Michigan State vs Purdue: Final grades for the Spartans
Oct 3, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans offensive lineman Brian Allen (65) points out coverage before the snap of the ball during the 2nd half of a game at Spartan Stadium. MSU won 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive line: A-; Defensive line: B
Yet another week without a sack allowed on Connor Cook. It’s quite the advantage to have when you don’t have to keep picking your quarterback up off the ground after every pass attempt, and that’s the kind of luck Michigan State’s senior quarterback is experiencing, even with a rash of injuries across the offensive line.
Related: College Football Rankings: Spartan Avenue’s Week 6 Top 25
Jack Conklin and Kodi Kieler were out for this one while replacement Dennis Finley went down with a brutal, clearly season-ending broken leg injury. It was one of those freak injuries in which his leg was rolled up on and made for a cringe-worthy replay.
The offensive line came together after that and opened huge holes for the run game all day long while protecting Cook. Not sure how they keep doing it.
The defensive line did a solid, but not great, job of putting pressure on quarterback David Blough even though it seemed like he had all day to throw the ball on some occasions. He was sacked three times, however, and the rush kept him in the pocket and made him uncomfortable, at times.
Malik McDowell looked good throughout as did Shilique Calhoun despite constant double-teams. Lawrence Thomas and Joel Heath also added good games, but the line will need to be more consistent moving forward as it allowed big runs to freshman Markell Jones, including a 68-yard scamper right up the middle.
Next: Linebackers/Secondary