Michigan State football's slide extends to six games with 27-12 loss at Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Another inept offensive performance. Another fade on defense.

Another quarterback controversy. Another costly special teams moment.

Another loss. Six and counting.

Michigan State football failed to take advantage two early Minnesota turnovers that gave its offense short field in the game’s first 10 minutes, and the Gophers began to methodically wear down the Spartans over the next 50 minutes.

The end result was much like it has been for more than a month, a 27-12 defeat Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium.

True freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt entered and sparked the offense to a fourth-quarter touchdown, MSU’s first in eight quarters, but the Spartans (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) failed to recover a surprise onside kick that followed it with 8:37 left.

The Gophers put the game away on the ground, running 46 yards on seven carries, capped by a 2-yard Jordan Nubin score with 4:11 remaining. Minnesota (5-3, 3-2) converted twice on third down with long runs on the drive.

Minnesota dominated MSU in total yards (400-299) and on the ground (200-109) while also having a 36:08-23:52 edge in possession time.

The Spartans close out their Spartan Stadium season next Saturday when they host Nebraska. Their final home game will be at Ford Field against Penn State on Nov. 24, with road games at Ohio State on Nov. 11 and Indiana on Nov. 18 in between.

READ MORE: Is Sam Leavitt MSU's QB of the future? Or its QB of the now?

Sam’s time

With MSU’s offense nonexistent, interim coach Harlon Barnett – still looking for his first win since replacing Mel Tucker on Sept. 10 – turned to Leavitt and pulled Katin Houser from his third start. Noah Kim, the Spartans’ starting quarterback the first five games, did not make the trip.

Leavitt immediately jumpstarted the offense when he entered the game with 12:08 to play after Nubin’s 18-yard touchdown run.

Leavitt flashed his legs, running for 34 yards on his first drive, and showed off his arm with a 29-yard deep strike to Montorie Foster to get into Minnesota territory. The rookie capped it with his first career touchdown pass, a 9-yard laser to Tyrell Henry with 8:42 left. The two-point play failed, with Foster stopped short and a penalty declined that would’ve negated it.

That’s when special teams coordinator Ross Els called for an onside kick. Jonathan Kim’s dribbler took a big hop, but the Gophers’ Rhyland Kelly recovered through a big hit from MSU’s Alante Brown.

Seven plays later, Nubin put the game away. Leavitt got sacked and fumbled on the ensuing drive, with right tackle Spencer Brown beaten badly on both snaps of the two-play possession. Minnesota tacked on a field goal with 3:25 left.

Leavitt, who was intercepted with 1:25 to play after moving MSU deep into Minnesota territory again, finished 8 of 12 passing for 73 yards and added 52 rushing yards on six attempts.

Continued struggles

After failing to move the ball in the fourth quarter of a 27-24 loss at Rutgers and all game in last week’s 49-0 thrashing by No. 2 Michigan, the Spartans’ offense sputtered again.

Their defense came out strong, though. Derrick Harmon forced a fumble on Minnesota’s second play of the game, stripping running back Sean Tyler with safety Jaden Mangham pouncing on it at the Gophers’ 26. But Houser threw an incompletion then lost a yard on a swing pass to Nate Carter on third-and-4. Jonathan Kim booted a 38-yard field goal to get MSU on the board just 1:41 into the game.

Again, the defense delivered a turnover and short field, with linebacker Jordan Hall strip-sacking Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. Avery Dunn recovered at the Gophers’ 33.

But again, Houser and the offense failed to move the ball, with two more incomplete passes, the last of which was a third-down drop by receiver Tre Mosley on a ball slightly behind him. Kim’s second field goal from 42 yards out split the uprights, giving the Spartans a 6-0 lead with 9:49 left in the opening period.

MSU went three-and-out on four of its first five drives, then again to start the third quarter. Houser was 7-for-15 for just 53 yards passing in the opening half, and he finished his day 12 of 22 for 117 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and 6 yards rushing on two carries.

Worn down

The Spartans’ Simeon Barrow – who entered and then withdrew from the transfer portal earlier in the week – blocked a 35-yard field-goal attempt early in the second quarter, but Dragan Keisch connected from 25 yards out on the next drive.

MSU’s defense began to wear down from being on the field for 20 minutes, 10 seconds in the first half. The got pounded in the run game, and Kaliakmanis began to exploit them over the middle with receiver Daniel Jackson and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford. Jackson had six catches for 111 yards by halftime, and Spann-Ford caught a pair of passes for 43 yards.

Kaliakmanis, who finished 14 for 22 for 200 yards, threw a 22-yard touchdown to Jackson late in the first half. Jackson finished with 120 receiving yards, and

Nubin ran for 204 yards and two scores.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football's slide extends to six, 27-12 at Minnesota