NICK PATTI

Although Pittsburgh was shorthanded on offense, Michigan State’s defense turned in a strong performance to cap the season with a 31-21 win on Thursday. 12 Panthers (11-3) to a season-low 274 yards of total offense, which was also the lowest total Michigan State gave up all season. “I’ll tell you what, the preparation leading up to this game was outstanding,” Michigan State coach Mel Tucker said. Michigan State’s offense squandered opportunities in the first half, then started the third quarter in disastrous fashion. We’re not where we need to be but we’re going to get there.”Related Michigan State football stories:Michigan State DT Kyle King enters transfer portalFormer Michigan State DB Michael Dowell commits to PittsburghTakeaways, observations from Michigan State’s Peach Bowl win against PittsburghMichigan State WR Jayden Reed named Peach Bowl offensive MVP, undecided about futureOverheard outside Michigan State’s locker room: Emptying the bucket and in it to win itMichigan State caps resurgent season in fitting fashion with Peach Bowl win

Payton Thorne’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed gave No. 11 Michigan State the lead with less than three minutes remaining and the Spartans overcame an 11-point deficit to beat No. 13 Pittsburgh 31-21 on Thursday night in the Peach Bowl.

Michigan State’s last-ranked pass defense can’t relax in the Peach Bowl just because Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett isn’t playing.

No. 11 Michigan State and No. 13 Pittsburgh each will be without its most prominent players when they meet in the Peach Bowl on Thursday night.

11 Michigan State (10-2) vs. No. WatchESPN | Hulu + Live TV | Sling | YouTube TVMajor Cable ProvidersComcast: Channel 32/202(HD) | StreamingSpectrum: Channel 34/773(HD) | StreamingDish: Channel 140 | StreamingDIRECTV: Channel 209 | Streaming* Channel numbers listed are for Michigan subscribers and may change by geographic area. * Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett, a Heisman Trophy finalist who led one of the best offenses in the country, also opted out of the Peach Bowl. ET (ESPN)Peach Bowl: Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPN)Las Vegas Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)Friday, Dec. 31Gator Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Rutgers, 11 a.m. (ESPN)Orange Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)Saturday, Jan. 1Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. Arkansas, noon (ESPN2)Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Kentucky, 1 p.m. (ABC)Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Utah, 5 p.m.

The Pittsburgh redshirt junior quarterback is slated to start in Thursday’s Peach Bowl against Michigan State in Atlanta after Kenny Pickett opted out of the game to prepare for the NFL draft. “He’s got some time in the games this year too and he throws a good ball and he’s got a strong arm,” Michigan State defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton said. “I definitely had the chance to learn behind Kenny a lot, learned myself a lot in practice,” Patti said. Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple left for the same job at Nebraska earlier this month and tight ends coach Tim Salem will take over the role against Michigan State with faith in his starting quarterback. “That was a big benefit because going from the 2s to the 1s, it’s definitely a speed change,” Patti said.

10 Michigan State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) will play No. He ranks seventh in the nation in passing yards per game (332.2), ninth in passing efficiency rating (165.3) and third in passing touchdowns. Pat Narduzzi is in his seventh season as head coach at Pittsburgh after eight seasons as Michigan State’s defensive coordinator under former coach Mark Dantonio. Michigan State ranks last in the nation in passing yards allowed per game at 337.7. Related Michigan State football stories:Michigan State punter Bryce Baringer returning for sixth yearSpartan Confidential podcast: Recapping Michigan State’s wild 2021 early signing dayMichigan State adds four new transfers while being ‘judicious’ with portalMichigan State football signee Alex VanSumeren wields will power of a rare kindMeet Michigan State football’s 2022 recruiting class

Notre Dame wide receiver Ben Skowronek (11) celebrates as he goes in the end zone past Pittsburgh defensive back A.J. 3 Notre Dame (5-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) had no such issues while handling the Panthers (3-4, 2-4) their fourth consecutive loss. The Fighting Irish effectively ended any hope Pitt — which has developed a reputation in recent years of being the occasional giant killer — might have had late in the second quarter. Three Pitt plays went nowhere and Irish sophomore defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey raced in untouched to block Kirk Christodoulou’s punt. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi called Notre Dame “as good a team we saw on the football field in six years.”“I thought we'd stack up better," Narduzzi said.