2022 Michigan State Spartans football team

2022 Michigan State Spartans football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	East Division
Record	5–7 (3–6 Big Ten)
Head coach	Mel Tucker (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Jay Johnson (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Scottie Hazelton (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Spartan Stadium
Seasons ← 2021 2023 →

2022 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 3 Michigan xy$^		9	–	0					13	–	1
No. 4 Ohio State ^		8	–	1					11	–	2
No. 7 Penn State		7	–	2					11	–	2
Maryland		4	–	5					8	–	5
Michigan State		3	–	6					5	–	7
Indiana		2	–	7					4	–	8
Rutgers		1	–	8					4	–	8
West Division
Purdue xy		6	–	3					8	–	6
Illinois		5	–	4					8	–	5
Iowa		5	–	4					8	–	5
Minnesota		5	–	4					9	–	4
Wisconsin		4	–	5					7	–	6
Nebraska		3	–	6					4	–	8
Northwestern		1	–	8					1	–	11
Championship: Michigan 43, Purdue 22
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2022 Michigan State Spartans football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State University in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans were led by third-year head coach Mel Tucker. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.

The Spartans opened the season ranked No. 15 in the AP poll. After winning the first two games of the season, the Spartans lost four consecutive games against Washington, Minnesota, Maryland, and Ohio State. They rebounded with a double-overtime victory over Wisconsin. However, the Spartans lost three of their final five games, including to rival Michigan, to end the season. They finished the season 5–7, 3–6 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place in the East division. They failed to qualify for a bowl game for the second time in three years.

Previous season

The Spartans finished the 2021 season 11–2, 7–2 in Big Ten play to finish in third place in the East division, and ranked No. 10 in the College Football Playoff.^[1] MSU was selected to participate in the Peach Bowl on December 30, the school's first New Year's Six bowl game since 2015.^[2] The Spartans defeated Pittsburgh 31–21 in the Peach Bowl.^[3]

Running back Kenneth Walker III was a consensus All-American^[4] and became the first Spartan to win the Walter Camp and Doak Walker awards.^[5] Walker led the Spartans and was second in the country with 1,636 rushing yards.^[6] MSU had the nation's worst passing defense, allowing 337.7 yards per game.^[7]

On November 24, 2021, the school announced that they had signed Tucker to a 10-year, $95 million contract extension, allegedly all through donor money, amid speculations of Tucker being sought after for other college and NFL coaching positions.^[8][9]

Offseason

2022 NFL draft

Consensus All-American running back Kenneth Walker III,^[10] offensive lineman Kevin Jarvis,^[11] and wide receiver Jalen Nailor declared for the NFL draft.^[12] After breaking its 80-year streak of having players taken in the NFL draft the previous year, four MSU players were drafted in the 2022 NFL draft.

Round	Pick	Team	Player	Position
2	41	Seattle Seahawks	Kenneth Walker III	RB
6	191	Minnesota Vikings	Jalen Nailor	WR
6	208	Pittsburgh Steelers	Connor Heyward	TE
7	261	Los Angeles Rams	AJ Arcuri	OT

Several other undrafted players signed free agent contracts with NFL teams:^[13]

• Jacub Panasiuk, defensive end, Washington Commanders
• Kevin Jarvis, offensive lineman, Detroit Lions

Coaching changes

On December 4, 2021, cornerbacks coach Travares Tillman took the defensive backs coaching position at his alma mater, Georgia Tech. On December 24, running backs coach William Peagler left MSU to become the tight ends coach at Florida.^[14] On January 13, 2022, the school named Effrem Reed. who had previously served as an offensive analyst with the Spartans, the new running backs coach.^[15] On January 15, the school officially named Brandon Jordan as a pass rush specialist coach.^[16] On January 16, it was announced that defensive line coach Ron Burton was leaving the school after eight years with the Spartans.^[17] On February 8, the school named Georgia Tech assistant Marco Coleman the new defensive line coach.^[18]

Returning players

Leading receiver Jayden Reed announced he would return for another season at MSU.^[19] MSU captain and leading tackler, safety Xavier Henderson, also announced he would return for the 2022 season.^[20]

