BLOOMINGTON, Ind. _ Michigan State's offensive woes and injury issues continue to mount.
But neither was enough to prevent the 23rd-ranked Spartans from grinding their way past previously unbeaten Indiana for a 35-21 victory on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Brian Lewerke threw for 213 yards and touchdown passes to Jalen Nailor and Matt Dotson, as MSU (2-1, 1-0 Big Ten) struggled to run the ball for the third straight game.
Indiana crept within a touchdown after a Lewerke interception off a screen pass deep in Spartans territory early in the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) scored on a 65-yard TD pass from quarterback Peyton Ramsey to Whop Philyor, and a 2-point pass made it 28-18 with 8:19 to play. They added a 36-yard field goal from Logan Justus with 3:28 remaining.
But Nailor scored his second TD of the game on a 75-yard end-around to give MSU a two-TD cushion.
The Spartans host Central Michigan next Saturday (noon, FS1).
MSU already was without cornerback Josiah Scott, punter Jake Hartbarger and defensive end Dillon Alexander. But there were more beyond that.
LJ Scott dressed during warmups, but the senior running back did not play. MSU also did not start left tackle Cole Chewins and left guard David Beedle, but Beedle played extensively and Chewins made a brief appearance.
But then the Spartans lost two more offensive lineman, as right guard Kevin Jarvis left the game with a right leg injury. Luke Campbell, who moved from left tackle to left guard to start the game, also went to the bench with a right leg injury.
MSU also lost WR Darrell Stewart Jr. to a right ankle injury.
Campbell returned and blocked at left guard on Nailor's late TD run.
MSU struggled to run the ball all game. So much so that they used three trick plays in the red zone in a row in the third quarter.
The first, coming after Stewart's injury on a jet sweep, was a second-down double reverse pass from Cody White to Lewerke that got just 3 yards and led to a hard hit on the QB on the sideline. The next was a jet sweep run to backup WR Brandon Sowards.
On fourth-and-3, Matt Coghlin lined up for a field goal. Lewerke pulled the hold and ran the option, tossing it to the kicker for a 6-yard TD run that made it 28-7 MSU with 4:47 left in the period.
MSU's rushing totals ended up deceiving thanks to Nailor's long TD run in the waning minutes.
Minus that run, the Spartans finished with just 60 yards rushing on their other 37 attempts before kneel-downs. Without Scott, Connor Heyward and La'Darius Jefferson took the bulk of the attempts.
Lewerke was 14 of 25 and intercepted twice.
MSU had a 351-301 edge in total yardage, holding the Hoosiers to 274 passing yards after giving up 300-plus in the first two games.
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