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Michigan State Football: What’s on a Spartan fan’s ideal Christmas wish list?

By Emmett Matasovsky

Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Bryce Baringer (99) punts the ball during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Bryce Baringer (99) punts the ball during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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BLOOMINGTON, IN – OCTOBER 16: Matt Coghlin #4 of the Michigan State Spartans kicks the ball during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Indiana University on October 16, 2021 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN – OCTOBER 16: Matt Coghlin #4 of the Michigan State Spartans kicks the ball during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Indiana University on October 16, 2021 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

2. A kicker

The reason the Spartans are not practicing for a bowl right now is the lack of consistency in the kicking game. After Matt Coghlin’s eligibility expired after a decade or so in the green and white, the Spartans needed a new kicker.

Mark Dantonio and Mel Tucker have tried to address Coghlin leaving on three separate occasions. Dantonio landed Jack Olsen in the 2020 class before Tucker took control of the program. After one season with the team, Olsen transferred to another Big Ten school, Northwestern. Tucker managed to bring Coghlin back for one more year and signed Jack Stone in the 2022 class. After struggles in camp, Tucker also brought on Ben Patton mere days before this season began.

Stone missed his first attempt as a Spartan and ended up being delegated to a “long field goals only” kicker role, drilling a 51-yard attempt against Penn State. Unsurprisingly, Stone was not thrilled with the lack of coaching trust in him and was one of the first players to hit the portal when it opened this year.

Patton, meanwhile, had a rocky start including a missed extra point against Illinois but seemed to have everything in gear when the Spartans beat Rutgers, going 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points. Then, the Indiana game struck. On Senior Day, Patton missed two field goal attempts of under 30 yards, including what would have been a game-winning 22-yarder, and the Spartans went on to lose in overtime. This came after Patton’s other attempt of under 30 yards was blocked.

With no Stone on the roster, the choices at kicker next year are between Patton and Stephen Rusnak who saw the field in 2021 when Coghlin was injured and handled the sole extra point against Penn State this year. Rusnak is 5-for-6 on extra points in his career and 0-for-1 in field goal attempts. Needless to say, this kicking room does not inspire confidence.

Additionally, the lack of Coghlin’s gunpowder-infused leg led to more kick returns against the Spartans this year, including a kick return touchdown in our aforementioned overtime loss to Indiana. Rusnak, Patton, and hybrid tight end/kickoff specialist Evan Morris have all handled this position in the past for the Spartans, but none can consistently get the ball to the end zone.

Tucker has already landed a kickoff specialist in the form of Jonathan Kim from North Carolina but he’ll probably stay away from field goals.

We all joked about having minor heart attacks when Coghlin would attempt a field goal, but that was nothing compared to the despair we felt when the kicking unit trotted out this year.

So, please, a kicker for Christmas would be as good as a fresh pair of cleats.

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