MSU notes: LJ Scott comes up big against Ohio State
EAST LANSING – LJ Scott wanted the ball again.
Why not? Ohio State couldn’t stop Michigan State’s sophomore running back.
But after all the work on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive, the Spartans didn’t call Scott’s number again on the ensuing 2-point attempt. Tyler O’Connor’s pass to Jamal Lyles was picked off, which proved to be the difference in their 17-16 loss to the second-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday.
“I did want the ball. I always want the ball,” Scott said. “But obviously (the Buckeyes) would have known what was coming.”
It didn’t matter all day. The Hubbard, Ohio, native ran for a career-high 160 yards and a score and added two catches for 76 yards and another TD. He averaged 12.1 yards on his 19 carries in the game.
“LJ is a good football player,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said. “He is a powerful back, he's got good feet and we did a nice job blocking for him, too.”
Scott caught a throwback screen pass from O’Connor on the game’s second play, then raced through key blocks by Benny McGowan and Josiah Price for a 64-yard touchdown just 46 seconds into the game.
Then with the Spartans training 17-10 late in the fourth quarter, Scott ran eight times for 56 yards, including a 26-yarder on the first play of the drive. He capped it by going around the left side for a 1-yard score that pulled MSU within a point with 4:53 to play.
►Related: MSU's young defensive line breaks out against Ohio State
“What was it like? I knew I was in the situation to where the team was counting on me. The whole sideline was saying something to me,” Scott said. “I knew I had to make something shaking and come through for my brothers.”
McDOWELL OUT AGAIN: Mark Dantonio played coy earlier in the week about Malik McDowell’s injury status. MSU’s star defensive lineman did not dress for the second straight game after suffering a left ankle injury on Nov. 5 at Illinois on top of his pre-existing rib problems.
Fellow defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk hinted that McDowell may have played his final game at Spartan Stadium, which was against Michigan on Oct. 29. There is plenty of speculation that McDowell will enter the NFL draft as a third-year junior, but he was not made available after the game.
“Malik and Riley (Bullough) aren't going to be here next year,” Panasiuk said, “so we're just trying to get as much from them as we can.”
INJURY UPDATE: The Spartans also played Saturday without safety Matt Morrissey, cornerback Tyson Smith, linebacker Byron Bullough, defensive end Gabe Sherrod and cornerback Drake Martinez. Four others are done for the season: QB Brian Lewerke (broken leg), CB Vayante Copeland (broken foot), LB Jon Reschke (ankle), OL Tyler Higby (broken ankle).
Cornerback Darian Hicks left the OSU game twice with an arm injury. Five players did dress after missing last week’s win over Rutgers. Linebacker Ed Davis, defensive end Evan Jones, defensive end Auston Robertson and fullback Prescott Line all played, while offensive lineman Thiyo Lukusa did not.
REMEMBERING SADLER: Saturday would have been former MSU punter Mike Sadler’s 25th birthday. The Spartans ran a fake punt that he would have loved.
On fourth-and-6 early in the fourth quarter, Collin Caflisch snapped the ball to upback Chris Frey. The junior linebacker dashed around left end for – fittingly on Sadler’s birthday – 25 yards.
“Anytime one of our brothers is having a birthday, it’s a big deal,” Frey said. “But it’s an even bigger deal just because he can’t be here with us to celebrate it with us. We all know he would’ve loved to be.”
Sadler died in a car accident along with Nebraska Sam Foltz in July. The Cornhuskers also honored their former punter Saturday on what would have been his senior day against Maryland.
Also during a break in the game, MSU honored the families of Sadler and Mylan Hicks and donated the unclaimed 50/50 raffle prize money from the opening game of the year against Furman – $10,712.50 each – to their memorial funds. Former linebacker/safety Hicks was shot and killed in Calgary outside a nightclub in September.
HELD IN CHECK: Ohio State’s Curtis Samuel entered Saturday’s game averaging 63.7 yards rushing and 75.0 yards receiving a game this season. The Spartans limited the versatile junior to just 13 rushing yards on four carries and 40 receiving yards on four catches, including a 24-yard TD catch.
And for the second straight year, MSU’s defense and blustery weather conditions hampered Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett’s passing attack. He was just 10 of 22 for 86 yards and the TD through the air, but the junior kept the Spartans off balance with 105 rushing yards on 24 carries.
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.
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