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No. 3 Michigan State Heads to Purdue for a Big Ten Showdown with the Boilermakers

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Football

No. 3 Michigan State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) heads back on the road to face Purdue (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 3:30 p.m. in Ross-Ade Stadium. Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill will have the call on ABC.

The Spartans improved to 8-0 for the first time since 2015 with a 37-33 victory over then-No. 6/6 Michigan at Spartan Stadium last Saturday. MSU erased a 16-point third-quarter deficit and outscored Michigan 23-3 down the stretch in the comeback victory to earn National Team of the Week honors from the Football Writers Association of America.

The College Football Playoff committee ranked Michigan State third in the first CFP rankings that were released on Tuesday night. The No. 3 ranking matches the highest MSU has ever been ranked by the College Football Playoff committee, equaling the No. 3 ranking at the end of the 2015 season when the Spartans reached the playoff. It also marks the first time MSU has been ranked in the CFP rankings since Nov. 4, 2018 (No. 18).

Saturday's game is the 68th meeting between Michigan State and Purdue. The Spartans lead the all-time series 36-28-3, including a school-record eight-game winning streak that dates back to 2007. Although the Spartans have won three straight at Ross-Ade Stadium, Purdue leads the series in West Lafayette, 16-14-3. The Spartans won the last meeting, 23-13, on Oct. 27, 2018 in East Lansing. MSU hasn't played at Purdue since a 45-31 victory on Oct. 11, 2014.

Junior running back Kenneth Walker III continues to lead the FBS in rushing, averaging 149.2 yards per game. He also ranks among the FBS leaders in total rushing yards (second with 1,194), rushing touchdowns (third with 14), scoring (third with 11.2 ppg), total touchdowns (third with 15), total points (fourth with 90), all-purpose yards (fifth with 153.8 ypg) and yards per carry (ninth with 6.8 avg.). According to Pro Football Focus, Walker leads the FBS in rushing yards after contact (896) and is fourth with 31 carries of 10-plus yards.

Following a record-breaking performance in the 37-33 win over No. 6 Michigan, Walker collected several honors, including National Offensive Player of the Week (Walter Camp Football Foundation, Maxwell Award, The Athletic) and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. He is listed as the No. 1 Heisman Trophy contender by The Athletic, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, and Robert Griffin III of ESPN. Walker was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award by the Maxwell Football Club on Nov. 1. Walker rushed for five touchdowns, the most by any player ever against the Wolverines, and finished with a total of 197 yards on just 23 carries (8.6 avg.). His scores came on runs of 27 and 8 yards in the second quarter, 1 yard in the third quarter, and 58 and 23 yards in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans are 8-0 for the first time since winning the Big Ten title and advancing to the College Football Playoff in 2015; it marks the seventh time overall MSU has started 8-0 (1951, 1952, 1965, 1966, 2010, 2015, 2021). MSU is also 5-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2013 and for just the fourth time in school history (1965, 1966, 2013, 2021).

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker was named the national coach of the week by the Dodd Trophy and The Athletic following MSU's 37-33 win over Michigan. The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award's three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity. Tucker was named to the Dodd Trophy Watch List last month.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Payton Thorne, a midseason addition to the Manning Award Watch List, has completed 62 percent of his passes (131-of-213) for 1,897 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He ranks among the Big Ten and FBS leaders in passing efficiency (third and 32nd with 153.9 rating), passing TDs (third and 28th with 15), passing (fifth and 41st with 237.1 ypg) and total offense (fifth and 52nd with 249.1 ypg). Thorne also ranks third on the team in rushing with a net of 96 yards on 45 carries with two TDs, although he has gained a total of 209 yards on the ground. Thorne ranks tied for third in the FBS with five passes of 60-plus yards, all touchdowns (85 yards to Jayden Reed vs. Youngstown State; 75 yards to Reed vs. Youngstown State; 65 yards to Jalen Nailor vs. Rutgers; two 63-yarders to Nailor vs. Rutgers). Thorne also ranks 11th in the FBS with 762 yards of his passing coming on completions of 20-plus yards and tied for 11th with eight TDs of 20-plus yards.

Michigan State continued to climb in the national rankings this week, moving up to No. 5 in The Associated Press Poll and No. 6 in the USA TODAY/AFCA Coaches Poll. This marks the seventh consecutive week the Spartans have improved their ranking in the AP Poll. It's also the highest Michigan State has been ranked in the AP Poll since Dec. 6, 2015 (No. 3). The No. 6 position is the highest for MSU in the Coaches Poll since the final poll in 2015 (No. 6).

Michigan State ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 26th in the nation in turnover margin (+0.62). MSU has forced 14 turnovers, tied for 22nd in the FBS, and has lost nine (36th). The Spartans have forced five turnovers in their last two games (three at Indiana; two vs. Michigan).

