Game 10: Michigan State (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) vs. Rutgers (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 12
Kickoff: 12:01 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Stadium: Spartan Stadium (74,866)
Surface: Natural Grass
Live Stats: Click here: Live Stats
Parking: Campus parking lots open at 7 a.m.
TV: Big Ten Network
Mobile: FOX Sports app
Announcers: Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), Rick Pizzo (sidelines)
Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jason Strayhorn
Sidelines: Steve Courtney
Broadcast Host: Will Tieman
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/MSU Spartans app/Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 24 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: Sirius/XM (Ch. 119/196), SiriusXM app (Ch. 958)
Pregame Show: Begins at 10:30 a.m.
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 9-4
Series in East Lansing: MSU leads, 4-3
Last Meeting: MSU 31, Rutgers 13 (2021)
Current Series Streak: 1 by MSU (2021)
COACHES:
MSU Head Coach: Mel Tucker
MSU Record: 17-12 (third year)
Overall Record: 22-19 (fourth year)
Record vs. Rutgers: 1-1
Rutgers Head Coach: Greg Schiano
Rutgers Record: 80-86 (14th year)
Overall Record: 80-86 (14th year)
Record vs. MSU: 2-2
►FIRST-AND-10
• Fresh off a road win at No. 16 Illinois, Michigan State hosts Rutgers for its Military Appreciation Game on Saturday at noon in Spartan Stadium. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst) and Rick Pizzo (sidelines) on the call. The Spartans improved to 4-5 on the season and 2-4 in conference play with the 23-15 victory over the Big Ten West Division-leading Illini, while Rutgers heads to East Lansing also with a 4-5 record (1-5 Big Ten) following a loss to No. 5 Michigan at home last Saturday night in Piscataway.
• Saturday’s game marks the 14th meeting between Michigan State and Rutgers. The Spartans lead the overall series, 9-4, including a 7-1 mark in Big Ten play. MSU is 4-3 against Rutgers in East Lansing, including a 3-1 record in Big Ten games. Last season, Michigan State topped Rutgers, 31-13, in Piscataway.
• Redshirt sophomore linebacker Cal Haladay was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after recording nine tackles, including a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss (10 yards), in MSU’s 23-15 win at No. 16 Illinois last Saturday in Memorial Stadium. The Spartans held the Illini, which entered the game with the No. 3 rushing offense in the Big Ten (197.6 ypg), to 153 yards rushing, the second fewest by Illinois this season. MSU’s defense had five fourth-down stops in the game, including two by Haladay in the second half. Haladay leads the team and ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 80 tackles (8.9 per game).
• For the second time this season, sixth-year graduate senior punter Bryce Baringer was honored as the Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week for his performance in the win at Illinois. Baringer, the nation’s leading punter (50.0 avg.), punted five times for a 49.6-yard average, successfully punting in winds that were 25-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. He finished with four punts inside the 20, including two inside the 10. Baringer had a game-long 68-yarder with the wind in second quarter that went to the Illinois 6-yard line and also had a 62-yarder that went out of bounds at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter. Baringer, who was named a midseason first-team AP All-American, has seven punts of 60-plus yards and 19 punts of 50-plus yards this season.
• Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker is the only FBS coach with four wins against AP ranked opponents on the road over the past four years (at MSU: 2022 vs. No. 14 Illinois; 2021 vs. No. 24 Miami; 2020 vs. No. 13 Michigan; at Colorado: 2019 vs. No. 24 Arizona State). Tucker is 8-7 overall against AP Top 25 teams (6-5 at MSU).
• Fifth-year graduate senior wide receiver Jayden Reed, a 2021 first-team All-American as an all-purpose player, leads the team with 41 catches for 458 yards and four touchdowns. He had five receptions for 68 yards at Illinois, including a 16-yard TD catch in the third quarter. Reed recorded season bests in receptions (9) and receiving yards (117) against Wisconsin on Oct. 15 and accounted for both touchdowns in the double-overtime win – he threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman on the first play of overtime, then caught a 27-yard pass from Payton Thorne on third-and-12 in the second overtime that clinched the victory for the Spartans.
• Redshirt junior quarterback Payton Thorne, who has started 23 consecutive games for the Spartans, is 172-of-267 passing (.644) for 1,896 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions through the first nine games. He ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten with 14 passing touchdowns, including eight of 25-plus yards. According to Pro Football Focus, Thorne has thrown eight TDs downfield for 20-plus yards (tied for first in the Big Ten and tied for 15th in the FBS). Currently with 5,711 career passing yards, Thorne needs just 289 passing yards to become the seventh quarterback in MSU history to pass for 6,000 career yards.
• Sophomore wide receiver Keon Coleman ranks among the Big Ten leaders in touchdown catches (tied for fourth with six), receiving yards (seventh with 574; 63.8 ypg) and receptions (14th with 38; 4.2 pg). He had a career-high 155 receiving yards on just five catches at No. 4 Michigan on Oct. 29.
• Michigan State has won two of its last three games since fifth-year senior safety Xavier Henderson and fifth-year senior defensive tackle Jacob Slade returned to the field in Week 7 vs. Wisconsin after missing extensive time with injuries. Henderson, who entered the season with 33 consecutive starts, left the Week 1 game against Western Michigan in the first half and missed five straight games before returning to the starting lineup against the Badgers. Slade, a second-team preseason Walter Camp All-American, was also out for four games prior to coming back against the Badgers. MSU is allowing an average of 195.3 passing yards in the last three games with Henderson commanding the secondary, compared to 292.0 yards in the first six games.
• Through nine games, Michigan State has forced 14 fumbles, which is tied for most in the FBS. The Spartans have recovered 10 of those fumbles, which is tied for 10th in the FBS. Last season, Michigan State led the Big Ten and ranked tied for seventh in the FBS with 15 forced fumbles and ranked tied for 16th in the FBS with 10 fumble recoveries.
LAST TIME OUT: MSU 23, NO. 16 ILLINOIS 15
►SERIES/TEAM
• Last Saturday was Michigan State’s first visit to Champaign since 2016, but was the 48th all-time meeting between the Spartans and Illini . . . MSU snapped a two-game losing streak to Illinois, but the Spartans have now won 13 of the last 16 meetings, and lead the all-time series, 27-19-2, including 14-10-1 in Champaign.
• The win at Illinois was Michigan State’s first road victory of the season.
• MSU is now 2-0 this season in one-score games, winning 34-28 in double overtime over Wisconsin (10/15/22) and 23-15 over Illinois.
►OFFENSE
• Redshirt junior quarterback Payton Thorne was 19-of-29 passing for 182 yards and two TDs . . . Thorne now has at least one TD pass in the last five games as part of at least one TD in seven of the nine games this season and in 20 of 26 career games played . . . Saturday was Thorne’s fourth game this season with multiple TDs as part of six times in the last 11 games . . . overall, Thorne now has 12 career games with two or more passing TDs.
• With two TDs Saturday, Thorne now has 44 career passing TDs, moving into a tie for No. 6 on MSU’s career passing TDs list with Dave Yarema (1982-86) . . . the 182 yards gives Thorne 5,710 career yards, moving up to No. 8 on MSU’s career passing yards list, passing Ed Smith (1976-78) with 5,706 yards.