Transfers

Outgoing

Name	Pos.	New School
Kyle King	DT	Ball State
Tyson Watson	DE	UMass
Cole De Marzo	LB	Wyoming
Ian Stewart	WR	Temple
Kameron Allen	TE	SMU
Jack Camper	DE	Virginia
Trenton Gillison	TE	Youngstown State
James Ohnoba	G	Louisiana
Ricky White	WR	UNLV
C.J. Hayes	S	Syracuse
Michael Gravely Jr.	CB
Nick Chudler	LS
Evan Johnson	K
Emmanuel Flowers	CB	Samford
Michael Dowell	S	Miami (OH)
Alex Okelo	DE
Chase Kline	LB	Eastern Michigan
Kalon Gervin	CB	Kansas

Source^[21]

Incoming

Name	Pos.	Former School
Khris Bogle	LB	Florida
Aaron Brule	LB	Mississippi State
Jacoby Windmon	LB	UNLV
Jalen Berger	RB	Wisconsin
Ameer Speed[22]	DB	Georgia
Jarek Broussard	RB	Colorado
Daniel Barker	TE	Illinois
Brian Greene	OL	Washington State
Ben Patton	K	Auburn

Source^[21]

Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for 2022 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Katin Houser QB	Bellflower, CA	St. John Bosco	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	200 lb (91 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Germie Bernard WR	Henderson, NV	Liberty	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Dillon Tatum ATH	West Bloomfield, MI	West Bloomfield	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jack Nickel TE	Alpharetta, GA	Milton	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	235 lb (107 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Chase Carter DE	Minneapolis MN	Minnehaha Academy	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	225 lb (102 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Alex VanSumeren DL	Essexville, MI	Garber	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	300 lb (140 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jaden Mangham ATH	Franklin, MI	Wylie E. Groves	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Antonio Gates Jr. WR	Dearborn, MI	Fordson	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Caleb Coley CB	Warner Robins, GA	Houston County	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	166 lb (75 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Malik Spencer S	Buford, GA	Buford	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	193 lb (88 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Quavian Carter S	Leesburg, GA	Lee County	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	200 lb (91 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Gavin Broscious OL	Goodyear, AZ	Desert Edge	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	305 lb (138 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Tyrell Henry WR	Roseville, MI	Roseville	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	170 lb (77 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jaron Glover WR	Sarasota, FL	Riverview	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	95 lb (43 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ade Willie CB	Bradenton, FL	IMG Academy	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Malcolm Jones S	Leesburg, GA	Lee County	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
James Schott DE	Greenwood, IN	Center Grove	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	215 lb (98 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ashton Lepo OT	Grand Haven, MI	Grand Haven	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	280 lb (130 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Braden Miller OT	Aurora, CO	Eaglecrest	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	290 lb (130 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Michael Masunas TE	Chandler, AZ	Hamilton	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	235 lb (107 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kristian Phillips OL	Conyers, GA	Salem	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	340 lb (150 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Zion Young DL	Atlanta, GA	Westlake	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	230 lb (100 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jack Stone K	Dallas, TX	Highland Park	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	186 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Scout". Scout.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022.

