Michigan State Football: 3 reasons Spartans will avoid upset at Purdue

Michigan State football is coming off its most emotional win of the season, coming back from down 16 to beat Michigan in East Lansing last weekend.

Purdue, on the other hand, is hoping to do what it does best and play spoiler to a nationally-contending team in West Lafayette. Heck, Purdue isn’t even limited to playing spoiler at home as the Boilermakers ruined Iowa’s season a few weeks ago in Iowa City, downing the Hawkeyes 24-7 on their own field after their emotional win over Penn State.

Everyone has Michigan State on upset alert heading into this one because of a potential hangover from a huge win and the fact that Purdue thrives in these situations.

Not so fast, my friends.

Here’s why the Spartans are going to avoid the dreaded trap against Purdue.

3. Payton Thorne will have a bounce-back game

Payton Thorne hasn’t been himself over the past two games, throwing one touchdown pass to four interceptions against Michigan and Indiana. That’s not going to cut it if Michigan State wants to make a run at a College Football Playoff — and Thorne knows that.

Thorne is a perfectionist so you know he’s been in the film room all week trying to see where he went wrong and there’s really an easy fix to his picks. No more throwing into double coverage down the field when you think you have a beat and no more forcing throws into tight spaces. He’s been picked off of tips twice in the past two games and the other two were on him.

I think he bounces back against a Purdue team that hasn’t had to face a top-tier quarterback all season long. The Boilermakers have faced Jack Coan, Graham Mertz, Spencer Petras, and Tanner Morgan, but that’s not exactly a murderer’s row of gunslingers.

Thorne is going to have his best game since mid-October and really get the Spartans’ offense going early on.