• Graduate senior wide receiver Jayden Reed had five receptions for 68 yards and one TD . . . the receiving TD was Reed’s fourth of the season, all coming in the last five games . . . Reed also now has 17 TD catches during his MSU career as part of his 25th scoring catch of his collegiate career . . . Reed’s five receptions give him at least two catches in all eight games he has played this season (missing one game due to injury) . . . the five receptions Saturday was Reed’s seventh straight game with four or more catches . . . the 68 receiving yards was Reed’s fifth game with 50-plus yards.
• Reed also extended his streak of at least one reception in 28 straight games, which is good for No. 20 among active FBS players, and in all 28 games of his Spartan career, as part of 40 of 41 career games played.
• Redshirt junior Tre Mosley snared his fourth TD reception of the season and eighth of his career with the 1-yard TD catch in the second quarter . . . the four-score season is now a career-high for Mosley, topping last year’s three TD catches . . . with eight career TD receptions, Mosley is now tied for No. 37 on MSU’s career TD receptions list . . . Mosley now has at least one reception in all nine games played this season and 14 in a row dating back to last season, as part of 30 of 32 career games played.
• Graduate senior running back Jarek Broussard scored his third rushing TD of the season and 10th of his collegiate career with an 11-yard scamper in the third quarter . . . it was Broussard’s first Big Ten rushing TD, as his previous two came against Akron (9/10/22) . . . Broussard finished with three carries for 13 yards and adding a season-long and career-high tying 21-yard reception on a screen pass.
• Redshirt sophomore running back Jalen Berger had 15 carries for 81 yards . . . the 15 rushing attempts marked his fourth game with double-digit carries this season, while the 81 yards was his fourth game with 50-plus yards . . . Berger’s 24-yard scamper was the longest in a Big Ten game and second-longest of the season behind a 50-yard rush in the opener vs. Western Michigan . . . Berger tied a career high for the fourth game this season with three receptions, going for 29 yards, the second-highest of the season behind 38 yards vs. Washington (9/17/22).
• Redshirt senior running back Elijah Collins recorded a season high and tied a career high with three receptions, going for 20 yards, including a career-long 21-yard reception . . . Collins added four rushes for 10 yards.
►DEFENSE
• Michigan State’s fourth-and-goal stop in the first quarter was the Spartans’ fourth fourth-and-goal stop of the season . . . MSU had two at Washington (9/5/22) and one at Maryland (10/1/22).
• The Spartans’ goal line stand was one of five fourth-down stops that the MSU defense registered in the game, including a season-high three in the red zone, highlighted by two in the fourth quarter . . . overall, MSU held Illinois to 1-for-6 on fourth down conversions.
• Michigan State’s defense registered 9.0 tackles for loss, tying the most in a Big Ten game this season, matching 9.0 vs. Wisconsin (10/15/22), and the Spartans’ 3.0 sacks also tied the most in a conference contest, also with 3.0 vs. Wisconsin . . . the Spartan defense’s season-highs were 11.0 TFLs and 7.0 sacks in the season opener vs. Western Michigan (9/2/22), and also had 9.0 TFL and 5.0 sacks in Week 2 vs. Akron (9/10/22).
• MSU’s defense held Illinois to just 153 yards rushing and just 3.26 yards/rush, both second-lowest of the season for the Illini.
• Redshirt sophomore linebacker Cal Haladay had a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss, finishing with nine total tackles . . . Haladay has 7.5 TFLs on the season (28 yards) . . . with the nine tackles, Haladay has registered six or more stops in eight of the nine games this season as part of seven games in a row . . . Haladay now has a team-leading 80 total tackles.
• Graduate senior cornerback Ameer Speed recorded a career-high tying 12 tackles and both have come on the road, matching the dozen stops he posted at Maryland (10/1/22) . . . Speed added one pass break-up for his second PBU in the last three games.
• After missing the Michigan game with an injury, graduate senior linebacker Ben VanSumeren posted 10 tackles for his fourth game this season with double-digit stops, including three in his last five games played . . . VanSumeren is third on the team with 63 stops.
• Senior defensive back Kendell Brooks notched nine tackles for his fifth straight game with nine or more stops . . . Brooks is now second on the team with 77 tackles.
• Graduate senior safety Xavier Henderson registered his second forced fumble is as many games for his second of the season and fourth of his career with the second-quarter force . . . Henderson finished with four tackles.
• Graduate senior linebacker Aaron Brule posted a fumble recovery, a season-best 1.5 tackles for loss, along with an 8-yard sack, as part of a season-high five total tackles . . . the fumble recovery was his first as a Spartan and third of his collegiate career after two at Mississippi State.
►SPECIAL TEAMS
• Graduate senior punter Bryce Baringer, the Ray Guy Award Watch List member and four-time Ray’s 8 honoree, punted five times for a 49.6 ypp average, successfully punting in winds that were 25-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph . . . Baringer finished with four inside the 20, giving him 17 inside the 20 this season and 50 for his career . . . he started the day with a 48-yard punt into the wind in the first quarter, that was downed at the Illinois 41-yard line, his only punt not inside the 20 on the day . . . Baringer added a 68-yarder with the wind in second quarter that went to the ILL 6-yard line and returned 2-yards . . . he added a 32-yarder in the third quarter into the wind that was fair caught at the 11, before a 62-yarder that went out of bounds at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter.
• The four punts inside the 20 were Baringer’s second most of the season behind five in the Ohio State game, and he has at least one inside the 20 in the last five games as part of eight of the nine games this season . . . Baringer now has seven punts of 60+ yards with the two over 60-yards at Illinois, as part of 19 punts of 50-plus yards.
• Redshirt junior placekicker Ben Patton split the uprights in the first quarter on a 21-yard field goal into the wind for his first field goal of his Spartan career . . . the Auburn transfer is now 6-of-9 on field goals for his collegiate career . . . Patton also is now 8-of-9 on PATs with the pair of PATs at Illinois.
►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – R-So. Jalen Berger (104 carries for 465 yards, 4.5 avg., 5 TDs, 51.7 ypg)
Passing – R-Jr. Payton Thorne (172-of-267, .644, 1,896 yards, 14 TDs, 9 INTs, 210.7 ypg)
Receiving – Gr.-5 Jayden Reed (41 catches for 458 yards, 11.2 avg., 4 TDs, 57.3 ypg)
Tackles – R-So. LB Cal Haladay (80 tackles; 31 solo, 49 assists; 7.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 FR, 1 FF)
Rutgers:
Rushing – Fr. Samuel Brown (86 carries for 374 yards, 4.3 avg., 3 TDs, 53.4 ypg)
Passing – So. Simon Evan (71-of-123, .577, 740 yards, 4 TDs, 6 INTs, 105.7 ypg)
Receiving – Sr. Aron Cruickshank (34 receptions for 317 yards, 9.3 avg., 2 TDs, 35.2 ypg)
Tackles – Sr. LB Deion Jennings (78 tackles, 40 solo, 38 assists; 5.5 TFLs, 4 PBUs)
►A QUICK GLANCE AT RUTGERS (4-5, 1-5 BIG TEN)
• The Scarlet Knights carry a 4-5 overall and 1-5 Big Ten ledger into Spartan Stadium for Saturday’s clash with the Spartans. Rutgers has lost two in a row and five of its last six after starting the season 3-0.
