Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 9 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Michigan State hit the transfer jackpot last year, landing Kenneth Walker III and watching him go from little-known new- comer out of Wake Forest to Heisman Trophy contender in a matter of weeks. Walker lifted the Spartans to an in- credible bounce-back season and then headed off to the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks. With the 2021 season now just a pleas- ant memory, the question facing Michi- gan State is whether coach Mel Tucker's luck is going to hold. In at least one respect, it already has. Tucker signed a $95 million contract extension in November, which makes him the fourth-highest-paid coach in the country even though he has just one winning season on his resume. But what matters most to Michigan State followers is whether Tucker can continue to find underappreciated talent the way he did last year when he lured Walker to East Lansing. There is reason for optimism. Michi- gan State's transfer acquisitions this year have included two potential successors to Walker and a major addition to a sec- ondary that ranked as the Spartans' big- gest weakness in 2021. The new running backs are redshirt sophomore Jalen Berger, formerly of Wisconsin, and Jarek Broussard, for- merly of Colorado. Berger gained 690 yards in his last two seasons with the Badgers; Broussard topped 100 yards in six of his 17 games with the Buffaloes and was Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2020. They won't have the advantage of run- ning behind a veteran offensive line at Michigan State — three starters need to be replaced — but they also won't have to carry the offense on their backs, because the passing game should be strong. Payton Thorne returns for his redshirt junior season after tossing a school- record 27 touchdown passes last year, and he will be throwing to a talented receiving corps. Senior Jayden Reed is the most dangerous of the Spartans' wideouts, coming off a season in which he totaled 1,026 yards on 59 catches. The other key transfer signee is for- mer Georgia cornerback Ameer Speed. Last year, Speed made three early-season starts for the best defense in the country and went on to see action in 13 games. At Michigan State, he'll be asked to help tighten up a secondary that allowed a staggering 324.8 passing yards per game. That was by far the most of any team in the FBS. Only one other team in the country — Duke — allowed more than 300 yards on average. As unsightly as that statistic may be, it should prove helpful to Tucker, who is working to ensure that his team doesn't go into the 2022 season feeling compla- cent. "The expectations are set; the stan- dards are set," he said. "Everyone knows what the deal is. It's just a matter of get- ting it done." — Matt Herb N O V. 2 6 | T I M E T B A | T V T B A | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | U N I V E R S I T Y P A R K , P A . Redshirt junior quarterback Payton Thorne threw for 248.7 yards per game last season to rank fifth in the Big Ten and tossed a school-record 27 touchdown passes. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL WEEK 12 MICHIGAN STATE 2022 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2021 Result Sept. 2 Western Michigan — Sept. 10 Akron — Sept. 17 at Washington — Sept. 24 Minnesota — Oct. 1 at Maryland W, 40-21 Oct. 8 Ohio State L, 56-7 Oct. 15 Wisconsin — Oct. 29 at Michigan W, 37-33 Nov. 5 at Illinois — Nov. 12 Rutgers W, 31-13 Nov. 19 Indiana W, 20-15 Nov. 26 at Penn State W, 30-27 WHAT COULD GO RIGHT Jalen Berger and/or Jarek Broussard could shine in the backfield, giving Michigan State the offensive versatility it needs in order to sustain last year's success and vie for the Big Ten East Division title. WHAT COULD GO WRONG The revamped offensive line could come together more slowly than hoped, or the defense could continue to give up big yard- age in the passing game. Either scenario would likely make for a rough October. The Spartans have consecutive games against Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan, the last of which is set to take place in Ann Ar- bor against a Wolverines team that is going to be eager to avenge last year's 37-33 loss in East Lansing. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan State leads 18-17 Last Meeting: The host Spartans held off Penn State 30-27 on Nov. 27, 2021 Head Coach: Mel Tucker (13-7 in two sea- sons at Michigan State; career collegiate coaching record: 18-14) 2021 Record: 11-2, 7-2 Big Ten Returning Starters: 12 (5 offense, 6 de- fense, 1 specialist) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Jordon Simmons (278 yards, 0 TDs) Passing: QB Payton Thorne (3,233 yards, 27 TDs) Receiving: WR Jayden Reed (1,026 yards, 10 TDs) Tackles: LB Cal Haladay (96) Sacks: DE Jeff Pietrowski (5.5) Interceptions: LB Cal Haladay (2)