EAST LANSING, Mich. — Clayton Thorson’s pass bounced off Drake Anderson’s facemask, hanging in the air for a prolonged moment before it fell into the arms of Michigan State defensive lineman Mike Panasiuk.
When Michigan State scored a touchdown six plays later to take a 19-14 lead with 4:08 to go in the third quarter, it seemed like Northwestern had found a new, embarrassing way to blow a second-half lead.
Thorson and the Northwestern offense refused to let that narrative stick. Instead, over the course of a Saturday afternoon, offense began to forged a new identity.