• Overall, Rutgers is 12th in the Big Ten in scoring offense (19.8 ppg), while ranking 10th in scoring defense (25.8 ppg).
• RU is also 13th in the conference in total offense, ranking ninth in the league in rushing offense (135.4 ypg) and 14th in passing offense (156.0 ypg).
• Defensively, the Scarlet Knights are sixth in total defense (310.6 ypg), ranking sixth in passing yards allowed (183.1 ypg) and ninth in rushing defense (127.4 ypg).
• Rutgers leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the FBS in blocked kicks with five. Sophomore defensive back Max Melton has three blocked punts, which is tied for the FBS lead.
• Four different Scarlet Knight quarterbacks have started at least one game, and three different Rutgers QBs have more than 20 completions, led by sophomore Evan Simon, who is 71-of-123 for 740 yards (105.7 ypg) with four TDs and six INTs, making two starts and playing in seven games. Sophomore Gavin Wimsatt has started the last two games and played in five games total, is 30-of-69 for 351 yards with two TDs and six INTs. Senior Noah Vedral is 21-of-46 for 264 yards with one TD and one INT, starting three in a row before Wimsatt took over, and has Vedral has played in four games.
• Senior Aron Cruickshank leads the Scarlet Knight receivers and ranks tied for 17th in the Big Ten with 34 catches for 317 yards (9.3 ypc/35.2 ypg) with two TDs. Senior tight end Johnny Langan adds 21 receptions for 178 yards (8.5 ypc/19.8 ypg) with one TD, while Sean Ryan leads the team in yards with 323 on 20 catches, ranking fourth in the Big Ten with 16.2 ypc, along with 35.9 ypg and has a team-leading three TDs.
• Freshman running back Samuel Brown V tops the RU rushers with 86 carries for 374 yards (4.3 ypc/53.4 ypg) with three TDs, while sophomore Kyle Monangai has 66 rushing attempts for 229 yards (3.5 ypc/25.4 ypg) with two TDs.
• Senior linebacker Deion Jennings spearheads the Scarlet Knight defense with 77 total tackles (42 solo, 35 assists), ranking tied for fifth in the Big Ten, adding 5.5 tackles for loss and four pass break-ups.
• Senior defensive back Christian Izien has 63 stops with 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, to go with four pass break-ups, one blocked kick and one QB hurry. Senior defensive back Avery Young has 53 tackles with three PBUs and one INT.
• Sophomore defensive lineman Aaron Lewis had a team-leading 6.5 tackles for loss, ranking 16th in the Big Ten, adding one sack, and also tops the team with six QB hurries.
• Senior defensive back Christian Braswell leads RU and is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with three interceptions, adding six pass break-ups to rank tied for 14th in the conference, and ranks tied for ninth in the Big Ten with nine total passes defended.
• Junior placekicker Jude McAtamney is 19-of-20 on PATs and is 11-of-15 on field goals, ranking tied for fourth in FGs, with a long of 49 yards.
• Senior punter Adam Korsak is seventh in the Big Ten with 44.0 ypp average, on 48 punts, ranking third in the Big Ten with 5.3 punts/game. He has a season-long of 77 yards, the longest punt in the B1G this season and tied for fifth in the FBS, one of nine punts of 50-plus yards, with 20 inside the 20.
• Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is in his 14th season overall with the Scarlet Knights, posting an 80-86 overall record with RU. Schiano is 2-2 all-time against Michigan State.
►MSU/RUTGERS SERIES NOTES
• Saturday’s game marks the 14th meeting between Michigan State and Rutgers. The Spartans lead the overall series, 9-4, including a 7-1 mark in Big Ten play. MSU is 4-3 against Rutgers in East Lansing, including a 3-1 record in Big Ten games. Last season, Michigan State topped Rutgers, 31-13, in Piscataway.
►LAST TIME: MSU 31, RUTGERS 13 (OCT. 9, 2021 IN PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY)
• Michigan State used explosive plays all game to put away Rutgers, 31-13, scoring touchdowns of 94, 65, 63 and 63 yards. Jalen Nailor tied a school record with three touchdown receptions and had five catches overall for 221 yards, the fourth-highest receiving total in school history. He caught TD passes of 63, 63 and 65 yards, all in the first half. Kenneth Walker III had another 200-yard rushing performance, this time collecting 233 rushing yards on 29 carries, including a school-record 94-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter (previous: 90 yards by Lynn Chandnois in 1949 vs. Arizona). Payton Thorne was 16-of-27 passing for 339 yards and three touchdowns, all to Nailor.
►QUARTERBACKS
• #12 Katin Houser (Fr., 6-3, 213, Anaheim, Calif./St. John Bosco)
(1 game, 1-for-2 passing (.500), 2 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs)
• #14 Noah Kim (R-So., 6-2, 185, Centreville, Va./Westfield)
(4 games, 14-for-19 passing (.737), 174 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs)
• #10 Payton Thorne (2L, R-Jr., 6-2, 205, Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central)
(9 games/9 starts, 172-of-267 passing (.644), 1,896 yards, 210.7 ypg, 14 TDs, 9 INTs; 46 carries for 25 yards)
►PAYTON THORNE BACK AFTER RECORD-SETTING SEASON IN 2021
• After a record-setting season in his first year as the starting quarterback, redshirt junior quarterback Payton Thorne is back for the Spartans in 2022. He has started 23 consecutive games (15-8 record). Thorne set a school single-season record with 27 touchdown passes in 2021, surpassing Kirk Cousins, who previously held the record with 25 TDs in 2011. Overall in his first year as the starting quarterback, Thorne was 234-of-388 passing (.603) for 3,233 yards, 27 TDs and 10 interceptions.
• An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media in 2021, Thorne was especially effective at throwing the ball downfield, ranking tied for sixth in the FBS with 14 TD passes of 20-plus yards and tied for ninth with eight completions for 50-plus yards. He threw for 200-plus yards in eight games and 300-plus yards in three games, including a career-high 354 yards in MSU’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over No. 12 Pitt. He has 15 career games of 200-plus yards passing and five with more than 300 yards.
• The Naperville, Illinois, native was named one of four captains last season and will also be counted on for his leadership for the Spartans this fall. He has been named a game captain in three of MSU’s nine games.
• Through nine games this season, Thorne is 172-of-267 passing (.644) for 1,896 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten with 14 passing touchdowns, including eight of 25-plus yards. According to Pro Football Focus, Thorne has thrown eight TDs downfield for 20-plus yards (tied for first in the Big Ten and tied for 15th in the FBS).
• Thorne surpassed the 5,000-yard passing milestone in the Ohio State game and is now eighth in Michigan State history with 5,711 career passing yards. Thorne is also tied for sixth in MSU history in career touchdown passes (44), ninth in passing completions (454) and 11th in passing attempts (740). Thorne needs just 289 passing yards to become the seventh quarterback in MSU history to pass for 6,000 career yards.
