Michigan State Collapses in Second Half Loss to Penn State

After playing some of the best football we've seen in 2020, Michigan State became sloppy and collapsed over the final 30 minutes.

Michigan State played some of the best football we've seen all season during the first half against Penn State.

Yet, after intermission, MSU became sloppy – collapsing over the final 30 minutes on Saturday.

"We're building a football team; it's a process … as I mentioned earlier this week, we needed to play complementary football. We have to do it for four quarters," MSU coach Mel Tucker told reporters during the postgame press conference. "It was crystal clear today, what we've been talking about and what we're striving for. In the first half, we played complementary football … in the second half, we did not do that."

The Spartans' 11-point lead had been erased going into the fourth quarter due to a shift in play-calling and shaky defense.

It only got worse.

MSU gave up a 49-yard touchdown pass and an 81-yard punt return touchdown by Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson, leading to a second half scoring discrepancy of 29-3.

"At the hotel before the game and in the locker room before the game, I told them, 'All we're asking you to do, all I want you to do is go out there and play as hard as you possibly can, be as physical as you possibly can, trust your training and execute … I felt like they played hard," said Tucker. "But I told them, that's not a moral victory – it just goes to show you what we're capable of doing."

Redshirt freshman Payton Thorne started for the first time in his MSU career and led Michigan State to a 21-10 advantage with three touchdowns on three straight drives.

He finished 22-for-39 for 325 yards, three scores, and one interception (11-for-13, 202 yards, 3 TDs in the 1st half).

However, the Spartans punted five of their seven possessions post halftime – ending with 147 yards compared to 232 for Penn State.

Even so, Mel Tucker feels good about where Michigan State is right now; he's seeing improvement and has throughout the season.

"Going into the game, I felt like we had a team that could win this game. At halftime, I felt like we had a team that could win the game," Tucker said. "I felt good about our football team and about what we could do. And after the game, I felt the same way about this football team ... we have a bright future. We will continue to hammer the process. We're going to get there."

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