EAST LANSING, Mich. — Isaih Pacheco ran for 2 first-half touchdowns and Rutgers snapped a 21-game Large Ten shedding streak Saturday, beating Michigan State 38-27 in coach Greg Schiano’s first sport again with the Scarlet Knights.
Michigan State has a brand new coach too, and Mel Tucker’s debut was forgettable from the beginning. The Spartans (0-1) turned the ball over seven instances — 4 within the first half — and by no means led towards a Rutgers crew that hadn’t received a convention sport since Nov. 4, 2017, towards Maryland.
The Scarlet Knights scored 14 factors whole via their first 5 Large Ten video games final yr. It took them 8:03 to achieve that mark Saturday. Pacheco strolled in from 12 yards out to cap the sport’s opening drive, after which Michigan State receiver Jayden Reed fumbled the ball away on his crew’s first offensive play.
Rutgers (1-0) did not capitalize on that turnover, however the Scarlet Knights shortly compelled one other. Rocky Lombardi was sacked and fumbled, giving Rutgers the ball on the Michigan State 1. A landing run by Johnny Langan made it 14-0.
Reed scored on a 50-yard catch-and-run on fourth all the way down to make it 14-7, however the Spartans weren’t carried out turning the ball over. An interception in Michigan State territory led to a 24-yard landing run by Rutgers quarterback Noah Vedral.
Reed’s second fumble of the half gave the Scarlet Knights the ball once more, however Vedral threw an interception. Michigan State’s Shakur Brown ran it again for a landing, however that was referred to as again for a penalty, and the Spartans settled for a subject aim.
Pacheco scored on a 3-yard run within the remaining minute of the half, and Rutgers led 28-13 after two quarters. Michigan State misplaced one other fumble close to midfield on its first possession of the third.
Rutgers misplaced two fumbles in its personal territory within the third quarter. Lombardi threw a 30-yard landing move to Jalen Nailor to make it 28-20, however the Spartans did not capitalize on the second of these takeaways, getting stopped on fourth down from the Rutgers 21.
The Scarlet Knights drove the opposite manner for a subject aim that gave them an 11-point lead. One other Michigan State fumble — a muffed punt with 6:57 left — primarily sealed the sport, though the groups traded late touchdowns after that, and Lombardi threw an interception within the remaining minute.
Schiano is again for a second stint because the Rutgers coach after spending 11 seasons there from 2001 to 2011. Tucker took over Michigan State after Mark Dantonio, the winningest coach at school historical past, retired this offseason.
Dantonio was readily available for Saturday’s sport, nevertheless it’s clear his former crew has a variety of work to do. Michigan State’s streak of 21 straight wins in residence openers got here to an finish, and that is perhaps the least of the Spartans’ considerations in the intervening time.
