EAST LANSING — Seven months and three days after it worked for one of the most dramatic wins in Michigan State football history, it worked again — this time to win a scrimmage for the MSU offense against the MSU defense.

The offense got the green jerseys back from the defense by winning, 61-55, on Thursday at Spartan Stadium on a fake field goal. Holder Andrew Maxwell threw to tight end Garrett Celek for a 35-yard touchdown and the win, reminiscent of the Aaron Bates-to-Charlie Gantt scoring pass on a fake field goal to shock Notre Dame in overtime Sept. 18.

That play was called “Little Giants.” There was no immediate word on what Thursday’s was called, but other details were provided by MSU on the closed, 123-play scrimmage, which provided scoring opportunities of several kinds on plays to the offense and defense.

•Maxwell had a big day, quarterbacking the No. 2 offense against the No. 2 defense. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, including a 48-yard bomb to Chris D. Rucker. Starter Kirk Cousins was 14 of 23 for 140 yards, leading two scoring drives. But he also had three interceptions.

•Six or seven starters were injured and out for MSU, coach Mark Dantonio said, including defensive end Will Gholston. Gholston has an arm injury that is unrelated to the shoulder injury that required off-season surgery, MSU associate athletic director John Lewandowski said. But starting receiver B.J. Cunningham returned to full action after off-season foot surgery and caught five passes for 56 yards.

•Linebacker Denicos Allen led the first-team defense with six tackles, while safety Trenton Robinson and cornerback Johnny Adams each had five tackles and an interception.

•MSU also provided statistics for receiver Bennie Fowler (five catches, 39 yards), running back Jeremy Langford (16 carries, 47 yards, 17-yard touchdown) and running back Le’Veon Bell (1-yard touchdown run). Fourteen receivers caught at least one pass.

Dantonio said Maxwell “really played well on the offensive side of the ball.” And he cited defensive tackle Anthony Rashad White and linebacker Max Bullough for playing well in the scrimmage.

“Both of those guys are much-improved players,” Dantonio said. “Rashad is becoming a dominant player, he’s 323 pounds, or a biscuit past 320. But you know, dominant. Those things have to transition now to the season.”

Thursday’s scrimmage was the 12th of 15 practices allowed by the NCAA during the spring.

MSU wraps up spring ball with the spring game, 1:30 p.m. April 30 at Spartan Stadium.

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