Michigan State @ Penn State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 21, 2009 ) Penn State 42, Michigan State 14

Michigan State may have picked the wrong place to play to try and capture a prize that has eluded it for 20 years.

The tenth-ranked Spartans seek to end a 46-year drought at Beaver Stadium and win a share of the Big Ten Title for the first time since 1990 when they battle Joe Paterno and Penn State on Saturday for the Land-Grant Trophy.

Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin are all 10-1 and 6-1 in the Big Ten. Ohio State plays Michigan, while Wisconsin faces Northwestern this weekend.

If all three teams win this weekend, the BCS standings will decide the Rose Bowl berth and Wisconsin is No. 7, Ohio State is No. 8 and Michigan State is a school-best No. 10. The Spartans best shot at the Rose Bowl will be a win over Penn State and a loss by Ohio State since Michigan State beat Wisconsin during the season and the Spartans and Buckeyes didn’t play.

However, Penn State (7-4, 4-3 Big Ten) may have other ideas for Michigan State on Senior Day. The Lions, likely headed to the Gator or Outback bowls, are 8-0 against the Spartans at Beaver Stadium since they joined the conference in 1993.

In fact, the last time Michigan State won here was 1965 – the year before a then-assistant Paterno took over as coach.

Penn State beat Indiana 41-24 last week as sophomore quarterback Matt McGloin threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns against the Hoosiers. But Indiana hung around until James Fleet returned a block punt for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that restored a 14-point advantage that helped Paterno win game No. 401.

But No. 402 won’t be as easy for Paterno, who declared earlier this week he has every intention of returning for his 46th season in 2011. The Lions are 0-3 against top-25 teams this season and 14-29 since 2000.

Except for a bad second half against Ohio State in which he threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, McGloin has moved the Lions up-and-down the field in the five games he has played – including three starts.

McGloin has completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 1,025 yards with 11 touchdowns against three picks and two sacks. The Lions have won four of their last five under McGloin and have averaged 31 points.

If the Lions have a late lead, they won’t be able to relax against the Spartans, who have been a great come-from-behind team. They have rallied for five Big Ten wins and another against Notre Dame in September, and they came back from fourth-quarter deficits to beat the Irish and Purdue.

With Saturday’s 35-31 victory against Purdue, the Spartans became the third team in school history to win 10 games, joining the 1965 and 1999 editions. And the senior class won its 32nd game, most in school history, surpassing the Class of 1990.

Junior quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 276 yards and accounted for four touchdowns to help Michigan State rally from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit. He throw three touchdowns to tie a career high and scored his first career rushing touchdown as Michigan State completed its first 7-0 home schedule in school history.

Cousins has been fantastic in the second half as his 172.1 passing efficiency rating ranks tenth among FBS quarterbacks. He has connected on 70 percent of his 131 throws for 1,267 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions.

In 2008, Penn State whipped the Spartans at Beaver Stadium 49-18 to clinch a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship and a Rose Bowl berth. The Lions won in East Lansing last season 42-14 behind 310 yards passing by Darryl Clark and 114 yards rushing by Evan Royster, Penn State’s all-time leading rusher.