The Washington Huskies hit the road for the first time this season. They face a familiar for but with a new head coach after Michigan State’s Mel Tucker was suspended indefinitely.
Here’s our Michigan State preview:
Opponent First Look: Michigan State Spartans
2022 Season Recap:
Head Coach: Mel Tucker (Career Record: 24-21)
Michigan State finished the 2022 season with a 5-7 overall record and went 3-6 in Big Ten play to finish fifth in the Big Ten East Division standings. Due to injuries MSU started 44 different players overall (17 offense, 27 defense), fifth most of any team in the country. The Spartans opened the season with home nonconference wins over Western Michigan and Akron. The win over the Akron was MSU’s first shutout win at home since 2016.
After starting 2-0 Michigan State confidently came in to Seattle to face the Washington Huskies. The Huskies would proceed to bring Michigan State back down to earth, on its first series to quickly go up 7-0 as Penix threw an 8-yard TD pass to Ja’Lynn Polk. Later in the first, the Spartans stopped the Huskies on four consecutive runs inside the MSU 1-yard line, but on the ensuing series, Jarek Broussard was stopped for a safety, making it 9-0 in favor of Washington.
The Huskies then took advantage of good field position, driving 50 yards on just six plays, capped by a Cameron Davis 1-yard touchdown run. Washington increased its lead to 22-0 on a 19-yard Penix touchdown pass to Taulapapa.The Spartans finally got on the board at the 1:30 mark in the second quarter as Thorne found Coleman in the end zone on fourth down for a 7-yard score. Coleman also caught the two-point conversion pass to cut into the Huskies lead, 22-8; however, Penix drove the Huskies down the field just before the half and threw his third TD pass of the first half with a 17-yard strike to Polk in the back corner of the end zone.
MSU received the ball first to start the second half and drove 75 yards on eight plays for a touchdown as Mosley caught a 26-yard pass in the end zone on fourth-and-6 from the UW 26 making it 29-14. On the ensuing series, Washington answered with another touchdown pass by Penix, this time a 53-yarder to Polk for his third TD reception of the game to put UW on top, 36-14, with 11:02 remaining in the third. In the fourth quarter, the Huskies tacked on a field goal to go up, 39-14, but the Spartans rallied back with two touchdowns to cut the margin to 39-28.
Spartan quarterback Payton Thorne completed 30-of-42 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore wide receiver Keon Coleman recorded career highs in receptions (9), receiving yards (116) and touchdown catches (2). On defense three Spartans had eight tackles each, Kendell Brooks, Simeon Barrow, and Cal Haladay. Washington Husky Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. would finish the day 24-of-40 passing for 397 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Huskies.
After losing to Washington, MSU would go on to lose each of the next 3 weeks against Minnesota, Maryland, and Ohio St. This was the low point in the Spartans season but then they won three of its next four games over Wisconsin, Illinois and Rutgers. Once Starting safety Xavier Henderson and defensive tackle Jacob Slade returning to the starting lineup after they had suffered injuries earlier in the season gave the Spartans the boost they need to start their run with a 34-28 double overtime win over Wisconsin.
The Spartans proceeded to win on the road at Illinois on Nov. 5 as the Fighting Illini entered the game ranked. No. 14 in the country. With the win at No. 14 Illinois, MSU head coach Mel Tucker became the first FBS coach with four wins against AP ranked opponents on the road over the past four seasons. The Spartans fell in their final two games to Indiana and Penn State to finish at 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) for the season.
