SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 26, 2013
Michigan State 42, Illinois 3: Connor Cook set the single-game school record for completion percentage as the visiting Spartans blew out the Fighting Illini in Big Ten play.
Cook completed 15-of-16 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns before giving way to backup Andrew Maxwell early in the fourth quarter. Jeremy Langford added 22 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown for Michigan State (7-1, 4-0) which is now 12-1 in its last 13 matchups with Illinois (3-4, 0-3).
Nathan Scheelhaase threw for only 103 yards and an interception for Illinois. Josh Ferguson's 10 carries for 26 yards epitomized what an abysmal afternoon for the Fighting Illini, who entered the matchup averaging 35.3 points per game this season.
After Taylor Zalewskiกฏs 31-yard field goal gave Illinois a 3-0 lead with 9:41 left in the first quarter, Langford scored on a 1-yard rush early in the second quarter and Cook connected with Bennie Fowler on a 29-yard score with nine seconds left in the first half. Michigan State built on its 14-3 halftime lead when Cook hit Josiah Price for a 13-yard touchdown toss 4:53 into the third quarter.
Langford's 7-yard run 7:30 later and Cook's 47-yard TD hookup with Keith Mumphrey eight seconds into the fourth quarter pushed the Spartans' cushion to 35-3. Delton Williams finished the scoring on a 42-yard scamper with 8:05 to play.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Mumphrey finished with three catches for a game-high 77 yards. ... Michigan State RB Nick Hill added 13 carries for 70 yards. ... Illinois, which managed a season-low 128 total yards, also committed seven penalties for 66 yards.