Michigan State kicker Jonathan Kim is the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, following his record-setting performance in Week Eight against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Additionally, MSU wide receiver Nick Marsh has earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
Marsh recorded eight receptions, which tied a season-high for him, for 113 yards. This was his second time getting a Big Ten Freshman of the Week nod, as Marsh also accomplished this feat after his Week Two performance versus Maryland.
This is Kim's first Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week selection. It is also the first time a Michigan State player has received the weekly award since kicker Matt Coghlin on Oct. 18, 2021.
Kim, a graduate student now in his sixth-year in college football and second with the Spartans, made six of seven field goal attempts in MSU's 32-20 win over the Hawkeyes on homecoming. Kim's six field goal makes are the most in the Big Ten and FBS in the 2024 season, and set the Michigan State program record for most made field goals in a single game.
The previous school record of five made field goals was accomplished three times, with the last time coming in 1998 by Paul Edinger versus Ohio State. Edinger actually did so twice in the 1988 season. John Langeloh also recorded five field goal makes against Wisconsin in 1988.
In the first half, Kim drilled field goals from 42, 43, 36 and 29 yards out before missing his only kick of the night from 55 yards, just as the half expired. In the second half, Kim was successful on his next chance from 55 yards and finished off his scoring with a boot from 46 yards out.
Kim's six field goals ties a modern-day Big Ten record, equaling Jake Moody of Michigan, who made six field goals against Indiana in 2018. The all-time record of seven by E.C. Robertson of Purdue was set in 1900 against Rose Poly.
Kim also set the modern-day Big Ten record for a kicker with 20 points in a single game, surpassing Moody's 19 points against Indiana, and only trailing Robertson's 35 points scored against Rose Poly for the all-time record.
In his outing against the Hawkeyes last year, Kim boomed through the longest field in the Big Ten and tied for the second-longest in the FBS during the 2023 season with a 58-yarder. It was also a Kinnick Stadium record and the fourth-longest field goal in MSU history.
Following his six field goal performance against Iowa, Kim is now 15-of-16 on the 2024 season, including 8-of-9 on field goals of 40-plus yards.
Kim came to Michigan State prior to the 2023 season, as he transferred in from the University of North Carolina where he was primarily a kickoff specialist.
In 2023 for the Spartans, Kim led the team in points with 56 and was named an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media.
His performance on Saturday night was essential in snapping MSU's three-game skid by providing the team with points on drives that repeatedly stalled out against the Hawkeye defense.
As for Marsh, Saturday's performance marked the true freshman's second game this year with at least 100 yards. Of course, the other time was the aforementioned performance against Maryland in Week Two.
Marsh now becomes the first Spartan true freshman wideout to record two 100-yard receiving games in his first season.
On Saturday, Marsh's final catch went for 11 yards to Iowa's 1-yard line. It was originally called a touchdown, but it was overturned by official review. However, it did set up MSU's final touchdown of the game with 2:03 remaining to seal the victory over the Hawkeyes — a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Nate Carter.
On the 2024 season as a whole, Marsh has recorded 24 receptions for a team-leading 433 yards and one touchdown.
Marsh is just 58 yards away from breaking Michigan State's true freshman season receiving yardage record of 490 yards, which was set by Cody White in 2017.
The Spartans are now 4-3 overall on the 2024 season and 2-2 in the Big Ten, and received a needed boost with the win over the Hawkeyes in the lead up to their game this weekend against the rival Michigan Wolverines.
