Post-Game Notes: Central Michigan

SERIES/TEAM
• Michigan State now leads the all-time series against Central Michigan, 9-3, including an 8-3 mark in East Lansing . . . the Spartans have won five straight over the Chippewas.

• Michigan State improves to 9-0 in Friday night games since 2011 and 11-0 overall in Friday night games during that same time span. All of those games were in season openers for the Spartans.

• Michigan State is now 87-37-3 (.697) all-time in season openers, including a 22-3 record (.880) in its last 25 games. In addition, the Spartans are 105-22 (.827) all-time in home openers, including victories in 24 of the past 25 years. MSU has won 23 consecutive home openers against nonconference opponents, dating back to 1998.

• MSU head coach Mel Tucker is 3-1 in season openers and 3-1 in home openers at MSU . . . Tucker is now 4-1 in night games at Spartan Stadium . . . MSU is 20-7 overall in night games at Spartan Stadium.

OFFENSE
• Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim made the first start of his Spartan career in just his fifth career game . . . Kim finished 18-of-31 for 279 yards and two TDs, while rushing three times, all new career highs . . . Kim's previous career-bests were six completions (done twice), 10 attempts, 82 yards, one passing TD (done three times) and one rushing attempt.

• Kim rallied from a 1-for-5 start in the first quarter by completing 9-of-16 in the second quarter, before going 8-for-10 with two TDs in the second half, completing 4-of-5 in both the third and fourth frames, with two TDs in the fourth quarter.

• Redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter made his Spartan debut, rushing 18 times for 113 yards and one TD, coming on a 2-yard plunge late in the second quarter to give MSU a 10-7 lead going into halftime, an advantage they didn't relinquish the rest of the game . . . Carter's one rushing TD tied his career high for the fourth-time, doing so three times during his UConn career . . . Carter also had one catch for 21 yards Friday night . . . Carter is the third consecutive Spartan transfer to start and rush for more than 100 yards in the season opener (Kenneth Walker III, Jalen Berger).

• Redshirt junior running back Jalen Berger scored a 12-yard rushing TD in the third quarter, as part of finishing the night with eight carries for 24 yards . . . it marked the second straight season-opener that Berger has scored a rushing TD in the opening game as a Spartan . . . it also marked the fourth straight season that Berger has scored a rushing TD in his first action of the season of his collegiate career as he also scored a TD in his first action in both 2020 (vs. Michigan) and 2021 (vs. Eastern Michigan) during his time at Wisconsin.

• Berger also shared the team lead with four catches for 30 yards, with 26 yards after the catch . . . the four receptions and 30 yards were both second-most in his Spartan career behind five catches (at Penn State, 11/26/22) and 38 yards (at Washington, 9/17/22).

• Redshirt freshman Jaron Glover, playing in just his second collegiate game, had three catches for 75 yards, all coming on the same drive late in the second quarter on MSU's TD drive before halftime and all three going for first downs . . . Glover made his first catch for the Green & White with a 10-yard catch on the first play of the Spartan drive that started at their own 16 with 1:45 left before half . . . later on a third-and-3 from the MSU 33, Glover caught a 32-yard pass from Kim to the CMU 35 and good for another Spartan first down, and two plays later, caught a 33-yarder down to the CMU 2 and MSU scored on Carter's 2-yard rush on the next play for a 10-7 lead at halftime, that the Spartans wouldn't relinquish the rest of the game.

• Sophomore wide receiver Tyrell Henry scored his first career touchdown on a leaping, one-handed grab in the end zone in the fourth quarter for a 10-yard TD . . . Henry had two catches overall for 25 yards.

DEFENSE
• Redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay led the Spartans with 10 tackles, marking his 12^th career game with double-figure tackles . . . he recorded the third interception of his career with a pick in the third quarter . . . the 10 stops gives Haladay 226 career tackles, needing one stop to crack into the top 50 for MSU career tackles list.

• Making his first career start at safety, sophomore Malik Spencer recorded a career-high nine tackles, including a 1-yard tackle for loss.

• Michigan State recorded 10 tackles for loss and three sacks in the game. The Spartans also had five pass break-ups and one interception.

• The Spartans held Central Michigan to just 219 yards of total offense (96 passing, 123 rushing), the fewest by any opponent against MSU in the Mel Tucker era (previous: 225 by Akron in 2022).

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Jonathan Kim kicked a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter, his first career collegiate field goal . . . Kim is a graduate transfer from North Carolina.

• Tyrell Henry had six punt returns for 55 yards and one kickoff for 26 yards . . . he finished with 106 all-purpose yards.

Players Mentioned

Jalen Berger

Nate Carter

Jaron Glover

Cal Haladay

Tyrell Henry

Jonathan Kim

Noah Kim

Malik Spencer