That's More Like It; Spartans cruise, 51-17
Jim Comparoni • SpartanMag
@JimComparoni
EAST LANSING - So that’s what this offense is supposed to look like.
And with it, Michigan State suddenly looks like a bona fide Top 20 team.
The Spartan offense ripped through Western Michigan, and the defense did a decent job most of the night, as the No. 19-ranked Spartans improved to 2-0 with a 51-17 victory on Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
“We did what we intended to do in terms of playing hard, knowing what to do,” said head coach Mark Dantonio, who called for improvement in those areas on Tuesday.
Brian Lewerke completed 23 of 32 passes for 314 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
“I thought Lewerke played extremely well,” Dantonio said. “You can see what he can do when he is healthy and he is confident. He looked like a big-timer.”
Running back Elijah Collins had a coming-out party in the first start of his career. The redshirt-freshman gained 192 yards on 17 carries, including a long of 58 in the third quarter.
Senior wide receiver Darrell Stewart had a career high in receiving yardage by the end of the first quarter (104 yards) and finished with 185 yards on 10 catches, with one touchdown.
Michigan State scored touchdowns on its first three possessions in exploding out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, and the Spartan offense played the entire night without a penalty, after being plagued by plagues last week.
“On the first play, I thought we had a big play and the second play, we had a big run and we were sort of off onto it,” Dantonio said. “That catapulted us.”
Tight end Matt Dotson opened the scoring with a 2-yard reception, wide open off a new RPO look. Then sophomore tailback La’Darius Jefferson bounced around left tackle for a 2-yard TD run out of an old triple stack I-formation.
Stewart made it 21-0 on a 42-yard deep post.
Jefferson also scored on a 1-yard TD in the second half.
MSU out-gained Western Michigan 582-352.
The Broncos found some success through the air. Senior quarterback Jon Wassink completed 23 of 37 passes for 252 yards but was intercepted twice. Western Michigan (1-1) scored 10 points in the last nine minutes.
“The thing I’m frustrated about is we need to close out the game better,” said defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. “We need all 30 guys that got on the field to play as well as the starters do.”
RB REVOLVING DOOR LANDS ON COLLINS
Collins (6-0, 205, Detroit Jesuit) immediately demonstrated that the starting job was in good hands. He gained 29 yards on his first carry, an outside zone to the right. Then he followed with an 11-yard gain on a power toss as MSU’s maligned offensive line bounced back from last week’s follies with a solid performance.
“Eli busted some runs to the second level and hit it," Dantonio said. "You could see his speed."
Blocking had a lot to do with it.
"We got on people," Dantonio said. "So our offensive line did a good job as well. It’s about guys getting on their guy and winning their individual battle and I thought we did that. They did a nice job in pass protection as well.”
Collins was productive for the rest of the night, displaying a quicker burst than MSU’s other running backs showed all of last week and last year. He also lowered his shoulder for tough yardage when necessary.
Collins bounced an inside zone run outside for a 24 yard gain late in the first half when Michigan State appeared to be willing to run out the clock at the end of the half. After that play, Lewerke threw to Collins (gain of 5), Stewart (5, 10 and 13) in a hurry-up drill to set up Matt Coghlin for a 38-yard field goal and a 31-7 lead at the half. Coghlin also hit field goals of 23 and 20 yards.
Junior Connor Heyward, who started last week and was a spot starter for most of last season, was limited to three running attempts, the last of which he fumbled. He didn’t return to the game after that miscue. He finished with 13 yards rushing and one reception for seven yards.
Walk-on running back Alante Thomas gave Michigan State a 51-10 lead on a 1-yard TD with 4:02 left, set up by a 23-yard run by freshman running back Anthony Williams.
Junior wide receiver Cody White added five catches for 63 yards.
“Very steady performance, big catches,” Dantonio said.
NOT ERROR-FREE
Michigan State soiled a splendid first quarter with a pair of mental errors in the second quarter by team captains. Defensive end Kenny Willekes lined up off-side during a third-and-short stoppage, which prolonged Western Michigan’s possession, eventually resulting in a TD and a 21-7 score.
On the ensuing drive, Lewerke forced a pass into coverage while being flushed by a blitz on second-and-12, throwing his first interception of the season on his first poor decision of the year. Lewerke appeared to be throwing to Dotson, although tight end Trenton Gillison was in the area on a shallow level but was knocked to the ground while the ball was in the air.
Western Michigan then drove to the Michigan State 12-yard line, threatening to cut the lead to a touchdown midway through the second quarter. But a Josh Butler pass break-up ended that threat.
Western Michigan kicker Thiago Kapps missed field goal attempts from 48 and 27 yards in the first half. The 27-yarder could have cut it to 21-10 with 8:12 left in the second quarter after the Lewerke interception.
Tyriq Thompson and Xavier Henderson had interceptions for the Spartans.
“Our defense played outstanding, I felt,” Dantonio said. Western had a good rhythm. Wassink is an outstanding quarterback. He got the ball out quick and made some good throws. We played through it. In the third quarter, we got off the field a lot.”
MSU’s second-string defense allowed a late touchdown in mop-up time, although it was Brandon Randle, a regular in the playing group, who allowed the score on a 15-yard wheel route with less than a minute remaining.
WHAT’S NEXT: Michigan State will play Arizona State (2-0) next Saturday at Spartan Stadium as the Spartans try to avenge last year’s loss at ASU.
