I cannot believe what just happened. After leading 28-3 in the first quarter, Michigan State football blew this game against Illinois. The Fighting Illini came back to beat the Spartans 36-34, the largest comeback in school history. Surely one of the worst losses for coach Mark Dantonio.
Here is a quick recap:
Hot Start
Michigan State came out of the gate hot. Their offense looked like something from a dream. QB Brian Lewerke hit receivers in stride with accuracy and RB Elijah Collins cut up the Illinois defense. The Spartans scored 28 points all in the first quarter. This is more than they scored in the entire month of October.
Collins scored two touchdowns for the Spartans. Here are his highlights below:
Even Lewerke got in on the run game success. Brian Lewerke ran for 96 yards and dashed into the endzone for a 42-yard rushing touchdown as well. Unfortunately, he did not keep up this impressive play all throughout the game. Instead, Lewerke proved to be the biggest problem for Michigan State.
Meltdown Mode
The Spartan offense was pretty stagnant after the first half. Meanwhile, Illinois finally got things rolling on offense. Illinois QB Brandon Peters ended the game with 369 yards and three touchdowns. On the other end, Brian Lewerke unraveled right in front of our eyes.
Lewerke was consistently inaccurate in the second half. He threw three interceptions, two of which were definitely his fault. One interception was a dicey past that deflected into the air and into the hands of Illinois DB Sydney Brown. Later, Lewerke threw a crazy pass that was nowhere near the intended receiver and lead to another Sydney Brown interception.
Watch this interception below:
I’m not sure where this team goes from here. Fans are unhappy, to put it lightly. No doubt that this sentiment continues to grow.
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