with his first reception. He's also just the second player in school history to reach 150 receptions. ... Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg became the school's leader in career touchdown passes with his second-quarter scoring toss. He entered the game tied with Matt McGloin, who had 46. ... The Nittany Lions and Wisconsin are the only Big Ten teams to post winning seasons for the last 11 years. ... Michigan State has won 10 or more games in five of the last six seasons. Before coach Mark Dantonio's arrival, it had just two 10-win seasons in school history (1965, 1999).