• In Week 3, Thorne completed a career-high 30 passes against Washington on 42 attempts for 323 yards and three touchdowns (7 and 33 yards to Keon Coleman; 26 yards to Tre Mosley)
• In the first game of the season, Thorne tied his career high with four touchdown passes against Western Michigan in Week 1. Thorne was 12-of-24 passing for 233 yards overall, including scoring strikes to Germie Bernard (44 yards), Daniel Barker (13 yards), Coleman (41 yards) and Mosley (43 yards). Thorne joins Connor Cook as the only Spartans to throw four TDs in a single game four times in a career.
►NOAH KIM, KATIN HOUSER BACKING UP THORNE
• Redshirt sophomore Noah Kim serves as the back-up quarterback and is 14-of-19 passing (.737) for 174 yards and three touchdowns in four games. He was 2-for-2 passing for 22 yards against Akron in Week 2 and was 6-of-7 for 70 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown pass to Germie Bernard, vs. Minnesota. On his first official passing attempt of his career against the Zips he threw a 16-yard touchdown to Tre Mosley. Kim was 6-of-10 passing for 82 yards, including a 25-yard TD to Montorie Foster Jr., vs. No. 3 Ohio State.
• The Spartans also welcomed in freshman Katin Houser as an early enrollee in January and he participated in spring practice. Houser was rated a consensus four-star prospect and was an Elite 11 finalist last summer. He played six snaps in his collegiate debut vs. Akron.
• Offensive coordinator Jay Johnson is in his third year coaching the quarterbacks for the Spartans.
►RUNNING BACKS
• #8 Jalen Berger (R-So., 6-1, 215, Newark, N.J./Wisconsin)
(9 games/8 starts, 104 carries, 465 yards. 4.5 avg., 5 TDs, 51.7 ypg)
• #3 Jarek Broussard (Gr.-5, 5-9, 195, Dallas, Texas/Colorado)
(9 games/1 start, 47 carries, 204 yards, 4.3 avg., 3 TDs, 22.7 ypg)
• #24 Elijah Collins (3L, R-Sr., 6-1, 215, Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit)
(9 games, 41 carries, 178 yards, 4.3 avg., 4 TDs, 19.8 ypg)
►TRANSFER JALEN BERGER LEADS SPARTAN RUNNING GAME
• The Spartans featured an explosive and resurgent rushing attack last year thanks to unanimous first-team All-American Kenneth Walker III, who had one of the best seasons in Michigan State history en route to winning the Doak Walker Award, the Walter Camp National Player of the Year and the Big Ten Running Back of the Year. Walker ranked second in the FBS with 1,636 rushing yards and his 18 rushing TDs ranked tied for eighth in the nation.
• Redshirt sophomore running back Jalen Berger, a Wisconsin transfer, leads the Spartans in carries (104), rushing yards (465) and rushing touchdowns (5). Berger rushed for a career-high 120 yards and one touchdown in his Spartan debut against Western Michigan, and followed that effort with a career-high three touchdowns and 107 yards vs. Akron in Week 2. He ran for 81 yards, the most in a Big Ten game by a Spartan running back this season, on 15 carries in the win at No. 16 Illinois on Nov. 5.
• Berger is 16th in the Big Ten in rushing (465 yards; 51.7 ypg) and tied for 12th in the conference in rushing TDs (five).
• Berger was rated a four-star prospect out of high school before attending Wisconsin for two years (2020-21). He rushed for 389 yards and three TDs in seven career games with the Badgers, including a team-leading 301 yards on 60 carries in just four games as a true freshman during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The Newark, New Jersey, native enrolled at MSU in January and made strong gains toward the end of spring practice.
• Fellow running back transfer Jarek Broussard (Colorado) ranks second on the team with 47 carries for 204 yards and three TDs. He scored his first two touchdowns as a Spartan in the Week 2 win over Akron and had 15 carries overall for 81 yards against the Zips. Broussard, who joined the program in May from Colorado, rushed for 1,556 yards and seven TDs the past two seasons (2020-21) in just 17 games for the Buffaloes. He was named the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 895 rushing yards and five touchdowns in six games during the pandemic-shortened season, and followed up with 661 yards and two TDs last fall.
• Redshirt senior Elijah Collins ranks second on the team with four rushing touchdowns. He has seen his workload increase the second half of the season, including a season-high 14 carries for 43 yards and one TD in the victory over Wisconsin in Week 7. Collins nearly rushed for 1,000 yards (222 carries for 988 yards) in 13 games, including 12 starts, during his redshirt freshman season in 2019. He had 41 carries for 90 yards in 2020 and 18 carries for 102 yards in seven games last season while battling an ankle injury. Collins ranks third on the team in rushing (178 yards) and third among running backs in carries (41).
• Effrem Reed, who was an offensive analyst the past two seasons, was promoted to running backs coach in the offseason.
►WIDE RECEIVERS
• #5 Germie Bernard (Fr., 6-0, 200, Henderson, Nev./Liberty)
(9 games/1 start, 7 catches, 128 yards, 18.3 avg., 2 TDs, 14.2 ypg)
• #0 Keon Coleman (So., 6-4, 215, Opelousas, La./Opelousas Catholic)
(9 games/9 starts, 38 catches, 574 yards, 15.1 avg., 6 TDs, 63.8 ypg)
• #16 Christian Fitzpatrick (R-So., 6-4, 218, Southfield, Mich./Louisville)
(5 games, 2 catches, 17 yards, 8.5 avg., 0 TDs, 3.4 ypg)
• #83 Montorie Foster Jr. (2L, Jr., 6-0, 185, Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward)
(7 games, 6 catches, 82 yards, 13.7 avg., 1 TD, 11.7 ypg)
• #85 Cade McDonald (2L, R-Jr., 5-11, 195, Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central)
(8 games, 3 catches, 31 yards, 10.3 avg., 0 TDs, 3.9 ypg)
• #17 Tre Mosley (2L, R-Jr., 6-2, 198, Pontiac, Mich./West Bloomfield)
(9 games/6 starts, 26 catches, 235 yards, 9.0 avg., 4 TDs, 26.1 ypg)
• #1 Jayden Reed (2L, Gr.-5, 6-0, 190, Naperville, Ill./Western Michigan)
(8 games/8 starts, 41 catches, 458 yards, 11.2 avg., 4 TDs, 57.3 ypg)
►RETURNING ALL-AMERICAN JAYDEN REED LEADS TALENTED WIDE RECEIVING CORPS
• Fifth-year graduate senior Jayden Reed, who earned first-team All-America honors as an all-purpose player by the American Football Coaches Association as a junior in 2021, leads a talented wide receiving corps for the Spartans. Reed’s explosiveness was one of the main reasons for MSU’s school-record turnaround season last year – he not only led the Spartans with 59 catches for 1,026 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he also ranked first in the Big Ten in punt returns (19.8 avg.; 12 returns for 238 yards) and tied for the FBS lead with two punt returns for touchdowns (62 yards vs. Nebraska, 88 yards vs. Western Kentucky). His 10 TD grabs were sixth most in an MSU single-season and his 1,026 receiving yards ranked ninth most.
• Reed has rounded back into form after missing time with an injury that sidelined him in Week 3 at Washington. He leads the team with 41 catches, ranks second with 458 receiving yards, is tied for second with four touchdown catches, and ranks third in all-purpose yards with 542 (458 receiving, 49 punt return, 20 kick return, 15 rushing).
