Michigan State clinches East with out of Penn State

Associated Press

EAST LANSING, Mich.

Connor Cook began waving his arms, motioning for the crowd to yell louder.

Michigan State had turned its final home game into a blowout, so Cook didn’t need the fans to be quiet as he lined up to take another snap.

“I was trying to have fun with it. It’s our last time in Spartan Stadium,” the senior quarterback said. “I just wanted to get the crowd into it, because I knew Jack was going to score.”

The sixth-ranked Spartans capped their home finale by letting senior center Jack Allen run for a touchdown, and Michigan State wrapped up a spot in the Big Ten championship game with a 55-16 victory over Penn State on Saturday. It was the most emphatic win of the season for the Spartans, who will play unbeaten Iowa for the conference title next weekend. The winner will be in good position to advance to college football’s playoff.

Michigan State (11-1, 7-1) is No. 5 in the selection committee’s ranking.

The Spartans finished tied atop the Big Ten East with Ohio State, and Michigan State upset the Buckeyes last weekend with Cook sidelined because of a shoulder injury. The star quarterback came back Saturday and was brilliant against Penn State (7-5, 4-4). Cook went 19 of 26 for 248 yards and three touchdowns.

“Sitting out stunk,” Cook said. “Obviously, I’ve been very fortunate to be able to play in a lot of games and not have to sit out. That was a reality check.”

Michigan State will play in the Big Ten title game for the third time in five seasons. The Spartans also kept the Land-Grant Trophy with their most lopsided win in a series with Penn State that started in 1914.

It was 41-16 in the fourth quarter when Malik McDowell intercepted a pass that had bounced off fellow defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun. McDowell ran it back 13 yards for a TD.

After a Penn State fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the Spartans the ball at the 9, Cook took the field and Allen lined up next to him in the backfield. The Nittany Lions couldn’t stop the 296-pound lineman as he rumbled to the end zone.

Allen said that call was in the playbook for “about five minutes.”

“Credit to the offensive coach and the o-linemen,” he said. “They got it done.”

Ohio State, which easily beat Michigan earlier Saturday, was holding out hope that Penn State would spoil the regular season finale in East Lansing, but the Nittany Lions didn’t come close. Michigan State had to play both Michigan and Ohio State on the road this year. The Spartans beat the Wolverines when Michigan botched a punt on the final play, and they edged the Buckeyes on a last-second field goal.