Post-Game Notes: Florida Atlantic
8/31/2024 11:50:00 AM | Football
GAME NOTES
• Michigan State opened the Jonathan Smith era and its 128th season of football with a 16-10 Victory for MSU over Florida Atlantic on Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
• MSU moved to 10-0 in home Friday night games since 2011 and 12-0 overall under Friday night lights during that same time span, with all 12 contests being season openers for the Spartans ... the 2024 edition was its fourth straight Friday night game to open the season and third straight at home.
• Friday was the 29th night game in Spartan Stadium history and MSU improved to 21-8 overall in night games in East Lansing. Michigan State's first-ever night game was a 27-13 win over USC to open the 1987 season.
• Friday was also MSU's first game played in the month of August since the 2019 season opener, also on Aug. 30 ... the Spartans are 9-2 all-time in games played in August, with the lone losses coming in the 1998 season opener on Aug. 29, 1998, losing at home to Colorado State (23-16) and the 2008 openers on Aug. 30, 2008 at California (38-31) ... MSU is 4-1 on Aug. 30 (2003: W, 26-21 vs. Western Michigan; 2008: L, 38-31 at California; 2013: W, 26-13 vs. Western Michigan; 2019: W, 28-7 vs. Tulsa; 2024: W, 16-10 vs. Florida Atlantic).
• MSU improved to 88-37-3 (.699) all-time in season openers, including a 23-3 (.885) mark in its last 26 lid-lifters.
• The Spartans moved to 106-22 (.828) all-time in home openers, including triumphing in 25 of the last 26 years (only loss: 2020 vs. Rutgers on Oct. 24, 2020), winning 24-straight season-openers against non-conference opponents.
MSU-FAU SERIES NOTES
• Friday marked the fourth meeting between the Spartans and Owls, and MSU improves to 4-0, including 3-0 in East Lansing.
• MSU won the first-ever meeting between the two schools, 17-0, on Sept. 13, 2008, behind All-American Javon Ringer's 282 yards rushing, the fourth-highest total in school history.
• Michigan State topped the Owls, 30-17, at Ford Field in Detroit in 2010 during MSU's Big Ten Championship season.
• The Spartans shut out FAU, 44-0, in 2011. The Owls had only one first down in the game, tying a school record for the fewest ever by a Spartan opponent (1 by Maryland in 1944).
OFFENSE
• Graduate running back Kay'ron Lynch-Adams rushed nine times for 101 yards and a TD, coming on a 63-yard scamper in the second quarter ... Lynch-Adams is the fourth straight transfer running back to rush for 100+ yards in their Spartan debut, joining current teammate Nathan Carter in 2023, along with Jalen Berger in 2022 and Kenneth Walker III in 2021 … Lynch-Adams' 63-yard TD was the second longest of his career (66 yards vs. New Mexico State in 2022).
• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles made his first collegiate start, after transferring from Oregon State ... Chiles was 10-of-24 for 114 yards through the air, while rushing six times for 28 yards and one TD, on an 11-yard scoring run in the second quarter that was MSU's first TD of the 2024 season.
• Junior running back Nathan Carter had 19 carries for 48 yards, adding one catch.
• Senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. led the receiving corps with three catches for 23 yards ... Foster picked up where he left off last season as he extended his streak of 14 straight games with at least one catch dating back to the 2022 season after one reception in all 12 games of the 2023 season ... he has a catch in 24 of his last 36 career games played.
• Redshirt sophomore Michael Masunas has now caught a pass in back-to-back games played after snaring his first career reception in the 2023 season-finale vs. Penn State ... Masunus finished Friday night with career bests of two catches for 29 yards, including a game-high 22 yards after the catch.
• Like Chiles, sophomore tight end Jack Velling also made his Spartan debut, after also transferring from Oregon State ... Velling finished with one catch for 15 yards in his debut for the Green & White.