Week 1 Western Mich. – Win – (35-13) – 233 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TDs – 197 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
Week 2 Akron University – Win – (52-0) – 236 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TDs – 260 Rushing Yards, 6 Rushing TDs
Week 3 @ Washington – Loss – (28-39) – 323 Passing Yards, 3 Passing TD – 42 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
Week 4 Minnesota – Loss – (7-34) – 202 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 38 Rushing Yards, 0 Rushing TD
Week 5 @Maryland – Loss – (13-27) – 221 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 100 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
Week 6 Ohio State – Loss – (20-49) – 195 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 7 Rushing Yards, 0 Rushing TD
Week 7 Wisconsin – Win – (34-28) – 290 Passing Yards, 3 Passing TDs – 99 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TDs
Week 8 @ Michigan – Loss – (7-29) – 215 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 37 Rushing Yards, 0 Rushing TD
Week 9 @ Illinois – Win – (23-15) – 182 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 112 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
Week 10 Rutgers – Win – (27-21) – 256 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 197 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
Week 11 Indiana – Loss – (31-39) – 298 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 242 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TDs
Week 12 Penn St – Loss – (16-35) – 229 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 25 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
2022 Offense:
24.4 Points per game, 240 Passing Yards per game, 113 Rushing Yards per game, 23 Passing TDs, 16 Rushing TDs
2022 Defense:
27.4 Points per game allowed, 237.9 Passing Yards allowed, 178.6 Rushing Yards allowed, 26 Passing TDs allowed, 14 Rushing TDs allowed
| Category | Stat Avg. | Big Ten | NCAA |
| Rushing Offense | 113.0 | 12th | 111th |
| Passing Offense | 240.0 | 5th | 58th |
| Total Offense | 353.0 | 9th | 97th |
| Scoring Offense | 24.4 | 8th | 91st |
| Rushing Defense | 178.6 | 12th | 102nd |
| Passing Defense | 237.9 | 13th | 87th |
| Total Defense | 416.5 | 13th | 101st |
| Scoring Defense | 27.4 | 10th | 76th |
| Passing Efficiency | 133.9 | 8th | 64th |
| Pass Efficieny | 155.7 | 14th | 125th |
| Defense Turnover Margin | -0.33 | 11th | 97th |
| Net Punting | 45.5 | 1st | 1st |
Key Losses from 2022 team:
- QB – Payton Thorne – 2679 Passing Yards, 19 Passing TDs, 11 INT, 1 Rushing TD
- WR – Keon Coleman – 58 Catches, 798 Receiving Yards, 7 Receiving TDs
- WR – Jayden Reed – 55 Catches, 636 Receiving Yards, 5 Receiving TDs
- WR – Germie Bernard -7 Catches, 128 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TDs
- CB – Ameer Speed – 62 Tackles, 5 Pass Deflections
- S – Xavier Henderson – 38 Tackles, 3 TFL, 2 Forced Fumbles
- DT – Jacob Slade – 20 Tackles, 3.5 TFL, .5 Sacks
2023 Michigan St Spartans:
Head Coach: Mel Tucker (Suspended)
Interim Head Coach: DB Coach Harlon Barnett
Coaching Changes:
Diron Reynolds – defensive line coach
Jim Salgado – cornerbacks coach
Key Returners:
RB – Jalen Berger – JR – 2022 Stats: 148 Carries 683 Rushing Yards 6 Rushing TDs
WR – Tre Mosley – SR – 2022 Stats: 35 Catches 359 Receiving Yards 4 Receiving TDs
TE – Malik Carr – JR – 2022 Stats: 16 Catches 209 Receiving Yards 2 Receiving TDs
LB – Cal Haladay – JR – 2022 Stats: 120 Tackles 11 TFL 1.5 Sacks
LB – Jacoby Windmon – SR – 2022 Stats: 49 Tackles 10.5 TFL 5.5 Sacks
Impact Newcomers:
RB – Nathan Carter – SO – UConn Transfer
DL – Tunmise Adeleye – FR – Texas A&M Transfer
2023 Preview:
Offense:
Michigan State wasn’t able to build off an 11-2 record and No. 9 finish in 2021 last season as the program regressed to 5-7. At the end of spring practice, Michigan State was slated to return its leading receiver, rusher and quarterback, along with the five offensive linemen who started from a unit that ranked in the middle third of the Big Ten in total offense and scoring offense. However, expected starting quarterback Payton Thorne and No. 1 receiver Keon Coleman both opted to enter the transfer portal. The departure of Thorne to Auburn and Coleman to Florida State left a void offensively for the Spartans and added pressure to find the right answer at both spots. Noah Kim is in line to be the starter at QB but has played in only four games and attempted 19 passes since arriving on campus in ’20. If this Michigan St squad is going to return to the postseason, the Spartans need a big year from Noah Kim at quarterback.
