Post-Game Notes: Illinois

SERIES
• 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.

TEAM
• 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 2OT over Wisconsin (10/15/22) and 23-15 Saturday.

OFFENSE
• Michigan State's 15-play scoring drive in the first quarter tied for the Spartans' longest scoring drive of the season, matching a 15-play drive at Washington (9/17/22) and longest resulting in a field goal, topping previous long of an eight-play drive ending in a field goal vs. Akron (9/10/22) . . . the 15-play drive was MSU's third scoring drive of 10-plus plays, along with the aforementioned Washington game, as well as a 12-play drive at Maryland (10/1/22).

• Redshirt junior quarterback Payton Thorne was 19-of-29 passing for 182 yards and two TDs . . . he engineered a quick three-play, 41-yard TD drive in the third quarter for MSU insurance TD, going 3-for-3 on the drive for 41 yards, connecting with Jayden Reed for a 16-yard TD pass play and put MSU ahead, 23-7 . . . 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 is 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.

• MSU entered the game sharing the FBS-lead for forced fumbles and added to that with its 14th of the season in the second quarter.

• Michigan State's defense registered 9.0 tackles for loss on the day, tying the most in a Big Ten game this season, matching 9.0 vs. Wisconsin (10/15/220, 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 now has 7.5 TFLs on the season (28 yards) . . . with the nine tackles Saturday, 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) . . . with the 12 tackles Saturday, Speed now has five games with six or more stops . . . 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 now 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 1.0 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 three-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 ILL 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 was 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 Saturday, as part of 19 punts of 50+ 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 Saturday.

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