Northwestern vs. Michigan State: Team MVPs and Plays of the Game
Players of the Game
Michigan State
This one has to be a pretty obvious choice in running back Kenneth Walker III. Seeing as he scored 28 of the Spartans' 38 points on the night, his production is undeniable for a Big Ten team that was projected to finish towards the bottom of the conference.
Kenneth Walker III is the first Big Ten player with 250+ rush yds and 4+ rush TD in a game since Melvin Gordon in 2014.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 4, 2021
He is just the 2nd player in Michigan State history to do this, joining Eric Allen in 1971 vs Purdue. https://t.co/K7JLIP5sm5
Northwestern
Quarterback Hunter Johnson stepped into the quarterback role tonight with a lot of questions and expectations looming overhead, but he did the best he could to put the Wildcats in a decent position for a comeback thanks to the lack of production from the Northwestern running game. Finishing up with 70% completion percentage and several conversions on third and fourth downs, Johnson did a good job taking the reins for Chicago's Big Ten team tonight.
Plays of the Game
Michigan State
Walker III's 75-yard TD on the first play of the game was, in a word, impressive, and deflated Northwestern's hope balloon almost immediately.
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) September 4, 2021
Northwestern
Hunter Johnson going 11-11 on a vital drive, finishing it up with a nice TD on a heavily-guarded Trey Pugh for their second connection of the night.
🎯
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 4, 2021
Hunter Johnson just went 11-11 on that @NUFBFamily TD drive.
Trey Pugh (@pughtr3y) caps it with his second TD of the night. pic.twitter.com/WYsqRxLGqQ
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Molly Keshin is a reporter/contributor for Wildcats Daily on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. She is a graduate student in the Northwestern University Medill School journalism program, specializing in Sports Media. Molly recently graduated from the University of Virginia, where she was a member of the softball team.