Jacoby Windmon enters record books in Michigan State debut: 'I just play my heart out'

EAST LANSING — Spartan Stadium had gone quiet, the energy in the Woodshed as distant a memory as the home team's three touchdowns scored in a seven-minute span.

Michigan Statefootball had given up 10 consecutive points, its lead slashed to one possession with Western Michigan on the drive again early in the fourth quarter. On second-and-4 as the Broncos approached midfield, Jacoby Windmon came off the edge, barreled through the Broncos offensive line and dropped quarterback Jack Salopek to force a third-and-long.

It was his third sack on the night, and wouldn't be his last.

After the Spartans put together an eight-play, 91-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 15, Windmon was at it again. Western faced third-and-5 at midfield when the UNLV transfer got around the edge yet again to drop Salopek and set up a fourth-and-11 that fell incomplete.

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Windmon finished with four sacks, the most by a Michigan State player in a single game since 2003 and the second-most in program history, to help MSU pull away for the 35-13 win.

"I knew one of my roles when I got here was to be a third-down guy, come off the edge," he said. "I just had the mindset to go in there and dominate whatever position I'm at on the field."

Windmon was one of a number of Michigan State's key transfer portal additions in the offseason.

Many of the others had big games — Khris Bogle and Aaron Brule each chipped in with a sack, running back Jalen Berger tallied 16 rushes for 120 yards and one score and Daniel Barker caught a touchdown pass — but none of those performances tilted the game like Windmon's.

MSU coach Mel Tucker said he knew securing the transfer was a win and only became more evident as he put the pads on.

"We identified him in camp and even in the spring as one of our best pass rushers, maybe our best past rusher," Tucker said. "Pass rushers are hard to find, right? You always have to be able to affect the quarterback.

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"He had high-level production today in terms of sack production today, I don’t care who you’re playing."

The performance is all the more impressive considering he was in the linebackers room until the middle of August.

Windmon came to MSU to play in the middle of the defense — he had 119 tackles, 11.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks from the position a season ago and was second team All-Mountain West — but he'd previously been an all-league honorable mention as a defensive end the season prior.

Tucker said Windmon may still play linebacker, but his production on the edge already speaks for itself.

Ask the Louisiana product where he wants to line up, but don't expect a specific answer.

"My role is just whatever’s best for the team," he said. "Coach made the adjustment for me to play D-end and I was all for it. I just do whatever’s best for the team to win and keep choppin’."

Windmon finished the game with seven tackles and one forced fumble, each play seemingly more consequential than the last.

His first big play came with the Broncos facing third-and-goal at the MSU 13.

Windmon swam his way around the left tackle, forced Salopek to step up in the pocket and got just enough of his hand on the ball to get it loose before Bogle smashed into the passer and knocked it completely free to keep it a 21-3 game.

Midway through the third quarter Western was in the Spartans red zone again facing third-and-18 after a touchdown had been wiped off the board with a penalty. Windmon chased Salopek and made a shoe string tackle from behind for his second sack of the game.

"He did a good job," Tucker said on his performance. "I just talked to him a minute ago and he’s hungry and just wants to get better. You’ve got to love him."

The team, and now the fans, certainly do. The rush the Spartans were able to generate with just four pass rushers, largely thanks to Windmon, allowed the backend to have success.

Western Michigan had just 193 passing yards on 36 attempts — that's 5.4 yards per pass against a defense that finished "dead-ass last" in pass defense a season ago.

That's been the emphasis for defensive line coach Marco Coleman and pass-rush specialist Brandon Jordan all offseason and Week 1 was certainly promising.

The Spartans are going to need continued high-level production from the line; especially after senior captain Xavier Henderson was seen on the sideline in a full leg brace and crutches and linebacker Darius Snow was carted off the field early in the first half.

They now know that Windmon can be that guy, even if he's not sure if Friday was his best game.

"Honestly, I don't know, I just go out there and play man and we look at the film the next day," he said. "I don't look at stats, I just play my heart out and let the rest take care of itself."

Contact Tony Garcia at apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @realtonygarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State's Jacoby Windmon dominates with 4 sacks in debut