Spartans are national surprise, but not to Tucker
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Jalen Nailor and Kenneth Walker III sprinted their way into the record books Saturday, with an impromptu handshake along the way. It signified Michigan State’s return to the top 10 of the polls for the first time since 2016.
Spartan fans know what happened that year: After beating Notre Dame to improve to 2-0, the bottom fell out on that season. Mark Dantonio’s program, which had become a weekly fixture atop the rankings for the previous three years, lost seven straight en route to a 3-9 record.
Mel Tucker’s overhaul, however, has quickly reestablished MSU as a contender for the Big Ten crown this year. That might be a surprise nationally, but not internally.
“We’ve been doing it all year,” Tucker said after Saturday’s 31-13 win at Rutgers. “They come in on Monday, and we put up the goal sheets and we talk about what we did well, what we didn’t do well and what we need to improve. Then we go to work on it. That’s been every single week after every single practice.
“That’s the way we go about our business. I don’t know any other way to do it. If you’re not always working to get better, and try to improve individually or as a team, then you’re fooling yourself.”
The ninth-ranked Spartans reach the midpoint at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten, one of just 13 remaining unbeatens and certainly one of the most surprising. MSU has a Heisman Trophy contender in Walker III to go with an explosive big-play passing attack with quarterback Payton Thorne targeting Nailor and Jayden Reed.
And only Big Ten opponents remain ahead.
“This is a very competitive league, and every week, you’ve got to be at your best,” Tucker said. “The teams that are usually the better teams are the teams that have good talent and good coaching, but there are teams that get better. They get better throughout the year.
“We know that our best football is ahead of us. What’s most important is what we do next. All of our opponents are going be tough.”
Let’s examine how the Spartans got to this point.
MSU’s offense continues its resurrection, rising to No. 15 in total offense with 486.8
yards per game; that includes the No. 21 rushing offense (217.2 yards) and No. 39 passing offense (217.2 yards). The Spartans’ 36.7 points per game rank 23rd nationally.
Thorne has completed 62.4% of his passes for 1,575 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions, minimizing his mistakes and showing the ability to complementa power-run game. The sophomore sits fifth nationally with an average 16.1 yards per completion and is 11th in both passing TDs and efficiency (173.6).
Walker wonderful
So much of that ability to extend the defense in the passing game comes from how impactful Walker has been this season with his blend of power and elusiveness at running back.
The transfer from Wake Forest continues to lead the nation with 913 rushing yards and a 152.2-yard average, while his nine rushing touchdowns ranks fourth. The junior posted his secondgame with at least 200 yards this season with 233 yards on 29 carries at Rutgers. His 94-yard touchdown combined everything he has shown in his first five games — the vision to read blocks, the burst to hit the hole, the shiftiness to make second-level defenders miss and the acceleration to run away from opponents into the open field —for the longest play from scrimmage in MSU history.
Walker also served as a battering ram on his other 28 carries, averaging nearly five yards. His 7.1 yards per carry this season ranks 10th in the country.
Speedy deliveries
Thorne’s success has come from spreading the ball fairly evenly to his top three receivers. Reed leads MSU with 23 catches for 492 yards and five touchdowns, Nailor leads the Spartans with six scores among his 23 catches for 490 yards and Tre Mosley quietly is almost as productive, with 20 catches for 309 yards.
Thorne set a career high with 339 passing yards Saturday and displayed the depth of his
arsenal by connecting with Nailor four times in the first half for an astounding 208 yards, including a pair of 63-yard touchdowns and another from 65 yards out on the Spartans’ third flea flicker of the season. Nailor finished with five catches for 221 yards — the fourth-highest single-game total in school history — and his 44.2-yard average for his five catches was the highest in the Big Ten since at least 2000.
Walker, Thorne and Nailor combined to become the first Spartans — and just the fifth trio in Football Bowl Subdivision history — to run for 200 yards, pass for 300 yards and total 200 yards receiving in the same game.
Stronger up front
Credit offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic for getting a rotation going to keep MSU’s offensive line fresh and maximize the veteran depth. The consistency of the blockers in front of Waker has been a big reason he has been able to reach the second level. And their eight sacks allowed are tied for 25th-fewest in the country.
The addition of transfer Jarrett Horst (Arkansas State) flanking left guard J.D. Duplain, center Matt Allen, right guard Kevin Jarvis and right tackle AJ Arcuri provided an anchor to a group that has been without a road-grader and
blindside QB protector since Jack Conklin.
Defense improving
Granted, it has been a work in progress on defense for the Spartans, whose ability to bend and not break has proven to be their biggest attribute.
Rutgers managed 377 yards Saturday; linebacker Cal Haladay’s return from a first-half targeting suspension sparked a second-half shutout. The sophomore, has been a revelation with his ability to diagnose and pursue in Tucker’s 4-2-5 defense. Tennessee transfer Quavaris Crouch continues to play fast but clearly continues to learn on the fly, occasionally getting out of position and giving up big plays over the middle.
Redshirt freshman Simeon Barrow, like Haladay, has emerged as a surprising physical force at defensive tackle along with Jacob Slade and Maverick Hansen. Barrow’s ability to collapse the pocket has been critical with both Jalen Hunt and Dashaun Mallory dealing with preseason hand injuries. That group will continue to progress as those two get healthier.
Jacub Panasiuk’s elevation of play at defensive end has helped MSU rank fourth in the FBS in sacks (23). The loss of Drew Beesley to a lower leg injury limits that somewhat, especially if he can’t return this year. However, Jeff Pietrowski’s high-motor play puts him with Haladay and Barrow as young pieces who should be leaders for Tucker the next few years.
Air errors
The Spartans’ pass defense is an issue, though, ranking 125th at 301.7 yards per game. MSU’s secondary has struggled in part due to soft coverages that have tried to bait opposing quarterbacks into trying to beat them. But some of it has come after catches, with poor tackling (from the linebackers as well) adding on yards.
Despite stellar play from safeties Xavier Henderson and Angelo Grose, along with the hard-hitting nickel back tandem of Darius Snow and Michael Dowell, early-season experimentation at cornerback produced mixed results — and sent Kalon Gervin to the transfer portal.
Alabama transfer Ronald Williams emerged as a long-armed defender and improving starter. Florida transfer Chester Kimbrough took Gervin’s role, but it appears Louisville transfer Marqui Lowery — who made his defensive debut against Rutgers — could be another option in the Williams mold as a bigger, physical presence. And Chuck Brantley, at times, has showed the raw talent that got him on the field immediately as a freshman.
Special specialists
Don’t discount the job MSU has done to improve its special teams as well, particularly in starting the offense with better field position.
That begins with Reed as a returner — he already has two touchdowns on punt returns and 383 return yards to go with an ability to bring out kickoffs past the 25-yard line. Tucker also has done a good job of identifying better blockers to create creases for Reed.
Likewise, kicker Matt Coghlin’s ability to drive the ball through the end zone has limited the Spartans’ need to cover returns. And punter Bryce Baringer’s improved leg strength has flipped the field and helped the defense avoid short-field situations when the offense sputters.