STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Trace McSorley completed 17 of 23 passes for 376 yards and four touchdowns and No. 8 Penn State beat Michigan State 45-12 to win the Big Ten East on Saturday.
Penn State (10-2, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 7 CFP) edged No. 2 Ohio State for the East title, setting up a conference championship game against West winner Wisconsin next week in Indianapolis. The Nittany Lions beat Ohio State 24-20 at home Oct. 22.
McSorley set single-season school record for total offense and sparked the Nittany Lions with multiple deep passes in the second half when Penn State outscored Michigan State 35-0.
He threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin down the sideline on Penn State’s first second-half possession and followed it with a 45-yarder to Mike Gesicki on the next drive. Godwin got loose down the middle minutes later and McSorley hit him in stride for 59 yards to give Penn State a 31-12 lead and cap a 21-point third quarter.
Andre Robinson added 14- and 40-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter for Penn State, and Saquon Barkley scored on a 1-yard run in the second. Barkley left in the third quarter with an apparent right leg injury and did not return.