Michigan State walked out of its opener with plenty to like on defense and special teams, even if the secondary left a few too many headaches behind.
The Spartans’ front seven set the tone against Toledo. Up front, the defensive line and edge group was the engine of the night, controlling the run game and making life miserable in the trenches.
Toledo managed just 16 rushing attempts for 25 yards, not counting the four quarterback carries for -19 yards, and that kind of suppression doesn’t happen by accident. The one glaring exception was a 71-yard touchdown run that slipped straight through the middle, but outside of that breakdown, Michigan State owned the line of scrimmage.
Eli Coenen was the name that kept popping. He turned in a major sack, flashed the kind of interior disruption that changes drives, and showed why Michigan State made him a priority in the transfer portal. Coenen was consistently in the backfield, stuffing lanes and pressuring the quarterback with the sort of impact that jumps off the tape.
The linebacker group brought its own share of firepower, even with Jordan Hall leaving fans holding their breath after getting injured twice and somehow returning both times. Brady Petzlaff from Gaylord, Michigan, looked the part, flying around the field and finishing with five total tackles. Kenny Soares Jr. added the kind of splash play that swings momentum, collecting the game’s lone interception after tipping the ball to himself for a pass breakup, then ripping it away from the receiver for his first pick as a Spartan.
The problems started showing up behind them. Michigan State’s secondary had stretches where it looked sharp, but the breakdowns were costly.
Charles Brantley was beaten for a 60-yard touchdown in the first half, and Tre Bell had trouble staying attached to his man on several snaps after halftime. Safeties Nikai Martinez and the rest of that unit did help steady things with hard-hitting play, but the cornerback issues were real enough to keep Toledo moving and even helped fuel a fourth-quarter lead.
Bell’s postgame line was that he was glad it was his position group that had the rough night because he knows it can be fixed. That’s the hope. The warning, though, is plain: if the Spartans repeat that kind of coverage against teams like Notre Dame or Oregon, the damage could pile up fast.
Special teams gave Michigan State another boost. Liam Boyd was steady and then some, hitting five of six field-goal tries and setting a personal best twice during the game.
Rhys Dakin had a standout punt, booting one 44 yards and pinning Toledo inside the 20. Boyd’s performance earned him a Lou Groza Award Star, and with only a blocked field goal denting the day, this unit was close to spotless.
Without that block, it would have been an A+ showing.
In Other News...
Michigan State Faces An Early Confidence Test Before Notre Dame
Michigan State gets a quick chance to steady things at home in its second game of the season, with Eastern Michigan coming to East Lansing on Saturday afternoon for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on the Big Ten Network. The Spartans opened with a 30-20 win over Toledo, a result that gave them a baseline to build on as they start stacking games before the schedule gets more demanding.
Eastern Michigan arrives at 1-1 after a loss to San Jose State, and the matchup gives Michigan State a useful early read on where it stands heading toward a bigger test against Notre Dame. Spartans Wires staff has already leaned toward a Michigan State win, but this one is less about outside picks than whether the Spartans can show the kind of consistency that makes an early-season confidence boost mean something. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Has One Chance To Silence A Familiar Letdown Fear
Michigan State heads into its matchup with Eastern Michigan carrying a very familiar kind of pressure, the sort that comes with being expected to handle business and looking for a cleaner night than some recent uneasy moments have offered. The conversation around the game has centered on Alessio Milivojevic settling in at quarterback, the staffs approach to keeping the offense steady, and how the Spartans can avoid letting a supposedly manageable opponent linger into the kind of game that creates noise.
Four Detroit News writers all see Michigan State winning, though with different ideas about how comfortable it might look by the final whistle. Eastern Michigan brings a familiar face in quarterback Noah Kim and enough coaching familiarity to make this more than a throwaway September stop, which is part of why the Spartans cannot afford the kind of flat start that fuels old doubts. A decisive performance would quiet some of that letdown fear, even if the larger questions around consistency remain waiting for another week. [Read more 🡒]
Spartans Showed Fight In First Loss But A Bigger Issue Emerged
Michigan States mens soccer team ran into its first setback of the season Friday night, dropping a 3-1 decision to Kansas City at Durwood Soccer Stadium. The Spartans never found the early footing theyd enjoyed in their unbeaten start, as Kansas City controlled the opening stretch and kept Michigan State chasing for much of the match.
Still, the Spartans did get a second-half response, with Luke Spadafora putting them on the board after Oscar Huerta picked up his second assist of the season. The fight was there, but the larger concern was how quickly Michigan State had to play from behind, and that leaves a familiar test ahead when Northwestern comes to East Lansing next. [Read more 🡒]