COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Impressive Late Drive Gives Penn State a Win : Big Ten: With no timeouts left, Nittany Lions go 73 yards in 1:45 to beat Spartans, 24-20.

Out of timeouts with 1:45 to play, quarterback Wally Richardson moved No. 14 Penn State 73 yards to a winning touchdown as the Nittany Lions defeated Michigan State, 24-20, Saturday.

The drive ended when, with eight seconds left and the ball on the four, Bobby Engram caught a short pass over the middle and then stretched to get the ball over the goal line.

“We practice the two-minute offense every day, but I’ve never done this in a game,” Richardson said. “That’s the tightest it’s ever been for me.”

“It was just Wally and us,” Engram said. “I think he grew up a little out there.”

Up to that point, Penn State, 8-3 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten, had little to brag about. The Nittany Lions entered the game with the conference’s second-best offense, but the Spartans (6-4-1, 4-3-1) intercepted two passes and held them to 359 yards, 67 below their average.

Michigan State took a 20-17 lead on a 28-yard field goal by Chris Gardner with 5:13 remaining. After each team traded punts, Penn State took possession for the game’s most dramatic drive.

Sending his receivers on short routes near the sidelines, Richardson completed 11 passes to five players and converted two third downs.

“We let them get out of bounds too many times,” said Michigan State Coach Nick Saban, complimenting Penn State’s ability to stop the clock.

The victory gave the Nittany Lions a share of third place in the Big Ten with Michigan. Engram hopes the victory will earn them a trip to a Jan. 1 bowl.

“When you think of bowl games, you think of New Year’s Day, not Dec. 28,” he said.

Michigan State is also hoping for a bowl bid. “I would be very disappointed if . . . if these players did not get an opportunity,” Saban said.

Spartan quarterback Tony Banks completed 21 of 33 passes for 242 yards, but he also threw three interceptions at critical times.

Richardson was 24 for 45 for 220 yards.

The final touchdown was Engram’s second of the game. He beat defensive back Raymond Hill on a 53-yard pass play that tied the score at 17-17 in the fourth quarter.