Watch CBS News

No. 11 Michigan State Smashes Eastern Michigan, 73-14

JACK EBLING, Associated Press

EAST LANSING (AP) — Connor Cook threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score as No. 11 Michigan State scored the third-most points in program history, smashing Eastern Michigan 73-14 on Saturday.

The Spartans (2-1) came up three points short of matching the school record set in 1989 against Northwestern and found the end zone on their first five possessions. Michigan State scored 75 points against Arizona in 1949.

Eastern Michigan (1-3) was outgained 320-1 in the first half and surrendered the game's first 20 first downs. The Eagles have been outscored 155-17 by Florida, Old Dominion and the Spartans.

Michigan State finished with 336 yards rushing, 496 in total offense and held the Eagles to five first downs.

Cook wound up 5 for 6 for 83 yards, accounting for all his touchdowns in the first quarter. Delton Williams led 10 Spartan ball carriers with 103 yards and three TDs on 10 carries.

Cook opened the scoring with a 4-yard run on a read option, following a 43-yard punt return by Macgarrett Kings. Jeremy Langford made it 14-0 less than four minutes later with a 21-yard sweep of left end, juking the only Eagles tackler in sight.

The defense joined the fun on the following snap, as Kurtis Drummond recovered a botched handoff at the EMU 23. Cook immediately found a wide-open Tony Lippett in the back of the end zone to go up by 21.

Cook hit Lippett again for an 8-yard score, rolling right and throwing back toward the middle of the end zone. It was the Spartans' fourth TD in 20 snaps, and they finished the quarter with a 213-7 edge in total offense.

With backups all over the field for the final three quarters, Tyler O'Connor hit A.J. Troup on a deep out route for 23 yards and a 35-0 cushion with 11:04 left in the half. The lead swelled to 42 after Montae Nicholson scooped up Tyler Allen's muffed punt return at the Eagles' 7. Williams finished the job with a 1-yard smash.

Michigan State ended the half with a 6-yard jet sweep by R.J. Shelton after an interception by RJ Williamson. That 49-0 halftime lead was its largest in the modern era, since the end of World War II.

Hill made it 56-0 early in the third quarter, scoring on a 4-yard run. But EMU answered with its first down of the day and its first TD in three weeks. Rob Bolden, 10-for-29 for 115 yards, took advantage of a blown coverage and found Allen behind the defense for a 43-yard score.

After Michael Geiger's 30-yard field goal put the Spartans up 59-7, the Eagles found the end zone again. DaQuan Pace picked off Tyler O'Connor's pass at the Michigan State 12, and Bolden hit wide-open Tyreese Russell over the middle to cut the lead back to 45.

But Williams' 7-yard smash gave the Spartans 66 points. And his 80-yard sprint capped their highest total since a 76-14 win over Northwestern in 1989.

 

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.