MSU 31, Indiana 27: Reaction Thread

That game felt like 2010 Northwestern all day, and it finished like it.

MSU trailed 17-0 after the first quarter. The Spartans answered with two touchdowns, but Indiana finished the half on a 10-0 run for a 27-14 halftime lead. MSU had six personal fouls in the game, and a ton of killer penalties in the first half, but cleaned things up in the second.

After getting shredded apart in the first half, MSU's defense allowed 37 total yards in the second and the offense put enough drives together and was able to run out the clock. I thought Dan Roushar had some good playcalling in this one, but I don't know if that's enough for everyone. MSU still needs to do it against good defenses, obviously.

The Spartans move to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten. A big one indeed, as no team has won the Big Ten after an 0-2 start. Is MSU the first half team or the second half team? Either way, a win's a win.

Bullets:

MSU has found its No. 1 receiver: Aaron Burbridge was hyped up during the week when he was put atop the depth chart, and he lived up to it with eight catches for 134 yards. He made big play after big play, and this could be a star in the making. He could be even more important if Dion Sims is out for any amount of time. He went out with an ankle injury in the first half and didn't return.

Another solid game for Andrew Maxwell: He went 24-for-40 for 291 yards and two touchdowns. He made an audible to find Bennie Fowler open for what ended up being the winning touchdown. Continues to take great care of the ball.

Another terrible start: Second straight game in which the opponent scored a touchdown on its opening drive, and MSU couldn't diagnose a screen to save its life in that first half. But credit for making the adjustments.

Johnny Adams may be a liability?: He was beat deep quite a few times in the first half, and is starting to be exposed a bit.

Offensive line not any better: Le'Veon Bell averaged 3.3 yards per carry (37 carries for 121 yards, 2 TDs). Maxwell was sacked a few times and was pressured quite a bit, even with a four-man rush. They did some shifting with Jack Allen, Blake Treadwell and Ethan Ruhland during the game, but this is still a problem.

We know this team can make a comeback: Sure, it was the worst defense in the Big Ten, but it was also the second-best offense, statistically. The only other time MSU fell behind multiple scores was Notre Dame, so at least the players now can believe in themselves to stick around in a game. This tied for the largest comeback in the Dantonio era (with that 2010 Northwestern game).

Now, sit back, take a deep breath and Go Tigers!