Michigan State vs Purdue: Final grades for the Spartans

Oct 3, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) runs the ball on a quarterback keeper during the 2nd half of a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Spartan Stadium. MSU won 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback: B+

Connor Cook simply cannot be blamed for a sub-200 yard performance like the one he had Saturday against Purdue. Although the senior quarterback is well under the pace he should be at so far this season, he hasn’t really needed to throw the ball with the success the run game has been experiencing.

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Cook was just 13-of-19 on Saturday and it was because of the rainy, muddy conditions on a day in which no rain was expected until 4:00 p.m. ET that kept his strong arm caged up. He also finished with 139 yards and a touchdown — no surprise that he didn’t throw an interception as it seems like those are rare for him.

I give him a ‘B+’ not because of his passing, which had to do with lack of play-calling for him, but because of the way he used his legs effectively to keep multiple MSU drives alive.

The Heisman candidate was the team’s third-leading rusher and had his best day running the ball in a Spartan uniform, accounting for 48 yards on just five rushes, avoiding pressure and escaping this game with no sacks.

Not all of his runs were because of pressure, but he showed that he has a real ability to tuck the ball away and pick up some yards — even adding a nifty 22-yard dash.

Next: Running backs