The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1473191
THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 129 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Michigan State hit the transfer portal hard last sea- son, and it paid off. One of college football's biggest sur- prises after going 2-5 in 2020, the Spartans finished third in the Big Ten East, their best placement since 2017. The success was due in large part to former Wake Forest run- ning back Kenneth Walker III, a consensus All-American and the Doak Walker Award winner. He ran for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns, leading the Spartans to the Peach Bowl, their first New Year's Six game since 2015. Walker was a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks, leaving huge shoes to fill, but the Spartans have brought in portal talent once again, look- ing to strike gold at running back and elsewhere on the roster. Two new rushers are sched- uled to get the bulk of the car- ries, with head coach Mel Tucker and Co. adding junior Jarek Broussard (Colorado) and redshirt sophomore Jalen Berger (Wis- consin). Broussard played for Tucker with the Buffaloes in 2019 and rushed for 1,556 yards during his career in Boulder. Berger, who was dismissed from the Badgers' pro- gram last October, has notched 84 carries for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns in seven collegiate appearances. The offensive skill positions are pretty loaded for MSU, which was delighted to hear wide receiver Jayden Reed was return- ing for his fifth college season. One of the most electrifying players in the Big Ten, Reed led the squad with 59 catches, 1,026 yards (fifth in the Big Ten) and 10 touch- downs (fourth) last season. He was named third-team All-Big Ten as a wideout and earned second-team honors for his return specialist role, from which he ran back 2 punts for touchdowns. Redshirt junior quarterback Payton Thorne threw for 3,233 yards — the most by a Spartan signal-caller since Kirk Cous- ins in 2011 — and 27 touchdowns with 10 interceptions while completing 60.3 percent of his passes. MSU also brought in former Illinois tight end Daniel Barker, who recorded 827 yards and 11 touchdowns during his time in Cham- paign. Out wide, junior Tre Mosley, who was third on the team with 530 receiving yards and 3 scores in 2021, is back. The biggest concern surrounding the en- tire team is the offensive line, which has just two returning starters and endured injuries in the spring. Only seven linemen, including walk-ons, were healthy enough to dress in the spring game, and just five returning play- ers at the position have taken a college snap. The strength of MSU's defense is set to be the front seven once again, after ranking 15th nationally against the run (116.2 yards allowed per game) and recording 43 sacks, tied for the sixth-most in the sport. The Spartans bring back both starting de- fensive tackles, including fifth-year senior Jacob Slade, a third-team All-Big Ten pick by the media in 2021. Despite losing linebacker Quavaris Crouch to the transfer portal, MSU has more viable options up the middle than it did last season. Redshirt sophomore Cal Haladay leads the way, after topping the team with 96 tackles last fall, and senior Jacoby Wind- mon, a UNLV transfer, should fill in nicely. The second-team All-Mountain West hon- oree totaled 119 tackles (13th in FBS) and 11.5 stops for loss last year. The MSU secondary finished 130th na- tionally — dead last — in pass defense last season, yielding 324.8 yards per tilt. There's nowhere to go but up in that regard, with four starters returning on the back end. The Spartans also added Georgia cornerback transfer Ameer Speed, a sixth-year senior who was a reserve on last year's national champions. Notes The MSU offense ranked 43rd in the country in total of- fense and 39th in scoring offense last season … On the other side of the ball, Michigan State was 110th in total defense but 54th in scoring defense. ❑ Spartans Restock Via Transfer Portal (Again) For 2022 Season 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 PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Jayden Reed, 5th-Sr., WR He busted 21 plays of 20-plus yards last season, which tied for the 14th most in the country … Was second in the Big Ten with 17.4 yards per reception. Defense: Cal Haladay, R-So., LB He was named a Freshman All-American by the Foot- ball Writers Association of America and the Maxwell Club in 2021, and also earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention nod. MSU quarterback Payton Thorne's 27 touchdown passes in 2021 set the school's single-season record. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS GAME 8 • MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS • OCT. 29 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 71-38-5 First Meeting: U-M 39, MSU 0 (Oct. 12, 1898 at Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: MSU 37, U-M 33 (Oct. 30, 2021 at East Lansing, Mich.) Head Coach: Mel Tucker, 13-7 (3rd year) at MSU, 18-14 overall (4th year) 2021 In Review: 11-2, 7-2 Big Ten (3rd East) Final 2021 Ranking: 9th AP, 8th coaches Returning Starters: 15 (5 offense, 8 defense, 2 spe - cialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2021 (Peach Bowl vs. Pitts- burgh, W 31-21) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Payton Thorne (3,233 yards, 27 TDs) Rushing: Jordan Simmons (278 yards, 0 TDs) Receiving: Jayden Reed (1,026 yards, 10 TDs) Tackles: Cal Haladay (96) Sacks: Jeff Pietrowski (5.5) Interceptions: Cal Haladay (2)