| | | |
Friday, December 13, 2002
Penn State 42, Michigan State 23
Associated Press
BOX SCORE
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Rashard Casey threw three touchdown
passes and ran for two scores as Penn State beat Michigan State
42-23 on a Saturday when everything finally went right for the
Nittany Lions.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno recorded his 322nd career victory
in the season-ending game to move within one of the major college
record held by former Alabama coach Bear Bryant.
Proof of Penn State's good fortune came in the first quarter,
when Kenny Watson caught a deflected pass and ran it 40 yards into
the end zone. Casey's pass was meant for Eddie Drummond but went
off Drummond's fingers, over a defender and right to Watson, who
sprinted untouched for the score that put Penn State (5-7, 4-4 Big
Ten) up 21-0.
Casey, who finished with 218 passing yards and no interceptions,
had a 3-yard touchdown run on the next possession that gave Penn
State a 28-0 lead at the end of the quarter.
Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker was sacked six times, and
reserve Ryan Van Dyke was sacked twice. The loss makes the Spartans
(5-6, 2-6) ineligible for bowl consideration. Penn State's 42
points were the most Michigan State has given up all year.
The Nittany Lions also avoided recording just the second
eight-loss season in school history. Penn State's 5-7 record is the
worst since Paterno became head coach in 1966 and just the fifth
time the Nittany Lions under Paterno will not play in a bowl game.
Travis Wilson caught a 26-yard pass from Van Dyke for Michigan
State's final score. The Spartans failed on the 2-point conversion,
making it 42-23.
T.J. Duckett broke free for a 44-yard run up the middle for
Michigan State, making it 42-17 midway through the fourth quarter.
Duckett carried 21 times for 134 yards.
Casey threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Omar Easy to put Penn
State up 42-10 with 5:10 left in the third quarter. Easy ran three
times for 26 yards and caught two passes for 30 yards on the
possession.
Eric McCoo caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Casey to put the
Nittany Lions up 35-10 early in the third quarter. It was another
lucky play for Penn State, as a wide-open McCoo bobbled the ball
before securing the catch in the end zone.
Michigan State got its first touchdown late in the second
quarter. Smoker's 21-yard pass to Lavaile Richardson in the end
zone made it 28-10. The Spartans didn't score until midway through
the second quarter, when David Schaefer's 22-yard field goal made
it 28-3.
Penn State's defense was dominant early on. The Spartans ran
just nine plays and lost 10 yards on their first three possession,
and Smoker lost 25 yards on three sacks.
Michigan State finished the first quarter with 13 plays for a
5-yard loss. The Spartans didn't get a first down until the first
play of the second quarter.
Larry Johnson's 58-yard sprint up the middle on Penn State's
second possession put the Nittany Lions up 14-0. It was Penn
State's longest run from scrimmage this year and Johnson's longest
career run.
McCoo set up Penn State's first score with runs of 6, 28, 3 and
5 yards. Casey dove over the center to put the Nittany Lions up
7-0.
| | | |
|
|
