Michigan State Football: Report card for shutout win over Akron

Michigan State football picked up a nice shutout win over Akron in Week 2 and here’s how the Spartans graded out, by position group.

For the first time in years, Michigan State football was able to pitch a shutout. Akron wasn’t exactly a tough opponent, but the Zips had some decent players including DJ Irons who was giving the Spartan defense all it could handle before his injury.

Michigan State was able to cruise to a 52-0 win despite Payton Thorne having another pedestrian game with two interceptions and that’s a good sign for when he does eventually get back on track.

The quarterback position may not have been a bright spot, but there was a lot to like from Saturday night’s Week 2 win.

What does the report card from the 52-0 win look like?

Offensive line: A-

Honestly, this was the best I can remember seeing the offensive line play in years. It just felt like Payton Thorne and Noah Kim had all day to throw the ball and there was only one sack allowed by the group and it was because the former held the ball a little too long.

The pocket remained clean all game long and the line really imposed its will against Akron.

As for the run blocking, there were no issues. The running lanes were there all game long. For the second straight game, the Spartans were able to move the ball on the ground with relative ease, accounting for 260 yards and six touchdowns on 5.4 yards per carry. The offensive line deserves a ton of credit for this success on the ground.

Chris Kapilovic’s group may not have a ton of depth, but it’s playing much better so far this year against inferior opponents.