SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 20, 2014
No. 11 Michigan State 73, Eastern Michigan 14: Connor Cook threw two touchdowns passes to Tony Lippett and rushed for another in the first quarter as the 11th-ranked Spartans battered their visiting intra-state rival.
Delton Williams rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns as Michigan State (2-1) amassed a school-record 49 points in the first half and recorded the third-most points in its history. Cook completed 5-of-6 for 83 yards and found Lippett on scoring strikes of 23 and 8 yards to stake the Spartans to a 28-0 lead with 2:18 remaining in the first quarter.
Eastern Michigan (1-3) failed to slow the onslaught, rushing nine times for minus-14 yards in the first half and were outgained 320-1 in total yards after 30 minutes. Rob Bolden completed 10-of-29 passes for 115 yards while tossing a pair of touchdown passes - including a 43-yard scoring strike to Tyler Allen.
After having two weeks to stew over letting a nine-point lead slip away in a 46-27 loss to third-ranked Oregon, the Spartans wasted little time sending the Eagles to their 38th straight loss against current members of the Big Ten. Cook's 4-yard run opened the scoring 3:19 into the contest before Jeremy Langford coasted into the end zone from 21 yards out on the next drive.
Cook and Lippett pushed the advantage to 28-0 before Tyler O'Connor made an appearance under center and found A.J. Troup on a 33-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. Williams rushed for a pair of short-yardage scores before his 80-yard scamper capped the scoring with 6:05 to play in the fourth quarter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Michigan State eclipsed the 40-point plateau in the first half for the first time since rolling up 45 points against Alabama-Birmingham in coach Mark Dantonio's first game on Sept. 1, 2007. ... Eastern Michigan's Tyreese Russell reeled in a 9-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Russell was named to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, which is presented to the nation's top tight end. ... The Spartans scored 76 points against Northwestern in 1989 and 75 versus Arizona in 1949.