Michigan State University
5-0 , 2-0
Western Kentucky (Homecoming)
1-3 , 0-0
Michigan State Uses Big First Half, Beats Western Kentucky, 48-31
10/2/2021 11:38:00 PM | Football
Junior running back Kenneth Walker III had 24 carries for 126 yards and scored three touchdowns, while redshirt sophomore quarterback Payton Thorne completed 20-of-30 passes for a career-high 327 yards and one touchdown pass, in addition to seven carries for 31 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown run. Redshirt junior wide receiver Jayden Reed caught four passes for 127 yards and one touchdown and also returned a punt 88 yards for a score, while redshirt junior receiver Jalen Nailor had eight catches for a career-high 128 yards. Reed finished the game with 285 all-purpose yards, the seventh-highest single-game total in Michigan State history.
Sophomore safety Angelo Grose led Michigan State with a career-high 16 tackles, while redshirt freshman linebacker Cal Haladay had 10 tackles, including one for loss, junior linebacker Quavaris Crouch added eight tackles and junior safety Michael Dowell had seven tackles.
"We had some things that we needed to clean up, some things we needed to improve, and we wanted to come out and start fast and play complementary football, and we were able to do that against what was a very good football team," said MSU head coach Mel Tucker. "Western Kentucky is a good team. They have a lot of good players and their offense is very hard to stop. Their quarterback plays at a high level, and we came out, we started fast, and we were able to get the job done."
After the Spartan defense forced a three-and-out to start the game, Reed returned the ensuing punt 88 yards for a touchdown, quickly putting MSU on top, 7-0. It marked the second straight punt return for a touchdown for Reed, who returned a punt 62 yards for a score against Nebraska in the fourth quarter.
Following another WKU three-and-out, the Spartans took their first offensive possession 80 yards on seven plays for a score, capped by a 5-yard TD run by Walker.
The Hilltoppers got on the board with a field goal at the 5:04 mark in the first quarter, but the Spartans responded with another touchdown drive as Thorne connected with Reed on a 46-yard touchdown pass with 3:54 left in the first.
WKU scored its first touchdown of the game on its next series, cutting the Spartan lead to 21-10 at the 2:57 mark, and added a field goal early in the second quarter to make it 21-13 in favor of MSU.
Walker scored two more rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, from 5 and 3 yards out, and Thorne rushed for a 12-yard TD right before the half to give MSU a 42-16 halftime lead. It marked the most points by MSU in the first half since Sept. 27, 2014 vs. Wyoming (42 points).
On WKU's first series of the second half, the Spartans held the Hilltoppers out of the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play from the 20, but MSU had to take over on its own 1-yard line after a 19-yard pass. MSU then drove 96 yards on 14 plays and took 5:49 off the clock as Matt Coghlin made a 21-yard field goal with 43 seconds left in the third.
Bailey Zappe found Jerreth Stearns in the end zone with 13:13 left in the fourth quarter, and the Hilltoppers converted the 2-point attempt to trim the Spartan advantage to 45-24.
WKU scored its second TD of the fourth quarter at the 8:24 mark, cutting the MSU lead to 14 points (45-31).
The Spartans took over with just over eight minutes left in the game and 3:38 on a 12-play, 72-yard drive that was capped by a 20-yard field goal from Coghlin, giving MSU a 48-31 lead.
"Our fans were incredible tonight, it was an electric atmosphere, the student section was at an elite level," said Tucker. "We really appreciate that with Homecoming. There's an expectation of coming back and supporting our football team, and in turn we need to show up and play, and play a brand of football that everyone can be proud of. We came out early and did that, mission accomplished. That's really what it's all about. 5-0, that's a good start, but the most important thing is what we do next. So we've got the 24-hour rule and then we're going to get back at it, we're going to take this show on the road. We all know that the Big Ten is a tough conference, so we're going to continue to work to get better, to develop this football team. They're willing to work for it and they're willing to earn it, and that's important."
Michigan State returns to action Saturday, Oct. 9 to face Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey, at noon. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Team Stats
WKU 0, MSU 7
MSU - Reed,Jayden 88 yd punt return (Coghlin,Matt kick)
WKU 0, MSU 14
MSU - Walker III,Kenneth 5 yd run (Coghlin,Matt kick), 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 03:59
WKU 3, MSU 14
WKU - Narveson,Brayden 37 yd field goal 11 plays, 56 yards, TOP 03:22
WKU 3, MSU 21
MSU - Reed,Jayden 46 yd pass from Thorne,Payton (Coghlin,Matt kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:10
WKU 10, MSU 21
WKU - Beljan,Joey 4 yd pass from Zappe,Bailey (Narveson,Brayden kick) 3 plays, 65 yards, TOP 00:57
WKU 13, MSU 21
WKU - Narveson,Brayden 29 yd field goal 13 plays, 61 yards, TOP 04:53
WKU 13, MSU 28
MSU - Walker III,Kenneth 5 yd run (Coghlin,Matt kick), 6 plays, 68 yards, TOP 02:27
WKU 16, MSU 28
WKU - Narveson,Brayden 35 yd field goal 8 plays, 58 yards, TOP 02:19
WKU 16, MSU 35
MSU - Walker III,Kenneth 3 yd run (Coghlin,Matt kick), 9 plays, 66 yards, TOP 04:06
WKU 16, MSU 42
MSU - Thorne,Payton 12 yd run (Coghlin,Matt kick), 6 plays, 31 yards, TOP 00:53
WKU 16, MSU 45
MSU - Coghlin,Matt 21 yd field goal 14 plays, 96 yards, TOP 05:49
WKU 24, MSU 45
WKU - Sterns,Jerreth 28 yd pass from Zappe,Bailey (Tinsley,Mitchell pass) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:30
WKU 31, MSU 45
WKU - Beljan,Joey 1 yd pass from Zappe,Bailey (Narveson,Brayden kick) 8 plays, 50 yards, TOP 02:28
WKU 31, MSU 48
MSU - Coghlin,Matt 20 yd field goal 12 plays, 72 yards, TOP 03:38