Personnel

Players

2022 Michigan State Spartans football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 0 Keon Coleman So WR 1 Jayden Reed  Sr RB 2 Harold Joiner  Sr RB 3 Jarek Broussard  Sr WR 3 Terry Lockett Jr Jr WR 4 Germie Bernard Fr QB 5 Hamp Fay  Fr TE 6 Maliq Carr  So WR 7 Antonio Gates Fr RB 8 Jalen Berger  So TE 9 Daniel Barker QB 10 Payton Thorne  Jr WR 11 Tyrell Henry Fr QB 12 Katin Houser Fr WR 13 Sebastian Brown  So QB 14 Noah Kim  So WR 15 Jaron Glover Fr WR 16 Christian Fitzpatrick  So WR 17 Tre Mosley  Jr QB 18 Andrew Schorfhaar  So RB 21 Davion Primm  Fr RB 22 Jordon Simmons Jr RB 24 Elijah Collins  Sr WR 25 Isiah Henderson  So TE 40 Powers Warren  Sr TE 47 Jackson Morse  Jr OL 50 Brian Greene  Sr OT 53 Brandon Baldwin  So G 56 Matt Carrick  Sr OL 58 Spencer Brown  Jr C 59 Nick Samac Sr OL 63 Jacob Lafave  So OT 64 Braden Miller Fr OT 66 Ashton Lepo Fr OL 67 JD Duplain Sr G 68 Gavin Broscious Fr OT 69 Jacob Merritt Fr OL 70 Kevin Wigenton  Fr G 71 Kristian Phillips Fr G 72 Dallas Fincher So OL 74 Geno VanDeMark  Fr OT 75 Ben Nelson Fr OT 76 Andy Hartman Fr OL 77 Ethan Boyd  Fr OT 79 Jarrett Horst  Sr WR 80 Zach Gillespie  So TE 81 Michael Masunas Fr WR 82 Nick Hunter  Jr WR 83 Montorie Foster Jr WR 84 Tyler Vroman Fr WR 85 Cade McDonald  Jr WR 86 Aubrey Dawkins  So TE 87 Jack Nickel Fr WR 89 Alex Waters Fr TE/K 92 Evan Morris  Jr TE 97 Tyler Hunt	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 0 Charles Brantley So S 1 Jaden Mangham Fr EDGE 2 Khris Bogle Sr S 3 Xavier Henderson  Sr LB 4 Jacoby Windmon (S) Sr DE 5 Michael Fletcher  Jr CB 6 Ameer Speed  Sr LB 7 Aaron Brule  Sr DT 8 Simeon Barrow  So CB 9 Ronald Williams  Sr LB 10 Ma'a Gaotetote So LB 11 Quavian Carter Fr CB 12 Chester Kimbrough Sr LB 13 Ben VanSumeren  Sr CB 14 Khary Crump (S)  So S 15 Angelo Grose (S) Jr DE 17 Chase Carter Fr DE 18 Zion Young (S) Fr LB 19 Itayvion Brown (S)  So CB 20 Ade Willie Fr DB 21 Dillon Tatum  Fr LB 23 Darius Snow  Jr CB 24 Malcolm Jones (S) Fr DE 26 Brandon Wright (S) Sr LB 27 Cal Haladay  So S 28 Tate Hallock  Jr CB 29 Marquis Lowery  So CB 30 Justin White (S)  Jr LB 31 Kobe Myers  So DE 32 James Schott Fr CB 33 Kendell Brooks Sr S 34 Khalil Majeed  Fr LB 35 Sam Edwards  So CB 37 Caleb Coley Fr DB 39 Joey Silveri Fr S 40 AJ Kirk  Fr DT 41 Derrick Harmon  Fr LB 42 Carson Casteel  Fr S 43 Malik Spencer Fr DE 47 Jeff Pietroski Jr LB 56 Jay Coyne Fr DT 57 Evan Brunning  Jr DT 64 Jacob Slade  Sr DT 91 Alex VanSumeren Fr DT 94 Dashaun Mallory  Sr DR 97 Maverick Hansen  Jr DE 98 Avery Dunn So DT 99 Jalen Hunt  Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 19 Jack Stone Fr LS 31 Hank Pepper So LS 92 Michael Donovan  Fr P 96 Ryan Eckley Fr K 98 Stephen Rusnak So P 99 Bryce Baringer  Sr	Head coach Mel Tucker Coordinators/assistant coaches Chris Kapilovic (assistant head coach/offensive line/run game coordinator) Scottie Hazelton (defensive coordinator) Jay Johnson (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) Harlon Barnett (Secondary) Marco Coleman (defensive line/run game coordinator) Ross Els (special teams coordinator) Ted Gilmore (tight ends) Courtney Hawkins (wide receivers) Efrem Reed (running backs) Brandon Jordan (Pass Rush Specialist) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: November 28, 2022

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Season
Mel Tucker	Head coach	3rd
Chris Kapilovic	Assistant head coach/offensive line/run game coordinator	3rd
Jay Johnson	Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks	3rd
Scottie Hazelton	Defensive coordinator	3rd
Ted Gilmore	Tight ends	3rd
Courtney Hawkins	Wide receivers	3rd
Harlon Barnett	Secondary	14th
Ross Els	Special Teams/linebackers	3rd
Effrem Reed	Running backs	1st
Marco Coleman	Defensive line	1st
Brandon Jordan	Pass rush specialist	1st

Schedule

On January 12, the Big Ten released the full, revised schedules for the conference.^[23]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	7:00 p.m.	Western Michigan*	No. 15	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	ESPN2	W 35–13	73,928
September 10	4:00 p.m.	Akron*	No. 14	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	BTN	W 52–0	70,079
September 17	7:30 p.m.	at Washington*	No. 11	Husky Stadium Seattle, WA	ABC	L 28–39	68,161
September 24	3:30 p.m.	Minnesota		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	BTN	L 7–34	74,587
October 1	3:30 p.m.	at Maryland		Maryland Stadium College Park, MD	FS1	L 13–27	30,559
October 8	4:00 p.m.	No. 3 Ohio State		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	ABC	L 20–49	72,809
October 15	4:00 p.m.	Wisconsin		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	FOX	W 34–28 2OT	72,526
October 29	7:30 p.m.	at No. 4 Michigan		Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	ABC	L 7–29	111,083
November 5	3:30 p.m.	at No. 16 Illinois		Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	BTN	W 23–15	56,092
November 12	12:00 p.m.	Rutgers		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	BTN	W 27–21	63,267
November 19	12:00 p.m.	Indiana		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI (rivalry)	BTN	L 31–39 2OT	56,136
November 26	4:00 p.m.	at No. 11 Penn State		Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	FS1	L 16–35	105,154
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 1) - Released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[24]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	15	14	11	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	14	11	9	21	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
CFP	Not released									—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Game summaries

Western Michigan

In the first game of the season, the Spartans, ranked No. 15 (AP) in the country, faced Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium. The game marked the first time that MSU starting quarterback Payton Thorne would face his father, Jeff Thorne, the new offensive coordinator for the Broncos.^[26]

Michigan State got the ball first, but went three-and-out and WMU also followed with a punt. The Spartans were forced to punt again on the ensuing possession. The Broncos moved into MSU territory on their next possession before stalling at the Spartans 10 yard line and settling for a field goal to give WMU the early 3–0 lead. MSU answered quickly, moving into Bronco territory in four plays before freshman wide receiver Germie Bernard caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Payton Thorne to give the Spartans the 7–3 lead. The MSU defensed forced a three-and-out on the next possession and the Spartans again moved into WMU territory. Early in the second quarter, Thorne threw his second touchdown pass of the game, a one-handed grab by Illinois tight end transfer Daniel Barker to move the MSU lead to 14–3. Following another punt by Western Michigan, the Spartans scored on a two-play drive that ended with Thorne's third touchdown pass of the season, this one to Keon Coleman. Trailing 21–3, The Broncos moved deep into MSU territory, but a sack and forced fumble by Jacoby Windmon was recovered by MSU cornerback Charles Kimbrough to end the WMU drive. Following a punt by the Spartans, the Broncos again moved into MSU territory, but a fumble by WMU running back Sean Tyler was recovered by Simeon Barrow to again end the drive. After moving to the 26 yard line, Thorne was intercepted and WMU took over with 44 seconds left in the half. Western Michigan chose to run out the clock and the game went to halftime with MSU up 21–3.

Following a WMU punt to start the third quarter, the Spartans moved to midfield before running Jalen Berger fumbled the ball and the Broncos recovered to end the drive. A 45-yard run by WMU's Tyler set the Broncos up at the MSU four and Tyler capped the drive with a rushing touchdown to narrow MSU's lead to 21–10. The Spartans responded by moving to the WMU 27, but the drive stalled and the Spartans were forced to attempt a field goal. The 44-yard attempt was no good and the Broncos took over at the 27. They again moved into Spartan territory, but were forced to settle for a 42-yard field goal to narrow the lead to eight points. As the fourth quarter began, MSU was forced to punt again. Following a WMU punt, the Spartans turned to the run game, led by Berger. Four straight rushes by Berger left MSU at WMU's one yard line and a fifth rush by Berger on fourth down put MSU in the end zone for the first in the second half. Trailing 28–12, WMU went for it on fourth down with under five minutes remaining, but were unsuccessful, setting the Spartans up at the Bronco 43. On the first play of the drive, Thorne threw his fourth touchdown on the day, this to Tre Mosley, to push MSU's lead to 35–13 with just over four minutes left in the game. The Broncos could not get out of their own end on the ensuing drive and were forced to punt which allowed MSU to runout the clock. The 35–13 win moved MSU to 1–0 on the season.

