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Highs and Lows: Michigan State

Penn State started hot, struggled through the second quarter to a 21-10 deficit, and finally blasted past the visiting Spartans in the second half with more offensive firepower and a key defensive stop to secure a 39-24 win.

The third-straight decision in the wins column for the Nittany Lions, it improved the program to 3-5 on the season heading into a still-uncertain "Champions Week" for the Big Ten next Saturday.

Here, we take a look at the highs and lows from the game:

PLAYER OF THE GAME Jahan Dotson’s 81-yard punt return for a touchdown was the whipped cream and cherry on top of an outstanding afternoon for the junior receiver. Opening a 39-24 lead with the score in the fourth quarter, Dotson’s day also included a team-high eight receptions for 108 yards.

PLAY OF THE GAME Hungry to build on a 25-24 lead sparked by a key red-zone stand two possessions earlier, the Nittany Lions finally opened some breathing room for themselves early in the fourth quarter. On a fake screen, double-clutch pass from Sean Clifford to Parker Washington, the freshman wideout found himself wide open, reeled in the easy catch, then stuttered his way through Michigan State’s flailing defense to secure a 49-yard touchdown. The score gave Penn State an 8-point advantage with 12:18 left to play.

Jahan Dotson earned our Player of the Game honor for his performance against the Spartans.
Jahan Dotson earned our Player of the Game honor for his performance against the Spartans.
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BEST PASS Will Levis made his second pass attempt of the afternoon count. Running the play-action to his right, Levis fired high to Jahan Dotson, who managed to snag the pass downfield for 37 yards and a first down into Michigan State territory.

BEST RUN The 9-yard touchdown carry didn’t even count, but we can’t ignore it in this space. Keyvone Lee’s carry midway through the first quarter was the type of gritty, hard-nosed football that Penn State loves to see out of its running backs. That it wouldn’t stand due to a Will Fries holding penalty was a shame for Lee, the Nittany Lions having to settle for a field goal when unable to get back into the end zone on the ensuing three plays after the penalty.

BEST CATCH Payton Throne’s double-fake, play-action misdirection created an opening for Tre’Von Morgan through the heart of Penn State’s secondary midway through the second quarter. Needing to split tight coverage by Lamont Wade, Joey Porter Jr., and Keaton Ellis, Morgan made the acrobatic 26-yard touchdown catch to give the Spartans a 14-10 lead. It was Morgan’s first career reception. Washington's third-quarter TD grab deserves a nod here as well.

WORST DROP Daequan Hardy had it. In position for a basket catch on a ball overthrown to Jayden Reed, the Nittany Lion redshirt freshman corner was unable to secure the surefire interception, immediately clutching his helmet in disbelief on the final play of the third quarter.

BEST SACK Antonio Shelton notched his second career sack when he bum-rushed his way through Michigan State’s offensive line to drop Thorne for a 6-yard loss on the Spartans’ first possession of the game. Unable to get much push in the second and third quarters, Penn State’s gang rush on Thorne to open the fourth quarter provided a crucial sack on third-and-10 to return possession to the Nittany Lions.

BEST HIT The quick inside pass to Jayden Reed was good for a first down late in the third quarter, but Penn State linebacker Jesse Luketa laid the wood on the stop, slamming the Spartans’ receiver to the turf at the Nittany Lions’ 22-yard line.

BEST EFFORT Dotson didn’t have much room to work with on many of his receptions against the Spartans, but given the opportunity to get the ball in his hands, he did as much with it as he could. In particular, his 8-yard reception in the red zone early in the second half exemplified the point. Stopping and starting, Dotson turned a 4-yard grab into more by simply fighting through tackles.

BEST KICK Jordan Stout’s 53-yard punt was among the lone highlights in the kicking game for either team on Saturday.

BEST RETURN Washington gave the Nittany Lions a cushion and Dotson finished it. Hauling in a 52-yard punt from Michigan State early in the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions’ return man shed a tackle, split a collapsing Spartan coverage team, and burst his way up the MSU sideline for Penn State’s first special teams return touchdown since the 2018 season. The junior receiver crossed the goal line after 81 yards and never stopped, continuing toward his teammates to be carried by Journey Brown along the sideline.

BEST DECISION Penn State had no other choice, so to call it a decision might be giving too much credit than what’s due, but letting Clifford and Levis start slinging it proved to be worthwhile. Connecting for back-to-back completions of 36- and 26-yards, first to Dotson then to Washington, the Nittany Lions retook the lead on a Levis 2-yard TD plunge to close out the third quarter ahead, 25-24, and more than doubled their passing yards of the first half in the third quarter alone.

WORST DECISION Michigan State offensive lineman Matt Carrick might have thought better of drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the fourth quarter with his team trailing 39-24 with 11:17 left to play. The response by Nittany Lion defensive end Shaka Toney was to sarcastically wave goodbye to Carrick and the entire Spartan sideline.

MOST TELLING MOMENT Forced to go for fourth-and-8 midway through the fourth quarter while trailing by 15 points, a Michigan State facemask along the offensive line pushed the Spartans back 15 yards into a fourth-and-23 and, consequently, a punt.

Also, and worthy of a mention, the win allowed the Nittany Lions to avoid a winless season at home for the first time in program history dating back to 1918 when it finished 0-1-1.

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