Michigan State football grades vs. CMU: First-game jitters balance out roaring second half
EAST LANSING — Free Press sports writer Chris Solari grades Michigan State football on a scale of A to F after the Spartans’ 31-7 win over Central Michigan to open the season Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
Offense: C-
It wasn’t quite the cliché of a tale of two halves, because new starting quarterback Noah Kim started to build his rhythm with three key completions to redshirt freshman receiver Jaron Glover in a 2-minute drill at the end of the second quarter, including a 32-yarder on a third-and-3 and a 33-yarder two plays later. That was a line in the sand between Kim and the offense’s brutal start through the first quarter-plus and the strong finish, and the redshirt junior showed his ability to shake off bad plays and remain calm and steady. Nathan Carter scored a 2-yard touchdown after those Glover catches and showed his big-play ability with a pair of 31-yard runs, including on the first play of the game, and Jalen Berger added a 12-yard score and caught four passes for 30 yards. But both running backs failed to produce consistently in short-yardage situations. The offensive line, while it got pushed around early, wore down CMU and kept Kim clean (his only sack was an intentional grounding penalty).
Defense: C-
The Spartans also started slow on defense, getting pushed around in the first quarter before beginning to grind on the Chippewas in the trenches from the second quarter onward. Their biggest concern, though, is with the rash of aggression penalties — five flags for 55 yards that included a Derrick Harmon unsportsmanlike conduct on third-and-goal in the first quarter to extend a drive, back-to-back facemask flags on Brandon Wright and Maverick Hansen in the second quarter on CMU’s lone touchdown, then another on Malik Spencer in the fourth quarter. The Spartans also gave up a first down with an illegal substitution early in the third quarter. They did eventually manage to contain elusive and electric CMU quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr., sacking him three times and holding him to 87 yards passing and 41 yards rushing.
Special teams: B-
North Carolina transfer Jonathan Kim flashed his big leg with a 47-yard field goal and three touchbacks on five kickoffs. However, he also sent the opening kickoff of the second half out of bounds for a penalty. MSU also was able to get Stephen Rusnak a kickoff and an extra point. Punter Ryan Eckley had a solid debut in replacing All-American Bryce Baringer, averaging 43.0 yards on three attempts and nearly landing one inside the 5 had it not been booted into the end zone by long snapper Hank Pepper trying to down it. And Tyrell Henry — who had an incredible TD catch from Kim on offense — looked sure-handed showed burst on both punt and kickoff returns.
Coaching: C-
MSU did not come out like a team that looked prepared to execute and atone for last season’s five-win, bowl-less season. That and the bevy of lack-of-discipline penalties are at minimum alarm bells moving forward, even though the Spartans recovered against the Mid-American Conference opponent. Give Mel Tucker and his offensive coaches credit for not panicking and pulling Noah Kim when the offense sputtered early. But offensive coordinator Jay Johnson also put the Spartans in precarious spots, including running Carter twice on fourth-and-1 out of the shotgun that resulted in turnovers on downs. Defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton’s secondary had moments of soft, costly coverage early, and the penalties are certainly problematic but correctable.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football grades: First-game jitters eventually fade
