Five thoughts: Rutgers battles, loses to No. 11 Michigan State

Rutgers football fought hard and made things difficult for No. 11 Michigan State

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Rutgers lost 31-13 to No. 11 Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in a game where the Scarlet Knights took an early lead on Michigan State and held with a ranked team for the second time in three weeks.

While it wasn’t an ideal performance and not a win, it was still important for Rutgers to come back, show a pulse, and battle with a team that is on the cusp of being top 10 in the nation.

The Scarlet Knights lost and are now 3-3 (0-3 in the Big Ten) but they battled and had Michigan State on the ropes for much of the first half. But for a 94-yard touchdown run by Spartans running back Kenneth Walker midway through the third quarter, this game could have been very different.

Rutgers needed a good performance, especially after last week’s 52-13 loss to Ohio State. They showed up better than that game for sure and that certainly matters for a program that is still very much rebuilding.