Saturday was not a great day for the Michigan State Spartans. The #3 team in the nation went into West Lafayette to face a Purdue Boilermaker team that had 16 wins over top-5 teams, leading the nation. They added to that number with a 40-29 victory over the Spartans, who sputtered all over the field all day.
The Spartans were without some key players including Matt Coghlin, who was not available due to being “sore,” according to coach Mel Tucker.
Matt Coghlin is “sore,” per Tucker. Jarrett Horst was out for a medical reason. They’ll be ready when they’re ready.
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) November 7, 2021
The Spartans could not get off the field on third downs, allowing Purdue quarterback, Aiden O’Connell to complete 9-13 third-down passes, and keep the ball away from MSU’s explosive offense. On the day, O’Connell was 40/54 for 536 yards and 3 touchdowns. Yet, Tucker gave the ultimate “coachspeak” for this game, explaining that MSU still controls their own destiny and that he still believes in his players.
Tucker said: "I don't feel any different about our team now than I felt before the game."
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) November 7, 2021
Tucker: "All of our goals are still ahead of us."
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) November 7, 2021
It is true that the Spartans still control their own destiny with matchups still against Maryland, Ohio State, and Penn State on the horizon. If they can get it together and win those games, they will be in Indianapolis at the end of the regular season. There are plenty of holes that need to be plugged, many of which were exposed today, but as Tucker believes, the season is not over.
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