Michigan State Wins Season Opener Against Youngstown State, 28-6

Michigan State probably didn’t convince anyone of their ability to win the Big Ten on Friday, but they probably didn’t hurt it either.

Youngstown State hung around in the first half, but MSU proved too much for the FCS-division Penguins as the No. 17 Spartans pulled away for a 28-6 win at Spartan Stadium.

Le’Veon Bell ran for two touchdowns and Larry Caper added one of his own for MSU (1-0), who struggled with Youngstown in the first half. Edwin Baker led the rushing attack with 93 yards on 15 carries.

Wide receiver B.J. Cunningham and quarterback Kirk Cousins were a potent tandem all night long for the Spartans’ air attack. Cunningham finished with nine catches for 129 yards and a score, while Cousins completed 18-of-22 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown.

After Caper’s run opened the scoring in the second quarter, YSU quarterback Kurt Hess led the Penguins on a 62-yard drive that culminated with a 10 yard touchdown toss to Jelani Berassa. However, the Spartans kept the lead after David Brown’s extra point was blocked.

Youngstown never threatened again.

Bell extended the lead on the very next drive, highlighted by a 55-yard pass by Cousins to Cunningham on the very first play. Bell capped the drive with his touchdown three plays later to give MSU a slim 14-6 lead at the half.

Cunningham and Cousins hooked up again in the third quarter on an 18-yard strike that increased the lead to 21-6.

Bell added a second touchdown with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter that put the game essentially out of reach.

Final Stats

Passing
Cousins, MSU: 18/22, 221 yards, touchdown
Hess, YSU: 18/38, 135 yards, touchdown, interception

Rushing
Baker, MSU: 15 carries, 93 yards
Bell, MSU: 9 carries, 40 yards, touchdown
Jamaine Cook, YSU: 17 carries, 76 yards

Receiving
Cunningham, MSU: 9 catches 129 yards, touchdown
Christian Bryan, YSU: 6 catches, 45 yards

Spartans Edge Away From Youngstown State After Three Quarters, Lead 21-6

Kirk Cousins and B.J. Cunningham hooked up for an 18-yard touchdown in the third quarter to provide a bit of a cushion for Michigan State against Youngstown State.

The Spartans led only 14-6 at halftime over the Penguins, but Cousins led MSU on an 11-play, 75-yard drive on their second possession of the second half that ended with Cunningham’s score.

Youngstown only managed 50 yards of offense in the third quarter.

Jamaine Cook, who burned MSU for 69 yards in the first half, had just two carries for seven yards in the third. YSU quarterback Kurt Hess is just 4-for-9 passing in the second half.

Stats After Third Quarter

Passing
Cousins, MSU: 12/16, 178 yards, touchdown
Hess, YSU: 14/28, 120 yards, touchdown

Rushing
Cook, YSU: 17 carries, 76 yards
Edwin Baker, MSU: 11 carries, 72 yards
Le’Veon Bell, MSU: 7 carries, 37 yards, touchdown

Receiving
Cunningham, MSU: 7 catches, 120 yards, touchdown
Christian Bryan, YSU: 6 catches, 45 yards

Michigan State Struggles With Youngstown State, Holds Slim Halftime Lead

Michigan State has struggled with pesky Youngstown State in its season opener, holding a slim 14-6 lead at halftime.

Le’Veon Bell and Larry Caper both rushed for first half touchdowns for MSU, but Youngstown State did not appear impressed.

After Caper punched in a 6-yard score three minutes into the second quarter to put MSU up 7-0, YSU quarterback Kurt Hess led the Penguins down the field, finding Jelani Berassa to cut the score to 7-6. David Brown’s extra point was blocked

On the Spartans’ next drive, quarterback Kirk Cousins found B.J. Cunningham for a 55-yard bomb on the very first play. Bell found the end zone shortly after to regain the MSU advantage.

First half stats

Passing
Cousins, MSU: 7/9, 123 yards
Hess, YSU: 10/19, 83 yards, touchdown

Rushing
Edwin Baker, MSU: 7 carries, 50 yards
Bell, MSU: 3 carries, 19 yards, touchdown
Jamaine Cook, YSU: 15 carries, 69 yards

Michigan State Vs. Youngstown State: Preview

(Sports Network) The 17th-ranked Michigan State Spartans begin their highly anticipated 2011 season on Friday night, as they welcome FCS foe Youngstown State to East Lansing for a gridiron showdown at Spartan Stadium.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio is no stranger to the Penguins, spending five years on (1986-90) under Jim Tressel. Dantonio is heading into his eighth season in East Lansing and is coming off a 2010 campaign in which his Spartans went 11-2 overall and captured a share of the Big Ten title with a 7-1 league record.

