Three Up, Three Down: New Faces Flash For Michigan State vs. Western Michigan
Michigan State football got its 2022 campaign underway on Friday night with a 35-13 victory over Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium.
After something of a slow start, the Spartans settled in offensively and found a lot of success through the air, and complimented that with a steady run game. Defensively, Michigan State was stout throughout the night, as the Broncos struggled to get anything going on offense.
Here are three positive and three negative takeaways from MSU's season-opening victory.
Three Up
1. MSU defensive transfers bring the heat
A point of emphasis all offseason was helping the secondary with better pass rush, and we got a front-row view of that Friday night against the Broncos.
It's only Week 1, but it looks like Tucker has worked his transfer portal magic once again. Defensive end Khris Bogle (Florida) and linebackers Aaron Brule (Mississippi St.) and Jacoby Windmon (UNLV) each recorded sacks in the first half, with Windmon adding three more sacks in the second half as well.
Windmon's second sack resulted in WMU kicking a field goal to cut their deficit to 21-13, and Windmon's third sack set up a third and long early in the fourth quarter, but the Broncos went on to convert the first down, but the drive stalled after that.
Michigan State's pass rush had an obvious effect on Western Michigan's offense. As a team, the Spartans finished with seven sacks and forced two turnovers via fumble recoveries. This was an excellent start by MSU's pass rush.
2. Germie Bernard, Keon Coleman say 'Hello'
We've heard a lot of good things about Michigan State's young receivers since spring ball, and that showed up in the season-opener. Both true freshman Germie Bernard and true sophomore Keon Coleman had touchdown catches of over 40 yards in the first half, and both guys made excellent adjustments in the air to come down with those catches.
Coleman led the team in receptions and yards, finishing with four catches for 84 yards. Bernard's lone reception went for 44 yards and a score. MSU's young wide outs will see stiffer cornerback competition than the Broncos could provide on Friday, but this was an excellent start for the two youngsters.
3. Michigan State's ground game seals the game
Honestly, I would have liked to see Michigan State rely more on their ground game in the second half, as the game began to tighten up. The Spartans had an edge on the outside with their receivers, but they also ran for __ yards per carry tonight, and could have worn down Western Michigan's defense a little more by committing to the run game.
Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger led the way for the Spartans with 120 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, and also reeled off a 50-yarder midway through the fourth quarter. Berger scored on fourth-and-goal from a yard out just three plays later to seal the game for Michigan State.
Overall, the Spartans ran for 197 yards on 32 carries, good enough for 6.2 yards per carry as a team. Nice start from the Spartan ground game.
Three Down
1. Xavier Henderson, Darius Snow suffer potential major injuries
We don't have clarity on these injuries yet, but Michigan State may have lost two of its top defenders for significant amounts of time.
Senior team captain and safety Xavier Henderson left the game early in the second quarter and was seen on crutches and in a walking boot in the second half. Additionally, linebacker Darius Snow was also injured and seen in a wheelchair.
Losing Henderson for an extended length of time would be a massive blow for Michigan State's defense. The senior is the most experienced player on the team, and is a vital part of the Spartan secondary.
Henderson's absence was felt even in this game, as the Broncos picked on true freshman safety Jaden Mangham and senior Kendall Brooks in the pass game.
While Michigan State has a lot of depth at linebacker, that depth has apparently taken a major hit with the loss of Snow. There's nothing confirmed yet, but his injury is potentially season-ending.
These are two potential massive injuries for the Spartan defense. We will find out what we can as the situation develops.
2. Payton Thorne wasn't sharp tonight
A lot of things went right for the Spartans in the first half, but quarterback Payton Thorne wasn't nearly as sharp as we've come to expect from him. The redshirt quarterback's numbers looked good, but he was bailed out on high throws to Daniel Barker and Bernard which resulted in touchdowns. Thorne also threw a terrible interception near the end of the first half, which took points off the board for the Spartans.
Thorne took a shot early in the second half, when he was hit late on a slide attempt. That certainly didn't help the quarterback find his rhythm. The redshirt junior did throw a dime late in the game to Tre Mosley for MSU's final touchdown, which was good to see.
Thorne finished with 233 yards and four touchdowns while completing 12-of-24 attempts. He will be the first one to admit post-game that he wasn't at his best.
3. Freshman Jack Stone goes 0-for-1 on field goals
True freshman kicker Jack Stone went a perfect 5-for-5 on his extra points, but Michigan State's new kicker missed on his only field goal opportunity.
In the third quarter, Stone's first career field goal attempt — a 44-yarder — went wide to the left and kept the scoreboard at 21-10 in favor of the Spartans.
We aren't sounding the alarm bells — it was a true freshman's first attempt, and was far from a chip-shot. Still, that's something to monitor as the season progresses.
Michigan State brought in graduate transfer kicker Ben Patton from Auburn late in fall camp, and he'll be an option for Tucker going forward if Stone struggles.
