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Michigan State Football: Report card for season-opening win over WMU

By Connor Muldowney

Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne hands the ball to running back Jalen Berger against Western Michigan during the first half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne hands the ball to running back Jalen Berger against Western Michigan during the first half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. /
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Michigan State wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) scores a touchdown against Western Michigan during the first half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
Michigan State wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) scores a touchdown against Western Michigan during the first half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. /

Receivers/Tight ends: A

Probably the best group all night long, the receivers and tight ends were making plays all over the field and they really carried the offense on a night when Payton Thorne was just a little off.

We all came to see the Keon Coleman show after hearing about an imminent breakout all offseason and he didn’t disappoint. The sophomore wideout from Louisiana led all receivers with 84 yards and a touchdown on four catches. He should have probably had another couple of receptions but Thorne overthrew him once on a slant and Keon let another slip through his fingers down in the red zone.

And then there was obviously Jayden Reed but I think the coaching staff was holding him back a bit so as to not get him injured. He’d been battling injuries in preseason camp and he even came up hobbling in the third quarter. He still ended up with two catches for 31 yards and he was two plays away from breaking the 100-yard mark — Thorne overthrew him early on a wide-open go route and he was interfered with on a deep-ball from Noah Kim near the goal-line.

Tre Mosley was, well, Tre Mosley. He’s one of the most consistent and underrated receivers in the Big Ten and he finished with a quiet two catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Germie Bernard scored his first touchdown after making a nice grab on a slightly-high slant throw from Thorne in which he reeled it in and took it 44 yards to the house.

Oh, and Daniel Barker caught a one-handed touchdown from 13 yards out.

The pass-catchers on this team are insane.

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