Staff Predictions: No. 14 Michigan State vs. Akron
Michigan State looks to build off its season-opening, 35-13 win over Western Michigan when it hosts another Mid-American Conference opponent this Saturday.
The Spartans welcome the Akron Zips to East Lansing in Week 2, the first matchup between these programs in over 100 years. Michigan State and Akron last played in 1914, which resulted in a 75-6 win for MSU. The Spartans are 2-0 all-time against the Zips, having defeated Akron in 1913 as well by the final score of 41-0.
The oddsmakers in Las Vegas expect Michigan State to remain unbeaten in this series in 2022. The Spartans enter the fray as a 34.5-point favorite.
Without further ado, Spartan Nation senior writer Matthew Lounsberry and contributor Aedan Mulcrone each share 3 Bold Predictions as well as Game Overview, and Final Score Predictions below:
Matt’s 3 Bold Predictions
1.) WRs Jayden Reed, Keon Coleman each score 2 touchdowns
Michigan State scored four touchdowns through the air in Week 1 against the Broncos, and I expect the Spartans to have aerial supremacy again in this matchup.
Senior wide receiver Jayden Reed did not score a touchdown in the opener, but I expect him to make up for that against Akron. I’ll call for him to reach the end zone twice against the Zips, either as a receiver or in the return game for Michigan State.
I also think sophomore WR Keon Coleman to be a matchup nightmare for anyone Akron throws out there on defense. I’m calling for two receiving touchdowns for the 6-foot-4 pass-catcher.
2.) Payton Thorne completes 65 percent of his throws
Michigan State’s signal-caller was disappointed in his performance against Western Michigan, despite throwing four touchdown passes. Thorne completed just 12-of-24 pass attempts against the Broncos, and didn’t look sharp for the majority of the game.
I expect the redshirt junior to come out motivated and on-target in Week 2, and Akron’s defense won’t provide much resistance. Thorne will complete at least 65 percent of his throws against the Zips in a bounce-back performance.
3.) RBs Jalen Berger, Jarek Broussard both eclipse 100 total yards
As you can tell from my bold predictions, I expect Michigan State to have a lot of success on offense this Saturday, and that includes the running backs.
I thought offensive coordinator Jay Johnson could have relied more on the ground game in Week 1, especially when the Spartans’ offense stalled a bit in the third quarter. However, Johnson is an aggressive play-caller, and I think he wanted to see what he had in his receiving corps.
With all that said, I’m calling for both Jalen Berger and Jarek Broussard to eclipse 100 yards of total offense. I expect Berger to rush for over 100 yards for the second consecutive week, and Broussard will have some combination of rushing and receiving yards that carry him over the 100-yard threshold.
Bonus: Backup QB Noah Kim throws first career TD pass
I expect Michigan State to win this game pretty handily, and I think that leads to starting quarterback Payton Thorne getting pulled some time in the third quarter. With that, I expect the Spartans’ coaching staff to let backup quarterback Noah Kim throw it around a little bit.
This is an opportunity for Michigan State to get some valuable snaps for its backup, in case something were to happen to Thorne some time during the season. I expect head coach Mel Tucker and offensive coordinator Jay Johnson to take advantage of these snaps to give Kim some experience.
I liked what I saw from Kim during MSU’s open spring practice, and I think he’ll be ready to sling it when his number is called. The redshirt sophomore will throw his first career touchdown pass against Akron.
Aedan’s 3 Bold Predictions
1.) MSU defense has more sacks than in Week 1
Michigan State had seven sacks as a team against Western Michigan, but they will exceed that number in Week 2.
St. Francis had six sacks against Akron last week. No offense to St. Francis, but they don’t have the talent Michigan State does. I could see Jacoby Windmon having another big game, but there are plenty of other Spartans that could get in on the action.
Akron has a young offensive line and the Spartans defensive front can take advantage of that. I think Khris Bogle and Simeon Barrow could have big games.
2.) Spartan defense will force 3 turnovers
Like I said, Akron’s offensive line is young and inexperienced. Quarterback DJ Irons will be under pressure all game. One way or another, the Zips will turn the ball over. Irons didn’t throw any interceptions last week, but I expect him to this game. It will be very hard for Akron’s offense to move the ball and Irons will have little to no time to throw.
This could give the Spartan defensive backs the confidence they need to play aggressively. While Western Michigan had a 58 percent completion percentage in Week 1, the Broncos didn’t have a lot of yards after the catch. MSU’s defenders were right there on every catch. It only takes one player to jump a route and get a pick.
3.) Five different Spartans will catch a touchdown
A lot of players will get playing time on Saturday, meaning there will be more opportunities for different players to get touches.
For starters, you have wide receivers Keon Coleman, Jayden Reed, and Tre Mosley. Then you throw in receivers like Germie Bernard and Montorie Foster, and tight ends Maliq Carr and DJ Barker. That doesn’t even include running backs catching out of the backfield.
Thorne dissected Western Michigan’s defense last week, and still felt like he didn’t play well. If he plays as well as he did last week, he will throw for five touchdowns, potentially more. That number could depend on if Thorne gets pulled early.
Matt’s Overview, Score Prediction
Akron looks like the weakest opponent on Michigan State’s schedule, and I don’t expect there to be much drama on Saturday evening. While Western Michigan was able to hang with the Spartans for three quarters, I don’t expect that to be the case with the Zips.
Michigan State has weapons on the outside with Reed, Coleman and its other receivers, and the Spartans have a pair of tailbacks that must be accounted for in Berger and Broussard. That will be too much for Akron’s defense to handle.
On the other side of the ball, MSU showed a lot of improvement with its pass-rush against the Broncos, and I expect that to show up again on Saturday. This will be our first look at a defense that doesn’t feature Darius Snow or Xavier Henderson, and I’m interested to see what that looks like. Score Prediction: Michigan State 48, Akron 10
Aedan’s Overview, Score Prediction
This game could get ugly fast. The energy in the stadium may not be as high as the season-opener. I wouldn’t be surprised if one third of the stadium left after halftime. With this game being a 4 p.m. kickoff, it will be hot out, and the game could be a blowout.
You almost forget that Akron has 85 scholarship players too. Watching their film isn’t appealing. I expect Michigan State to take care of business without any fits. There’s nothing more to it. Score Prediction: Michigan State 52, Akron 6
