Michigan State football freshman Jalen Nailor stars in 35-21 win

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Michigan State football's offensive woes and injury issues continue to mount.

But neither was enough to prevent the 23rd-ranked Spartans from sludging 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 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.

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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).  

Injuries mounting

MSU already was without CB Josiah Scott, P Jake Hartbarger and DE Dillon Alexander. But there were more beyond that.

LJ Scott was in uniform, but the senior RB did not play. MSU also did not start LT Cole Chewins and LG David Beedle, but Beedle played extensively and Chewins made a brief appearance.

The Spartans lost two more offensive lineman, as RG Kevin Jarvis left the game with a right leg injury. Luke Campbell, who moved from LT to LG 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 game-sealing score.

All tricks needed

MSU struggled to run the ball, 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 wideout Cody White to Lewerke for six 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 FG. Lewerke pulled the hold and ran the option to the right, tossing it to the kicker for a 6-yard TD run that made it 28-7 MSU with 4:47 left in the third.

Final numbers

MSU’s rushing totals were deceiving thanks to Nailor’s long TD in the waning minutes.

Minus that run, the Spartans finished with 60 yards rushing on 37 attempts before kneel-downs. Without Scott, Connor Heyward and La’Darius Jefferson took the bulk of the attempts. Heyward was benched after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the third quarter.

Lewerke finsihed 14-for-25 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

MSU had a 350-301 edge in total yardage, holding the Hoosiers to 272 passing yards after giving up 300-plus in the first two games.

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Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.