Sep 4, 2015; Kalamazoo, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Madre London (28) runs the ball against the Western Michigan Broncos prior to a game at Waldo Stadium. (Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports)
KALAMAZOO – Michigan State got touchdowns from four different players and recorded seven sacks as it knocked off Western Michigan 37-24 on Friday at Waldo Stadium.
It was No. 5 Michigan State’s first trip to Western Michigan and it was an uneven performance, at best, as the Broncos pushed the Spartans, cutting the lead to 10 in the fourth quarter. But the first career interception for redshirt freshman Vayante Copeland ended the comeback hopes in the final minutes.
Redshirt freshman Madre London scored twice in his debut as Michigan State’s No. 1 running back while sophomore Gerald Holmes added a touchdown. Senior quarterback Connor Cook wasn’t sharp, completing less than 50 percent of his passes but connected with junior tight end Josiah Price and senior receiver DeAnthony Arnett for touchdowns.
Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with junior Corey Davis 10 times for 154 yards and a touchdown. He also hit junior Daniel Braverman 13 times for 109 yards.
The Spartans, who led 27-10 at halftime, opened the second half with one of their best drives of the game, extending their lead to 34-10 with 9:25 to play in the second quarter. Arnett had two catches on the drive, the second a 21-yard strike from Cook for the touchdown, the first in Arnett’s Michigan State career. He had two touchdowns as a freshman at Tennessee in 2011.
The Broncos answered with a 13-play drive that ended with Davis’ score, cutting the Michigan State lead to 34-17 with 1:37 left in the third quarter.
Western Michigan kept the momentum rolling after forcing a Michigan State punt, getting the a 29-yard receiving touchdown from senior tight end Jeremiah Mullinax with 11 minutes to play.
Michigan State tacked on to its lead with a 21-yard field goal from junior Michael Geiger before the final drive ended in interception for WMU.
Michigan State shook off a bit of a slow start to take a 7-0 lead less than six minutes into the game when sophomore running back Madre London went 24 yards around the right end to reach the end zone. It came after Western Michigan opened the game with sophomore Darius Phillips taking the opening kickoff 70 yards to the Michigan State 30. However, the Broncos managed just six yards on three plays and senior kicker Andrew Haldeman missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt wide left.
The Spartans picked up one first down on their first drive before punting, but got the ball back when sophomore safety Montae Nicholson intercepted a pass tipped by senior defensive end Lawrence Thomas. Two plays later the Spartans were in the end zone to take a 7-0 lead with just more than nine minutes left in the first quarter.
Phillips, however, was not to be denied. He followed his 70-yard return to open the game by taking the next kick 100 yards for the touchdown to tie the game at 7. It was the second career kick return for Phillips.
Michigan State answered with an eight-play, 65-yard drive capped by London’s second touchdown of the game, this time on a 7-yard run, but a trick extra point was stuffed to make it 13-7. The Spartans defense, though, was solid for most of the half as the lead grew to 27-7. Senior quarterback hit junior tight end Josiah Price with a 9-yard touchdown pass and sophomore running back Gerald Holmes scored his first career touchdown on an eight-yard run with 8:00 left in the second quarter.
Western Michigan cut the Michigan State lead to 17 when Halderman kicked a 22-yard field goal with 2:46 left in the second quarter.
NOTES: Western Michigan was hosting a Big Ten opponent for just the second time in the history of Waldo Stadium. The Broncos hosted Indiana in 2007. … Michigan State dressed six true freshmen on Friday, including RB LJ Scott, as the Spartans attempt to replace the production of Jeremy Langford, who is now in the NFL. … Sophomore transfer Drake Martinez did not dress for Michigan State. The brother of former Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez had been playing both outside linebacker spots in preseason camp. … Western Michigan sophomore Darius Phillips became the first Michigan State opponent to return a kickoff for TD since Notre Dame’s George Atkinson III (89 yards) in 2011. Phillips had returns of 70 and 100 yards in the first quarter.
