No. 11 Michigan State came shockingly close to losing to Utah State in Week 1 on Friday. The Spartans didn’t, winning 38-31. The play that sealed their non-disaster was this brilliant tipping of a pass and subsequent pick by junior linebacker Joe Bachie:
Michigan State almost got shocked by Utah State. This tip-and-pick made sure it didn’t happen.
The Spartans couldn’t have looked less impressive in winning, but they’ll take it (and this cool highlight).
Bachie was part of a heavy blitz package. Aggies quarterback Jordan Love got the ball out quickly, trying to march USU in for a tying score. They’d just crossed midfield.
Michigan State was a 23-point favorite, playing against a middling Mountain West opponent that went 6-7 last year and lost 59-10 to the only Power 5 team it played (Wisconsin).
At various points, it looked like MSU would have no trouble. The Spartans trailed 7-0 and 14-3 during the first half, but they were up 27-14 by six minutes into the third quarter.
Things started to turn bad in a serious way in the last two minutes of that third frame, when USU’s Gaje Ferguson intercepted Brian Lewerke and ran 40 yards for a touchdown.
After allowing a field-goal drive to fall behind by six, USU mounted a 15-play, 75-yard drive to go up by a point with five minutes left. MSU answered quickly, though, going 75 yards of its own in nine plays (and overcoming a nullified L.J. Scott scoring run).
Utah State looked like it would threaten to tie the game in the last minute, before Bachie became a one-man destroyer and ended those plans.
See More:
