MSU Special Teams Summary: What Stood Out Against UW

While the Spartans may have lost, their special teams still shone.

Nov 14, 2026; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans kicker Liam Boyd (37) watches his kick go wide during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Spartans have officially been ruled out of bowl game contention after losing their seventh game of the year, this time against the Washington Huskies, but it was an amazing fight that had a lot of opportunities to swing the other way.

Now that the Spartans do not have an extra game to fight for and work towards, it is time to look at the performances of the players on the team this year to see who performed and maybe underperformed.

The special teams unit has been very consistent for the Spartans. They have shone in almost every way, week in and week out.

But were they able to do that against the Huskies in a game that could have been changed if they were given more chances to do what they do best? Or did they miss the mark when the lights got bright?

Special Teams Summary, Bright Amidst Dark: Rhys Dakin

• As always, the player that I would wager is the best on the team, even though that sounds incredibly far-fetched, was able to put together another masterclass against Washington.

• Dakin had a total of five punts to work with on the night, and he almost reached the 200-yard mark among all of those kicks, averaging a great 39.6 yards per punt; however, the more important part is the fact that Dakin was able to land three of his punts within the 20-yard line.

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• With a defense that is getting back into the swing of things despite a bunch of injuries still being around, those punts could have been monumental if the team had taken advantage of them.

Special Teams Summary, Bright Amidst Dark: Liam Boyd

• It does not sound like Boyd had a good day at first glance, as he missed his only field goal attempt, but the kick was from very far out, and it just barely missed the uprights. If the wind had changed a little bit, the kick would have been good, but it ultimately ended up not mattering anyway.

• Regardless, Boyd was able to do what he could to the best of his ability, and if he had been given more, there is a world where MSU wins instead of Washington.

Special Teams Summary, Bright Amidst Dark: Returning

• The return game was as good as you could ask for, which isn't much. As a whole, kick returns averaged 21.5 yards per return, and punt returns averaged 9.3 yards per return, but nothing was big enough to give MSU a huge advantage.