• Reed recorded season bests in receptions (9) and receiving yards (117) against Wisconsin on Oct. 15 and accounted for both touchdowns in the double-overtime win – he threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman on the first play of overtime, then caught a 27-yard pass from Payton Thorne on third-and-12 in the second overtime that clinched the victory for the Spartans. His performance against the Badgers landed him on the Paul Hornung Award weekly honor roll.
• Reed has started all 28 Michigan State games he has played in since 2020 and has at least one catch in every one of those games. He started 12 games as a freshman at Western Michigan in 2018 and earned Freshman All-America honors for the Broncos before sitting out the entire 2019 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Reed currently ranks eighth in MSU history in touchdown catches (17), tied for 11th in receptions (133) and 15th in receiving yards (1,891). His 15.6-yard career punt return average ranks second among active FBS players.
• Last season, Reed was named one of five finalists for the Paul Hornung Award – given annually to the nation’s most versatile player – after averaging 18.0 yards per play (1,674 all-purpose yards on 93 total plays), which led the Big Ten and ranked tied for seventh in the FBS. Forty-two of Reed’s 59 catches (.712) went for either a first down or a touchdown, and he led MSU with 32 explosive plays (20-plus yards), including 20 receptions, nine kick returns and three punt returns. In addition, seven of his 10 TD catches were from 25-plus yards.
• Sophomore wide receiver Keon Coleman ranks among the Big Ten leaders in touchdown catches (tied for fourth with six), receiving yards (seventh with 574; 63.8 ypg) and receptions (14th with 38; 4.2 pg).
• Coleman had a career-high 155 receiving yards on just five catches at Michigan on Oct. 29 (31.0-yard average). Coleman made a leaping 26-yard grap in the end zone in the first quarter and also had a 51-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
• Coleman showed flashes of his athleticism as a true freshman in 2021 and is now a full-time starter for the Spartans. The 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound Coleman recorded a career-high nine catches for 116 yards and two TDs in Week 3 at Washington, and he also caught two two-point conversion passes.
• Coleman matched his two-TD game against the Huskies with two touchdowns in the Week 7 win over Wisconsin, including a leaping 25-yard catch on the first play of overtime that was thrown by Reed. The Opelousas, Louisiana, product had five catches for 79 yards overall vs. Wisconsin; he also had a 27-yard TD grab in the fourth quarter.
• Coleman spent last winter with the basketball team, playing in six games, to earn letters in both football and basketball as a true freshman in 2021-22.
• Redshirt junior Tre Mosley (R-Jr.) has been consistently productive for the Spartans throughout his career with 89 catches for 1,052 yards and eight touchdowns in 32 collegiate games, including 19 starting assignments. He has a career-high four touchdown catches this season to go along with 26 receptions for 235 yards. Mosley surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving milestone for his career in the Ohio State game with a season-best six catches for 40 yards.
• True freshman Germie Bernard has seven catches for 128 yards (18.3 avg.). He made an immediate impact in his first game as a Spartan, catching his first pass and racing 44 yards to the end zone in the first quarter against Western Michigan. He also caught a 27-yard TD pass vs. Minnesota from Noah Kim. Bernard joined the Spartans in January and competed in spring practice.
• After missing the first two games of the season due to an injury, junior Montorie Foster has played in the last seven games and has six catches for 82 yards and one TD.
• Courtney Hawkins is entering his third season as the wide receivers coach for the Spartans.
►OFFENSIVE LINE
• #53 OT Brandon Baldwin (R-So., 6-7, 315, Detroit, Mich./Independence CC, 6 games/2 starts at LT)
• #58 OT Spencer Brown (1L, R-Jr., 6-6, 315, Commerce Twp., Mich, Walled Lake Western, 9 games/9 starts at RT)
• #56 RG Matt Carrick (4L, Gr.-6, 6-5, 320, Minerva, Ohio/Perry, 9 games/9 starts at RG)
• #67 LG J.D. Duplain (3L, Sr., 6-4, 300, Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville, 9 games/9 starts at LG)
• #50 OG/C Brian Greene (Gr.-6, 6-3, 300, Yakima, Wash./Washington State, 9 games)
• #79 LT Jarrett Horst (Sr.-5, 6-6, 300, Milddleton, Wis./Arkansas State, 8 games/7 starts at LT)
• #59 C Nick Samac (3L, Sr., 6-4, 300, Mentor, Ohio/Mentor, 9 games/9 starts at C)
►SPARTANS FEATURE 135 COMBINED CAREER STARTS ON OFFENSIVE LINE
• The Spartans lost eight lettermen from last season’s offensive line, including four starters (center Matt Allen, guard Blake Bueter, tackle AJ Arcuri, guard/tackle Kevin Jarvis), but assistant head coach/offensive line coach/run game coordinator Chris Kapilovic still returned plenty of experience in 2022.
• Although Allen started every game at center in 2021, senior Nick Samac split time with Allen during the season and is now the full-time starter at center. Samac has 19 career starts under his belt and has played in 36 collegiate games.
• Senior J.D. Duplain, a second-team All-Big Ten honoree last season by Pro Football Focus, is back for his fourth consecutive season starting games at left guard. Duplain earned five starts at left guard as a true freshman in 2019 and five more as a sophomore in 2020 before starting every game at the position last season while helping pave the way for Doak Walker Award winner and unanimous All-American Kenneth Walker III. Duplain has started a team-best 27 consecutive games for the Spartans at left guard and has 32 career starts overall.
• At right guard, sixth-year graduate senior Matt Carrick brings 27 career starts and 47 games of experience to the table. Carrick rotated at right guard in the first seven games last season, but missed the second half of the year with an ACL injury. He returned to the starting lineup in the season opener against Western Michigan. Carrick started all seven games at the position in 2020 and 11 times in 2019.
• Redshirt junior Spencer Brown, who still has three years of eligibility remaining, earned his first career start in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over No. 12 Pitt, playing in all 89 snaps at right tackle against the Panthers. Brown has started tall nine games this season at right tackle for a streak of 10 consecutive starts.
• Fifth-year senior Jarrett Horst, who transferred to MSU in 2021 after starting two years (2019-20) at left tackle at Arkansas State, started the first eight games of last season at left tackle during the Spartans’ 8-0 start. Although he missed the last five games of the year, Horst still earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades by the coaches and media in playing a total of 317 offensive snaps. Horst returned to the lineup in a reserve role at left tackle against Western Michigan in Week 1 and was back in the starting lineup for Week 2 against Akron, earning co-offensive player of the week honors for the Spartans. He has seven starts this season and 35 for his career (20 at Arkansas State, 15 at MSU).
• Another experienced transfer joined the Spartans over the summer, as Brian Greene landed in East Lansing from Washington State. A sixth-year graduate senior, Greene has played in 38 career games overall, including 10 starts at center for the Cougars (four in 2020, six in 2021). He has rotated at guard for the Spartans in 2022.
• Redshirt sophomore Brandon Baldwin earned his first career start at left tackle in Week 1 against Western Michigan and played 41 snaps vs. the Broncos. Baldwin transferred to MSU in 2021 from Independence Community College but did not see game action last season. He returned to the starting lineup in the win at Illinois on Nov. 5.
