EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In-game adjustments came with an unusual twist for Michigan State on Saturday.

Some took naps. Others devoured pizza. They watched other games and one even cleaned up.

"I saw a guy come out of the shower," Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. "I looked at him and he goes, 'Gotta be fresh, Coach.' That was unchartered territory."

A 3-hour, 22-minute weather delay during the second quarter put everything on hold but all the Spartans felt refreshed by game's end. Matt Coghlin kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired, giving No. 24 Michigan State a 27-24 victory over No. 7 Penn State at Spartan Stadium.

"It took seven hours to get our seventh win," Dantonio said.

The long-winded victory became even more important with Ohio State's loss at Iowa on Saturday. The Spartans pulled into a first-place tie in the Big Ten East Division with the Buckeyes heading into their showdown in Columbus next Saturday.

"We're in the driver's seat right now," Michigan State linebacker Chris Frey said. "Everything we want is in front of us."

Frey found out about the Buckeyes' troubles from an unlikely source -- Penn State's mercurial running back Saquon Barkley.

"I think we were midway through the fourth quarter and I was covering Saquon down the field," he said. "After the play, he said, 'Ohio State's losing. They're down big. We're playing for a championship now.'"

Not quite, but the Spartans are in position to reach the Big Ten title game if they win out. The winning drive on Saturday, which began at Michigan State's 31-yard line, was aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty against Penn State safety Marcus Allen.

Michigan State once again relied on its suddenly potent passing attack. Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke completed 33 of 56 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns.

Lewerke, who set a school-record with 445 passing yards in a triple-overtime loss to Northwestern the previous week, became the first quarterback in school history to have back-to-back 400-yard games.

"Lewerke was on," Dantonio said. "He was on from the beginning. He was throwing darts and we were catching the ball very effectively."

Felton Davis caught a career-high 12 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown for Michigan State (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten).

Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley completed 26 of 47 passes for 381 yards with three touchdowns but was also picked off three times. DaeSean Hamilton caught seven passes for 112 yards and a touchdown for Penn State (7-2, 4-2), which has lost two straight. Barkley was held to 63 yards on 14 carries.

Penn State coach James Franklin has an 0-10 road record against ranked opponents, including five losses with the Nittany Lions. Ranked No. 2 prior to a fourth-quarter collapse at Ohio State, the Nittany Lions are now out of the national playoff picture.

"There's a lot of noise that we try to manage," Franklin said. "When things are going well, there's a lot of positivity, a lot of patting on the back. When you lose a game, it's the complete opposite. It couldn't be more negative. ... I would describe us as a young program. We haven't been a part of these conversations for a long time. We haven't handled it well and that's on me."

They also couldn't handle Lewerke, who was sacked twice and threw one interception.

"We're not getting to the quarterback enough," Franklin said. "That showed up the last couple of weeks. The best thing for coverage is pressuring and sacking the quarterback."

LJ Scott's 3-yard run capped a 91-yard Spartans drive midway through the third quarter and gave them a 21-14 lead. Tyler Davis' 26-yard field goal later in the quarter moved Penn State within four points.

DeAndre Thompkins' 70-yard grab on the final play of the quarter moved the Nittany Lions back on top. Cornerback Josiah Scott slipped and there was no safety waiting for Thompkins, who cruised into the end zone.

Coghlin's 32-yard field goal with 10:56 left tied it 24-24.

Penn State, which has struggled to kick field goals, passed on a field-goal try from the Spartans' 31 during its final possession. An incomplete pass gave the ball back to Michigan State.

NOTES: Penn State QB Trace McSorley has tossed a touchdown pass in 24 consecutive games. ... Penn State RB Saquon Barkley saw his school-record 15-game streak of scoring a touchdown come to an end. ... Michigan State has a 9-5 record against top 10 opponents under coach Mark Dantonio. ... Penn State holds a 14-8 advantage in head-to-head meetings since the renewal of the Land Grant Trophy series in 1993. ... Penn State hosts Rutgers next Saturday.