Michigan State Spartans vs W. Michigan Broncos Football Preview

Michigan State 38, Western Michigan 14

Now that was a performance Michigan State and its fan base can live with.

So many times in the past, Mid-American Conference opponents have tormented MSU. Sparty has been left reeling by the likes of Central Michigan, who came into Spartan Stadium last year and stunned the gang in green. This time, MSU was ready for a MAC team. The MAC would not be Michigan State’s daddy this time out as the 2010 college football season began.

MSU head coach Mark Dantonio had to be generally pleased with what he saw on a sparkling Saturday afternoon in East Lansing. True freshman Le’Veon Bell and sophomore Edwin Baker led a dominant Spartans rushing attack.  Bell carried the ball ten times for 141 yards, and Baker carried 17 times for 117 yards.  Each had two rushing touchdowns.

Michigan State had a fast start, taking a 7-0 lead on Baker’s 28-yard touchdown run 2:30 into the game.

A 20-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to former quarterback Keith Nichol gave the Spartans a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.  Touchdown runs by Baker and Bell put Michigan State ahead 28-7 at halftime.

Bell’s second touchdown run of the game capped a 7-play, 80-yard drive to start the second half, and Michigan State had a 35-7 lead. Sparty had managed to put the hammer down and smother a less-talented opponent. So many times in the past, this program – acting out the psychological torment of a fully-formed human person battling with his innermost demons – would let a less-credentialed foe hang around and create a lot of drama that would only become more complicated due to a heavy dose of Michigan State flop sweat. This time, the Spartans looked at the Broncos with a steely gaze and didn’t stop delivering roundhouse punches until the issue was demonstrably settled.

Cousins completed 13 of 21 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps Dantonio and the staff would have liked a slightly higher completion percentage from their at-times balky quarterback, but in a season opener, those numbers were quite acceptable.

Western Michigan’s Alex Carder completed 27 of 49 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns, and carried nine times for 38 yards, in his debut.  He threw one interception.

The Broncos were unable to move the ball on the ground.  Their longest run of the day was 18 yards.  They finished with 85 yards on 32 carries.  Carder was their leading rusher.  Running back Aaron Winchester picked up just 30 yards on 15 attempts.

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