Eric Wolford's debut season with the Penguins didn't exactly go to script, as YSU finished the season a disappointing 3-8 overall, including a 1-7 mark in the MVFC. However, there were certainly positives to take from the campaign and something to build on for the future.

This marks the first-ever meeting between these two programs.

The Penguins did a lot of things right on the offensive side of the football, setting a school record by averaging a robust 412.0 yards per game. It certainly helped that young signal-caller Kurt Hess had a strong debut season, earning MVFC Freshman of the Year after passing for 2,117 yards and 12 TDs.

Tailback Jamaine Cook was an integral part of the offense as well, becoming the 14th RB in school history to eclipse 1,000 yards. Cook finished the year with 1,276 yards and 11 TDs on 5.3 yards per carry. Both players are back, although Hess will need to find a new go-to-guy downfield with the departure of Dominique Barnes (67 catches, 911 yards, four TDs). Ely Ducatel is the top returning wideout (27 catches, 336 yards, two TDs).

Defensively, the Penguins will need to improve. The team surrendered 41 offensive touchdowns last year, including 26 through the air. The lack of a steady pass rush was certainly one of the reasons. The team managed a mere 12 sacks 11 games.

Senior linebacker John Sasson returns to man the middle, after leading the team in tackles in 2010 with 89 stops. Senior end Obinna Ekweremuba is seeking to build on a solid junior campaign in which he tallied 24 tackles and one sack, finally earning a spot in the starting rotation.

The secondary is young and inexperienced and could feature a redshirt freshman and two sophomores among the starting four. There are only three players on the current roster who have recorded an interception for YSU, so the secondary could be a work in progress.

Seven starters return on offense for Michigan State in 2011. Kirk Cousins enters his third year as the starting quarterback, having compiled a 16-9 career record. Last year, he completed a hefty 67 percent of his passes for 2,825 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He'll no longer have the luxury of throwing to Mark Dell (51 rec, 788 yds, six TDs), but B.J. Cunningham is poised for a big season after racking up 50 receptions for 611 yards and a team-high nine touchdown grabs a year ago.

Junior tailback Edwin Baker, a popular preseason Offensive Player of the Year candidate in the Big Ten, is back to headline the ground game. Baker averaged 92.4 rushing ypg, good for fourth in the Big Ten, as he finished the year with team-highs in carries (207), rushing yards (1,201) and rushing TDs (13). He'll once again be complemented by Le'Veon Bell, who last year contributed 605 rushing yards and eight TDs as a true freshman.

The biggest challenge facing the MSU defense is replacing a pair of four-year starters at linebacker in Eric Gordon and two-time All-American Greg Jones, as those two combined for more starts (95) than any other duo in team history.

"Defensively we're a young football team," Dantonio said. "We have two seniors in our top 22 players. But I do think we bring a blend of experience there."

Still, six starters return on this side of the ball, and it all starts with junior defensive tackle and two-year starter Jerel Worthy (6-3, 305). Last year, Worthy led all Spartan defensive linemen with 40 tackles, including 8.0 for loss and a team-best 4.0 sacks. He'll team with nose tackle Kevin Pickelman (31 tackles) and end Tyler Hoover (36 tackles, 3.0 sacks) on the defensive line. Sophomore end William Gholston, the team's top recruit a year ago, could be ready to burst on the scene.

At linebacker, junior Chris Norman is the lone returning starter after racking up 59 tackles in 10 starts a year ago.

The secondary welcomes back a pair of starters in junior corner Johnny Adams and senior free safety Trenton Robinson. Adams picked off three passes and ranked ninth in the Big Ten with 10 passes defended, while Robinson logged a career-best 76 tackles to go along with a team-high four interceptions and eight pass breakups.

The Penguins are still in a rebuilding phase and getting routed at the hands of the one of the Big Ten's best teams will do little for their confidence. The Spartans have an opportunity to seize another conference crown and should make light work of YSU in the opener.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Michigan State 55, Youngstown State 7

Michigan State's Depth Chart For Youngstown State Game Released

Michigan State has announced its depth chart for the season opener against Youngstown State. Some starting jobs haven't been determined just yet (as denoted by the presence of "or" after a player's name), but most of the positions are set. Check it out below.

Michigan State Vs. Youngstown State: Game Week Has Arrived

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