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No. 20 Michigan State Still Struggling To Finish Strong

For a third straight game, Michigan State was outscored in the fourth quarter.

Central Michigan v Michigan State
EAST LANSING, MI - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans looks on while playing the Central Michigan Chippewas at Spartan Stadium on September 29, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

If that worries coach Mark Dantonio, he did a pretty good job hiding it.

Dantonio was generally unruffled after the Spartans beat Central Michigan 31-20 on Saturday. It was a reasonably routine win for Michigan State, but the ending left a lot to be desired. The Spartans were outscored 17-0 in the final period.

Michigan State faltered at the end in a loss at Arizona State and nearly did so again when it played at Indiana, but after beating CMU, Dantonio wasn't going to panic over his team's late-game issues.

"I wasn't concerned about focus, I was concerned about Central, personally," Dantonio said.

Central Michigan v Michigan State
EAST LANSING, MI - SEPTEMBER 29: Julian Hicks #85 of the Central Michigan Chippewas catches a second half touchdown next to Justin Layne #2 of the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on September 29, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 31-20. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Still, his team appeared to be dozing when CMU recovered an onside kick with the score 31-10 in the fourth. The Chippewas added 10 more points and started putting some pressure on the Spartans. To its credit, Michigan State moved the ball well enough to use up the final 6:44 after CMU pulled within 11.

GettyImages-1033377758
during the second half of the college football game at Sun Devil Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona.

Against Arizona State, however, the Spartans were up 13-3 going into the fourth and lost 16-13 . They gave up the first 14 points of the fourth against Indiana before holding on for a 35-21 victory .

"I like to say we play with grit, that we somehow find a way," Dantonio said. "We've won a lot of close games here, and we'll come and we'll play. But, we have to play better in certain areas, there's no question about that. We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work."

Michigan State moved up a spot to No. 20 in Sunday's Top 25. The Spartans host Northwestern next weekend. With a 31-3 lead over CMU after three quarters, Michigan State could afford to take its foot of the gas, but the Spartans might not be so fortunate if that happens against a Big Ten opponent.

Michigan State v Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 14: David Dowell #6 of the Michigan State Spartans looks on before the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on October 14, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

"I think we just have to finish," safety David Dowell said. "That's a mentality."

Up 31-13 with 12:08 to play, the Spartans put backup quarterback Rocky Lombardi in, a move that symbolized the nonchalance with which Michigan State handled the final quarter. After going three-and-out and allowing a touchdown, the Spartans put starter Brian Lewerke back in, and they didn't give the ball up again.

The 100th Rose Bowl Game - Stanford v Michigan State
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio and quarterback Connor Cook #18 celebrate with the Rose Bowl Game trophy after defeating the Stanford Cardinal 24-20 in the 100th Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2014 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Style points (or lack thereof) in September will probably be forgotten in the weeks to come, and Michigan State does have a habit of struggling with lesser opponents early, even in seasons in which the Spartans have contended for the conference title. In 2013, when Michigan State went to the Rose Bowl, the Spartans let the likes of Western Michigan and South Florida hang around during nonconference matchups.

But Michigan State's failure to finish strong already cost the Spartans one game, and the toughest matchups of the season aren't far off. After the Northwestern game, Michigan State plays Penn State and Michigan in consecutive weeks, and it will probably take a more complete performance to beat either of those rivals.

Michigan State v Arizona State
TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 08: A Michigan State Spartans cheerleader performs during the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Spartans 16-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

"Every football team is always a work in progress," Dantonio said. "We'll come and we'll compete, and that's all I can ever ask our guys. We need to eliminate the mistakes and when we have opportunities we need to take advantage of them."

© 2018 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. TMS

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