With one game under Michigan State football's belt, the staff has to feel better about where the team stands heading into Week 2 this year than it did a season ago.
The Spartans could have looked better offensively, but the defense stole the show. Overall, the Spartans played better than I expected to start the season.
And these three players exceeded (my) expectations in the opener.
1. Makhi Frazier, RB
This was an easy choice for the top overachiever in the opener. Makhi Frazier was rumored to be part of a two-headed attack in the backfield for the opener, and he got his first start and didn't disappoint. He outshined his fellow backfield mates, rushing 14 times for 103 yards and a touchdown, and he showed a spark at running back that we haven't seen in years.
I'm really excited to see how Frazier follows up this performance, but I'm going to assume he will be an effective rusher all season long.
2. Grady Kelly, DL
If you're a fan of Pro Football Focus grades, you probably loved what you saw from Grady Kelly on Friday night. He was all over the field for the Spartans and graded out as one of the best defensive linemen in the country through the first couple days of games. He had just two tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss, but he played better than those stats indicate.
I'll admit, I didn't expect Kelly to be much more than a depth piece, but it looks like he's going to be a premier contributor all season long.
3. Ade Willie, DB
Another guy who I believe got overlooked this offseason, but really surprised me on Friday night was Ade Willie. The veteran defensive back came to Michigan State as a lower-ranked recruit, and that led to a lot of people forgetting about him, but he was easy to spot on Friday night, making plays all over the field.
Willie finished with three tackles, and two of them were for negative gains. Two tackles for loss and a huge stop on fourth down in the first half to turn the Broncos over on downs? That's a great outing.
Honorable mention: Caleb Gash, DB/special teams
Caleb Gash was too good not to mention, picking up two huge hits on the first couple of kickoffs on Friday night. He had Western Michigan starting deeper in its own territory than it would have liked, which really set the tone. Gash might be a special teams demon this year.