East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State’s 27-21 win over Rutgers on Saturday wasn’t always pretty. But in the game’s most vital moments, it was the Spartans’ veteran leadership that gave them the edge.
Take Michigan State’s third touchdown of the game for example.
Spartan quarterback Payton Thorne connected with senior receiver Jayden Reed on a deep, 25-yard post route in the end zone to give Michigan State a 21-7 lead with 10:34 remaining in the third quarter. The score capped off a five-play, 86-yard drive, Michigan State’s first of the second half.
The momentum-altering play was conjured up by Reed himself, after he picked apart Rutgers’ defensive tendencies throughout the first half.
“I kind of was watching the safety all game and he was kind of biting on a lot of stuff going out,” Reed said. “I came back to the huddle and noticed that and said it to coach Johnson and came back down. I got rerouted a little bit and then I was able to get a vertical push on him, stimmed a little bit outside, went inside, and it was just great ball placement by [Thorne]. He just put the ball where I could make a play.”
Reed informed Thorne of his observations before the drive started, and Thorne convinced offensive coordinator Jay Johnson to run the play, which wasn’t in the game plan for this week.
“Bird [Reed] came to the sideline after our first touchdown and said, ‘hey, if we run this, it’s going to be wide open.’” Thorne said. “So I communicated that to coach Johnson. I agreed with him, and then coach called it and [Reed] ran a good route and was able to come down with it in the end zone.
“It was a good job seeing that from him, and credit to coach Johnson for calling it because that’s not a play we had, necessarily, in this week. But we called it and we were able to score on it, which was good.”
The duo’s friendship famously dates back to their high school days, and the chemistry established between the two has allowed them to draw up plenty of mid-game plays in the past.
“Believe it or not, I’ve called a lot of plays that have been completed,” Reed said. “Me and Payton have picked out the defense, dissected the defense and made a play call off of that. A lot of the time they [the coaching staff] don't say no. Probably 100 percent of the time it's a yes. We’re all in this together, so everybody has to work together to get the job done.”
Thorne finished 19 of 35 for 256 yards and two touchdown passes. Reed was the Spartans’ leading receiver, logging four catches for 90 yards and one touchdown.
Michigan State will need both Thorne and Reed to continue to step up as the team fights for bowl eligibility over their last two games. The Spartans are one win away from clinching head coach Mel Tucker’s second bowl game in his three years with the program.
“It’s a lot more fun when you win,” Thorne said. “Football isn’t all that fun when you’re losing. It’s just fun to show up and to play well. I remember last week, we were sitting on the field and I said to a few of our guys, ‘man, this is fun.’ We’re moving the ball right down the field, we’re completing balls and running different stuff and executing.
“I think we’re playing a lot better than we were earlier in the year as a team.”
Michigan State will take on Indiana at home next Saturday, Nov. 19.