Final
Bell sparks Michigan State past W. Michigan, 38-14
Sep 4, 2010 - 7:51 PM By TIM MARTIN Associated Press WriterEAST LANSING, Mich.(AP) -- Freshman Le'Veon Bell rushed for 141 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns to spark Michigan State past Western Michigan 38-14 in a season-opening game Saturday.
Bell's 75-yard run was the key play in a scoring drive that gave the Spartans a 21-7 lead in the second quarter. He followed it up with touchdown runs of 2 yards in the second quarter and 18 yards in the third quarter to put Michigan State ahead 35-7.
Bell became the first true freshman in Michigan State history to rush for 100 yards or more in his debut game.
The Spartans were sluggish early, but the Reynoldsburg, Ohio native gave them a spark off the bench spelling starter Edwin Baker.
Baker finished with 117 yards and two TDs on 17 carries.
Running back Larry Caper, nursing an injured right hand, did not play for Michigan State. He could have played if needed, but the Spartans were fine without him against outmatched Western Michigan.
Alex Carder, making his first start at quarterback for Western Michigan, completed 27 of 49 passes for 220 yards with two touchdown and an interception.
Kirk Cousins completed 13 of 21 passes for 186 yards a touchdown for Michigan State.
Cousins connected with receiver Keith Nichol, a converted quarterback, on a 20-yard TD pass to give the Spartans a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter. The 31-yard scoring drive was set up when Michigan State's Denicos Allen recovered a fumbled shotgun snap.
Western Michigan tied the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Carder to Juan Nunez. The scoring drive was set up when Michigan State's Keshawn Martin muffed a bouncing punt, recovered by Western's Kyle Lark at the Michigan State 19-yard line.
Carder's 2-yard TD pass to Blake Hammond cut the Michigan State lead to 35-14 midway through the third quarter.
Michigan State has beaten Western Michigan eight straight times, including a 49-14 victory last season. Western Michigan's last win in the series came in 1919.
Michigan State, a member of the Big Ten, has a 39-7-2 record against current members of the Mid-American Conference. The Spartans lost to a MAC team, Central Michigan, last season.
Michigan State is 3-1 in season openers under Coach Mark Dantonio.
- NCAAF FINAL
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WESTRN MICHIGAN 7 0 7 0 14
MICHIGAN ST 7 21 7 3 38 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: MICHIGAN S - TD, EDWIN BAKER 28 YD RUN (DAN
CONROY KICK), 2:30. MICHIGAN
ST 7-0
WESTRN MIC - TD, JUAN NUNEZ 2 YD PASS FROM
ALEX CARDER (JOHN POTTER
KICK), 14:53. WESTRN MICHIGAN
7-7
2ND QUA
Sep 4 3:25 PM - NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 14
MICHIGAN ST 38 0:00 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Sep 4 3:25 PM - NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 14
MICHIGAN ST 38 7:30 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Western Michigan 14, Michigan State 38 4th - 7:30Sep 4 3:02 PM - NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 14
MICHIGAN ST 35 0:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Sep 4 2:42 PM
TD WESTRN MICHIGAN BLAKE HAMMOND 2 YD PASS FROM ALEX CARDER (JOHN POTTER KICK)
Western Michigan 14, Michigan State 35 3rd - 8:22Sep 4 2:18 PM
TD WESTRN MICHIGAN BLAKE HAMMOND 2 YD PASS FROM ALEX CARDER (JOHN POTTER KICK)
Western Michigan 14, Michigan State 35 3rd - 8:22Sep 4 2:18 PM
TD WESTRN MICHIGAN BLAKE HAMMOND 2 YD PASS FROM ALEX CARDER (JOHN POTTER KICK)
Western Michigan 14, Michigan State 35 3rd - 8:22Sep 4 2:18 PM- NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 14
MICHIGAN ST 35 8:22 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Western Michigan 14, Michigan State 35 3rd - 8:22Sep 4 2:18 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST LE'VEON BELL 18 YD RUN (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 35 3rd - 11:54Sep 4 2:07 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST LE'VEON BELL 18 YD RUN (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 35 3rd - 11:54Sep 4 2:07 PM- NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 7
MICHIGAN ST 35 11:54 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 35 3rd - 11:54Sep 4 2:07 PM - NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 7
MICHIGAN ST 28 0:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Sep 4 1:38 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST LE'VEON BELL 2 YD RUN (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 28 2nd - 0:34Sep 4 1:36 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST LE'VEON BELL 2 YD RUN (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 28 2nd - 0:34Sep 4 1:36 PM- NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 7
MICHIGAN ST 28 0:34 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 28 2nd - 0:34Sep 4 1:36 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST EDWIN BAKER 7 YD RUN (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 21 2nd - 3:26Sep 4 1:25 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST EDWIN BAKER 7 YD RUN (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 21 2nd - 3:26Sep 4 1:25 PM- NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 7
MICHIGAN ST 21 3:26 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 21 2nd - 3:26Sep 4 1:25 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST KEITH NICHOL 20 YD PASS FROM KIRK COUSINS (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 14 2nd - 12:14Sep 4 12:56 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST KEITH NICHOL 20 YD PASS FROM KIRK COUSINS (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 14 2nd - 12:14Sep 4 12:56 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST KEITH NICHOL 20 YD PASS FROM KIRK COUSINS (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 14 2nd - 12:14Sep 4 12:56 PM- NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 7
MICHIGAN ST 14 12:14 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 14 2nd - 12:14Sep 4 12:56 PM - NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 7
MICHIGAN ST 7 0:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Sep 4 12:45 PM
TD WESTRN MICHIGAN JUAN NUNEZ 2 YD PASS FROM ALEX CARDER (JOHN POTTER KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 7 1st - 0:07Sep 4 12:42 PM
TD WESTRN MICHIGAN JUAN NUNEZ 2 YD PASS FROM ALEX CARDER (JOHN POTTER KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 7 1st - 0:07Sep 4 12:42 PM
TD WESTRN MICHIGAN JUAN NUNEZ 2 YD PASS FROM ALEX CARDER (JOHN POTTER KICK)
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 7 1st - 0:07Sep 4 12:42 PM- NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 7
MICHIGAN ST 7 0:07 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Western Michigan 7, Michigan State 7 1st - 0:07Sep 4 12:42 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST EDWIN BAKER 28 YD RUN (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 0, Michigan State 7 1st - 12:30Sep 4 12:08 PM
TD MICHIGAN ST EDWIN BAKER 28 YD RUN (DAN CONROY KICK)
Western Michigan 0, Michigan State 7 1st - 12:30Sep 4 12:08 PM- NCAAF
WESTRN MICHIGAN 0
MICHIGAN ST 7 12:30 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Western Michigan 0, Michigan State 7 1st - 12:30Sep 4 12:08 PM
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