Michigan State improved to 5-6 on the season after surviving a second half surge by the Purdue Boilermakers.

There were plenty of positives in this game, particularly in the first half, along with plenty to clean up, but the important fact is the Spartans have a chance to make their first bowl game since 2021 if they can stay on the right track and beat Rutgers next week.

Before the focus shifts to the Scarlet Knights, let's dive into some takeaways from Friday night's win.

Jonathan Smith said it best following the victory. It truly was a tale of two halves.

The Spartans cruised to a 24-3 lead at halftime. The defense forced their first turnover since the win over Iowa and recovered their first fumble since the Boston College game. They also recorded their first sack since that game, and held the Boilermakers to -7 rushing yards in the half.

But one thing we've seen all season from Michigan State has been inconsistency, and that continued Friday night.

The second half was...off. The Spartans, primarily on offense, could not get much going in the second half. They were shut out by the Boilermakers. They only added 73 total yards on offense, while the defense allowed 204 yards and 14 points.

While they did step up when it mattered in crunch time, the inconsistency has been a continued issue, and they'll have one more chance to try and put it together against Rutgers on senior day.

The defense had a strong start to the season and was an important part of the team's 3-0 start. A tough middle stretch of the season against some talented teams with some offensive firepower brought them back down to Earth, but despite the second-half surge from Purdue, the Spartan defense bounced back on Friday night.

As previously mentioned, the defense held the Boilermakers to -7 rushing yards in the first half -- their lowest total allowed in a half since they held the Akron Zips to -10 rushing yards in the second half in 2022. They also recorded their first sack since September, and totaled three on the night.

It wasn't without its flaws, though. Because of that lack of success on the ground and a big deficit they needed to overcome, Purdue became pass-heavy on offense, and it eventually resulted in the success they saw in the second half. Not to mention, the Spartans caught some significant breaks with dropped passes down the stretch, mainly the drop by Jahmal Edrine down the sideline that would have likely tied the game.

But ultimately, they came through and did what they needed to do to win the game. The unit still has a long way to go before they're a dominant unit like we saw in the peak of the Mark Dantonio era, but for year one of this staff, it's certainly something they can build off of going forward.

Despite an inconsistent performance on Friday night, Michigan State picked up a crucial win and will play for bowl eligibility on Senior Day next week. In year one of a new staff after a brutal season a year ago, there's still something to play for.

What will ultimately make or break the Spartans' bowl game hopes will be which team shows up against Rutgers. Friday's first half performance showed some of the flashes of what this team can be when it clicks, and they can absolutely pick up that sixth win on the year against the Scarlet Knights if they play like that for four quarters on Saturday.

But, if we see the team that came out of the locker room in the second half, it's going to be significantly more difficult to get that last win. We'll have to wait and see exactly how the Spartans respond next week.

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