With upset looming, hobbled Cousins keys MSU comeback

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- His shoulder and his ankle wouldn't stop hurting, but that pain was nothing compared to the thought of his team's Rose Bowl chances slipping away.

So Kirk Cousins played on, leading No. 11 Michigan State on a desperate fourth-quarter rally that kept the Spartans atop the Big Ten for another week.

Cousins lunged into the end zone from 3 yards out with 4:32 remaining to give Michigan State a dramatic 35-31 victory over Purdue on Saturday. The Spartans trailed 28-13 after three quarters and 31-20 midway through the fourth, but the Boilermakers couldn't hold off the hobbled Cousins.

“I've been battling a sprained shoulder and a sprained ankle for three or four weeks,” the Michigan State quarterback said. “They're not going to heal if you keep playing on them, but you can keep playing if you can take the pain.”

The Spartans (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) remain tied for first in the Big Ten with Wisconsin and Ohio State. Michigan State would win a two-way tie with Wisconsin, but if all three teams win next week, the tie would be broken by the BCS standings, which have the Spartans last among the trio.

Michigan State was favored by about 3 touchdowns for its home finale against Purdue, which has now lost five straight and cannot become bowl eligible. But the Boilermakers (4-7, 2-5) had the Spartans on the ropes in the fourth quarter before Rob Henry's deep pass was intercepted by Chris L. Rucker at the Purdue 40.