Michigan State tops Purdue 24-17, one win away from being bowl eligible
Aidan Chiles threw for two scores in the first half to build a three-touchdown lead and Michigan State held on to beat Purdue 24-17 on Friday night.
The Spartans (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) are a win away from being eligible for a bowl with first-year coach Jonathan Smith and they play Rutgers at home in the final regular-season game.
"It means a lot," Chiles said. "We should've been in this place a long time ago."
The Boilermakers (1-10, 0-8) have dropped 10 straight games and will have to pull off a stunning upset against rival and fifth-ranked Indiana on the road to avoid matching a school record with an 11th loss under second-year coach Ryan Walters.
Pressure to perform is expected, Walter acknowledged.
"It comes with the territory and sitting in the chair I'm sitting in," he said.
Michigan State scored three touchdowns and a field goal on its four drives in the first half to take a 24-3 lead, then struggled to move the ball in the second half and Purdue almost took advantage.
"It's kind of disappointing to come out hot and the next half look like we never played football before," Chiles said.
With a chance to drive for a game-tying touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Hudson Card threw a pass toward Max Klare that caromed around and was picked off by linebacker Jordan Turner at the Michigan State 31.
Card gave the Boilermakers a chance to tie the game on their next drive, but Jahmal Edrine dropped a long pass while running all alone behind the secondary and they ended up turning it over on downs at midfield with 3:05 left.
Chiles missed his first chance to seal the victory on a third-down run when he went out of bounds instead of cutting back to likely get a first down and keep the clock running.
"I was supposed to get a first down and I thought I did," he said.
On fourth-and-1, Chiles' sneak was spotted just past the stick and he was able to kneel to run off the remaining time.
Chiles finished 15 of 31 for 159 yards yards and threw multiple touchdown passes for the third time this season.
He threw a go-ahead, 7-yard touchdown pass to Montorie Foster midway through the first quarter and a 20-yard touchdown pass to Nate Carter with 41 seconds left in the first half. Carter also had a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Card was 26 of 47 for a career-high 342 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Klare had seven receptions for 83 yards and a 7-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter to bring the Boilermakers within a touchdown.
Walters was expected to struggle, coming off a four-win debut season that included a victory over the Hoosiers, but the Boilermakers were competitive in just two of the 10 games they lost.
"My focus right now is on Indiana and that is what I can control," Walters said. "I don't feel any pressure other than trying to win a ballgame."
Smith's team has slightly surpassed low expectations and the program would get a much-needed boost by earning a spot in the postseason with another win.
Michigan State hosts the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, needing a win to end Smith's first season at a bowl game.
