Michigan State confident passing game prowess in opener a sign of things to come
EAST LANSING – A touchdown to Germie Bernard. One to Keon Coleman. A third to Daniel Barker, featuring a one-handed grab for the highlight reel. And a toss to Tre Mosley to put the finishing touches on Michigan State's 35-13 victory over Western Michigan.
Four scores. Four pass-catchers. All on explosive plays that showcased just a few of the Spartans' weapons in the passing game this season.
None of it surprised Mel Tucker.
"We see these guys every single day and we don't put guys out there hoping that we can get production," said Tucker, one game into his third season as the Spartans' coach. "We have to see it in practice."
Much of the credit for the wide receivers' success in the opener, Tucker said, goes to their position coach, Courtney Hawkins. An MSU great himself at receiver, Hawkins "knows how to get guys ready and get them ready for the moment," Tucker said.
Hawkins' influence was notably evident with Bernard, a freshman from Washington. His touchdown represented a number of firsts: his first touch as a collegian, his first touchdown and the first score of the 2022 season for the Spartans.
"He's a good player, a good young player," Tucker said. "Potential to get better. "
Coleman's twisting catch, where he adjusted to the ball as it was in the air, was another example of the types of plays he routinely makes in practice. Mosley, Tucker said, is as "consistent" as they come. And like Bernard, Barker made his debut as a Spartan, although he joined the program as a transfer after starting his career at Illinois.
Barker said the catch was a result of the work the Spartans put in every day.
"That play was already won … (at) practice," he said. "That's a thing that we already repped, and we repped it hard, so I knew that I'd pop open and might be able to make a play."
Barker couldn't have scripted his first game at MSU much better, even if he had been thinking about this day for months on end.
"I kind of manifested that (touchdown)," he said. "I've been thinking about it ever since I got to East Lansing, just the first game. We've been working all summer for it. "
A notable name missing from the touchdown party was star wideout Jayden Reed.
And that's bad news for opposing defenses. Not only do the Spartans have Reed and the quartet of players who hauled in touchdowns, but there are many others as well.
Tight ends Maliq Carr and Tyler Hunt. Receivers Montorie Foster and Christian Fitzpatrick, too.
"They just have to be patient and keep working hard," Tucker said, "and when the ball comes to them, make plays."
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Another reason for future foes to be wary is the man at the control, quarterback Payton Thorne, wasn't razor sharp in the opener. He left last week's game frustrated with his play; despite the four touchdown passes, he was more focused on the interception and his completion percentage (12-for-24, 50%). Basically, he focused only on his mistakes.
"I was disappointed with the deep balls that I missed," he said. "Just put it too far out there for the guys and that's a factor of a few things: My feet were a little messed up on one of them. And I just missed another one. I'm not used to doing that. So I was frustrated with that. … But I've just got to correct that and move forward."
He'll look ahead knowing he has a plethora of options when he drops back, beginning with Saturday's game versus Akron, which kicks off at 4 p.m. at Spartan Stadium. Thorne didn't enter last week's contest with the intent to divvy up passes so equitably — seven players accounted for 233 yards — but that's a byproduct of offensive coordinator Jay Johnson's system.
"I was just running the offense," Thorne said, "so that's what is gonna happen when you've got a lot of different guys who can play. The ball probably will be distributed to a lot of different guys."
Thorne conceded he's looked to certain teammates (Reed and Mosley) far more often. But others wouldn't be out there if they hadn't proved their worth at practice. Case in point: Bernard.
"Somebody asked me on the sideline, 'Did you know that was him?' " Thorne said. "And I was like, 'Yeah, I knew it was him. I've thrown to him how many times now?' I'm not scared to throw to him in the game."
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One might think a performance like the one the Spartans' aerial attack authored against the Broncos would boost confidence. But Tucker says they already had self-belief in spades.
"DJ Barker, he's pretty confident in what he can do. And Germie Bernard, he doesn't lack confidence, either," Tucker said. "It's hard to go out there like that if you don't have confidence. But when you see guys out there — young guys out there — producing like that, it's a good sign.
"I think that comes from preparation, with the coaching that they're getting and the work they're putting into it on a consistent basis. When you can go out there and play with confidence, when you know that you've done it in practice and also when you have good players around you, all you've got to do is do your job. You don't have to try to do too much."
Take it from Thorne: He has it made.
"We've got three tight ends who can all make plays, we've got a plethora of receivers who can make plays, and our backs are solid, too," he said. "So I just get to go out there and run the offense, which is a blessing for a quarterback. I don't have to worry."
Contact Ryan Black at rblack@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU football: Spartans confident in passing game prowess going forward
