MSU 55, Penn State 16: How it happened, what they said

Key play

Trailing 13-3, Penn State marched into MSU territory late in the second quarter behind Christian Hackenberg’s arm and Saquon Barkley’s legs, looking to cut into the Spartans' lead. Quarterback Hackenberg completed a pass to Kyle Carter in the right slot, and the tight end turned to run upfield when MSU linebackers Riley Bullough and Darien Harris forced a fumble. Demetrious Cox did the rest. The junior safety sidestepped the pile, picked up the ball at the 23 in stride, weaved outside through traffic, then cut back across the field for the final 35 yards for the Spartans' first of two defensive TDs in the game.

Unsung hero

Offensive linemen rarely get the spotlight, but Jack Allen took center stage by stepping out of his normal center position. The senior tri-captain took his first career handoff in a regular-season game and rumbled around right end for a 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter as his Spartan Stadium swan song. But Allen’s blocking up the middle has been vital over the past three years to keeping Connor Cook upright and allowing him to break a number of MSU passing records. Allen also serves as the anchor for the running game and leader of the linemen. Getting a carry — and a score — is just the cherry on top of a career that most likely will progress to Sundays.

Quotable

“The guys we have on this team are so mentally tough, so mentally strong. The adversity we’ve had to deal with when guys went down, it’s obviously not the way we envisioned it. It just goes to show the chemistry we have, too. I think that’s one of the main reasons why we’ve been so successful.”

— Senior quarterback Connor Cook on how MSU won the Big Ten East Division

What's next

MSU (11-1, 7-1) earned a conference division title for the third time in five years and once again moves on to play in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Spartans will face West Division champ Iowa (12-0, 8-0) at 8 p.m. next Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The third-ranked Hawkeyes, who won 28-20 on Friday at Nebraska, will be playing in their first Big Ten Championship Game. Iowa also is ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings, one spot ahead of MSU.