Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 9 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Mel Tucker has been on a wild ride since taking over Michigan State's pro- gram in February 2020. Tucker's second season was a spec- tacular success, with the Spartans soar- ing to an 11-2 finish after making what would turn out to be one of the nation's most astute portal acquisitions in run- ning back Kenneth Walker III. His third season, however, turned out to be an injury- and suspension-plagued washout. The Spartans finished 5-7 and missed the postseason for only the third time since 2007. Heading into the 2023 campaign, Spartan loyalists have to be wondering where the program is headed from here. Did the school overspend when it gave Tucker a 10-year, $95 million contract extension after the stunning successes of 2021? Or was last year a temporary setback, soon to be forgotten? The worries do not appear to be en- tirely unfounded. The portal giveth, and the portal taketh away, and this year it's cost Michigan State some key players. Following spring practice, quarter- back Payton Thorne and receiver Keon Coleman announced that they were leaving East Lansing. Thorne has since resurfaced at Auburn, while Coleman is headed to Florida State. Both will be missed. Thorne threw for 6,494 yards in three seasons, including two as Michigan State's starter. He was battling redshirt junior Noah Kim for the starting job af- ter an up-and-down junior season, but his exit means that the Spartans have virtually no game experience returning at quarterback. Kim has seen just 38 snaps to this point in his career, while redshirt freshman Katin Houser has taken 6. Losing Coleman was another big set- back. He led the Spartans last year with 58 receptions for 798 yards and 7 touch- downs, and his exit, coupled with the departure of second-leading receiver Jayden Reed for the NFL, leaves Michi- gan State with a void in the passing at- tack. The Spartans may have to lean hard on their ground game while Kim gets ac- climated. Running back Jalen Berger is back af- ter rushing for 683 yards last year, and Michigan State has added depth by bringing in Nathan Carter from Con- necticut and Jaren Mangham from South Florida. On defense, the Spartans got some good news this spring when cornerback Charles Brantley pulled his name out of the portal. As a sophomore last fall, Brantley played the fourth-most snaps (694) of anyone on the Michigan State defense and finished with a team-high 6 pass breakups. Brantley also returned an interception for a touchdown against Ohio State, and the Spartans need more of those kinds of plays this fall. A lot more. They finished with an FBS-worst 2 interceptions as a team last year while allowing 237.9 yards per game through the air to rank 87th nationally. — Matt Herb N O V. 2 4 | 7 : 3 0 P. M . | N B C | F O R D F I E L D | D E T R O I T Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim has played in four games and logged 38 snaps during his career. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS GAME 12 MICHIGAN STATE 2023 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2022 Result Sept. 2 Central Michigan — Sept. 9 Richmond — Sept. 16 Washington — 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 Penn State L, 35-16 WHAT COULD GO RIGHT The running backs — Jalen Berger, Nathan Carter and Jaren Mangham — could thrive behind an experienced offensive line, giving Michigan State a chance to build up some momentum before facing one of the sea- son's biggest tests when Washington visits East Lansing in Week 3. WHAT COULD GO WRONG The defensive struggles, particularly against the pass, could saddle the Spartans with another middling record, hindering their recruiting efforts at a time when their in-state rival Michigan is ascendant. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: The series is tied 18-18-1 Last Meeting: Sean Clifford threw 4 touch- down passes to lift Penn State past the vis- iting Spartans 35-16 on Nov. 26, 2022 Head Coach: Mel Tucker (18-14 in three seasons at Michigan State; career collegiate coaching record: 23-21) 2022 Record: 5-7, 3-6 Big Ten Returning Starters: 13 (7 offense, 6 de- fense, 0 specialists) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Jalen Berger (683 yards, 6 TD) Passing: QB Noah Kim (174 yards, 3 TD) Receiving: WR Tre Mosley (359 yards, 4 TD) Tackles: OLB Cal Haladay (120) Sacks: MLB Jacoby Windmon (5.5) Interceptions: CB Charles Brantley, MLB Jacoby Windmon (1)