Youth movement underway?

EAST LANSING - Judging by player participation, a bit of a youth movement seemed to be underway at certain positions during Michigan State's loss to Illinois on Saturday.

Mark Dantonio continues to say that winning each week is the top priority. But increasingly, it seems the Spartans feel they have just as good a chance to win with some of the younger players, compared to some outgoing seniors.

“I’d say it’s moved forward," Dantonio said when asked if getting young players reps has become a priority. "Still, our challenge and our responsibility is to win football games. We’re going to make sure that we continue in that aspect.

"As far as our young players, we do continually try and work with them and we’ll probably have more opportunities as we move forward."

Among them:

* Senior Monty Madaris was on the dress list at Illinois but did not play. Sophomore Felton Davis gained many of the reps that Madaris would normally receive, and redshirt freshman Darrell Stewart was given the most playing time of his career.

Davis had a career-high six catches for 65 yards, including a 26-yarder. He also had one rush for 14 yards.

Stewart had one reception for eight yards, and dropped a pass. Stewart started the game, along with senior RJ Shelton and true freshman Donnie Corley.

Corley had two catches for 56 yards, including a 47-yarder.

True freshman Trishton Jackson saw extended playing time. He took a snap at quarterback in the Wildcat formation (for a loss of 1), and was on the field for the final drive after Shelton went down with an upper body injury after taking a shot to the chin.

* With Miguel Machado struggling, and freshman Thiyo Lukusa limited due to continued injuries, MSU moved Cole Chewins to right tackle for the first time.

Chewins, a redshirt freshman, served as the back-up left tackle heading into the game, behind sophomore David Beedle.

Beedle was replacing senior Kodi Kieler, who was out with an undisclosed injury.

Beedle and Machado struggled against Illinois defensive ends.

Lukusa replaced Machado. But Lukusa struggled, too, and was limited in the number of reps he could provide. Then after Machado continued to struggle, Chewins was given a shot at right tackle.

"I thought he played pretty well on Saturday," Dantonio said of Chewins. "He was forced into playing right tackle, where he’s never played, did all right at left tackle. He’s going to be a good player for us. He’s a redshirt freshman and is continuing to grow and put on weight.

"He played hard. It’s very meaningful to him. And I thought he did pretty well.”

Beedle went down with an undisclosed injury in the second half. Chewins had to return to left tackle. Machado had to return the field.

Machado allowed pressure on MSU's fourth-down sack in the final minute in the red zone, the Spartans' last offensive snap of the game.

"Pressure was all day," Dantonio said. "Young players at tackle. That particular one, not so.”

On that particular one, it was not a matter of a young player struggling, it was Machado, a fifth-year senior.

As for Chewins, Lukusa and left guard Tyler Higby, Dantonio said:

"We have a redshirt freshman playing and a true freshman playing and another redshirt freshman playing, but these are opportunities to grow up," Dantonio said. “We have guys and they need to grow up,"

* With Malik McDowell moving back to defensive tackle last weekend, true freshman Josh King earned the first start of his career, playing in his home state.

King has moved into the No. 1 spot at boundary defensive end, a job held at the outset of the season by fifth-year senior Evan Jones. Jones has not been available since the Northwestern game.

True freshman defensive end Auston Robertson also received the most playing time of his career, at Illinois.

Illinois native Matt Morrissey (6-2, 201, Soph., Lincolnshire, Ill.) also earned his first career start. Morrissey looked good as a tackler on some occasions, posting eight stops, but converged too thin on a couple of occasions, including the 64-yard TD run by Illinois' Kendrick Foster.

“I thought Matt was very active," Dantonio said. "I thought he communicated very well.

"I think at times though he missed a tackle; missed a tackle on the big run. I thought he got down a little tight a couple times but I thought he was active and he played hard."

Getting down and getting tight? That means too tight to the line of scrimmage when aggressively sniffing the run, and not leaving himself a good angle of pursuit when the RB cleared to the linebacker level.

"He communicates and he knows what to do," Dantonio said. "But this is his first time back out there, his first time starting, and played probably the most plays he’s played for us.

"So like I said with Cole, with everything that’s going on, I thought he played pretty well. But there were some things he needs to correct as well.”

Morrissey started at boundary safety. He was third-string at that position last week.

“Khari Willis was questionable for the game and was unable to go and Montae Nicholson was unable to go," Dantonio said.

Illinois native Mike Panasiuk (6-3, 309, Roselle, Ill.) came off the bench and received the most playing time of his career as well, as grad transfer Kevin Williams saw a reduction in his playing time. Williams had started the first eight games, but did not start against the Illini. McDowell and senior Brandon Clemons started at defensive tackle for the Spartans. Panasiuk, Williams and Raequan Williams served as the back-ups, with Raequan Williams continuing to be limited by an arm injury sustained in the Northwestern game.

* Jamal Lyles was left at home for violation of team rules. This resulted in Matt Sokol getting a ton of reps against Illinois. He had a nice catch on a crossing route and didn't commit any major blocking errors from him. This was one week after he had a couple of blocking busts against Michigan.

Also, with Lyles unavailable, walk-on Hussein Kadry (6-3, 230, R-Fr., Dearborn Fordson) made the travel team for the first time.

Kadry is a candidate for a role next year. MSU has a sudden shortage of tight ends. A walk-on, or someone from a position change, will be needed to provide some depth, to go along with Noah Davis (6-4, 258, Fr., Cincinnati), who is redshirting this year, and 2017 commitments Matt Dotson(6-5, 226, Cincinnati) and Jack Camper (6-4, 225, Bradenton, Fla.).

* As for other seniors in the playing group, it's unlikely that Shelton, Clemons, tight end Josiah Price, center Benny McGowan, linebacker Riley Bullough, linebacker Ed Davis or cornerback Darian Hicks will see a reduced role any time soon. They are each playing at a solid-to-strong level. Hicks and Davis are playing their best football of the season.

Demetrious Cox, a tri-captain who wasn't part of the coin toss for "internal reasons," according to Dantonio, struggled against Illinois - in his first action since the first half of the Maryland game. Cox was guilty of a coverage error on the first play of Illinois' game-winning drive, resulting in 22 yards.

Cox has been replaced at times this season by redshirt freshman David Dowell and true sophomore Grayson Miller. Sophomore Khari Willis has also started at safety.

Eight true freshmen have seen time for the Spartans this year, including safety Kenney Lyke. Lyke served as an emergency contributor as part of the nickel defense in the game at Maryland three weeks ago, but didn't make the travel team to Illinois.

"Certainly, we’re playing a number of freshmen, so they’re getting those opportunities already," Dantonio said. "But the ones who aren’t are taking opportunities. Like an A.J. Arcuri is getting opportunities to run with the twos at times (in practice) and things of that nature, Luke Campbell as well, Matt Allen as well. So they’re getting coached as if they’re in the hunt for playing time.”