10/8/2022
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State football team fell to No. 3 Ohio State, 49-20, before a crowd of 72,809 on Saturday at Spartan Stadium.
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Jayden Reed had four catches for 67 yards for the Spartans, including an 18-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, while Tre Mosley had a season-high six receptions for 40 yards. Quarterback Payton Thorne was 11-of-18 for 113 yards, one TD and one interception, while Noah Kim completed 6-of-10 passes for 82 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to Montorie Foster (three catches, 54 yards overall).
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Justin White led the Spartans with 11 tackles, while Kendell Brooks had 10 tackles and Charles Brantley registered eight tackles and had a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown.
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After a Spartan interception on their first series, Ohio State scored on its first possession, driving 80 yards on seven plays, capped by a CJ Stroud 19-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr.
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The Spartans tied it at 7 midway through the first quarter as Brantley picked off a Stroud pass and raced 32 yards into the end zone. It marked MSU’s first interception of the season and first pick-six since Cal Haladay returned a pass 78 yards in the win over Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
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OSU responded with a 69-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Emeka Egbuka at the 7:11 mark in the first to put the Buckeyes back on top, 14-7.
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Stroud threw his third touchdown pass of the game on the second play of the second quarter, completing a 51-yard strike to Julian Fleming.
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The Spartans cut the deficit to 21-13 with 10:43 left in the first half on Reed’s 18-yard touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone.
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Ohio State scored two more touchdowns before the half, first on a TreVeyon Henderson 1-yard run at the 7:05 mark, and then on a 28-yard catch by Harrison with 1:20 left, giving the Buckeyes a 35-13 lead at the break.
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Harrison caught his third touchdown pass of the game on a 19-yard catch to cap a nine-play, 96-yard drive to open the second half. Â Gee Scott Jr. had a 2-yard TD reception with 3:04 left in the third quarter for Stroud’s sixth touchdown pass.
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The Spartans got on the board again late in the fourth quarter when Kim engineered an eight-play, 80-yard drive over 3:10, completing five passes for 70 yards, including the 32-yard scoring strike to Foster.
COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
