Spartans fall to Badgers, 37-34
MADISON, Wisc. – Penalties and two failed midfield conversions late in the game turned an MSU upset into an MSU tragedy as the Spartans lost to No.-9 ranked Wisconsin 37-34.
Badgers kicker Taylor Mehlhaff kicked three field goals, including the game-winner with 6:15 left to play. Three MSU (4-1 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) penalties – including a roughing the passer call at the Wisconsin (5-0, 2-0) 28-yard line on a third-and-14 incomplete – allowed the Badgers to score the final field goal.
“All and all guys, it’s a game of inches,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. “Depending on one play out there, this way or that, and we had a chance to win the football game.”
The Spartans had almost tied the game late in the fourth quarter on a 53-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Brett Swenson. MSU was forced to kick after a run by junior running back Javon Ringer on third-and-six went for one yard.
“Brett (Swenson) had been pretty good all day,” Dantonio said. “He made them in practice. We had the wind. I felt he was good from 48 yards out in pre-game.”
MSU’s defense forced Wisconsin to punt on the ensuing possession, giving the Spartans one last chance to tie the game. On a fourth-and-two play from the Wisconsin 38-yard line, junior quarterback Brian Hoyer threw a pass that went off of freshman wide receiver Mark Dell, turning the ball over on downs.
The teams combined for 1,025 yards, with Ringer supplying 147 rushing yards on 10 carries and 88 receiving yards on seven catches. Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill gained 162 yards and scored two touchdowns on 34 carries.
Hoyer threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked five times. Badgers quarterback Tyler Donovan amassed 247 yards through the air and two touchdowns.
MSU was without freshman cornerback Chris L. Rucker when a referee ejected him and Wisconsin wide receiver Marcus Randle El for personal foul penalties in the second quarter. Sophomore cornerback T.J. Williams – who played cornerback for the second time in his career Saturday – replaced Rucker and picked off a pass at the MSU goal line on the same drive.
The Spartans erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, tying the game 34-34.
“Even though we were down 10 at one point, we came back and tied it up,” Hoyer said. “No one gave up. We played until the last play and we played as hard as we could.”
Wisconsin scored the first touchdown of the game on a 5-yard Hill run, but MSU answered with two touchdowns by senior running back Jehuu Caulcrick to go ahead 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.
MSU then let up two consecutive touchdown passes by Donovan to fall behind 21-14. The Spartans completed an 80-yard screen pass to junior wide receiver Devin Thomas on the first play from scrimmage on the next drive to tie the game 21-21. Thomas led the Spartans with 111 receiving yards.
Wisconsin scored two field goals to end the half, putting the Badgers ahead 27-21. MSU responded with a field goal of their own to open the second half, but Wisconsin came back with a touchdown to go up 34-24 on its next possession.
MSU resumes play Saturday against Northwestern at Spartan Stadium.
Published on Saturday, September 29, 2007
Comments
Scott Brown
09/29/07 @ 10:26pm
Dear MSU Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell,
I dont know about you, but every MSU fan in the world knows that you run the ball on 3rd down and 2 yards to go on the 38 yard line with less than 2 minutes to play (down 3 points). And if the Spartans do not get the 1st down….YOU RUN THE BALL AGAIN!!! Give MSU the chance to win or at least tie! Your terrible calls in this game cost MSU a 5-0 start to this season.
This game is on you! OWN IT and fix it.
Sincerely,
Scott Brown
2000 MSU Grad
Linda Van Maele
09/29/07 @ 11:22pm
I wanted to let the football team know that I am so proud of how they played tonight! Although we came up a bit short we played awesome for the whole game against a great school. As long as the guys know that they are good and they CAN BEAT anyone (including Michigan) there is no doubt in my mind that we will have an awesome season! Don’t give up guys you played great.. keep it up:)
Linda V.
2000 MSU Grad
2005 Alum
09/29/07 @ 11:31pm
I also want to let the football team know how proud I am of them. Keep up the good work and take this loss and use it to WIN every other game this season…espically Michigan and Ohio State!!!!
Karthik Sivaraman
09/30/07 @ 12:07am
Dear Spartan football team,
Although you lost a tough game, I am still proud to say I am a Spartan. I am glad that you gave Wisco a battle and you played great football. Keep faith in each other, your coaches and keep faith in the game. Fix your mistakes and capitalize on your accomplishments. Do these things and you shall always prevail.
Go Green. Go White. Go Spartans.
Brian B.
09/30/07 @ 1:41am
This is your one loss for the season. You will win the rest. You are Spartans! GO GREEN! GO WHITE! Heck it took me 11 year to get my BA from State…I’ll wait 111 years for a national championship if I have to!
Joel V.
09/30/07 @ 10:07am
Dear Michigan State Football Team
I am very very proud of you, I tell ya I live in Columbus, Oh and it is not easy being a Spartan fan in this Suckeye town, but I have never given up on you, never and I just want to say that I am proud of you and of your accomplishments thus far. I will never quit on you and take any abuse these buckeyes dish at me because I truely believe in you, there is no surrender for Spartans.
Go Green! Go White!
Randy Simmons
09/30/07 @ 11:51am
It’s easy to second guess a coach’s call when you’re not the guy in the heat of battle. I thought the offensive game calling was good (look at the total yards the Spartans racked up. It’s hard to swallow a loss, but these Spartans and their coach are a different breed. They are going to make everyone they play respect MSU. Go Green!
Michelle
09/30/07 @ 1:45pm
I thought all in all the football team did an excellent job. The guys fought hard against a team in the top 10, not to mention away and almost came up with the upset. The team just needs to remember that this is one game and there is a lot of football left. I am very proud to be a Spartan Alumnus! GO GREEN! GO WHITE! GO STATE!!!
Marcus
09/30/07 @ 1:57pm
If you aren’t proud of this team after that performance, you aren’t a true Spartan. They left it all out on the field against the number 9 ranked team in the country on the road. How can people criticize an offensive coordinator who’s offense put up 500+ yards of total offense??? We win as a team and lose as a team.
Go State!!!
We Are One
09/30/07 @ 3:21pm
It was all and all a very good game, and I know from reading the above comments that I was far from the only person that was terribly proud of how our team played yesterday.
It was also nice to be a part of the group of 2,000 or so students that Tom Izzo organized to greet our team when they returned last night. It was wonderful to see everyone so united in their support of our team and I loved how excited the football team was to see and hear our support. (Additionally it was hilarious to see Izzo accused of starting a riot by the cops when 2,000 students went tearing down Chestnut with him at the head of it all!)
SoCal Spartan
09/30/07 @ 4:56pm
I’m decidedly proud and confident in this Spartan teams ability to win any game. I sit in SoCal hoping the game comes in, and it does. I’ve seen the players unite and form a mass of power that is unstoppable, but we have drawbacks…from time to time.
I hope the confidence is not lost due to this narrow loss to #5 Badgers, in the Badger land. I mean, we are a power to be reckoned with…and I’d rather be the unranked dark horse that breaks other teams backs then a ranked team that fails miserably…you know the other Division IA football team in Michigan.
We have found chinks in our armor, and we’ll fix em…that is the case! The lesson was learned, now break em up hard in Sparta…I mean East Lansing.
Go Green…Go White…Go Spartans!!!!!!!!!
Emma
09/30/07 @ 9:53pm
I’m a grad student at UW-Madison now, but I did my undergrad at MSU so I am a Spartan at heart. I was at the game Saturday and the Spartans definitely did me proud! It was not a season-ending meltdown that I’ve seen for so many years now. We’ve still got a lot to prove! GO GREEN! By the way…the Spartan fans at the game on Saturday were great.