EAST LANSING, Mich. –Michigan State topped Purdue 13-6 at halftime of their battle of 4-3 Big Ten Conference college football rivals at Spartan Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Michigan State entered the game as a 1 1/2-point favorite, even though Purdue was coming off a 49-20 thrashing of No. 2-ranked Ohio State last weekend.
Purdue received the opening kickoff but after an interception it was MSU that quickly got on the scoreboard on a 43-yard field goal by Matt Coghlin for a 3-0 lead with 11:07 to go in the opener.
Following a muffed punt by the Spartans, the Boilermakers knotted the score at 3-all on Spencer Evans’ 28-yard field at the 8:11 juncture.
Michigan State retaliated by going ahead 6-3 on a 48-yard field goal by Coghlin with 3:23 left in the first frame — a count that stood until the initial break.
Purdue once again fought to a deadlock on a 36-yard field goal by Evans with 6:33 remaining in the half.
Michigan State captured a 13-6 advantage at intermission on quarterback Rocky Lombardi’s first career scoring pass in his first start ever, an 11-yarder to Darrell Stewart with 56 seconds to go.
Next up for Michigan State will be a visit to College Park, Md., for a road date against Big Ten rival Maryland with kickoff scheduled for noon next Saturday.
Purdue’s next outing will be a homefield encounter at Ross-Ade Stadium against 18th-rated Iowa next Saturday afternoon.