• Redshirt freshman wideout Aziah Johnson and freshman wideout Nick Marsh also had the first receptions of their careers, with Johnson finishing with one catch for 22 yards, while Marsh had one reception for 11 yards.
• Four Spartans on offense made their first collegiate starts (QB Aidan Chiles; RT Ashton Lepo; RG Kristian Phillips; TE Michael Masunas) and an additional three transfers (C Tanner Miller; LG Luke Newman; TE Jack Velling) started for the first time wearing a Green and White uniform.
DEFENSE
• The Michigan State defense registered 10.0 tackles for loss, including 7.0 sacks ... MSU's defense posted double-digit TFLs for the third straight season opener, with 10.0 last season vs. Central Michigan (Sept. 1. 2023) and 11.0 vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 2, 2022) ... Friday's 7.0 sacks matches the most in a season-opener for the second time in the last three years, also with 7.0 sacks in 2022 vs. WMU.
• Graduate defensive back Angelo Grose posted his third straight game with double-digit stops and his seventh career contest with 10+ tackles after logging a game-high 12 stops Friday night ... Grose tallied 10 tackles in each of the last two games to finish 2023 season (Indiana on Nov. 18 and Penn State on Nov. 24), as part of the fourth time in last six games played, also tallying 10 tackles at Minnesota (Oct. 28) ... it was Grose's second season opener with the double-figure tackles in the last three years, posting 11 stops vs. Western Michigan in the 2022 opening game (Sept. 2, 2022).
• Grose also snared his fourth career interception with his pick in the second quarter.
• Junior defensive back Nikai Martinez made his Spartan debut after transferring to MSU from UCF, and posted six tackles and an interception, also coming in the second quarter on the following series after Grose's INT ... Martinez returned the pick 41 yards, setting up MSU at the FAU 18-yard line and the Spartans punched it in from there for their first TD of the night ... the 41-yard return was 1-yard shy of Martinez's collegiate career long, as he had a 42-yard return at UCF in a game vs. Villanova in 2023, and overall, it was the fourth career INT for Martinez . . . his 94 interception return yards on three picks in 2023 ranked second most in the Big 12 and tied for 21st in the FBS.
• Senior defensive lineman Khris Bogle posted five tackles, including a collegiate career-high 2.5 tackles for loss, bettering his previous mark of 2.0 vs. Tennessee in 2019 during his time at Florida ... Bogle added a career-high 1.5 sacks, topping his prior career-best of 1.0 sack, done in eight previous games ... Bogle's five stops was one shy of his career-best of six tackles, done twice, most recently vs. Washington (9/17/22).
• Bogle was one of nine Spartan defenders with at least 0.5 tackle for loss, and one of six Spartans with at least 1.0 sack, as the MSU defense posting 10.0 tackles for loss . . . Ken Talley also had a half sack for MSU.
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Turner made his Spartan debut after transferring to Michigan State from Big Ten foe Wisconsin ... Turner finished with five tackles, including 1.5 tackle for loss and 1.0 sack in his first game in the Green & White.
• Graduate defensive lineman D'Quan Douse had four tackles with 1.0 tackle for loss coming on a sack for a safety in the first quarter safety for the Spartans' first points of the 2024 season.
• Martinez, Douse, Turner were three of nine Spartan defensive players who had at least one tackle in their MSU debuts.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley had six punts for a 49.5 yards per punt average with a long of 58-yards, along with pinning two inside the 20, with both going inside the 10, highlighted by his first punt of the season, a 40-yard punt that was downed at the FAU 1, setting up MSU's safety on the Owls' second play of the ensuing series for the Spartans' first points of not just the game, but also of the 2024 season ... Eckley also had a 57-yarder in the fourth quarter that trickled into the endzone for a touchback after he also had a 47-yarder in the second quarter that was caught at the FAU 9 by the Owls' returner, along with his game-high 58-yarder in the third quarter.
TEAM
Sam Edwards was named the team's game captain for the season opener, along with season captains Aidan Chiles, Nathan Carter, Maverick Hansen, Tanner Miller and Jordan Turner.