►TIGHT ENDS
• #9 Daniel Barker (Gr.-5, 6-4, 250, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Illinois)
(9 games/3 starts, 14 catches, 145 yards, 10.4 avg., 1 TD, 16.1 ypg)
• #6 Maliq Carr (1L, R-So., 6-5, 255, Inkster, Mich./Purdue)
(9 games, 8 catches, 139 yards, 17.4 avg., 0 TDs, 15.4 ypg)
• #97 Tyler Hunt (4L, Gr.-6, 6-3, 248, Gobles, Mich./Gobles)
(9 games/9 starts, 15 catches, 98 yards, 6.5 avg., 0 TDs, 10.9 ypg)
►TIGHT ENDS SEE A PROMINENT ROLE IN SPARTAN OFFENSE
• Although the Spartans lost Connor Heyward, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Steelers after a successful season in 2021, there are still plenty of intriguing options at tight end for third-year coach Ted Gilmore.
• Former walk-on Tyler Hunt, who began his Spartan career as a punter, is in his sixth season in 2022. He has started every game this season and has a career-high 15 catches for 98 yards. Hunt made the transition from a specialist to a tight end during preseason practice in 2020.
• The program welcomed transfer Daniel Barker (Gr.-5) from Illinois during the summer, an experienced player who owns the Fighting Illini record for most touchdown catches by a tight end with 11. Barker racked up 64 receptions for 827 yards in 44 games at Illinois from 2018-21, including 21 starting assignments. That production has carried over to East Lansing, as he leads the Spartan tight end room with 145 receiving yards on 14 catches and one TD. In his Spartan debut against Western Michigan, Barker made a one-handed 13-yard touchdown grab in the left corner of the south end zone in the second quarter. In Week 3 at Washington, he had a career-high seven catches for 69 yards.
• Redshirt sophomore Maliq Carr showed plenty of promise during his first season with the Green and White in 2021 with eight receptions for 135 yards, including a start in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against No. 12 Pitt. Through nine games this season, he has eight catches for 139 yards and leads the Spartans with a 17.4-yard average. He had a 72-yard reception vs. Wisconsin, which was MSU’s longest pass play this season.
DEFENSE
►DEFENSIVE LINE
• #8 DT Simeon Barrow (1L, R-So., 6-3, 290, Grovetown, Ga./Grovetown)
(9 games/8 starts, 29 tackles, 6.0 TFLs for 18 yards, 3.0 sacks for 15 yards, 1 FR)
• #2 DE Khris Bogle (Sr., 6-4, 245, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Florida)
(4 games/1 start, 11 tackles, 3 TFLs for 3 yards, 1 sack for 1 yard)
• #98 DE Avery Dunn (R-So., 6-4, 245, Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights)
(6 games, 14 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 2 yards)
• #5 DE Michael Fletcher (R-Jr., 6-6, 260, Flint, Mich./Carman-Ainsworth)
(5 games/2 starts, 7 tackles, 0.5 TFL)
• #97 DT Maverick Hansen (2L, R-Jr., 6-4, 300, Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison)
(9 games/1 start, 32 tackles, 0.5 TFL for 1 yard, 1 FR)
• #41 DT Derrick Harmon (R-Fr., 6-5, 320, Detroit, Mich./Loyola)
(9 games/5 starts, 25 tackles, 2.0 TFLs for 10 yards, 2.0 sacks for 10 yards, 1 FR, 1 PBU)
• #99 DE/DT Jalen Hunt (R-Jr., 6-4, 320, Belleville, Mich./Belleville)
(5 games/1 start, 2 tackles)
• #94 DE Dashaun Mallory (R-Sr., 6-2, 280, Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook)
(6 games, 9 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 1 yards, 2 FR)
• #47 DE Jeff Pietrowski Jr. (2L, Jr., 6-2, 250, Medina, Ohio/St. Edward)
(3 games/3 starts, 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL for 2 yards)
• #64 DT Jacob Slade (3L, Gr.-5, 6-4, 305, Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy)
(5 games/3 starts, 9 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 1 yard)
• #91 DT Alex VanSumeren (Fr., 6-3, 300, Bay City, Mich./Garber)
(4 games, 3 tackles)
►SPARTANS BATTLING INJURIES ALONG DEFENSIVE LINE
• Due to a combination of injuries, the Spartans have utilized eight different starting defensive ends and four defensive tackles this season.
• At defensive end, the Spartans started a pair of former defensive tackles in Dashaun Mallory (R-Sr.) and Jalen Hunt (R-Jr.) in the win at Illinois. Hunt and Mallory took snaps alongside each other as defensive tackles the past two seasons, but have moved to the outside of the line. The duo helped contain Illinois, the Big Ten’s No. 3 rushing offense entering the game with nearly 200 rushing yards per game, to 153 yards, its second-lowest total of the season. Mallory has 37 tackles, including 4.5 TFLs and two sacks, in 25 career games. The Bolingbrook, Illinois, native has nine tackles in six games in 2022.
• Redshirt junior Michael Fletcher earned starting assignments against Wisconsin and Michigan but did not play at Illinois. He tied his career high with four tackles at Michigan on Oct. 29 and has registered seven stops in five games this season.
• Junior Jeff Pietrowski Jr. started the first three games at defensive end, but has missed the last six games due to an injury he suffered in Week 3 at Washington. He has six tackles, including a half tackle for loss, in three games of action. Pietrowski was productive in his second season with the Spartans in 2021, ranking tied for second on the team with 5.5 sacks and third with seven tackles for loss in 13 games and three starts. He played a total of 483 snaps on defense and also ranked tied for second in the Big Ten with three forced fumbles.
• The Spartans added impact transfer Khris Bogle from Florida to bolster the pass rush in 2022, but he has missed the last five games due to an injury. Rated a four-star prospect in the Class of 2019, Bogle was ranked one of the top 100 overall players in the nation coming out of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bogle played three seasons (2019-21) with the Gators, collecting 69 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 35 career games, including seven starts. He enrolled in January and participated in spring practice for the Spartans to get a head start for the 2022 season; he has 11 tackles, three tackles for loss (3 yards) and one sack (1 yard) in four games.
• First-year coach Brandon Jordan, who was hired in January as a pass rush specialist, works with the defensive ends, along with fellow first-year defensive line coach and run game coordinator Marco Coleman.
• The Spartans returned both starters from 2021 at defensive tackle (Simeon Barrow; Jacob Slade), but unfortunately injuries have shuffled the rotation much of the 2022 season. Barrow and Slade started the first two games of the season, but didn’t start alongside each other again until Oct. 29 at Michigan. Barrow and Slade also split time in the playing rotation with Derrick Harmon (R-Fr.) and Maverick Hansen (R-Jr.).
• A preseason second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Slade was named to watch lists for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award entering the season, but missed four games after suffering an injury in Week 2 vs. Akron. He returned to the lineup vs. Wisconsin in Week 7, and the Spartans responded with a victory over the Badgers.
