1 week Ago By ETHAN PETRIK Iowa Hawkeyes Beat Reporter
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State beat Iowa at its own game, going 6-of-7 on field goals to earn a 32-20 win in Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan, on Saturday night. The Spartans (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) outgained the Hawkeyes 468-283, won the time of possession battle 39:12-20:16 and got a record-breaking performance from kicker Jonathan Kim in the win.
Michigan State turned to Kim twice in the opening quarter, marching into the red zone on both of its first two drives before settling for 42- and 43-yard field goals to take a 6-0 lead into the second quarter. The Spartans added another field goal, from 36 yards, on their first drive of the second quarter to take a 9-0 lead with 11:48 remaining in the half. After opening the game with three consecutive three-and-outs, Iowa (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) picked up its first first down of the game with 10:50 remaining in the second half as McNamara connected with Johnson on a dump-off to the flat for a gain of 19.
The Hawkeyes picked up one more first down on the drive before stalling just beyond midfield and punting the ball back to Michigan State. The Spartans turned the Iowa punt into another Kim field goal as they marched deep into Iowa territory on a 10-play, 69-yard drive. A false start on fourth-and-two from the Iowa 6-yard line forced Michigan State to settle for its fourth field goal of the game as Kim hit from 29 yards out to make it 12-0 with 2:28 remaining in the half.
Michigan State attempted a 55-yard field goal at the end of the first half, but Kim’s kick sailed to the left. Kaden Wetjen sparked Iowa’s offense out of the half with a 39-yard return on the opening kickoff of the second half to start the Hawkeyes’ offense off with possession near midfield at the Iowa 42-yard line. The Hawkeyes mounted an eight-play, 58-yard drive, resulting in the game’s first touchdown.
Wetjen opened the drive with a nine-yard rush on a sweep around the right end. McNamara added completions of 10 yards, to tight end Zack Ortwerth, and 17 yards, to freshman wide receiver Reece Vander Zee, to convert a second and 14 from the Michigan State 47. McNamara went back to Vander Zee on an 18-yard touchdown connection down the left sideline to cut the Spartans’ lead to 12-7 with 9:52 remaining in the third.
Michigan State answered Iowa’s touchdown five minutes later as Aidan Chiles led a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass to Montorie Foster. The Hawkeyes once again narrowed the gap to a 5-point lead, trimming the Michigan State advantage to 19-14. Second-string quarterback Brendan Sullivan scored on a keeper to the right following a bad snap to cap off the eight-play, 69-yard drive.
The Spartans put the game out of reach with a pair of Kim field goals in the fourth quarter. The Fredericksburg, Virginia, product connected from 55 yards and 46 yards to push the lead to 25-14 midway through the final quarter of regulation and set a new program record for single-game field goals with six. Iowa flittered with a comeback as Johnson ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run on a one-play drive with 7:22 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Hawkeyes attempted a two-point conversion, but came up empty, cutting the Spartans’ lead to 25-20. Despite the brief glimmer of hope, the Spartans mounted a nine-play, 76-yard drive, which burned 5:21 off the clock, to grow their lead to 32-20 on a 1-yard run from Nate Carter. Iowa returns to action next week with a home matchup against Northwestern (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten) at 3:30 p.
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