No. 24 Michigan State 29, No. 21 Michigan 6: Connor Cook passed for 252 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing score as the host Spartans took down the rival Wolverines.

Bennie Fowler caught six passes for 75 yards and a touchdown and the defense battered Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner while holding the Wolverines to minus-48 rushing yards. Darqueze Dennard grabbed an interception for Michigan State (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten), which remains alone in first place in the Big Ten Legends Division.

Gardner went 14-for-27 for 210 yards and an interception and was sacked nine times, including on three straight plays in the third quarter. Jehu Chesson caught four passes for 88 yards for Michigan (6-2, 2-2), which dropped its second straight road game.

The teams traded field goals in each of the first two quarters before the Spartans finally broke through with a 14-yard TD pass from Cook to Fowler with 23 seconds left in the half to make it 13-6 at the break. Matt Geiger’s third field goal pushed it to 16-6 on the opening drive of the third quarter.

Cook dove for the first rushing TD of his career, a 1-yard burst, with 10:31 left. The Wolverines put together their longest drive of the contest in response but Gardner was picked off by Dennard at the Spartans’ 3-yard line and Michigan State drove it back 97 yards before sealing the win with Jeremy Langford’s 40-yard rushing score.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Gardner was hurt on the interception throw in the fourth quarter and Shane Morris went 1-for-3 for six yards in relief. … Langford’s scoring run pushed him over 100 yards rushing (120) for the fourth straight week. … The Spartans have taken five of the last six in the series.