• A first-team All-Big Ten selection by Pro Football Focus, Slade posted career numbers in 2021 with 40 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. According to PFF, he racked up 40 QB pressures, the most of any Big Ten defensive tackle and tied for 10th most in the FBS, and 33 QB hurries, No. 1 among Big Ten DTs and No. 3 in the FBS. He was named to the AP All-Bowl Team after recording a career-high two tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks, to go along with six stops overall in the victory over No. 12 Pitt in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
• Barrow has started eight games for the Spartans and is building upon his strong redshirt freshman season in 2021 with another solid performance in 2022. Barrow has 29 tackles, including 6.0 for losses (18 yards) and 3.0 sacks (15 yards). He tallied 34 tackles, four TFLs and three sacks in 10 starts last season. After missing the last three games of the regular season due to an injury, Barrow stormed back on the field with six tackles and a TFL in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win against Pittsburgh.
• Redshirt junior Maverick Hansen filled in for Barrow in the starting lineup for three games in 2021 and was equally effective during his time in the lineup. Hansen ranked fourth on the team with 3.5 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss in 13 games overall. He has 32 stops this season, most among Spartan defensive tackles.
• Promising redshirt freshman Derrick Harmon played in four games last fall to preserve his redshirt season. He has earned five starting assignments (Akron, Washington, Maryland, Ohio State, Wisconsin) and has 25 tackles overall with two sacks in nine games. Harmon recorded his first career sack vs. Ohio State.
• Four-star prospect Alex VanSumeren, who was ranked one of the top overall players in the nation by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports, enrolled in January at Michigan State and gained valuable experience during spring practice. He has three tackles in four games of action.
►LINEBACKERS
• #7 Aaron Brule (Gr.-5, 6-2, 242, New Orleans, La./Mississippi State)
(9 games/1 start, 17 tackles, 3.5 TFLs for 18 yards, 2 sacks for 13 yards)
• #10 Ma’a Gaoteote (So., 6-1, 230, Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman)
(8 games, 7 tackles, 1 TFL for 9 yards)
• #27 Cal Haladay (1L, R-So., 6-1, 230, Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia)
(9 games/8 starts, 80 tackles, 7.5 TFLs for 28 yards, 1.5 sacks for 12 yards, 1 FR for 21 yards, 1 FF)
• #13 Ben VanSumeren (Gr.-5, 6-3, 235, Bay City, Mich./Michigan)
(8 games/7 starts, 63 tackles, 1 TFL for 8 yards, 1 PBU)
►HALADAY NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK; LEADS TEAM WITH 80 TACKLES
• The linebackers, coached by Secchia Family Defensive Coordinator Scottie Hazelton, feature a strong position room, but unfortunately will be missing one of its key players this season as junior starter Darius Snow suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 against Western Michigan. Snow played safety and nickelback last season and racked up 87 tackles before moving to linebacker during spring practice. His versatility will be missed in 2022.
• Returning starter Cal Haladay (R-So.) won the middle linebacker job as a redshirt freshman in 2021 and went on to earn Freshman All-America honors after tying for the team lead with 96 tackles. He also returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a game-winning 78-yard return for a score with less than a minute remaining in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory to earn Defensive MVP honors in the game.
• Haladay leads the team with 80 tackles and has posted double-digit tackles in four of the nine games, including a career-high 13 at Michigan on Oct. 29. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten with his 80 overall stops.
• Haladay was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after recording nine tackles, including a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss (10 yards), in MSU’s 23-15 win at No. 16 Illinois on Nov. 5. The Spartans held the Illini, which entered the game with the No. 3 rushing offense in the Big Ten (197.6 ypg), to 153 yards rushing, the second fewest by Illinois this season. MSU’s defense had five fourth-down stops in the game, including two by Haladay in the second half.
• Graduate senior Ben VanSumeren has started seven games for the Spartans and ranks third on the team with 63 tackles. He has posted double-digit stops in four games, including a career-high 14 at Maryland in Week 5. VanSumeren played in a reserve role against Wisconsin and did not play at Michigan due to an injury.
• Aaron Brule started eight games and played in 12 last season at Mississippi State, recording 52 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks. He brought a wealth of experience from Starkville, where he collected 141 tackles, including 17.5 TFLs and 7.5 sacks, in 40 career games (19 starts) from 2018-21. Brule, who has seen his playing time increase the second half of the season, has 17 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and two sacks for the Spartans. He had five stops, including 1.5 TFLs and an 8-yard sack, and a fumble recovery in the win at No. 16 Illinois. Brule started his first Spartan game in the Week 7 victory over Wisconsin.
• Sophomore Ma’a Gaoteote, a former four-star and top-100 recruit out of Bishop Gorman High School, played in nine games as a true freshman to earn his first letter and will compete for time in the rotation. He has seven tackles and one TFL (9 yards) in eight games this season.
►SECONDARY
• #0 CB Charles Brantley (1L, So., 6-0, 170, Sarasota, Fla./Venice)
(9 games/9 starts, 41 tackles, 2.0 TFLs for 12 yards, 1 sack for 8 yards, 6 PBUs, 1 INT for 32 yards)
• #33 S Kendell Brooks (1L, Sr.-5, 6-0, 215, Swansea, S.C./North Greenville)
(8 games/7 starts, 77 tackles, 3.5 TFLs for 7 yards, 3 FF, 1 PBU)
• #3 S Xavier Henderson (4L, Gr.-5, 6-1, 210, Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Pickerington Central)
(4 games/4 starts, 17 tackles, 2.0 TFLs for 6 yards, 1 PBU)
• #12 NB Chester Kimbrough (1L, Sr., 6-0, 185, New Orleans, La./Florida)
(7 games/4 starts, 16 tackles, 2 sacks for 13 yards, 1 FR for 3 yards, 3 PBUs)
• #1 S Jaden Mangham (Fr., 6-2, 175, Bingham Farms, Mich./Wylie E. Groves)
(7 games/2 starts, 15 tackles)
• #6 CB Ameer Speed (Gr.-6, 6-3, 215, Jacksonville, Fla./Georgia)
(9 games/9 starts, 55 tackles, 1 TFL for 2 yards, 2 PBUs)
• #43 S Malik Spencer (Fr., 6-1, 195, Buford, Ga./Buford)
(2 games, 1 tackle)
• #9 CB Ronald Williams (1L, Sr.-6, 6-2, 195, Ferriday, La., Alabama)
(9 games, 11 tackles, 1 PBU)
►XAVIER HENDERSON’S RETURN SPARKS SPARTAN SECONDARY
• Former Spartan All-American and NFL veteran Harlon Barnett is in 14th year overall on the defensive coaching staff at Michigan State, his third under head coach Mel Tucker. Barnett was the cornerbacks coach in 2020 before returning to coaching the entire secondary in 2021. Ross Els, who is also the special teams coordinator, will coach the nickelbacks this season, while Tucker will also assist with the cornerbacks.
• At cornerback, sixth-year graduate senior Ameer Speed enrolled in January after spending his first five years at Georgia (2017-21). Speed started in three games for the National Champion Bulldogs in 2021 and played in 13 games overall, playing a total of 181 snaps with 13 tackles. He recorded six tackles in his Spartan debut against Western Michigan and had a career-high 12 stops vs. Maryland in Week 5. Speed is fourth on the team with 55 tackles through nine games.