• Michigan State opened the Jonathan Smith era and its 128th season of football with a 16-10 Victory for MSU over Florida Atlantic on Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
• MSU moved to 10-0 in home Friday night games since 2011 and 12-0 overall under Friday night lights during that same time span, with all 12 contests being season openers for the Spartans ... the 2024 edition was its fourth straight Friday night game to open the season and third straight at home.
• Friday was the 29th night game in Spartan Stadium history and MSU improved to 21-8 overall in night games in East Lansing. Michigan State's first-ever night game was a 27-13 win over USC to open the 1987 season.
• Friday was also MSU's first game played in the month of August since the 2019 season opener, also on Aug. 30 ... the Spartans are 9-2 all-time in games played in August, with the lone losses coming in the 1998 season opener on Aug. 29, 1998, losing at home to Colorado State (23-16) and the 2008 openers on Aug. 30, 2008 at California (38-31) ... MSU is 4-1 on Aug. 30 (2003: W, 26-21 vs. Western Michigan; 2008: L, 38-31 at California; 2013: W, 26-13 vs. Western Michigan; 2019: W, 28-7 vs. Tulsa; 2024: W, 16-10 vs. Florida Atlantic).
• MSU improved to 88-37-3 (.699) all-time in season openers, including a 23-3 (.885) mark in its last 26 lid-lifters.
• The Spartans moved to 106-22 (.828) all-time in home openers, including triumphing in 25 of the last 26 years (only loss: 2020 vs. Rutgers on Oct. 24, 2020), winning 24-straight season-openers against non-conference opponents.
MSU-FAU SERIES NOTES
• Friday marked the fourth meeting between the Spartans and Owls, and MSU improves to 4-0, including 3-0 in East Lansing.
• MSU won the first-ever meeting between the two schools, 17-0, on Sept. 13, 2008, behind All-American Javon Ringer's 282 yards rushing, the fourth-highest total in school history.
• Michigan State topped the Owls, 30-17, at Ford Field in Detroit in 2010 during MSU's Big Ten Championship season.
• The Spartans shut out FAU, 44-0, in 2011. The Owls had only one first down in the game, tying a school record for the fewest ever by a Spartan opponent (1 by Maryland in 1944).
OFFENSE
• Graduate running back Kay'ron Lynch-Adams rushed nine times for 101 yards and a TD, coming on a 63-yard scamper in the second quarter ... Lynch-Adams is the fourth straight transfer running back to rush for 100+ yards in their Spartan debut, joining current teammate Nathan Carter in 2023, along with Jalen Berger in 2022 and Kenneth Walker III in 2021 … Lynch-Adams' 63-yard TD was the second longest of his career (66 yards vs. New Mexico State in 2022).
• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles made his first collegiate start, after transferring from Oregon State ... Chiles was 10-of-24 for 114 yards through the air, while rushing six times for 28 yards and one TD, on an 11-yard scoring run in the second quarter that was MSU's first TD of the 2024 season.
• Junior running back Nathan Carter had 19 carries for 48 yards, adding one catch.
• Senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. led the receiving corps with three catches for 23 yards ... Foster picked up where he left off last season as he extended his streak of 14 straight games with at least one catch dating back to the 2022 season after one reception in all 12 games of the 2023 season ... he has a catch in 24 of his last 36 career games played.
• Redshirt sophomore Michael Masunas has now caught a pass in back-to-back games played after snaring his first career reception in the 2023 season-finale vs. Penn State ... Masunus finished Friday night with career bests of two catches for 29 yards, including a game-high 22 yards after the catch.
• Like Chiles, sophomore tight end Jack Velling also made his Spartan debut, after also transferring from Oregon State ... Velling finished with one catch for 15 yards in his debut for the Green & White.
• Redshirt freshman wideout Aziah Johnson and freshman wideout Nick Marsh also had the first receptions of their careers, with Johnson finishing with one catch for 22 yards, while Marsh had one reception for 11 yards.
