State College, Pa. — For a half, everything was clicking for Michigan State.
But just as coach Mel Tucker spent the week preaching consistency, the Spartans failed to sustain the early effort, watching an 11-point halftime lead disappear in a flash in the second half as Penn State blitzed Michigan State, rallying past the Spartans then pulling away late for a 39-24 victory Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
The Nittany Lions (3-5) outscored Michigan State, 29-3, in the second half, turning a close game into a blowout that got completely out of hand in the final quarter.