• Lining up opposite of Speed, sophomore Charles Brantley has also started all nine games this season and leads the team with six pass break-ups, including a career-high three vs. Akron in Week 2. He intercepted a C.J. Stroud pass and raced 32 yards into the end zone for a touchdown against the Buckeyes in Week 6. Brantley played in eight games in 2021 and earned a start at Purdue on Nov. 6, but he suffered a season-ending injury in the game and had his freshman season cut short by a month. Brantley sealed the win over No. 6 Michigan last season with a one-handed interception in the final minute of the game.
• Sixth-year graduate senior Ronald Williams started nine games at cornerback in 2021 and is back for the Spartans this fall, while redshirt sophomore Marqui Lowery started twice last season.
• Senior Chester Kimbrough, who transferred from Florida last season, started the first three games at nickelback and returned to the starting lineup at Illinois. He moved to nickelback in spring practice after starting 11 games at cornerback for the Spartans in 2021. Kimbrough has 16 tackles, including two sacks for 13 yards, and three pass break-ups.
• A 2021 team captain, Henderson had started 34 consecutive games at safety before missing Week 2 against Akron. He left the season opener against Western Michigan in the second quarter and missed five games with an injury before returning in Week 7 vs. Wisconsin. Henderson recorded career highs in tackles (96) and tackles for loss (10) last year to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors by the media.
• Henderson returning to the starting lineup and started his 35th career game in the win over the Badgers and had five tackles. In his return, the Spartans allowed just 131 passing yards to Wisconsin, the fewest by a opponent in the Mel Tucker era.
• The Spartans have won two of the past three games with Henderson back in the starting lineup. MSU is allowing 195.3 passing yards in the last three games, compared to 292.0 yards in the first six games.
• Following Henderson’s exit from the game in Week 1, Kendell Brooks (Sr.-5) stepped up against Western Michigan and posted five tackles, including a forced fumble. Since then, he has gone on to lead the Spartan secondary in tackles and ranks second on the team overall with 77 stops, although he did miss the Wisconsin game due to an injury.
• In his first career start against Akron in Week 2, Brooks caused another fumble and had seven tackles. He posted eight stops at Washington and forced a fumble in his third straight game; he ranks second in the FBS with three forced fumbles. Brooks then had a career-high 18 stops vs. Minnesota, the most by a Spartan since Eric Smith had 19 vs. Notre Dame in 2004. Brooks transferred from Division II North Greenville in 2021.
• True freshman Jaden Mangham, a four-star prospect, earned his first career start at safety in Week 5 at Maryland and collected six tackles. He played 38 total snaps at safety before playing 73 snaps against the Terrapins. Mangham started against Ohio State in Week 6, but left the game with an injury and did not play vs. Wisconsin; he returned to action at Michigan.
►SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter: Bryce Baringer is using his extra season of eligibility in 2022 and returns as the starting punter after a record-breaking season in which he set the MSU single-season record with his 48.4-yard punting average, a mark that also led the Big Ten and ranked No. 5 in the FBS. Baringer became the first Spartan punter to lead the Big Ten in punting since the late Mike Sadler in 2012. In addition, Baringer’s 48.4-yard average was also the second-best average in Big Ten history, second only to Iowa’s Reggie Roby in 1981 (49.8 avg.). Baringer also ranked second in the conference in punts of 50-plus yards (26), including 10 of 60-plus yards, to earn second-team all-league honors.
• A Ray Guy Award candidate, continues to lead the FBS with a 50.0-yard average (39 punts for 1,949 yards). Nineteen of Baringer’s 39 punts this season have been for 50-plus yards, including seven of 60-plus yards, and he has placed 17 inside the 20-yard line.
• A first-team midseason All-American by The Associated Press, Baringer ranks fourth among all active FBS punters with a 46.0-yard career punting average.
• For the second time this season, Baringer was honored as the Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week for his performance in the win at Illinois on Nov. 5. Baringer, the nation’s leading punter (50.0 avg.), punted five times for a 49.6-yard average, successfully punting in winds that were 25-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. He finished with four punts inside the 20, including two inside the 10. Baringer had a game-long 68-yarder with the wind in second quarter that went to the Illinois 6-yard line and also had a 62-yarder that went out of bounds at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter.
• Baringer was named the Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week after averaging 48.9 yards per punt against Ohio State (seven punts for 342 yards) in Week 6. He also tied a career high with five punts placed inside the 20.
• In the season opener, Baringer averaged 50.5 yards per punt on four punts (202 yards) against WMU to be named one of the Ray Guy Award’s top-eight punters of Week 1. He had a game-long 70-yard punt, marking the third time he has punted a ball at least 70 yards in a game; his first punt of the game was a 67-yarder that was downed at the 4-yard line.
Placekicker: The Spartans have a new starting placekicker for the first time in five years following the departure of the school’s all-time leading scorer and field-goal kicker, Matt Coghlin. True freshman Jack Stone earned the job in preseason camp; he is 15-for-16 on PATs and 1-for-3 on field goals, including making a 43-yarder vs. Akron for the first field goal of his young career. Stone is averaging 58.4 yards on kickoffs with nine touchbacks in 38 attempts (.237).
• While Coghlin battled an injury at the end of last season, Stephen Rusnak stepped in the last five games to earn his first letter. Rusnak was 4-of-5 on PATs and averaged 54.3 yards on kickoffs with four touchbacks on 21 kickoffs.
• In addition, MSU added graduate transfer Ben Patton from Auburn in August prior to the season opener. He made his first PAT as a Spartan in Week 5 at Maryland and is 8-for-9 in PATs on the season. He connected on a 21-yard field goal at Illinois for his first field goal wearing the Green and White.
Long Snapper: Hank Pepper handled every snap for the Spartans as a true freshman in 2021 and is back for his second season as the starter; however, backup redshirt freshman Michael Donovan has started the past four games (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois) for MSU.
Kick Returner/Punt Returner: Redshirt senior Jayden Reed earned first-team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as an all-purpose player last season thanks to a dynamic return game, as Reed led the Big Ten in punt returns (19.8 avg.; 12 returns for 238 yards) and tied for the FBS lead with two punt returns for touchdowns (62 yards vs. Nebraska, 88 yards vs. Western Kentucky). Reed also ranked fourth in the Big Ten in kick returns (23.5 avg.) and second in the Big Ten and 23rd in the FBS in combined returns (614 yards). He was selected the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week vs. Nebraska after his 62-yard punt return late in the fourth quarter tied the game in MSU’s eventual overtime victory against the Huskers.
• Reed was named one of five finalists for the Paul Hornung Award, which is given annually to the nation’s most versatile player. As a team, Michigan State led the Big Ten and ranked third in the FBS in punt returns (18.2 avg.). Reed’s two punt returns not only tied a school record, but he became the first Spartan to ever return touchdowns on back-to-back punts (fourth quarter vs. Nebraska; first quarter vs. Western Kentucky).
• Reed has seven punt returns for 49 yards (7.0 avg.) this season; his 15.6-yard career punt return average ranks second best among all active FBS players. He has had two punt returns for touchdowns called back this season due to penalties (86 yards vs. Akron; 81 yards vs. Wisconsin).
• Redshirt junior Cade McDonald has four punt returns for 44 yards (11.0 avg.), including a 21-yarder vs. Akron.
• Freshman Tyrell Henry leads the team in kick return average (20.2; six returns for 113 yards). Jarek Broussard ranks second with five returns for 95 yards (19.0 avg.).