Jim Comparoni • SpartanMag
@JimComparoni
EAST LANSING - So that’s what this offense is supposed to look like.
And with it, Michigan State suddenly looks like a bona fide Top 20 team.
The Spartan offense ripped through Western Michigan, and the defense did a decent job most of the night, as the No. 19-ranked Spartans improved to 2-0 with a 51-17 victory on Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
“We did what we intended to do in terms of playing hard, knowing what to do,” said head coach Mark Dantonio, who called for improvement in those areas on Tuesday.
Brian Lewerke completed 23 of 32 passes for 314 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
“I thought Lewerke played extremely well,” Dantonio said. “You can see what he can do when he is healthy and he is confident. He looked like a big-timer.”
Running back Elijah Collins had a coming-out party in the first start of his career. The redshirt-freshman gained 192 yards on 17 carries, including a long of 58 in the third quarter.
Senior wide receiver Darrell Stewart had a career high in receiving yardage by the end of the first quarter (104 yards) and finished with 185 yards on 10 catches, with one touchdown.
Michigan State scored touchdowns on its first three possessions in exploding out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, and the Spartan offense played the entire night without a penalty, after being plagued by plagues last week.
“On the first play, I thought we had a big play and the second play, we had a big run and we were sort of off onto it,” Dantonio said. “That catapulted us.”
Tight end Matt Dotson opened the scoring with a 2-yard reception, wide open off a new RPO look. Then sophomore tailback La’Darius Jefferson bounced around left tackle for a 2-yard TD run out of an old triple stack I-formation.
Stewart made it 21-0 on a 42-yard deep post.
Jefferson also scored on a 1-yard TD in the second half.
MSU out-gained Western Michigan 582-352.
The Broncos found some success through the air. Senior quarterback Jon Wassink completed 23 of 37 passes for 252 yards but was intercepted twice. Western Michigan (1-1) scored 10 points in the last nine minutes.
“The thing I’m frustrated about is we need to close out the game better,” said defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. “We need all 30 guys that got on the field to play as well as the starters do.”
RB REVOLVING DOOR LANDS ON COLLINS
Collins (6-0, 205, Detroit Jesuit) immediately demonstrated that the starting job was in good hands. He gained 29 yards on his first carry, an outside zone to the right. Then he followed with an 11-yard gain on a power toss as MSU’s maligned offensive line bounced back from last week’s follies with a solid performance.
“Eli busted some runs to the second level and hit it," Dantonio said. "You could see his speed."
Blocking had a lot to do with it.
"We got on people," Dantonio said. "So our offensive line did a good job as well. It’s about guys getting on their guy and winning their individual battle and I thought we did that. They did a nice job in pass protection as well.”
Collins was productive for the rest of the night, displaying a quicker burst than MSU’s other running backs showed all of last week and last year. He also lowered his shoulder for tough yardage when necessary.
Collins bounced an inside zone run outside for a 24 yard gain late in the first half when Michigan State appeared to be willing to run out the clock at the end of the half. After that play, Lewerke threw to Collins (gain of 5), Stewart (5, 10 and 13) in a hurry-up drill to set up Matt Coghlin for a 38-yard field goal and a 31-7 lead at the half. Coghlin also hit field goals of 23 and 20 yards.
Junior Connor Heyward, who started last week and was a spot starter for most of last season, was limited to three running attempts, the last of which he fumbled. He didn’t return to the game after that miscue. He finished with 13 yards rushing and one reception for seven yards.
Walk-on running back Alante Thomas gave Michigan State a 51-10 lead on a 1-yard TD with 4:02 left, set up by a 23-yard run by freshman running back Anthony Williams.
Junior wide receiver Cody White added five catches for 63 yards.
“Very steady performance, big catches,” Dantonio said.
NOT ERROR-FREE
Michigan State soiled a splendid first quarter with a pair of mental errors in the second quarter by team captains. Defensive end Kenny Willekes lined up off-side during a third-and-short stoppage, which prolonged Western Michigan’s possession, eventually resulting in a TD and a 21-7 score.
On the ensuing drive, Lewerke forced a pass into coverage while being flushed by a blitz on second-and-12, throwing his first interception of the season on his first poor decision of the year. Lewerke appeared to be throwing to Dotson, although tight end Trenton Gillison was in the area on a shallow level but was knocked to the ground while the ball was in the air.
Western Michigan then drove to the Michigan State 12-yard line, threatening to cut the lead to a touchdown midway through the second quarter. But a Josh Butler pass break-up ended that threat.
Western Michigan kicker Thiago Kapps missed field goal attempts from 48 and 27 yards in the first half. The 27-yarder could have cut it to 21-10 with 8:12 left in the second quarter after the Lewerke interception.
Tyriq Thompson and Xavier Henderson had interceptions for the Spartans.
“Our defense played outstanding, I felt,” Dantonio said. Western had a good rhythm. Wassink is an outstanding quarterback. He got the ball out quick and made some good throws. We played through it. In the third quarter, we got off the field a lot.”
MSU’s second-string defense allowed a late touchdown in mop-up time, although it was Brandon Randle, a regular in the playing group, who allowed the score on a 15-yard wheel route with less than a minute remaining.
WHAT’S NEXT: Michigan State will play Arizona State (2-0) next Saturday at Spartan Stadium as the Spartans try to avenge last year’s loss at ASU.
