Michigan State’s 3 Unsung Heroes in Week 1
Michigan State football achieved its most important goal against Western Michigan — finish every week 1-0. Some Spartans got more attention than others, and deservingly so. Here are three under the radar storylines that fans should be more excited about.
1. Jacoby Windmon’s position switch
While Windmon is the most talked about player at the moment, due to a four-sack performance against the Broncos, his selflessness should be talked about more. The senior’s move to defensive end opened an opportunity for linebacker Ben VanSumeren to have a spectacular game.
VanSumeren recorded 11 tackles and was all over the field on Friday. Without that position change by Windmon, VanSumeren may have not earned himself a starting spot for the foreseeable future. If both of these guys continue to perform this well at their respective positions, the Spartans could have a pair of All-Big Ten defenders in 2022.
Bonus — Transfer end Khris Bogle had an underrated performance in Week 1 too. On one possession he had a sack and made another tackle in space. He showed flashes all night of what he could be as a Spartan, as he has potentially two more years left in East Lansing.
2. Chester Kimbrough’s move to nickelback
Ameer Speed and Charles Brantley played the whole game at cornerback for MSU. Brantley had an underrated night, with a pass break up and tackle for loss while recording ten total tackles. Safety Angelo Grose led the team in tackles with 11 and had two pass break ups.
But, the unsung hero of the defense was Chester Kimbrough.
He was what Michigan State needed at nickelback – a player with speed and physicality. Kimbrough had six tackles, with one tackle for loss, and he recorded two pass break ups and had a fumble recovery as well.
While Western Michigan quarterback Jack Salopek completed almost 60% of his passes, the Spartans held the Broncos to less than 200 yards passing. Kimbrough played a big part in that.
3. Brandon Baldwin starts at left tackle
One of the biggest questions in the offseason was the amount of depth Michigan State had along the offensive line. Baldwin starting and rotating around the line throughout the game is a step in the right direction for the Spartans.
Baldwin is one of the largest players on the team, standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 315 pounds. He stepped in for Jarrett Horst at left tackle and had a positive impact. Quarterback Payton Thorne was only sacked once, and Michigan State had a total of just two negative plays on offense.
Baldwin’s performance means there are now seven offensive lineman that O-line coach Chris Kapalovic trusts to start. Baldwin is also a redshirt sophomore, which is another positive, since the rest of the starting line will be graduating at season’s end.
