Walker-led No. 8 Michigan St tops No. 6 Michigan 37-33

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Kenneth Walker rushed 197 yards and five touchdowns, helping Michigan State No. 8 to the top …

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Kenneth Walker rushed after 197 yards and five touchdowns and helped No. 8 in Michigan State top No. 6 in Michigan 37-33 to an exciting comeback victory Saturday.

The Spartans (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) were trailing by nine at the break and 30-14 by 6:47 left in the third quarter before Walker increased his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy.

Walker’s fifth touchdown – a 23-yard run – lifted the Spartans to a 37-33 lead with 5:08 left.

Wolverines (7-1, 4-1) forced one last point and had the ball on their 33 with 1:15 and no timeouts left.

After a roughing-the-passer penalty gave them the ball in midfield, Michigan State cornerback Charles Brantley sealed the victory by choosing a floating pass from Cade McNamara.

McNamara threw in 383 yards and two touchdowns, but his interception was costly, just as first quarterback JJ McCarthys lost fumble in the fourth quarter.

The rivals were on the same field with 7-0 or better records for the first time, and matched as top-10 teams for the first time since 1964.

Michigan State’s victory puts the program in contention for the Big Ten Conference Championship and potentially a spot in the College Football Playoffs.

Michigan’s loss leaves Jim Harbaugh with a 3-4 record against Michigan State as coach, putting even more pressure on him to get a win against No. 5 Ohio State next month.

Wolverines led 23-14 after an entertaining first half.

McNamara quickly got Michigan off with a 93-yard touchdown pass to former East Lansing High School star Andrel Anthony, three snaps after Payton Thorne finished the game’s opening run with a ball that was intercepted.

After Thorne’s second interception, Wolverines settled for the first of four Jake Moody field goals and a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Walker jumped a run to the outside and found a hole to sprint through to a 27-yard touchdown run in the first game of the second quarter.

After Moody had a 38-yard touchdown, Michigan State coach Mel Tucker went for it at fourth-and-1 near midfield, and Thorne’s play-action pass to Jalen Nailor put Walker’s 8-yard TD run and a 14-13 guidance.

Anthony caught a 17-yard TD pass and Moody kicked a 35-yard in the final seconds of the first half, sending the Wolverines into the locker room with some momentum.

McNamara hit on another TD pass in the third and found Mike Sainristil for a 19-yard touchdown, making it 30-14 with 6:47 left.

Michigan State, which had a fumble in the second quarter toppled by replay, got two reviews to go in its favor on the next drive.

Tucker took advantage of that and went for it again on the fourth down when Thorne threw a 28-yard pass to Jayden Reed to put Walker’s third touchdown. Thorne threw a 2-point conversion pass to pull the Spartans within eight points late in the third.

Michigan State was 0 for 7 on the third down until he converted three straight on one drive, including Walker’s 58-yard touchdown run. Thorne’s 2-point conversion pass made it 30-all.

Wolverines were forced to settle for another field goal on the ensuing drive and took a three-point lead early in the fourth.

TAKEAWAYEN

Michigan: Michigan’s running game was slowed. The Wolverines averaged 253.3 yards rushing, ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 5 in FBS, and went into the game. Hassan Haskins was held to 59 yards on 14 carries and Blake Corum had just 45 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Michigan State: Tucker has turned the program around with an influx of transfers, including Walker, a former Wake Forest player, and he has a wealth of momentum with an 8-0 record this year and a 2-0 mark against Michigan.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE VOTING

Michigan State and Michigan could turn places in the AP Top 25 after living up to the hype with a hotly contested game.

NEXT

Michigan: Hosts of Indiana.

Michigan State: Plays on Purdue.

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