Michigan State football: What's made the Spartans hum through 5 weeks?
If you say you picked Michigan State to start 5-0 and have an early Heisman candidate on its roster, well, you’d be a damn liar — because you know you never made such a prediction.
The Spartans are No. 11 in the country under second-year coach Mel Tucker and have RB Kenneth Walker III being mentioned in early Heisman talks.
Yeah, nobody saw this coming.
This was never even a thought that could have been logically entertained 6 weeks ago, right?
Whether it's a violent change of direction, a lowering of the shoulder or a stiff arm to the sideline, forcing missed tackles can be game-changing plays.@MSU_Football RB Kenneth Walker III leads the country in all of them, climbing up Heisman & draft boards alike.
📝 @PFF ⤵️
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) September 24, 2021
Well, it’s true.
Michigan State has a star-in-the-making at RB, a solid QB in Payton Thorne, one of the most dangerous players around in WR/KR/PR Jayden Reed, and a reliable option in WR Jalen “Speedy” Nailor.
Plus, that O-line has looked really good through 5 games.
All kinds of sparkplugs
As mentioned earlier this week, Jayden Reed is one dangerous dude. Magic happens when he touches the ball. Punt return, catch, end-around or jet sweep … doesn’t matter. He’s electric and has supplied energy. Because of him, the Spartans have the No. 1-ranked punt return in the nation.
He’s also the No. 3-ranked WR in the Big Ten, in terms of overall statistics, averaging 92.6 yards per game and 23.2 per grab.
Take a look at Nailor, who may not have the stats but has been an important piece to the offense.
Led by veterans such as center Matt Allen, right guard Kevin Jarvis and right tackle AJ Arcuri, the Spartans have consistently been ranked among the top OL units in the country, according to Pro Football Focus. Luke Campbell, a tackle, and Matt Carrick, a guard, also provide depth and leadership.
MSU’s 2-deep on the OL rivals anyone in the Big Ten, helping to keep QB Payton Thorne safe in the pocket.
Thorne is the No. 4-ranked QB overall in the Big Ten. If his Spartans maintain pace, he’ll be in line for all-conference honors this season. He’s thrown 11 TD passes and only 1 INT, and that was 2 weeks ago during a 23-20 OT win over Nebraska in East Lansing, the Spartans’ closest game of the young season.
He also has a pair of rushing TDs, proving that he can get the job done with his legs and his arm. He may not have wheels like former QB Brian Lewerke, but he’s mobile enough to make something out of nothing.
Coaching/attitude
Michigan State has an attitude that could be compared to Mark Dantonio’s old teams. Confident, energetic, fun to watch — all qualities possessed by Tucker’s predecessor. Tucker wasn’t a home-run hire in the eyes of media. Adequate, maybe even “pretty decent,” but his rise as a coach in East Lansing has been anything but regular.
He’s having one hell of a start. Now, most new coaches over the past 20 years at MSU have had fast starts, or at least noticeable improvements early on. Tucker’s quick jump in Year 2 could be a fluke, but most signs are pointing to the Spartans being worthy of attention. They appear to be one of the conference’s better teams — and the B1G is loaded.
ESPN has 5 Big Ten teams listed among the top 10 in the latest CFB power rankings.
MSU is at No. 10, preceded by No. 9 Ohio State, No. 7 Michigan, No. 5 Penn State and No. 4 Iowa.
They’re all undefeated, other than Ohio State. And with the exception of Iowa, they’re all in the East Division of the league.
Michigan State is in the mix with some of the hottest teams in the country. Talent wins games, but coaching grooms talent.
Yeah, MSU has put together an impressive package through 5 games. Nobody really expected this, but the Spartans are riding high and have yet to lose a game. They’re confident, know their identity and have enough talent to compete with the big dogs in the Big Ten.
If you said you saw this coming, well, scroll back up top and read Paragraph 1.