Payton Thorne threw four touchdowns in the win, but only completed 50% of his passes. Jalen Berger rushed for 120 of MSU's 197 yards on the ground in the win. MSU defensive end Jacoby Windmon had four sacks in the game and was named the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week. He was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Played of the Week.^[27] He was also named national defensive player of the week by Reese's Senior Bowl.^[28]

Akron

In game two of the season, the Spartans, now ranked No. 14 (AP), welcomed Akron to Spartan Stadium, marking the teams' first game against each other since 1914.^[30] The Spartans were without top defenders linebacker Darius Snow, who was injured in the prior game and will miss the rest of the season, and safety Xavier Henderson.^[31]

The Spartans won the toss and deferred to the second half, so Akron received the ball first. The Zips were able to move into MSU territory fairly easily as mobile quarterback DJ Irons moved through the Spartan defense. However, Irons's pass to TJ Banks was fumbled by Banks at the MSU 20 and Cal Haladay picked up the ball and returned it 21 yards to the MSU 41. Jalen Berger gouged the Zips defense and Payton Thorne hit Jayden Reed to put the ball at the Akron seven. Jarek Broussard took over at running back and moved the ball to the on and then into the end zone to give MSU the early 7–0 lead. The teams exchanged punts on their next possessions before the Zips turned it over again on forced fumble by Jacoby Windmon. Maverick Hansen recovered the ball at the Akron 45. Broussard took over the majority of the possession, but Berger came in with the ball at the and scored his first touchdown of the day as the Spartans went ahead 14–0. Following an Akron punt early in the second quarter, Thorne was intercepted after being hit while throwing the ball and the Spartans turned the ball over to the Zips at the Akron 45. The MSU defense was able to keep the Zips from scoring and forced a punt. On the ensuing possession, the Spartans moved to midfield, but came up short on a fourth down try turning the ball over on downs. With Akron quarterback Irons injured and out of the game, the Zips still took over in MSU territory. However, another fumble, the third on the day was recovered at the MSU 40 giving the ball back to the Spartans. The Spartans again moved the Akron one and Berger scored his second touchdown of the game to move the lead to 21–0. Following a punt by the Zips, the Spartans took over with 57 second left in the half. As time ran out, Jack Stone kicked his first field goal from 43 yards to give MSU the 24–0 halftime lead.

With the Spartans starting the half with the ball, Thorne was intercepted on the first play from scrimmage on a deep pass that resulted with Akron taking over at their own 30. Two plays later, Haladay sacked Zips' backup quarterback Jeff Undercuffer and forced a fumble that was recovered by MSU at the Akron 20. It was the fourth turnover of the game, all fumbles, by Akron. Thorne, who was shaken up when hit while throwing the interception on the previous drive, was replaced by Noah Kim. On the second play of the drive, Kim threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tre Mosely to give MSU a 31–0 lead. Following a punt by Akron, Thorne returned to the game and MSU turned to the running game as Berger and Broussard moved MSU to the Akron two before Broussard scored his second touchdown of the game further extending the Spartan lead. Following another Akron punt, the MSU run game again moved the ball into Zips' territory and Berger scored his third touchdown of the game and giving MSU a 45–0. An Elijah Collins rushing touchdown on the next drive for the Spartans finished the scoring. With backups in for the fourth quarter, no team could score as MSU won 52–0. The win moved MSU to 2–0 on the season.

Payton Thorne struggled in the game, throwing two interceptions, but did complete 64% of his passes. Jalen Berger again rushed for over 100 yards while Jarek Broussard added 81 yards as the Spartans scored from the ground on six of their seven touchdowns. For the second consecutive week, Jacoby Windmon was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after notching 1.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.^[32]

Washington

The newly ranked No. 11 (AP)^[33] Spartans traveled to face Washington for the team's first road game of the season.^[34] Washington's quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a former player for Indiana, had faced the Spartans twice previously.

Washington immediately took control of the game driving quickly into Spartan territory and scored an eight-yard touchdown pass by Penix to give the Huskies the early 7–0 lead. MSU managed one first down on the next possession before punting. The Huskies again moved quickly into MSU territory, but were stuffed on fourth down from the one giving MSU the ball back at their own two. However, on the first play from scrimmage, Jarek Broussard slipped coming out of the backfield and did not make it out of the end zone resulting in a safety and a 9–0 Washington lead. The ensuing free kick went out of bounds and the Huskies quickly scored again to move the lead 16–0 early in the second quarter. Following another punt by the Spartans, the Huskies continued to gash the Spartan secondary and Penix threw his second touchdown pass of the game to balloon the lead to 22–0. The Spartans embarked on a 15-play, 75-yard drive including two fourth down conversions and capped off by Payton Thorne's touchdown pass to Keon Coleman. The two-point conversion, also from Thorne to Coleman drew the Spartans within 14. Needing a stop to keep the game in question with 1:22 left in the half, the Spartans defense continued its poor play and Penix quickly threw his third touchdown of the game as the lead moved to 29–8 at the half.

