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Rapid Reaction: Michigan State outlasts Western Michigan to open season 1-0

Andrew Olson

By Andrew Olson

Published:

It wasn’t always pretty, but No. 15 Michigan State opened the 2022 season 1-0, outlasting Western Michigan to come away with a 35-13 win in East Lansing.

Closer than the final score suggests, it was a 4-quarter battle in Spartan Stadium. Friday night’s game came down to 2 key 4th downs in the final quarter.

MSU led 21-13 when Mel Tucker decided to go for it on 4th-and-goal from the 1. The move paid off as Jalen Berger punched it in. Berger (16 carries, 120 yards, TD) ripped off a 50-yard run on the drive to help set up the score.

Now down 28-13, the Broncos decided to go for it on 4th-and-11 at its 43-yard line. Chester Kimbrough came through with a key pass breakup to get the ball back for MSU.

Following the turnover on downs, Payton Thorne hit Tre Mosley on a 43-yard score, putting the game away with 4:07 left on the clock. Thorne was 12-of-24 passing for 233 yards and 4 touchdowns on the night, with 1 interception.

Western Michigan is a “directional school” by definition, but it’s no cupcake Week 1 opponent. The Broncos were an 8-5 MAC squad in 2021, knocking off Pittsburgh in September action a year ago.

Still, there will be plenty of questions about Michigan State as a Big Ten contender. WMU had a pair of first-half turnovers, one that eliminated an 8-play, 69-yard drive. If not for the 2 first-half turnovers, WMU-MSU could have been a closer game. The Broncos also had to settle for a field goal down 21-10 during a third-quarter red zone drive.

For Tucker, most concerning is likely the slow start and the disappointing third quarter. Jack Stone also missed his lone field-goal attempt.

The Spartans opened the game with back-to-back three-and-out series on offense. WMU was first on the board with a first-quarter field goal.

The field goal sparked a Spartan run offense. Michigan State scored touchdowns on 3 consecutive drives to open up a 21-3 lead, the halftime score. Western Michigan, however, wasn’t going away.

WMU outscored MSU 10-0 in the third quarter and overtook the total yardage 290-272. By winning the 4th quarter, MSU finished on top 430-334 in yardage.

Andrew Olson

A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.