LANSING, Mich. — Boosted by three touchdown passes from Brian Lewerke to Cody White and a dominate defense, Michigan State football posted a 27-0 shutout over Rutgers, Saturday afternoon at SHI Stadium.
The shutout was the first for the Michigan State defense since 2016, also against Rutgers, in East Lansing. Saturday was also the first road shutout in school history since 1999, as well as the fifth total under head coach Mark Dantonio.
Lewerke was 21-of-30 passing for 239 yards and three TDs. Lewerke completed his first eight passes in a row, with six passes going to White. The Spartan junior receiver finished the game with a career-high 11 catches, tying for the eighth-best single-game mark in school history. It was White’s third-straight game with six or more receptions, as part of his 22nd-consecutive career game with two or more catches. White totaled a season-high 136 yards Saturday, his second 100-yard outing of the season and fifth of his career.
Freshman running back Elijah Collins had a season-high 31 carries for 109 yards, his third 100-yard game this year.
Sophomore safety Xavier Henderson led the Spartan defense with nine tackles and an interception. Michigan State did not yield a first down to Rutgers in the first half, as the home team Scarlet Knights didn’t move the chains until the third quarter, ending with just seven for the game.
Senior linebacker Tyriq Thompson and sophomore linebacker Noah Harvey had matching stats with six stops apiece, to go with half a sack each, with Harvey tallying a pass break-up.
MSU limited Rutgers to 140 yards of total offense, with 83 rushing and 57 passing. Meanwhile, the Spartan offense amassed 395 yards, with 239 through the air and 156 on the ground.
Michigan State started the scoring in the first quarter on a 21-yard TD pass from Lewerke to White, and junior placekicker Matt Coghlin’s PAT made it 7-0 MSU with 5:03 to go in the first quarter. Coghlin split the uprights from 46-yards out for his first FG of the game with 1:11 left in the opening stanza for a 10-0 Spartan lead.
Lewerke and White connected for another score on a 16-yard scoring strike with 32 seconds before halftime and Coghlin’s PAT gave the Spartans a 17-0 halftime advantage. White had nine catches in the first half alone, tying his career-best, before breaking his career-high in the second half.
Coghlin later kicked a 36-yarder with five seconds left in the third quarter for a 20-0 Spartan lead.
Michigan State capped its scoring with a 7-yard pass from Lewerke to White with 12:39 left in the fourth frame, as White made a spectacular one-handed catch behind him on his way into the end zone.
The shutout was in jeopardy on the ensuing Rutgers drive. The Scarlet Knights drove deep into MSU territory and attempted to kick a 44-yard field goal that split the uprights, but a holding penalty nullified the field goal, pushing Rutgers back out of field goal range and forcing a punt to preserve the Spartan shutout.
The Green & White wrap up regular-season action next Saturday, Nov. 30 at Spartan Stadium, hosting Maryland in a 3:30 p.m. Big Ten battle. Saturday is MSU’s Senior Day, as the Spartans will be honoring their seniors in a pre-game ceremony.
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