Eli Coenen wasted little time making his presence felt for Michigan State.
The 6-foot-6, 287-pound defensive tackle arrived from Illinois this year, and he already looks like the kind of interior force the Spartans can build around. Against Toledo on Friday night, Coenen helped anchor a defensive front that spent most of the game choking off the Rockets’ ground attack.
Michigan State allowed 20 rushing attempts for 77 yards, but that number came with one glaring exception. Toledo’s Connor Walendzak broke loose for a 71-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, bursting through the middle and outrunning the rest of the defense to the end zone. Without that one play, the Rockets managed just 19 carries for six yards.
That’s the kind of dominance Michigan State saw from its defensive line once the game settled in. Coenen and Ben Roberts were challenged early, but after the opening series the tackles began to tighten up their lanes and control their gaps.
Coenen finished with three total tackles and a sack, part of a Spartan pass rush that recorded two sacks and kept pressure on Toledo’s quarterback throughout the night, even when the finish wasn’t always there.
For Michigan State, the trench work is going to define a lot of what this team becomes on both sides of the ball. And on defense, Coenen already looks like a player who understands the job: absorb contact, hold the point, and make life miserable for anyone trying to run between the tackles.
The box score shows the sack and the tackles. The real value was bigger than that.
In Other News...
Michigan State Found A New Edge Fans Noticed Against Toledo
Michigan State did not need a perfect offensive afternoon to handle Toledo, and that was a big part of the appeal in the 30-20 win. The Spartans leaned on special teams in a way fans could feel, with transfer kicker Liam Boyd stepping into his debut and immediately becoming a difference-maker. His five field goals gave the game a steadier rhythm and added points whenever drives stalled, while the rest of the kicking operation helped turn a close opener into a more controlled result.
Boyds impact stood out even more because it came with a personal best and a program mark in his first game, capped by a 51-yard kick that showed plenty of range. Michigan State also got useful work from other special teams pieces, and coach Pat Fitzgerald pointed to the groups aggressive mindset afterward. For a team still sorting out its identity, the Spartans found an edge in a phase of the game that does not always decide headlines, but can shape them just the same. [Read more 🡒]
Young Spartans Already Put Michigan State's Depth Chart On Notice
Michigan State used a lot of bodies in its Week 1 win over Toledo, and the group that stood out most may have been the younger one. The Spartans played 54 players in all, giving first- and second-year contributors a real chance to show where they fit as the season takes shape. That included Marvis Parrish at running back, Jayden Savoury at tight end, Bryson Williams at receiver, and a handful of young defenders such as Derrick Simmons, Cal Thrush, DiMari Malone and Jonathan Granby.
For a program still sorting out its rotation, that kind of early usage matters because it offers an immediate glimpse at who can handle more than just developmental reps. The snaps were spread around, but the depth chart never really feels settled in September, and Michigan State now has more film on several young Spartans who made themselves part of the conversation right away. What happens next with those roles will be worth watching as the competition inside the roster begins to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Women Have A Real Chance To Climb This Week
Michigan States womens golf team gave itself a workable starting point at the Folds of Honor Collegiate, opening at American Dunes Golf Club with a round that left the Spartans in the middle of the pack and within striking distance. Kansas set the early pace at 4-under par, but the first round did not produce separation across much of the leaderboard, which keeps plenty of teams in play as the event moves on.
The Spartans were steadied by sophomore Sarisa Pojanalai and senior Keeley Marx, who matched rounds of 1-over par 73 to give Michigan State a pair of reliable scores. In a tournament where one clean round can change the picture quickly, that kind of balanced start gives the Spartans a chance to keep climbing if the rest of the lineup can follow suit. [Read more 🡒]