With Keon Coleman, Jayden Reed, and Germie Bernard no longer catching passes in East Lansing, the Spartans are going to be looking for capable replacements. Michigan State has a group of talented young wide receivers, but the unit will be led by fifth-year graduate senior Tre Mosley, who has played in 36 games, including 21 starts. Over the past four seasons Mosley has given the Spartans steady production with 98 career receptions for 1,176 yards and eight touchdowns in his career. Last season, he matched his career high with 35 receptions for 359 yards and had a career-best four touchdown catches. Senior Montorie Foster Jr. also has starting experience and will look to increase his production after battling an injury last season. Sophomore Tyrell Henry will look to have an expanded role in the offense this fall, along with redshirt freshmen Antonio Gates Jr. and Jaron Glover. The young trio all showed promising signs during spring practice and will continue to work on their development in preseason camp head- ing into the season.
RB should be the strongest position group on offense as Michigan State was able to return proven production from their offense last season in RS-JR Jalen Berger who posted career highs in rushing yards (683), carries (148) and rushing TDs (6) while starting 11 of 12 games last season. Even with their 2022 leading rusher returning the Spartans went into the transfer portal and added Nathan Carter who has three seasons of eligibility remaining after playing in only four games last season for the Huskies before suffering a season-ending injury. He rushed for 983 yards on 190 carries with three TDs in two seasons (2021-22) at UConn, including a team- leading 578 yards as a freshman in 2021. After a strong spring Nathan Carter looks like he has taken the number one spot from Berger but both guys will get their opportunities.
Michigan State returns five players with starting experience on the offensive line, led by multi-year fifth-year senior starters J.D. Duplain and Nick Samac, who are both using their extra year of eligibility in 2023. Duplain has been an anchor at left guard for the Spartans, starting 30 consecutive games at the position, and the four-year letterwinner has a started a total of 35 games in his career while playing in 42 overall. Samac, who was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, started all 12 games at center last fall. He played a career-high 803 snaps in 2022, most on the Spartan offense, and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. Graduate fifth-year senior Spencer Brown also started all 12 games last season at right tackle and has a streak of 13 consecutive starts at the position heading into the fall. Redshirt junior Brandon Baldwin took over the starting role at left tackle the final four games of the 2022 season and gained valuable experience while playing a total of 405 offensive snaps. It was Baldwin’s first season playing at the FBS level after redshirting in 2021 following two years at Independence Community College. Redshirt sophomore Geno VanDeMark earned starting assignments at right guard the last two games of the season and will look to have an increased role on the offensive line heading into his third season in East Lansing.
Defense:
Michigan State has ranked No. 101 and 111 in total defense the past two seasons. Last season, due to injuries and suspensions, 27 different players made starts on defense, making it nearly impossible to build consistency. Michigan State returns plenty of depth and experience along the defensive line this season, in addition to welcoming in highly touted transfers and recruits.
Along the interior, three Spartans return with starting experience, led by Simeon Barrow. Barrow started 10 games at defensive tackle last season and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades while recording career highs in tackles (40), tackles for loss (9) and sacks (4). Maverick Hansen collected a career-high 41 tackles in 12 games last season, including starting twice. Redshirt sophomore Derrick Harmon started five games in 2022 and registered 30 tackles, including three TFLs and two sacks.
