EAST LANSING ~ The Spartans led for almost half the game against Northwestern Saturday, including an eight point advantage early in the fourth quarter, but their last offensive play was a blocked field goal that gave the Wildcats a game-winning opportunity with two seconds left.
MSU opened with the first touchdown of the afternoon. When Northwestern answered, the Spartans reclaimed the lead with a second touchdown and later added a third before senior Chrishon McCray hauled in a 53‑yard pass in the fourth quarter to give MSU its fourth touchdown.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
(CONTINUED) Former MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles’ performance for Northwestern was inconsistent with his highlight-heavy season. He has been sacked fourteen times this year, five of which were Spartan stops–an unexpected showing from a defense featuring several rotational players.
The lead unraveled when MSU chose a field‑goal attempt on its final drive instead of pressing for the end zone. The kick was blocked by a Northwestern defender, and with possession flipped, the Wildcats closed the game with a field goal for the win.
Saturday was MSU’s first game without any new injuries since the season began, giving the Spartans a more predictable lineup. But the result still echoed last week’s overtime loss to Illinois, marking another late‑game slip as they head into next week’s trip to California. MSU faces UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 24.
