Michigan State @ Purdue preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 19, 2013 ) Purdue 0, Michigan State 14

A Week 2 loss at Oregon dealt an early blow to Michigan State's national championship aspirations, but a rash of upsets among top-10 teams has the Spartans squarely back in title contention. No. 8 Michigan State goes for its fourth consecutive victory when it visits Purdue on Saturday in a Big Ten Conference matchup. "Somebody reminded me, hey, we have won 19 out of the last 21 games here. We're 19-2," Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. "So we just keep marching on, we'll be fine."

Michigan State has won its last five matchups with the Boilermakers, including a 14-0 victory last season, and has not lost in conference play since November 2012. Purdue is coming off an impressive performance in a 38-27 victory at Illinois in its Big Ten opener and will be seeking its first victory over the Spartans since 2006. "They seem to play up to their competition," Dantonio said of the Boilermakers. "You watch the Notre Dame game, you watch the Iowa game, you watch this past game; you're impressed by what they have done."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2. LINE: Michigan State -21

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten): The Spartans built a 24-point lead over then-No. 19 Nebraska behind a suffocating defensive performance before allowing three four-quarter touchdowns in last week's 27-22 victory. While quarterback Connor Cook (11-for-29, 234 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) struggled, wideout Tony Lippett registered his third 100-yard game and scored twice to push his season touchdown total to eight. Jeremy Langford rushed for 111 yards - his ninth straight 100-yard game in conference play - while Michigan State limited the Cornhuskers' high-powered ground game to 47 yards - more than 300 below their season average.

ABOUT PURDUE (3-3, 1-1): Sophomore quarterback Austin Appleby made his first career start and ignited a slumbering offense by throwing for 202 yards and a score and running for a pair of touchdowns as the Boilermakers won their first conference game since the 2012 regular-season finale. Akeem Hunt rushed for 177 yards and a score and Purdue piled up a season-high 349 yards on the ground after entering the contest averaging 312 total yards per game. The Boilermakers allowed 450 yards to Illinois and need to tighten up defensively entering a stretch against three ranked opponents in the next four games.

OVERTIME

1. Michigan State has won 11 consecutive Big Ten games.

2. Purdue recorded four rushing TDs last week to give it 10 for the season, four more than the entire season total from 2013.

3. The Spartans are averaging 45.6 points, the highest opening five-game total in school history.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 27, Purdue 13