Youngstown State Penguins vs Michigan State Spartans Match Player Stats On Sep 14, 2013

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 14, 2013

Michigan State 55, Youngstown State 17: Connor Cook completed 15-of-22 passes for 202 yards and four touchdowns as the Spartans pulled away from the visiting Penguins early.

Cook, a sophomore who came into the game with one touchdown pass in his career, connected for scoring strikes to four different receivers in the first half. Jeremy Langford added a pair of short touchdown runs and Nick Hill rushed for 83 yards on nine carries and a score for Michigan State (3-0).

Martin Ruiz ran for one score and caught a touchdown pass for Youngstown State (2-1), which had its five-game win streak snapped. The Penguins, who recorded a program-record 718 yards last week against Morehead State, were held to 172 by the Spartans.

Langford ran for a 3-yard score while Cook threw touchdown passes to Andre Sims Jr. and Trevon Pendleton in the first quarter for a 21-3 lead. Ruiz scored on a 5-yard run with 4:57 left in the first half but later fumbled and the Spartans took control.

Cook connected with Macgarrett Kings Jr. for a 24-yard scoring strike on the next play with 3:24 left in the second quarter. Michigan State stopped the Penguins on the next series and drove 70 yards in five plays, capped by Cook’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler for a 35-10 halftime lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cook became the first Michigan State player to throw four touchdown passes in a game since Brian Hoyer against Penn State in 2007. The last Spartans QB to record at least four in a half was Drew Stanton (four) in 2005 against Illinois. … Youngstown State senior QB Kurt Hess completed 11-of-27 for 121 yards and registered his 57th career touchdown pass -- the most in school history. … Michigan State C Travis Jackson and S Isaiah Lewis were both sidelined with undisclosed injuries, but are expected to return to the lineup at Notre Dame next Saturday.