Recap: Michigan State Falls to No. 4 Ohio State 52-12

The Michigan State Spartans faced off against the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and it was brutal. The Spartans lost 52-12, with a late safety giving the Spartans two more points.

The Buckeyes beat up the Spartans for all four quarters, piling up a whopping 322 yards on the ground, combined with 199 yards through the air. It was a complete dismantling of the Spartans, with a team that was down multiple players and coaches due to COVID-19 issues.

After Rocky Lombardi went down with an injury late in the second quarter, Payton Thorne stepped in and looked solid. But, it was already too late, and the Spartans were never able to catch up and get back into the game.

“We knew we couldn’t give up explosive plays on the ground, and we gave them up,” Coach Mel Tucker said after the game. “Watching the film, I’m going to be sick looking at the plays we left on the field.”

The Spartans had quite a few plays that were just inches away from success, and many mental errors and penalties that stalled drives, combined with plenty of missed tackles on defense which contributed to the Buckeyes’ success on the field.

“At some point we will be consistent, and we will be able to beat good teams,” Tucker said. “I’m looking for that to happen sooner rather than later.”

The Spartans close the regular season next Saturday against Penn State in a battle for the Land Grant Trophy. Kickoff is set for 3:30 ET, and the game will be aired on ESPN.