The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 129 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Michigan State broke through in 2021, winning 11 games, including the Peach Bowl over Pittsburgh. The program ap- peared to be on the rise under head coach Mel Tucker, who cashed in with a fully guaranteed 10-year, $95 million contract. But the Spartans took a major step back in 2022, going 5-7 with six double-digit losses, including a 29-7 defeat to Michi- gan at The Big House. Tucker has fin- ished sub-.500 three of his four seasons as a collegiate head coach, and it's fair to question if the 2021 campaign was the aberration. It's safe to say MSU has a great deal of question marks heading into a piv- otal 2022 season. That became even more so the case when two of the team's best players, wide receiver Keon Coleman and quarterback Payton Thorne, transferred to Florida State and Auburn, respectively, following spring ball. Thorne started 26 games for the Spartans, while Coleman led the team with 798 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns last season. Redshirt junior signal-caller Noah Kim was pushing Thorne this spring and will take over the offense this fall. The for- mer three-star recruit has played just 38 offensive snaps in his career. With Coleman, fellow wideout Jayden Reed (second-round pick, Green Bay Pack- ers) and tight end Daniel Barker all gone, the Spartans' passing operation will look completely different. MSU's stellar 2021 season was in large part fueled by consensus All-American and Doak Walker Award-winning run- ning back Kenneth Walker III. The 2022 second-round NFL Draft choice (Seattle Seahawks) broke out for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns rushing that season, car- rying the team at times. The Spartans won four one-score games. The run game lacked that same high- end production in 2022. A lackluster offensive line didn't provide enough push, and the Spartans registered only 113 rushing yards per game, 111th in the country. Redshirt junior Jalen Berger, who led the squad with 683 yards and 6 touchdowns, is back, and Tucker brought in former UConn running back Nathan Carter (983 yards and 3 touchdowns in 16 career games) from the transfer portal. The offensive line has three returning starters, plus junior left tackle Keyshawn Blackstock, the No. 1 junior college inte- rior offensive lineman prospect this off- season, per On3. Tucker hasn't been able to solve MSU's pass defense issues during his tenure, and now he's relinquished his duties coaching cornerbacks in favor of former Buffalo Bills assistant Jim Salgado, who garnered positive reviews in the spring. The Spar- tans gave up 237.9 passing yards per game in 2022, ranking 87th in the country. Ev- ery team in the nation notched 4 or more interceptions a year ago, except MSU, which had just 2 picks. The unit gave up 128 passing plays of 10-plus yards, the worst mark in the Big Ten. Junior cornerback Charles Brantley en- tered the transfer portal this spring but withdrew his name and decided to re- turn, a big development that should help the Spartans this fall. He's one of three starting defensive backs slated to be back. They also brought in former Wisconsin backup cornerback Semar Melvin, a red- shirt junior who's totaled 16 tackles and 3 pass breakups in his career. The MSU front seven appears solid, led by a linebacking corps with experi- ence. The Spartans averaged 2.4 sacks (43rd nationally) and 6.3 stops for loss (44th) last season and have the horses to continue to be disruptive. Redshirt junior middle linebacker Cal Haladay ranked tied for second in the Big Ten with 120 tackles last season, while redshirt se- nior linebacker Jacoby Windmon posted 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in eight games before being suspended. He is one of five returning Spartans of the eight who were suspended for attacking two U-M players in the Michigan Stadium tunnel last October. Notes ESPN.com ranked MSU's schedule the seventh- toughest in the country and second-most challeng- ing in the Big Ten … Redshirt junior linebacker Darius Snow missed almost all of last season with a knee injury but is back healthy. ❑ Spartans Trending In The Wrong Direction Under Mel Tucker 2023 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2022 Result Sept. 1 Central Michigan — Sept. 9 Richmond — Sept. 16 Washington L, 39-28 Sept. 23 Maryland L, 27-13 Sept. 30 at Iowa — Oct. 14 at Rutgers W, 27-21 Oct. 21 Michigan L, 29-7 Oct. 28 at Minnesota L, 34-7 Nov. 4 Nebraska — Nov. 11 at Ohio State L, 49-20 Nov. 18 at Indiana L, 39-31 Nov. 24 vs. Penn State* L, 35-16 *at Ford Field in Detroit PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Nick Samac, R-Sr., OL — The 6-foot-4, 300-pound center was named preseason third- team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports. He has started 22 career games. Defense: Cal Haladay, R-Jr., LB — The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder was the Spartans' lone representa- tive on the Athlon Sports preseason All-Big Ten first team. Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim has played in four games and logged 38 snaps dur- ing his career. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS GAME 8 • MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS • OCT. 21 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 72- 38-5 First Meeting: U-M 39, MSU 0 (Oct. 12, 1898, in Ann Arbor, Mich.) Last Meeting: U-M 29, MSU 7 (Oct. 29, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Mich.) Head Coach: Mel Tucker, 18-14 (4th year) at MSU, 23-21 overall (5th year) 2022 In Review: 5-7, 3-6 Big Ten (5th East) Final 2022 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 12 (5 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2021 (Peach Bowl vs. Pittsburgh, W 31-21) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Noah Kim (174 yards, 3 TD) Rushing: Jalen Berger (683 yards, 6 TD) Receiving: Tre Mosley (359 yards, 4 TD) Tackles: Cal Haladay (120) Sacks: Jacoby Windmon (5.5) Interceptions: Charles Brantley, Jacoby Wind- mon (1)