PASADENA – Pound, Green, Pound!
The simple yet symbolic motto of the fourth-ranked Michigan State Spartans proved prophetic in a gritty 24-20 win over the fifth-ranked—and favored—Stanford Cardinal.
Thanks to a dramatic fourth-down stop by linebacker Kyler Elsworth, the Michigan State Spartans completed one of the best seasons in school history, and their first win in Pasadena since 1988. With 1:46 remaining in the game on a fourth and one on the Cardinal 34-yard-line, Stanford handed the ball of to Ryan Hewitt, Elsworth would go over the top to meet the 6-4, 245-pound fullback and stop him for no gain.
For the game, Elsworth had four tackles, including 1.5 for a loss in his first career start en route to being named the Rose Bowl’s Defensive Most Valuable Player. A seven-point underdog, the smash-mouth Spartans from the much-maligned B1G 10 gave the perennially criticized conference a big win on New Year’s Day.
#Sparty #PoundGreenPound #B1G10