50 defining moments from the 2021 Michigan State football season: No. 29

Today marks the final time in this series from the Michigan State football victory in Miami. Jayden Reed will give the Miami game its final send-off.

Welcome back to the 22nd edition of this Michigan State football series, accounting for moment No. 29 in Michigan State’s 50 defining moments of the 2021 season. Also, this is the third day in a row of Miami articles, but the final time it will be featured in this series. Jayden Reed made play after play in 2021, and his touchdown catch is the focus of today’s article.

For those of you who missed yesterday’s article, please click here. If you would like to look at previous articles of this series, feel free to scroll through my writing profile.

No. 29: Jayden Reed’s 10-yard TD reception vs. Miami

Why No. 29?

This play could not have come at a more crucial time for the Spartans. The final quarter is the time to put up or shut up and Michigan State went all in this quarter. On a third-and-7, the Spartans go for a touchdown instead of a first down and are rewarded in the end zone.

This moment occurred only a few snaps after moment No. 31 when Drew Beesley and Jacub Panasiuk forced a Miami turnover in their own red zone. At this point, the Spartans only clung to a small three-point lead. With momentum starting to shift towards Michigan State football after the fumble, Jay Johnson capitalizes, and Payton Thorne throws a bullet to his high school buddy.

On this play, Payton Thorne throws an amazing pass directly into the smallest possible window for Jayden Reed. This ball was one of the riskiest ones thrown by Thorne all season, as any other moment or location would result in an incompletion, interception, or ricochet that could wind up in anyone’s hands.

This is not to understate Reed’s fantastic catch, as he spots the ball around a linebacker, a defensive back’s attempt at a breakup and has another defensive back on his back and he still holds on to increase the lead. I honestly am unsure which was more amazing, the throw or catch. Regardless, I can hear George Blaha’s voice in my ears now: “Touchdown, M-S-U!”

When making my rankings, I had this play as the highest of all the Miami highlights for a few reasons. To begin, it capitalizes on a turnover and begins the wave of momentum that led to other scores. I part, I believe that this play creates the others. This play also was not a one-play touchdown after the turnover, as the Spartans faced a long third down if they wanted to truly capitalize.

Additionally, the accuracy of the throw by Thorne and the window he fit it in as well as the effort and concentration of Reed are amazing and a “wow” moment. Once again, full marks for Thorne and Reed in my book for this play. I watched it and, at first. thought Thorne was firing the ball through the end zone before he could get sacked. Then Reed stood up with the ball and it took me a few seconds to celebrate.

The part of the article where I justify myself for a lower rating return. As it is the third day of a moment in Miami, I believe you all know that this game ended in a 21-point victory due to the Spartan conditioning and Miami’s inability to hold onto the ball with an injured quarterback. Once again, these reasons hold all my Miami plays back from being higher on this list.

Statistically, this was the third of four Thorne touchdowns on the day, as I mentioned his day yesterday. For Reed, this was his first and only receiving touchdown of the day. He would not be done scoring, however, as he used his legs to give the Spartans another six, mentioned previously in this series. This would be a part of Reed’s monstrous effort of eight touchdowns in four weeks of play (Weeks 2-5).  This play contributed to both of these players’ breakout campaigns and leave all of us Spartan faithful very excited for the duo’s return to the field in just over four weeks.

After today ends the Spartan’s time in Miami, tomorrow will feature a very familiar and very hated opponent for the first time in the series.