Four different guys with starting experience last year are back at edge this season, Khris Bogle, Avery Dunn, Brandon Wright and Zion Young. Bogle, a Florida transfer and former top-100 recruit, only played in the first four games last season before suffering a season-ending injury vs. Minnesota in Week 4 but is expected to have a big impact this year. Tunmise Adeleye, a top-40 recruit in the Class of 2021, enrolled in January after spending two seasons at Texas A&M and will look to make an immediate impact on the Spartan pass rush.
The linebackers, coached by Defensive Coordinator Scottie Hazelton, are loaded with experience as Cal Haladay and Jacoby Windmon both elected to come back to Michigan State in 2023. Windmon, who transferred to MSU from UNLV in 2022, burst onto the scene with four sacks in his Spartan debut against Western Michigan to earn Big Ten and National Defensive Player of the Week honors. He became just the sixth Big Ten player to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades three times in one season. The New Orleans native, who led the team in TFLs (10.5) and sacks (5.5) and ranked first in the nation with six forced fumbles, returned to his natural position of inside linebacker in the spring and will be starting there this season. Redshirt junior Darius Snow, who began last season at linebacker after playing in the secondary his first two seasons, unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 last season. He will look to bounce back this season after a promising sophomore year in 2021 and could possibly make his season debut this week.
The Spartans feature a number of promising players in the secondary and also return starters with multiple years of experience in addition to bolstering their depth through the transfer portal. At cornerback, Charles Brantley took over a full-time starting role during his second season in East Lansing and led the team with six pass break-ups to go along with 48 tackles, 2.0 TFLs and one interception in 11 starts. Senior Angelo Grose will start at Nickel this season. He has started games at both safety and nickelback the past three seasons and has started a total of 25 games overall since his arrival on campus in 2020.
Sophomores Dillon Tatum, Jaden Mangham, and Malik Spencer all gained valuable experience during their true freshmen season in 2022 and will look to have an even greater impact in the secondary in 2023. Mangham and Spencer are starting at safety this season and are rising stars, but there will still be a learning curve for the young duo. Through two weeks this season the Spartans have the 5th ranked pass defense in the country.To have extended success this year the secondary must continue to play as a unit without the busts that have hampered Michigan State in recent years.
2023 Starting Lineup:
QB – Noah Kim – JR – 6’ 2” 185 LBs – #10
RB –Nathan Carter – SO – 5’ 10” 200 LBs -#5
WR – Montorie Foster – SR – 6’ 0” 185 LBs – #83
WR – Jaron Glover – FR – 6’ 1” 205 LBs – #15
WR – Tre Mosley – SR – 6’ 2” 200 LBs – #17
TE- Maliq Carr – JR – 6’ 6” 260 LBs – #6
Lt – Brandon Baldwin – JR – 6’ 7” 315 LBs – #53
Lg – JD Duplain – SR – 6’ 4” 305 LBs – #67
C – Nick Samac – SR – 6’ 4” 305 LBs – #59
Rg – Geno Van De Mark – SO – 6’ 4” 320 LBs – #74
Rt – Spencer Brown – SR – 6’ 6” 315 LBs – #58
DE – Khris Bogle – SR – 6’ 4” 245 LBs – #2
DT – Derrick Harmon – SO – 6’ 5” 320 LBs – #41
NT – Simeon Barrow – JR – 6’ 3” 290 LBs – #8
DE – Zion Young – SO – 6’ 6” 265 LBs – #9
MLB – Jacoby Windmon – SR – 6’ 2” 250 LBs – #4
WLB – Cal Haladay – JR – 6’ 1” 235 LBs – #27
Nickel – Angelo Grose – SR – 5’ 10” 185 LBs – #15
FS – Jaden Mangham – SO – 6’ 2” 185 LBs – #1
CB – Charles Brantley – JR – 6’ 0” 170 LBs – #0
CB – Dillon Tatum – SO – 5’ 11” 200 LBs – #21
SS – Malik Spencer – SO – 6’ 1” 195 LBs – #43
