Atlanta — The offense was stuck in the mud most of the night, but when it mattered most, the Spartans got the big plays they needed.
Payton Thorne, who struggled for much of the game, threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes — the first to Connor Heyward and another to Jayden Reed with 2:51 to play — to rally No. 10 Michigan State to a 31-21 victory over No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl on Thursday in front of 41,230 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Spartans scored 21 fourth-quarter points as Thorne finished 29-for-50 for a career-high 354 yards and three touchdowns, while Reed had six catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns.