Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Post-Game Notes: Western Kentucky
10/3/2021 2:33:00 AM | Football
TEAM
In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Michigan State defeated Western Kentucky, 48-31, on Saturday night in Spartan Stadium . . . it marked the 25th night game in Spartan Stadium history . . . MSU improved to 18-7 in night games at Spartan Stadium.
Tonight marked the 105th Homecoming game in school history . . . MSU is now 69-33-3 in Homecoming games.
Michigan State improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2015 and for the 13th time overall in school history (1913, 1934, 1944, 1951, 1952, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1997, 1999, 2010, 2015, 2021) . . . Mel Tucker is just the second coach in school history to begin his second season at MSU 5-0 (Charlie Bachman started 5-0 in 1934).
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OFFENSE
Michigan State collected more than 500 yards of total offense for the third time this season (595 vs. Youngstown State; 511 vs. Northwestern).
Jayden Reed recorded a career-high 285 all-purpose yards (127 receiving, 88 punt return, 63 kick return, 7 rushing), the seventh-highest single-game total in MSU history . . . Reed had his second 100-yard receiving effort of the season (181 vs. Youngstown State) and seventh of his career (four at WMU in 2018; one at MSU in 2020; two at MSU in 2021) . . . Reed scored on an 88-yard punt return and a 46-yard TD reception in the first quarter . . . he has scored a total of eight touchdowns this season (five receiving, two punt return, one rushing).
Kenneth Walker III had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season with 126 yards on 24 carries . . . he scored three touchdowns in the first half (5, 5 and 3 yards) and now has eight rushing TDs this season . . . it marked the eighth 100-yard rushing game in Walker's collegiate career (two at Wake Forest in 2019; three at Wake Forest in 2020; three at Michigan State in 2021).
Jalen Nailor posted career highs for receptions (8) and receiving yards (128), including 98 yards after the catch . . . with Nailor (128) and Reed (127) both posting 100-yard receiving games, it marks the first time two MSU receivers had 100-yard efforts in the same game since Dec. 3, 2011 vs. Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game (B.J. Cunningham, five catches for 115 yards; Keshawn Martin, nine catches for 115 yards).
Payton Thorne threw for a career-high 327 yards and one touchdown on 20-of-30 passing . . . he connected on a 46-yard TD to Reed in the first quarter . . . Thorne scored his second rushing TD of the season and third of his career on a 12-yard scamper in the second quarter.
Michigan State scored 42 points in the first half . . . it was the most points in the first half since Sept. 27, 2014, vs. Wyoming (42 points) . . . the modern-day school record (post-WWII) for most points in the first half is 49 (vs. Eastern Michigan on Sept. 20, 2014).
DEFENSE
Angelo Grose had a career-high 16 tackles to lead the Spartans.
Cal Haladay posted a career-high 10 tackles, including one for a 3-yard loss . . . he also forced and recovered a fumble in the second quarter that led to MSU's sixth TD of the first half.
Jacub Panasiuk tied his career high with two sacks for the second consecutive week . . . he now has 13 career sacks, which is tied for 13th in school history . . . he also has 28 TFLs, which is tied for 20th in school history.
Maverick Hansen posted his first career sack (9 yards).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jayden Reed returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, tying for the fourth-longest punt return in school history . . . Reed has returned back-to-back punts for a TD (fourth quarter vs. Nebraska, 62 yards) . . . Reed is just the third player in school history to return two punts for a touchdown in the same season (Bill Simpson, 1972; James Ellis, 1951) . . . both Simpson and Ellis also returned their punts for touchdowns in back-to-back games (Simpson: 48 yards vs. Illinois on Sept. 16, 1972; 74 yards vs. Georgia Tech on Sept. 23, 1972; Ellis: 57 yards vs. Penn State on Oct. 20, 1951; 55 yards vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 1951).
Matt Coghlin kicked two field goals to tie Brett Swenson's school career record of 71 . . . Coghlin connected on a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 20-yarder in the fourth quarter . . . Coghlin is 71-for-96 on field-goal attempts during his career, dating back to 2017 . . . Coghlin also tied a career-high for the second time this season by going 6-for-6 on PATs, matching six vs. Youngstown State (Sept. 11, 2021), and marking the fourth time in his career he's split uprights on six PATs . . . he also boomed a career-high eight touchbacks on nine kickoffs.
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In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Michigan State defeated Western Kentucky, 48-31, on Saturday night in Spartan Stadium . . . it marked the 25th night game in Spartan Stadium history . . . MSU improved to 18-7 in night games at Spartan Stadium.
Tonight marked the 105th Homecoming game in school history . . . MSU is now 69-33-3 in Homecoming games.
Michigan State improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2015 and for the 13th time overall in school history (1913, 1934, 1944, 1951, 1952, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1997, 1999, 2010, 2015, 2021) . . . Mel Tucker is just the second coach in school history to begin his second season at MSU 5-0 (Charlie Bachman started 5-0 in 1934).
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OFFENSE
Michigan State collected more than 500 yards of total offense for the third time this season (595 vs. Youngstown State; 511 vs. Northwestern).
Jayden Reed recorded a career-high 285 all-purpose yards (127 receiving, 88 punt return, 63 kick return, 7 rushing), the seventh-highest single-game total in MSU history . . . Reed had his second 100-yard receiving effort of the season (181 vs. Youngstown State) and seventh of his career (four at WMU in 2018; one at MSU in 2020; two at MSU in 2021) . . . Reed scored on an 88-yard punt return and a 46-yard TD reception in the first quarter . . . he has scored a total of eight touchdowns this season (five receiving, two punt return, one rushing).
Kenneth Walker III had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season with 126 yards on 24 carries . . . he scored three touchdowns in the first half (5, 5 and 3 yards) and now has eight rushing TDs this season . . . it marked the eighth 100-yard rushing game in Walker's collegiate career (two at Wake Forest in 2019; three at Wake Forest in 2020; three at Michigan State in 2021).
Jalen Nailor posted career highs for receptions (8) and receiving yards (128), including 98 yards after the catch . . . with Nailor (128) and Reed (127) both posting 100-yard receiving games, it marks the first time two MSU receivers had 100-yard efforts in the same game since Dec. 3, 2011 vs. Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game (B.J. Cunningham, five catches for 115 yards; Keshawn Martin, nine catches for 115 yards).
Payton Thorne threw for a career-high 327 yards and one touchdown on 20-of-30 passing . . . he connected on a 46-yard TD to Reed in the first quarter . . . Thorne scored his second rushing TD of the season and third of his career on a 12-yard scamper in the second quarter.
Michigan State scored 42 points in the first half . . . it was the most points in the first half since Sept. 27, 2014, vs. Wyoming (42 points) . . . the modern-day school record (post-WWII) for most points in the first half is 49 (vs. Eastern Michigan on Sept. 20, 2014).
DEFENSE
Angelo Grose had a career-high 16 tackles to lead the Spartans.
Cal Haladay posted a career-high 10 tackles, including one for a 3-yard loss . . . he also forced and recovered a fumble in the second quarter that led to MSU's sixth TD of the first half.
Jacub Panasiuk tied his career high with two sacks for the second consecutive week . . . he now has 13 career sacks, which is tied for 13th in school history . . . he also has 28 TFLs, which is tied for 20th in school history.
Maverick Hansen posted his first career sack (9 yards).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jayden Reed returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, tying for the fourth-longest punt return in school history . . . Reed has returned back-to-back punts for a TD (fourth quarter vs. Nebraska, 62 yards) . . . Reed is just the third player in school history to return two punts for a touchdown in the same season (Bill Simpson, 1972; James Ellis, 1951) . . . both Simpson and Ellis also returned their punts for touchdowns in back-to-back games (Simpson: 48 yards vs. Illinois on Sept. 16, 1972; 74 yards vs. Georgia Tech on Sept. 23, 1972; Ellis: 57 yards vs. Penn State on Oct. 20, 1951; 55 yards vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 1951).
Matt Coghlin kicked two field goals to tie Brett Swenson's school career record of 71 . . . Coghlin connected on a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 20-yarder in the fourth quarter . . . Coghlin is 71-for-96 on field-goal attempts during his career, dating back to 2017 . . . Coghlin also tied a career-high for the second time this season by going 6-for-6 on PATs, matching six vs. Youngstown State (Sept. 11, 2021), and marking the fourth time in his career he's split uprights on six PATs . . . he also boomed a career-high eight touchbacks on nine kickoffs.
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Players Mentioned
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