Michigan State University
2-0
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Western Michigan
1-1
Dantonio Ties MSU Wins Record, No. 19 Spartans Roll Past Western Michigan, 51-17
9/7/2019 10:56:00 PM | Football
AP Sports Writer
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Darrell Stewart had 10 catches for 185 yards, and No. 19 Michigan State scored touchdowns on its first three drives on the way to a 51-17 win over Western Michigan on Saturday night that gave coach Mark Dantonio a share of the school record for victories.
Dantonio won his 109th game for the Spartans, matching Duffy Daugherty's mark. Michigan State (2-0) looked a lot sharper on offense than in its opener against Tulsa. Brian Lewerke threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns, and Elijah Collins had 192 yards on 17 carries.
Dantonio called his team out during the week for its uneven performance in the opener, and the Spartans appeared to get the message. On the first offensive play, Lewerke found an open Stewart for a 33-yard gain. Michigan State opened the scoring on a 2-yard pass from Lewerke to Matt Dotson after only 94 seconds.
La'Darius Jefferson added a 2-yard touchdown run, and Stewart scored on a 42-yard reception later in the first quarter to make it 21-0.
WMU (1-1) scored in the second quarter on a 14-yard pass from Jon Wassink to Giovanni Ricci, but the Broncos were down 31-7 at halftime.
The second half belonged to Collins, a redshirt freshman who broke free for a 58-yard run early in the third quarter. By game's end, Michigan State had reached its highest point total since a 55-16 win over Penn State in 2015.
THE TAKEAWAY
WMU: The Broncos had problems in coverage and let Stewart get free too many times. WMU forced two turnovers in the second quarter - and one of those gave the Broncos the ball at the Michigan State 17 - but did not score after either one.
Michigan State: This was a good response by the Spartans. The only real issue for Michigan State was the aforementioned turnovers. The Spartans lost an interception and a fumble in the first half but weren't punished. Michigan State cut down significantly on penalties. After 14 in the opener, the Spartans had only two Saturday.
UP NEXT
WMU: Host Georgia State next Saturday night.
Michigan State: Host Arizona State on Saturday afternoon.
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Team Stats
WMU 0, MSU 7
MSU - Dotson, Matt 2 yd pass from Lewerke, Brian (Coghlin, Matt kick) 4 plays, 79 yards, TOP 1:34
WMU 0, MSU 14
MSU - Jefferson, L. 2 yd run (Coghlin, Matt kick), 9 plays, 69 yards, TOP 2:43
WMU 0, MSU 21
MSU - Stewart, D. 42 yd pass from Lewerke, Brian (Coghlin, Matt kick) 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:17
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WMU 7, MSU 21
WMU - RICCI, G. 14 yd pass from WASSINK, J. (KAPPS, T. kick) 10 plays, 66 yards, TOP 5:18
WMU 7, MSU 28
MSU - White, Cody 2 yd pass from Lewerke, Brian (Coghlin, Matt kick) 9 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:40
WMU 7, MSU 31
MSU - Coghlin, Matt 38 yd field goal 8 plays, 60 yards, TOP 0:49
WMU 7, MSU 34
MSU - Coghlin, Matt 23 yd field goal 5 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:55
WMU 7, MSU 37
MSU - Coghlin, Matt 20 yd field goal 9 plays, 61 yards, TOP 4:06
WMU 7, MSU 44
MSU - Jefferson, L. 1 yd run (Coghlin, Matt kick), 8 plays, 57 yards, TOP 4:25
WMU 10, MSU 44
WMU - KAPPS, T. 31 yd field goal 11 plays, 61 yards, TOP 4:56
WMU 10, MSU 51
MSU - Thomas, Alante 1 yd run (Coghlin, Matt kick), 4 plays, 24 yards, TOP 2:11
WMU 17, MSU 51
WMU - SELIG, R. 15 yd pass from ALSTOTT, G. (KAPPS, T. kick) 9 plays, 72 yards, TOP 3:35
