Michigan State Football: Report card for ugly win over Tulsa

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EAST LANSING, MI – AUGUST 30: Xavier Henderson #3 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts after breaking up a pass against Cannon Montgomery #20 of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the first quarter at Spartan Stadium on August 30, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Defense

It was clear that the defense was the strength of the Spartans on Friday night as each position group will be lobbying for that top grade. What area was the most impressive, though?

Defensive Line: A

In the backfield all night long was the Michigan State defensive line. Ron Burton’s group did some serious damage, like always, and found a way to make life miserable for Zach Smith who was running for his life constantly. Not just that, but they were the main reason why the Tulsa run game finished with -73 yards (yes, that’s a negative number). Kenny Willekes dominated with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a touchdown. Jacub Panasiuk had a breakout game with five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while his brother, Mike, added two tackles for loss. Raequan Williams added a sack and Naquan Jones was a monster all night.

Linebackers: A-

The tackles were relatively spread out, and that’s not always a bad thing. Joe Bachie led the way with seven takedowns and he had 1.5 tackles for loss and a couple of QB hurries. Antjuan Simmons really broke out with six tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and an interception as he looked like an absolute stud. Tyriq Thompson rounded out the starters with five tackles. This group was about as consistent as any on Friday with no clear mistakes.

Secondary: A-

There were some mistakes, sure, but they were few and far between. The only real issues were at the end of the first half after a Willekes penalty extended a drive (should have never happened). After that, it was Josh Butler who got picked on twice for long throws and that led to the Golden Hurricane’s only touchdown of the day. That was it. Everyone buckled down and the secondary forced a number of coverage sacks and Shakur Brown even had two of his own. This unit could be special.

Next. MSU Football: 10 bold predictions for 2019. dark

Special Teams: B+

Overall, the special teams were impressive. Dominique Long had a blocked punt, the punt and kick coverage were on top of the returners in a hurry and even the return game for the Spartans saw some impressive take-backs. Unfortunately, penalties ruined a couple of those strong returns. On top of that, Matt Coghlin was his usual perfect self, making all four of his field goal tries and both extra points. And Jake Hartbarger showcased that monster leg yet again.

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