EAST LANSING — After more than 380 minutes of game time this season — and 62 days of real time — Michigan State football finally brought down a quarterback for a sack, fueling an 24-17 victory over Purdue on Friday at Spartan Stadium.
The Spartans had last recorded a sack on with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter of their loss to Boston College — so long that the QB brought down, Thomas Castellanos, has already been benched and decided to enter the transfer portal. And then, 4:57 into Friday’s game, Angelo Grose brought down Purdue’s Hudson Card for a 10-yard loss on third-and-8, forcing the Boilermakers to kick a field goal after they’d driven 62 yards to MSU’s 12-yard line on their opening drive.
After that, the first half was all MSU, as a defense missing numerous starters — including Charles Brantley, ruled out for the season before Friday’s game — held Purdue to 134 first-half yards and just three points.
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The MSU offense, meanwhile, was mostly effective, through the first two quarters, as quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 10 of 19 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns — strikes to Montorie Foster Jr. (with 4:28 left in the first quarter to give MSU the lead) and Nate Carter (with 46 seconds left in the second quarter to make it a three-TD lead at the half).
It wasn’t all great for MSU in the first half, as tight end Jack Velling was carted off in the first quarter after a big hit.
On a crossing route, Velling took a big hit from Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman and stayed on the ground. He was carted into the tunnel, and he flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd. A Michigan State spokesperson later said Velling was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
MSU struggled to find success in the second half, as Chiles completed just four of his first nine passes after the intermission, for 32 yards, and the Spartans punted on their first three drives of the second half after scoring on every drive in the first.
Purdue, meanwhile, strung together a pair of long drives, going 10 plays for 73 yards to make it a two-score game, and then 11 plays for 85 yards to get within seven points early in the fourth quarter. But the shorthanded Spartans defense finally got a stop on the Boilermakers’ third drive of the second half. After MSU’s offense was still stalled, Purdue began to drive again before Card’s attempted pass to Max Klare was tipped twice before Jordan Turner made a diving interception to give the Spartans the ball at their own 31 with 8:54 remaining.
The Spartans finished with three sacks of Card, with the final one coming early in the fourth quarter.
MSU clinched the game by converting a fourth-and-1 in the final two minutes from the Purdue 28, rather than attempting a field goal.
The victory over Purdue (1-10, 0-8 Big Ten) brings Michigan State to 5-6 on the season (and 3-5 in Big Ten play) and a win away from bowl eligibility in head coach Jonathan Smith’s first season in East Lansing. The Spartans will go for a bowl next Saturday when Rutgers visits Spartan Stadium (3:30 p.m., FS1).
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football holds on late in 24-17 win over Purdue
