← Back to Game Stats Explorer

Game Center

Michigan State at Penn State

Dec 12, 2020 • Completed

Season 2020RegularWeek 15

Away

Michigan State

Big Ten

Final Score

24 - 39

MSPS

Home

Penn State

Big Ten

Game Pulse

Immediate edge indicators from the box score.

Total Yards

Penn State405
Michigan State389

Passing Yards

Penn State286
Michigan State325

Rushing Yards

Penn State119
Michigan State64

Turnovers

Penn State1
Michigan State1

Game Conditions

ConditionLight Rain
Temperature45°F
Wind3 mph

Humidity

82%

Precipitation

0.00 in

Player Game Leaders

Top individual performers and full player box data.

Passing

Payton Thorne

Michigan State

YDS: 325

Rushing

Jordan Simmons

Michigan State

YDS: 72

Receiving

Jahan Dotson

Penn State

YDS: 108

Tackles

Antjuan Simmons

Michigan State

TOT: 10

Full Player Box

Box Score Comparison

Possession Split

Penn State33:24
Michigan State26:36

Stat Dominance

Team comparison across key performance areas

Game Story

Penn State beats Michigan State 39-24

Standard

Penn State defeated Michigan State 39-24 in Week 15 of the 2020 regular slate, finishing with a 405-389 edge in total yards, and scoring 2 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns.

Penn State set the terms early in a game that finished 39-24. Jake Pinegar 24 yd FG GOOD came with {'seconds': 6, 'minutes': 6} left in the first quarter, giving Penn State the first major swing.

Penn State's box score carried the story: 405 total yards, 119 rushing yards, and 286 passing yards. Michigan State finished with 389 total yards, including 64 on the ground and 325 through the air.

Penn State converted 4-12 on third down, went 0-1 on fourth down, the turnover count was 1-1, Penn State led 10-21 at halftime. The explosive highlight was Sean Clifford pass complete to Parker Washington for 49 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK).

Key Moments

  • Field Goal Good

    Jake Pinegar 24 yd FG GOOD (Penn State led 3-0 over Michigan State).

  • Passing Touchdown

    Payton Thorne pass complete to Jalen Nailor for 45 yds for a TD (Matt Coghlin KICK) (Michigan State led 7-3 over Penn State).

  • Passing Touchdown

    Payton Thorne pass complete to Jalen Nailor for 7 yds for a TD (Matt Coghlin KICK) (Michigan State led 21-10 over Penn State).

  • Passing Touchdown

    Payton Thorne pass complete to Tre'Von Morgan for 26 yds for a TD (Matt Coghlin KICK) (Michigan State led 14-10 over Penn State).

  • Rushing Touchdown

    Sean Clifford run for 31 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK) (Penn State led 10-7 over Michigan State).

  • Passing Touchdown

    Sean Clifford pass complete to Parker Washington for 8 yds for a TD (Sean Clifford pass to Jahan Dotson for Two-Point Conversion) (Penn State led 18-21 over Michigan State).

Stat Callouts

  • Final score

    39-24

    Penn State defeated Michigan State.

  • Total yards

    405-389

    Penn State held the yardage advantage.

  • Rushing yards

    119

    Penn State averaged 3 yards per rush attempt.

  • Passing yards

    286

    Penn State averaged 9.5 yards per pass attempt.

  • Third downs

    4-12

    Penn State's conversion rate helped sustain possessions.

  • Opponent third downs

    2-12

    Michigan State's offense worked through that conversion rate.

  • Turnovers

    1-1

    Turnover totals are listed winner first.

Analysis

Game Breakdown

StatisticPenn StateMichigan State
Total Yards405389
Passing Yards286325
Rushing Yards11964
First Downs2121
Third Down Efficiency4-122-12
Fourth Down Efficiency0-10-1
Total Penalties (Yards)5-457-57
Turnovers11
Completions / Attempts20-3022-39
Rushing Attempts4031
Passing TDs23
Rushing TDs20
Kicking Points76
Possession Time33:2426:36
View Penn State Team PageView Michigan State Team Page
Data sourced from NCAA game stats archive (2020)