EAST LANSING, Mich. — It was far from a work of beauty, but Michigan State opened its 2022 season in winning fashion Friday night in front of 73,928 at Spartan Stadium.
Thanks to some big plays in the first half and one big run from Jalen Berger late in the game, No. 15 Michigan State earned a tougher-than-expected 35-13 victory over Western Michigan as Spartans coach Mel Tucker began his third season with a victory.
Berger, the transfer from Wisconsin, finished with 120 yards on 16 carries, but it was his 50-yard scamper in the fourth quarter followed four plays later by a 1-yard plunge into the end zone that gave the Spartans the 15-point lead and effectively ended any upset ideas from the Broncos.
The win came at a cost, though, as senior safety Xavier Henderson and junior linebacker Darius Snow suffered leg injuries. Henderson had his right leg in a brace during the second half while Snow did not come out from the locker room after halftime.
Quarterback Payton Thorne finished with four touchdown passes for the Spartans (1-0), but he was erratic most of the game, going 12-for-24 passing with an interception that came in the red zone late in the first half. Keon Coleman, Daniel Barker and Germie Bernard all had touchdown receptions in the first half with Bernard’s counting as his first career grab. Late in the game, Thorne connected with Tre Mosley on a 43-yard touchdown strike.
The Spartans’ defense gave up some big chunks of yards at times in the second half, but the pass rush was effective most of the game and kept Western Michigan quarterback Jack Salopek on the move. Defensive end Jacoby Windmon was a force, recording three sacks and consistently pressuring Salopek as Khris Bogle, Aaron Brule and Chester Kimbrough each finished with a sack for an MSU defense that had 11 tackles for loss.
Salopek was effective at times, going 21-for-36 passing for 193 yards for the Broncos (0-1). Sean Tyler ran for 68 yards on 13 carries and scored Western Michigan’s only touchdown.
It was a slow start for Michigan State’s offense as the Spartans went three-and-out on each of its first two drives while Western Michigan took advantage with a 27-yard field goal from Palmer Domschke to take a 3-0 lead with 6:31 left in the first quarter.
Things started to come to life from there as Thorne connected with Bernard on a 44-yard touchdown pass to give Michigan State a 7-3 lead with 4:37 left in the first quarter before Thorne hit Barker with a 13-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter to push the lead to 14-3. Thorne later found Coleman for a 41-yard scoring strike to give the Spartans a 21-3 lead with 12:26 left in the second quarter.
A late drive was thwarted when Thorne made a poor decision and threw across his body, his pass getting intercepted by Western Michigan’s Keni-H Lovely in the final minute of the first half as Michigan State headed to the halftime locker room with a 21-3 lead.
Michigan State’s first drove of the second half ended when Berger fumbled near midfield. Replays showed he was down but the call of a fumble was confirmed and the momentum began to shift into Western Michigan’s favor.
The Broncos responded by going 67 yards on seven plays to pull within 21-10 when Tyler scored on a 5-yard run, a play after he scampered 45 yards to get inside the MSU 10. Michigan State’s next drive ended when freshman Jack Stone’s 44-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.
Western Michigan added another Domschke field goal to pull within 21-13 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter and Michigan State then went three-and-out. But the defense, after giving up a pair of third-and-10 conversions, got a stop and MSU took over at its 8 with just more than 10 minutes to play.
The Spartans answered with a 91-yard drive that as highlighted by Berger’s 50-yard run before the defense got a fourth-down stop leading to Mosley’s touchdown grab.