• Four Spartans on offense made their first collegiate starts (QB Aidan Chiles; RT Ashton Lepo; RG Kristian Phillips; TE Michael Masunas) and an additional three transfers (C Tanner Miller; LG Luke Newman; TE Jack Velling) started for the first time wearing a Green and White uniform.
DEFENSE
• The Michigan State defense registered 10.0 tackles for loss, including 7.0 sacks ... MSU's defense posted double-digit TFLs for the third straight season opener, with 10.0 last season vs. Central Michigan (Sept. 1. 2023) and 11.0 vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 2, 2022) ... Friday's 7.0 sacks matches the most in a season-opener for the second time in the last three years, also with 7.0 sacks in 2022 vs. WMU.
• Graduate defensive back Angelo Grose posted his third straight game with double-digit stops and his seventh career contest with 10+ tackles after logging a game-high 12 stops Friday night ... Grose tallied 10 tackles in each of the last two games to finish 2023 season (Indiana on Nov. 18 and Penn State on Nov. 24), as part of the fourth time in last six games played, also tallying 10 tackles at Minnesota (Oct. 28) ... it was Grose's second season opener with the double-figure tackles in the last three years, posting 11 stops vs. Western Michigan in the 2022 opening game (Sept. 2, 2022).
• Grose also snared his fourth career interception with his pick in the second quarter.
• Junior defensive back Nikai Martinez made his Spartan debut after transferring to MSU from UCF, and posted six tackles and an interception, also coming in the second quarter on the following series after Grose's INT ... Martinez returned the pick 41 yards, setting up MSU at the FAU 18-yard line and the Spartans punched it in from there for their first TD of the night ... the 41-yard return was 1-yard shy of Martinez's collegiate career long, as he had a 42-yard return at UCF in a game vs. Villanova in 2023, and overall, it was the fourth career INT for Martinez . . . his 94 interception return yards on three picks in 2023 ranked second most in the Big 12 and tied for 21st in the FBS.
• Senior defensive lineman Khris Bogle posted five tackles, including a collegiate career-high 2.5 tackles for loss, bettering his previous mark of 2.0 vs. Tennessee in 2019 during his time at Florida ... Bogle added a career-high 1.5 sacks, topping his prior career-best of 1.0 sack, done in eight previous games ... Bogle's five stops was one shy of his career-best of six tackles, done twice, most recently vs. Washington (9/17/22).
• Bogle was one of nine Spartan defenders with at least 0.5 tackle for loss, and one of six Spartans with at least 1.0 sack, as the MSU defense posting 10.0 tackles for loss . . . Ken Talley also had a half sack for MSU.
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Turner made his Spartan debut after transferring to Michigan State from Big Ten foe Wisconsin ... Turner finished with five tackles, including 1.5 tackle for loss and 1.0 sack in his first game in the Green & White.
• Graduate defensive lineman D'Quan Douse had four tackles with 1.0 tackle for loss coming on a sack for a safety in the first quarter safety for the Spartans' first points of the 2024 season.
• Martinez, Douse, Turner were three of nine Spartan defensive players who had at least one tackle in their MSU debuts.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley had six punts for a 49.5 yards per punt average with a long of 58-yards, along with pinning two inside the 20, with both going inside the 10, highlighted by his first punt of the season, a 40-yard punt that was downed at the FAU 1, setting up MSU's safety on the Owls' second play of the ensuing series for the Spartans' first points of not just the game, but also of the 2024 season ... Eckley also had a 57-yarder in the fourth quarter that trickled into the endzone for a touchback after he also had a 47-yarder in the second quarter that was caught at the FAU 9 by the Owls' returner, along with his game-high 58-yarder in the third quarter.
TEAM
Sam Edwards was named the team's game captain for the season opener, along with season captains Aidan Chiles, Nathan Carter, Maverick Hansen, Tanner Miller and Jordan Turner.
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