Kirk Cousins had an up-and-down day for MSU, completing 20 of 32 passes for 250 yards and the game’s lone touchdown – a 33-yard strike to B.J. Cunningham (nine catches, 154 yards) in the first quarter.

He also lost a fumble and threw two interceptions, though, including one late that briefly gave the Buckeyes life. But after they moved into MSU territory, the Spartans forced four incompletions.

MSU now gets a week off before hosting rival Michigan on Oct. 15, going for four straight wins in that series.

The rain was falling and the wind was howling as the game began. Ohio State won the toss and took the ball, but the Buckeyes went nowhere in three plays. The Spartans did the same, then lined up to punt on fourth-and-9 from their 42.

The snap was good, but it squirted right through freshman punter Mike Sadler’s hands. In one of the best individual efforts of the season, Sadler raced back to grab the ball and got off a line drive just before OSU’s Bryce Haynes leveled him.

The kick rolled all the way to the Ohio State 21-yard line. The Buckeyes were inches away from starting with the ball inside the MSU 20.

MSU’s defense produced another three-and-out, and this time MSU’s offense was ready to play.

Le’Veon Bell found room to run, hitting inside for gains of 11 and 9. On second-and-10 from the Ohio State 33, Cousins faked a handoff and dropped back.

Garrett Celek took out Adam Bellamy with a key block just before Bellamy could get to Cousins. Cousins rolled right and directed Cunningham with his hands, then fired a strike that Cunningham grabbed in the back of the end zone over Travis Howard.

The pretty 33-yard touchdown pass made it 7-0 MSU with 7:44 left in the first quarter, capping a five-play, 65-yard drive.

On the next possession, MSU’s Chris Norman dropped an interception deep in Ohio State territory, but the Buckeyes punted. So did MSU, and OSU finally got a first down with less than a minute to go in the first quarter.

The Spartans held, though, and the MSU offense put together another drive. It got to the Ohio State 36, and on fourth-and-4, Mark Dantonio decided to go for it.

Cousins snuck a perfect pass into the hands of tight end Brian Linthicum for a first down, but Linthicum dropped it.

Three plays later, Miller finally made a big play, hitting Chris Fields for 33 yards on a blown MSU coverage.

But after the teams traded personal fouls, MSU’s defense halted OSU’s only scoring threat. Dennard was beat initially but recovered to rip a deep pass out of Devin Smith’s hands for an interception at the MSU 6-yard line.

Late in the second quarter, MSU got another drive going and was looking good with a first-and-10 at the Ohio State 25 and less than a minute to play. But Cousins dropped back and the ball slipped out of his hands before he could throw it.

Cousins still had a chance to fall out of it, but he couldn’t secure it and OSU’s Jonathan Hankins got it at the 37.

The Spartans continued to dominate on defense in the second half, while the offensive moved and kept coming up empty. A Cousins interception in the end zone on a tipped pass intended for Dion Sims killed MSU’s chance to go up double figures early in the fourth quarter.

The MSU defense held, though, with a big sack from Will Gholston on replacement quarterback Bauserman. That set MSU up with great field position, and Dan Conroy nailed a 50-yard field goal with 10:35 left to finally put the Spartans up two scores.

It was 10-0 MSU at that point and the Spartans had a total yardage edge of 315 to 98.