Sunday belonged to a former Spartan who didn’t even finish his college run in East Lansing.
Derrick Harmon delivered the decisive play in the Steelers’ win over the Bengals, ripping the ball free from Joe Burrow on a strip-sack with under a minute remaining. Cincinnati had already moved into field goal range with 53 seconds left, so the Bengals were in position to either tie the game or steal it late. Harmon ended that chance himself.
On the game’s biggest snap, Harmon powered through his blocker, swam past him, and brought Burrow down while knocking the ball loose. That was the sack that closed it out for Pittsburgh.
Harmon’s name now sits alongside two other former Michigan State players who also came up with game-winning plays on Sunday afternoon. Kirk Cousins and Cody White hooked up for the winning touchdown against the New Orleans Saints, doing it for the second straight week after also finishing off the Los Angeles Chargers. Harmon made sure the Steelers got their own ending.
The Detroit native began his college career at Michigan State before finishing at Oregon, where he put together a career year. That strong final season helped push him into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. As a rookie with the Steelers, Harmon posted 27 tackles and three sacks, and he’s already building on that in 2026.
He now has 1.5 sacks in his second NFL season after three sacks as a rookie, putting him on pace for about 8.5 sacks this year. For a second-year defensive lineman, that’s a strong early return.
And for Pittsburgh, it was a much-needed one. The strip-sack on Burrow was the Steelers’ first sack of the game, a timely burst from a player who’s starting to look very comfortable in the league.
In Other News...
Michigan State Now Faces A Bigger Problem Than The Nebraska Loss
The Nebraska loss itself was ugly enough for Michigan State, but the bigger concern coming out of Lincoln was the damage done to the roster. The Spartans were already thin in key spots, and the injury situation started before kickoff when starting cornerback Tre Bell was hurt in warmups and never made it into the game.
It only got worse from there. Running back Cam Edwards and offensive lineman Connor Moore went down on the same play, and defensive leader Jordan Hall also left with a leg injury after being taken off the field on a cart, leaving Michigan State with plenty to sort through beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces A Bigger Offensive Problem Than Fans Feared
Michigan States offense has looked increasingly out of sync over the last few games, and the numbers underline just how much work remains. Through four games, the Spartans have managed only 88 points and nine touchdowns, both among the lowest marks in the Big Ten, while quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has been dealing with plenty of pressure, sacks and interceptions as the unit struggles to find any sort of rhythm.
The bigger concern is that the problems have not been limited to execution. Injuries have already thinned out the group and left the staff trying to patch together answers on the fly, with the offensive line and backfield both taking hits that make every snap feel a little more fragile. Michigan State is still searching for stability, but the margin for error keeps shrinking as the offense tries to get healthy enough to even resemble what it was supposed to be. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Faces A Depth Chart Test Against Wisconsin
Michigan State left its trip to Nebraska with more than one injury concern, and the timing could not be worse with Wisconsin next on the schedule. Running back Cam Edwards and linebacker Jordan Hall were among the players hurt in the game, leaving the Spartans to sort through a depth chart that may look different by the time they line up again.
The backfield is especially worth watching because backup Jaziun Patterson handled relief work well after Edwards exited, and the staff is already leaning on him as it prepares for the next matchup. The bigger question now is how Michigan State will piece together its roster across the board if the injury list forces more changes, with the full extent of those setbacks still unclear. [Read more 🡒]