STAT LEADERS –
Michigan State:
Rushing – Jr. Kenneth Walker III (175 carries for 1,194 yards, 6.8 avg., 14 TDs)
Passing – R-So. Payton Thorne (131-of-213, .615, 1,897 yards, 15 TDs, 6 INTs)
Receiving – R-Jr. Jayden Reed (33 catches for 642 yards, 19.5 avg., 5 TDs)
Tackles – Sr. S Xavier Henderson (67 tackles, 41 solo, 26 assists, 8 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 2 PBUs, 1 FF)

Purdue:
Rushing – Jr. King Doerue (92 carries for 363 yards, 3.9 avg., 1 TD)
Passing – Sr.-5 Aidan O'Connell (154-of-217, .710, 1,551 yards, 9 TDs, 8 INTs)
Receiving – Jr. David Bell (53 receptions for 786 yards, 14.8 avg., 4 TDs)
Tackles – Sr. Jaylan Alexander (59 tackles, 33 solo, 26 assists, 3.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 4 PBUs)

A QUICK GLANCE AT PURDUE (5-3, 3-2 BIG TEN) –
• The Boilermakers are 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play. After opening the season 2-0, Purdue has an alternating loss-win pattern. The Boilermakers' wins include opening with a 30-21 triumph over Oregon State (Sept. 4) and a 49-0 rout at UConn (Sept. 11), before a hard-fought 27-13 loss at in-state rival Notre Dame (Sept. 18). Purdue opened Big Ten action with a 13-9 win over Illinois (Sept. 25), before a 20-13 loss at Minnesota (Oct. 2), but bouncing back in a big way to upset No. 2 Iowa, 24-7 (Oct. 16), that vaulted the Boilermakers into the Top 25 at No. 25. Purdue's nationally ranked tenure was short-lived as the Boilermakers lost at home to Wisconsin 30-13 (Oct. 23), preceding a big bounce-back win, 28-23, at Nebraska (Oct. 30).
• Last time out, Purdue knocked off Nebraska, 28-23, in Lincoln, coming back from an early 7-0 deficit and trailing 17-14 at halftime, before the Boilermakers outscored the Huskers, 14-6, in the second half for the 28-23 final score. Purdue's defense limited Nebraska to just 130 rushing yards, including just 54 in the second half, while Nebraska gained 269 passing yards, but the Boilermaker defense picked off Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez four times and sacked him once. Meanwhile, the Purdue offense collected 349 yards of total offense with 233 through the air and 116 on the ground, and the Boilermakers didn't have any turnovers.
• Fifth-year senior quarterback Aidan O'Connell was 34-of-45 passing for 233 yards with two TDs, ending with -9 yards rushing after getting sacked twice. Dynamic junior wide receiver David Bell had nine receptions for 74 yards, adding one rush for 6 yards to finish with a game-high 80 all-purpose yards. Fellow junior wideout Milton Wright added seven catches for 40 yards and a TD, while fifth-year senior wide receiver Jackson Anthrop added six receptions for 43 yards and a TD.
• Junior linebacker Jalen Graham highlighted half of the Boilermaker defense's four interceptions with a 45-yard oskie return for a TD in the second quarter to open Purdue's scoring, adding another pickoff in the third quarter. Graham added a pass break-up, along with six tackles. Junior safety Cam Allen snared an interception for a 22-yard return, while senior safety Chris Jefferson had the fourth interception, with both coming on back-to-back Nebraska possessions in the fourth quarter. Fifth-year senior linebacker Kieren Douglas led the defense with seven stops, while redshirt freshman defensive end Kydran Jenkins added 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack, finishing with six total tackles.
• For the season, the Boilermakers are 10th in the B1G in scoring offense (22.9 ppg), while ranking tied for fourth in scoring defense (17.1 ppg).
• Purdue's defense is fifth in the conference in total defense (313.6 ypg), ranking second in passing defense (174.0 ypg) and ninth in rushing defense (139.6 ypg). The Boilermakers are tied for second in the Big Ten in interceptions (10).
• Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm is 24-28 in his fifth season as conductor of the Boilermakers, posting a 54-38 overall record in his eighth season as head coach.

MSU/PURDUE SERIES NOTES –
• Saturday's game marks the 68th meeting between Michigan State and Purdue. The Spartans lead the all-time series 36-28-3, including a school-record eight-game winning streak that dates back to 2007.
• Although the Spartans have won three straight at Ross-Ade Stadium, Purdue leads the series in West Lafayette, 16-14-3. MSU hasn't played at Purdue since a 45-31 victory on Oct. 11, 2014.
• The Spartans won the last meeting, 23-13, on Oct. 27, 2018 in East Lansing.