Post-Game Notes: Indiana

TEAM
Michigan State defeated Indiana, 20-15, on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium to reclaim the Old Brass Spittoon . . . MSU has won three of the last four meetings with Indiana, as Saturday's win avenged last season's 24-0 loss to IU . . . Michigan State leads the all-time series, 49-17-2, including a 23-10-1 record in Bloomington . . . since 1950, the winner of the Michigan State-Indiana game has been presented the Old Brass Spittoon; MSU is 49-14-1 in those games.

Michigan State improved to 7-0 overall for the first time since 2015 . . . overall, it's the eighth time MSU has started 7-0 to start a season (1913, 1951, 1952, 1965, 1966, 2010, 2015) . . . MSU is also 4-0 to start Big Ten play for the first time since 2017.

OFFENSE
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Payton Thorne has at least one TD pass in each of the seven games this season after his 12-yard TD pass from senior tight end Tyler Hunt in the third quarter . . . Thorne now has 15 TDs this season as part of 18 for his career . . . Thorne was 14-for-26 passing for 126 yards with one TD, adding first career catch for 12-yards on an acrobatic, highlight-reel catch on the sideline during MSU's TD drive in third quarter, and also had 10 rushing yards on seven carries.

Junior running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Kenneth Walker III had 23 carries for 84 yards, marking his third straight game with 20-plus carries, as part of his fifth in the seven games this season . . . Walker has 152 carries for 997 yards in seven games this season.

Senior tight end Tyler Hunt connected with Thorne for a 15-yard pass in the third quarter, with Thorne making an acrobatic, highlight-reel catch on the sideline . . . it was Hunt's first career pass and was Thorne's first career reception . . . Thorne returned the favor later in the drive with a 12-yard TD toss to Hunt for the tight end's first career TD catch . . . Hunt now has at least one catch in three games this season.

Junior wide receiver Jayden Reed had four catches for 70 yards, as he has had at least three receptions in all seven games and at least 50 yards in five games . . . Reed added two kick returns for 24 yards and two punt returns for 11 yards to finish with a game-high 105 all-purpose yards, marking his fourth game this season with at least 100 all-purpose yards.

The Spartans were held to a season-low 241 yards of total offense.

DEFENSE
The Spartans snared two interceptions (Cal Haladay, Darius Snow) in a game for the second time this year, and both occurrences have come on the road, joining the Miami game on Sept. 18.

MSU added a fumble recovery by Chester Kimbrough to tally three takeaways in the game . . . it was the third game this season with multiple takeaways, joining four at Miami (9/18) and three vs. Nebraska (9/25).

IU's 322 yards was the fewest allowed by the Spartan defense in a Big Ten game this season and second-lowest overall behind 304 vs. Youngstown State (9/11).

The 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by redshirt freshman linebacker Cal Haladay was his first career interception . . . it was MSU's first interception return for a TD as well as first overall defensive TD since the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl (12/27/19) vs. Wake Forest by Mike Panasiuk, with a 14-yard return for a TD . . . Haladay's oskie gives him two takeaways this season to go with his fumble recovery vs. Western Kentucky (10/2).

Sophomore safety Darius Snow snared his first career interception with the third-quarter pick . . . it was also Snow's first takeaway of his Spartan career.

Junior linebacker Quavaris Crouch posted a collegiate career high with a game-high 13 tackles . . . the 13 stops bettered his MSU career high of eight tackles vs. Western Kentucky (10/2) and his collegiate career-best of 11 tackles, done twice during his time at Tennessee, last doing so vs. Texas A&M (12/19/20) . . . Crouch added one pass break-up, his second PBU of the season.

Junior cornerback Chester Kimbrough registered his first collegiate career sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery with his sack-fumble in the fourth quarter . . . Kimbrough added a career-high two pass break-ups, his first two of the season.

Senior safety Xavier Henderson added eight tackles, his second straight game with seven or more stops, as part of his sixth game in the seven contests this season doing so . . . Henderson added 1.0 tackle for loss, as he has had at least 1.0 TFL in the last four consecutive games as part of at least one in six of the seven games, now with 7.0 for the season.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Fifth-year senior punter Bryce Baringer's 66-yard punt in the second quarter was his fifth punt of 60-plus yards this season and a yard shy of his season-high 67-yarder vs. Nebraska . . . Baringer added a 54-yard punt in the fourth quarter and now has 14 punts of 50-plus yards this season and 28 for his career.

Senior placekicker Matt Coghlin's 51-yard field goal in the third quarter tied his career-long, coming against Michigan (10/31/20) . . . Coghlin added a 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to go 2-for-2 on field goals for the day, his third multi-FG outing in the last four games and his 22nd career game with two or more field goals . . . the two field goals extends his MSU career record with his 74th career upright split, as well as No. 1 for active FBS players . . . the 74 field goals now gives Coghlin sole possession of No. 2 on the Big Ten career field goals list (record: 78 by Penn State's Kevin Kelly, 2005-08).

Players Mentioned

Bryce Baringer

Matt Coghlin

Quavaris Crouch

Cal Haladay

Xavier Henderson

Tyler Hunt

Chester Kimbrough

Jayden Reed

Darius Snow

Payton Thorne

Kenneth Walker III

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