Walker and Spartans leap into contention
His five touchdowns lift his Heisman chances and Michigan State, which has eyes on Big Ten title.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Kenneth Walker rushed for 197 yards and five touchdowns, helping No. 8 Michigan State top No. 6 Michigan 37-33 for a thrilling comeback win on Saturday.
The Spartans (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) trailed by nine at halftime and 30-14 with 6:47 left in the third quarter before Walker boosted his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy, although he downplayed it afterward.
“I don’t feel like it was a Heisman moment,” said Walker, who started the day leading the nation in rushing and finished it with 1,194 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. “But it was just a great team win.”
Walker’s fifth touchdown — a 23-yard run — lifted the Spartans to a 37-33 lead with 5:08 remaining. He had 8.6 yards a carry, an average that spiked thanks to his 58-yard touchdown that helped the Spartans pull into a 30-30 tie early in the fourth quarter.
“This was a huge stage, the whole world was watching, and you got a chance to see what type of player he is,” Spartans coach Mel Tucker said. “Any recognition he’s getting for Heisman consideration is well deserved.”
The Wolverines (7-1, 4-1) forced a final punt and had the ball at their 33 with 1:15 and no timeouts left.
After a roughing-the-passer penalty gave them the ball at midfield, Michigan State cornerback Charles Brantley sealed the victory by picking off a floating pass from Cade McNamara.
McNamara threw for 383 yards and two touchdowns, but his interception was costly, as was freshman quarterback J.J.
McCarthy’s lost fumble in the fourth quarter.
“That exchange didn’t go smoothly,” said Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who added that McNamara was “working through something” when he the freshman replaced him.
The rivals were on the same field with 7-0 or better records for the first time, matching up as top-10 teams for the first time since 1964.
Michigan State’s win puts the program in contention for the Big Ten conference championship and potentially a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Michigan’s loss leaves Harbaugh with a 3-4 record against Michigan State as a coach, putting even more pressure on him to get a win against No. 5 Ohio State next month.
Michigan’s running game was slowed down. The Wolverines were averaging 253.3 yards rushing, ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 5 in the FBS. But Hassan Haskins was held to 59 yards in 14 carries and Blake Corum 45 yards in 13 carries.