Michigan State: Notebook

Painful end to Big Ten race for Spartans

Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

East Lansing — After an eerie final two seconds, a 15-13 loss to Big Ten-leading Iowa served as a painful reminder of Michigan State’s narrow margin of error.

Ricky Stanzi’s 7-yard toss to Marvin McNutt silenced Spartan Stadium as time expired and most likely killed the Spartans’ chances for their first Big Ten title in 19 years.

“I’ve been more fatigued (in a game),” said linebacker Eric Gordon, when asked if a lack of stamina was a factor. “It just comes down to execution.”

Since the school began Big Ten play in 1953, only MSU’s 1990 Big Ten co-championship team has won at least a share of a title with two conference losses.

At 4-4 and 3-2 in the conference, Dantonio will try this week to keep a program focused that’s experienced 11 losses by eight points or fewer since 2007.

Dantonio has 14 total setbacks during his tenure and admitted he was stunned to see the Hawkeyes (8-0, 4-0) tear through his defense for 70 yards in a 92-second span.

“You better be strong no matter what your position on this football team is,” Dantonio said. “Nobody said this was going to be easy.”

Of Dantonio’s losses, 10 are by a touchdown or less and five are by a field goal or less. MSU’s four losses this season are by a combined 15 points.

The win was Iowa’s first in East Lansing since 1995, ending a four-game mark of futility.

Iowa is now the first Big Ten team since Michigan in 1977 to win in East Lansing, at Penn State and at Wisconsin in the same season.

Near heroics — again

Saturday marked the second game this season quarterback Kirk Cousins was forced to watch one of his late go-ahead scoring drives lead to a loss. But he didn’t sound like a shook-up underclassman after the stunning defeat.

“It hurts right now,” he said. “But we showed heart.”

Similar to the Sept. 12 Central Michigan upset, Cousins drove his team down the field for a late score and was at his defense’s mercy in the final minutes.

This time, Cousins threw a go-ahead 30-yard touchdown pass to Blair White with 1:37 left.

Cousins, White and tight end Brian Linthicum executed a hook-and-lateral player earlier in the series following two straight sacks.

Linthicum caught an 11-yard Cousins’ pass and then gave the ball to White, who streaked down the sideline for a 25-yard gain.

Fight for eligibility

The Spartans need at least six wins to be bowl eligible and have four games left (at Minnesota next Saturday, Western Michigan (Nov. 7), at Purdue (Nov. 14) and Penn State (Nov. 21).

Those opponents have a combined record of 18-10, led by the Nittany Lions’ 7-1 mark.

MSU has now lost four games before the start of November for the fourth time in the last six years. Only one of those seasons (2007) led to a bowl appearance.

Is there any doubt about earning a postseason bowl bid?

“We’re going to be bowl eligible,” defensive end Trevor Anderson said. “That’s not even an issue in our minds.”