Michigan State football stock watch: Keon Coleman, Jalen Berger add juice to offense
EAST LANSING — Here are the Michigan State football players who helped or hurt their stock in the Spartans’ 35-13 win over Western Michigan on Friday night:
Three up
· DE Jacoby Windmon: The UNLV transfer made a triumphant debut at defensive end after coach Mel Tucker initially brought him in as a linebacker. Windmon looked like a difference-maker with his speed off the edge, showing an array of pass-rush moves en route to four sacks, the most by a Spartan since Matthias Askew had four against WMU in 2003 and tied for the single-game record with three others.
WINDSOR: Michigan State, eventually, shows off impressive talent in win over Western Michigan
· RB Jalen Berger: It took nearly three quarters, but Berger broke out big time when MSU needed a jolt. His 50-yard run midway through the fourth quarter set up his 1-yard touchdown plunge a few plays later, helping the Spartans extend their lead to 15. It had been exactly a year since Berger last played for Wisconsin, and he returned with 120 yards on 16 carries. He and Jarek Broussard (54 yards, 10 carries) look like they can blend their talents to give MSU a significant chunk of Kenneth Walker III’s lost production.
· WR Keon Coleman: The sophomore showed the hype is legitimate, finishing with a game-high 84 yards on a team-best four catches. Coleman showed how he can use his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame to his advantage, boxing out a smaller WMU defender Dorian Jackson (5-10, 185) to free himself for a 41-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. He showed his athleticism by going in motion and catching a perfect swing pass from Payton Thorne that Coleman turned up field quickly for 10 yards. Then deep in MSU territory early in the fourth, Thorne found Coleman, who again elevated over a smaller cornerback Keni-H Lovely (5-10, 170) to snare the back-shoulder throw for 26 yards en route to Berger’s TD.
Three down
· K Jack Stone: Tucker didn’t exactly give a ringing endorsement for his freshman, saying “you gotta put somebody out there, and so he got the nod.” Stone apparently beat out walk-on Stephen Rusnak, but Tucker also brought in grad transfer Ben Patton from Auburn. It was unclear if Patton was injured, but he looked limited during pregame warmups. Stone then started and missed his only field-goal attempt from 44 yards out. He did make all five extra-point kicks and had three touchbacks in six kickoff opportunities. But Tucker made it clear the situation with the position remains fluid.
· CB Ronald Williams II: MSU opted to start Charles Brantley alongside Georgia transfer Ameer Speed at cornerback, and the sophomore looked solid in his return from a shoulder injury that cut short last season. It left Williams, who was banged up some during camp, relegated to a special teams role until getting in more frequently at corner in the fourth quarter. The one-time junior college All-American and Alabama transfer didn’t register any tackles or stats but appears to be the Spartans’ No. 3 option at corner, with Marqui Lowery playing a few snaps as well.
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· RB Elijah Collins/Jordon Simmons: With Berger and Broussard occupying the top two spots, it was unclear who would be MSU’s third running back. Both Collins (2019) and Simmons (2020) led the Spartans in rushing previously. Instead, it was former Auburn transfer Harold Joiner III who occupied the No. 3 role, entering as a third-down pass protection option. Both Collins and Simmons played on special teams, but it seems they are both buried for potential carries.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free onAppleandAndroiddevices!
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football stock watch: Keon Coleman up, Jack Stone down