Getting the ball first in the third quarter, Thorne hit Tre Mosley for a 26-yard touchdown pass. With a failed two-point conversion, the lead was reduced to 29–14. The MSU defense was exploited again by Penix on the ensuing possession and he threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game as the lead moved to 36–14 with just under 11 minutes left in the third quarter. MSU was forced to punt following a sack of Thorne on a third-and-20 play and the Huskies took over with 4:27 left in the quarter. For the first time in the game, the Spartans forced a Washington punt albeit with the Huskies choosing to take time off the clock more than in their previous possessions. As the game moved to the fourth quarter, the Spartans chose to go for it on fourth down from their own 24 and failed. The Huskies moved to the MSU one, but turned the ball over on downs. Payton Thorne was intercepted on the next play and the Huskies added a field goal to pus the lead to 25. An Elijah Collins rushing touchdown narrowed the lead to 39–20 when the two-point conversion failed. A failed onside kick resulted in a Huskies' punt. Thorne threw his third touchdown pass of the game, his second to Keon Coleman, but the two-point conversion failed. With 5:17 remaining in the game and trailing 39–28, the Spartans again attempted an onside kick, but the Huskies recovered. Following a Washington punt, the Spartans were able to move to midfield, but turned the ball over on downs with less than three minutes left in the game. The Huskies were successfully able to run out the clock to win the game 39–28.

The Spartan pass defense, the worst in FBS the prior season, allowed 397 yards in the game as they were gashed time and again by Michael Penix Jr. Payton Thorne played well in the defeat, throwing for 323 yards and three touchdowns. The Spartan rush game was a disaster, only gaining 42 yards in the game. The loss dropped the Spartans to 2–1 on the season.

Minnesota

Following the humbling loss to the Huskies, the Spartans dropped out of the AP poll^[35] while remaining ranked at No. 21 in the coaches poll.^[36] They returned home to face Minnesota in the first conference game of the season.

Once again, the Spartan defense was decimated by the opponent as the Gophers scored on their first possession, easily moving down the field to take a 7–0 lead. Following a three-and-out for MSU, the Gophers embarked on a nine-play drive as they again moved downfield easily and pushed the lead to 14–0. Following another three-and-out for the Spartan offense, the Gophers into MSU territory, but the drive stalled at the eight. A field goal by Minnesota moved the lead to 17–0 early in the second quarter. The Spartans got two first downs on their next drive, but Payton Thorne was intercepted on fourth down setting Minnesota up at their own 33. After moving to the Spartan 24, a fumble gave the Spartans the ball again with 4:41 left in the half. MSU was only able to move to midfield before being forced to punt again. Minnesota moved to midfield on the ensuing possession, but the clock ran out as they went to halftime with a 17-point lead.

Looking to get back into the game to start the third quarter, the Spartans moved into Gopher territory before Thorne fumbled the ball at the Minnesota six, ending the drive. Minnesota answered with a 12-play, 90-yard drive to move the lead to 24–0. On the next possession for the Spartans, Thorne was intercepted again setting Minnesota up at the MSU 28. As the game moved to the fourth quarter, the Gophers scored their fourth touchdown of the game moving their lead to 31 points with 14:08 left in the game. Following yet another punt by MSU, the Gophers wen on a 15 play, 76-yard drive that took over 10 minutes before settling for a field goal to push the lead to 34–0 with 1:48 left in the game. MSU went to backups and the Spartans moved quickly downfield before Noah Kim hit Germie Bernard for a 27-yard touchdown to notch the first Spartan points of the game with 17 seconds left in the game. The Gophers ran out the clock to earn the 34–7 win.

MSU's defense was thrashed once again, allowing 268 yards through the air and 240 yards rushing. MSU's offense struggled mightily only gaining 240 yards compared to Minnesota's 508 yards. Minnesota dominated the game, running 74 plays to MSU's 45. The loss dropped the Spartans to 2–2 on the season and 0–1 in Big Ten play.

Maryland

No. 3 Ohio State

Wisconsin

No. 4 Michigan

No. 16 Illinois

Rutgers

Indiana

No. 11 Penn State

References