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Rapid Reaction: Michigan State cruises to big win over Akron in nonconference play
Published:
Final Score: Akron 0, Michigan State 52
Brief Recap: Michigan State looked to be fast and efficient against Akron, who was under a rebuilding process under first-year head coach Joe Moorhead. Michigan State scored in two of its first three drives of the game.
Afterward, Michigan State came out flat as quarterback Payton Thorne threw his first interception and then encountered a turnover on downs. When Michigan State jumped on to a 24-0 lead, Thorne threw his second interception of the game. They found some consistency on the ground and with the young guys after accounting for four consecutive scoring drives.
Offensively, Michigan State accounted for 495 total yards while the defense held Akron to only accounting for 225 total yards.
Key Player: The offensive line as a whole had an impressive performance against the defense of Akron, but the playmaker that came out with the biggest performance was redshirt sophomore running back Jalen Berger. In his second start for Michigan State, Berger rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries for an average of 6.3 yards per rush.
His longest run was for 23-yards as he was providing solid run plays throughout the early portion of the game. He had two rushing scores of one yard and another of two yards. Berger solidified himself as one of the key offensive playmakers in their first season without Kenneth Walker III.
Key Stat: 1 – Michigan State’s defense held Akron’s offense to only 1 yard per rush in the entire game. Akron rushed the ball 27 times as Michigan State held them to only 28 yards on the ground. Michigan State had a strong presence with its defensive line and its blitzes as they accounted for 5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss.
What it means moving forward: This was not a statement win for Michigan State at any point. Akron is a program that is under a serious rebuilding process. There were times when Michigan State gave up a couple of big plays on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, it doesn’t look great that quarterback Payton Throne threw 2 interceptions and no touchdowns.
On the positive side of the spectrum, Michigan State continued to put its foot on the gas to create multiple scoring drives. Michigan State also forced Akron to turn the ball over four times where the offense would then account for 28 points off those turnovers.
There were many key victories in this game that will help them move forward. One of the biggest wins was that the offense for Michigan State was 7-of-7 in its trips to the red zone. 49 of its 52 total points came from the red zone.
These types of accomplishments are good for Michigan State moving forward as they take on more competitive teams, including its start in B1G play.