Payton Thorne’s 27-yard touchdown pass on third-and-12 in the second overtime gave Michigan State a hard-earned 34-28 victory over Wisconsin in a Big Ten clash Saturday in East Lansing, Mich.

Braelon Allen’s fumble — his first of the season — to lead off the second overtime denied the Badgers (3-4, 1-3) after they tied the game on Graham Mertz’ 25-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike in the first extra period.

Wide receiver Jayden Reed threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman on a flea-flicker in the first overtime to give the Spartans (3-4, 1-3) a 28-21 lead on the overtime’s first series.

The game went to extra time when Mertz’ 8-yard touchdown pass to Keontez Lewis on fourth down tied it at 21-21 with 2:04 left in regulation. Bryce Baringer then couldn’t handle the snap for a potential field goal try in the closing seconds that would have won the game in regulation for the Spartans.

Michigan State took its first lead of the day on Thorne’s 27-yard touchdown pass with 7:23 left in the game.

Allen’s miscue marred what was a spectacular afternoon for the sophomore, who rushed for two touchdowns and posted his 12th 100-yard rushing games in last 16 outings with 123 yards. He had 83 yards rushing in the first half alone thanks mostly to a 65-yard first quarter. His 9-yard run early in the third quarter put the sophomore over the 2,000-yard mark for his career. He finished at 2,025 yards.

After a first half that saw the Spartans often stymied by half a dozen penalties, the second half began with a flag for a blind side block that wiped out Reed’s 81-yard punt return for what would have been a tying touchdown.

Thorne finished with 265 yards passing with 21 completions in 29 attempts while Mertz was 14 of 25 for 131 yards for the Badgers.

–Field Level Media