There has been no shortage of action early on in East Lansing between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Michigan State Spartans, as we find ourselves tied at seven halfway through the first quarter of play.
After the Gophers forced Michigan State to punt on their first possession, the Gophers started from their own 18, and three plays later found themselves at the 36. On a second down play, quarterback MarQueis Gray hit receiver Da'Jon McKnight on a short pass, and McKnight put a move on the Michigan State defender and did the rest, taking the ball all the way to the house for a 64-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 Minnesota lead.
On their next possession, the Spartans answered, as quarterback Kirk Cousins found his favorite target, wide receiver B.J. Cunningham for a 69-yard completion to take the Spartans to the Minnesota 6-yard line. A couple of plays later, Cousins lofted one for Keith Nichol, the team's Hail Mary hero against Wisconsin a couple of weeks back, and he brought it in for a four-yard touchdown reception to tie the game at seven.
The Gophers punted the ball away, and Michigan State began at their own 29-yard line. A handoff to Edwin Baker turned disastrous for the Spartans, as the ball fell to the turf and the Gophers recovered at the Michigan State 27. That's where we sit right now with a little more than six minutes remaining in the first quarter, and Michigan State and Minnesota tied at seven.