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Michigan State football upsets Northwestern, 29-20, to turn Big Ten race upside down

EAST LANSING — Just when you thought you had Michigan State football figured out, it goes all 2020 on you.

Can’t run the ball and facing Northwestern, one of the nation’s best defenses? Doesn’t matter.

Rocky Lombardi struggling at quarterback and it looks like he’ll be replaced? Not a chance, he’ll just fling the ball around for touchdowns instead.

A defense overmatched in two straight games by Iowa and Indiana appearing heading for a third straight meltdown? Nah, not this time.

The Spartans shocked the 13th-ranked Wildcats from the outset Saturday, used a 49-yard field goal from Matt Coghlin with 3:35 to play and got some timely runs from Lombardi in the fourth quarter to pull off a 29-20 upset.