Michigan State football

Former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Michael Penix Jr. shredded the Spartans secondary with 397 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday for the Huskies. The ...

You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @ [RobertBondy5](https://twitter.com/RobertBondy5). shredded the Spartans secondary with 397 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday for the Huskies. The Spartans fell into a hole early and were never able to climb back out, falling to the Huskies, 39-28.

Three takeaways from Matt Charboneau of The Detroit News following Michigan State's 39-28 loss at Washington in Week 3.

Get any sort of traction from that part of the offense and perhaps the Spartans would be balanced enough to have kept pace with the Huskies. If there was a silver lining to the game, it was the play of Thorne. Two of those scores went to Keon Coleman, who had nine catches for 116 yards as the Spartans tried to make up for the absence of Jayden Reed, who was back in East Lansing with an injury. It was hard to avoid criticism for the front five in the first half when, after the defense came up with a huge goal-line stand and Washington leading just 7-0, running back Jarek Broussard was stuffed for a safety. It was merely one example of multiple breakdowns as the Spartans ran for only 42 yards and quarterback Payton Thorne was under pressure most of the game. The former Indiana quarterback had little trouble picking apart the Spartans’ secondary as there were 11 passing plays of 15 yards or more, including a 53-yard touchdown pass in the second half that essentially put the game away.

The No. 11 Spartans fell behind early and lost 39-28 against the Huskies on Saturday in Seattle.

There are a lot of reasons Michigan State lost on Saturday night and Thorne was nowhere near the top of the list. Maybe it was a non-factor given how easily the Huskies moved the ball but it didn’t help and they needed only six plays to score again and take a 16-0 lead. The Spartans didn’t attempt a field goal or extra point, opting to go for the 2-point conversion every time with puzzling decisions that didn’t ultimately matter. Duplain (left guard), Nick Samac (center), Matt Carrick (right guard) and Spencer Brown (right tackle) starting while Brian Greene (right and left guard) and Brandon Baldwin (right tackle) were the backups. When the top two running backs on the team combine to average 1.7 yards per carry, that’s a big problem, and there were obvious blocking issues in front of them. The redshirt junior completed his first 10 throws of the game and finished 30-for-42 passing for 323 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The Huskies built a 22-0 lead midway through the second quarter and outgained the Spartans 322 to 90 in the first half. Defensive end Jacoby Windmon, whose 5.5 sacks through the first two weeks ranked first in the country, was mostly a non-factor, and Penix faced very little pressure. A year after Michigan State’s pass defense was the team’s Achilles heel while finishing last in the nation in yards allowed through the air, there were minor spots of concern over the first two games. The Spartans were credited with only one pass break-up and that went to defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. However, they looked to be on their heels from the start and had a red-eye flight home to think about it. * Let’s start with the big-picture obvious: Michigan State was thoroughly outplayed in a primetime matchup.

Washington and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. came out firing, driving for an opening-possession touchdown that was only an appetizer in what quickly became a ...

came out firing, driving for an opening-possession touchdown that was only an appetizer in what quickly became a feast for the Husky offense. [committing critical errors in all three phases](https://247sports.com/college/michigan-state/LongFormArticle/Michigan-State-football-Mel-Tucker-press-conference-Washington-loss-193636108/) and trailing by double figures from the early second quarter on. [wide receiver Jayden Reed and defensive tackle Jacob Slade](https://247sports.com/college/michigan-state/Article/Michigan-State-football-injury-update-Jayden-Reed-Jacob-Slade-out-for-Washington-game-193546506/), and yet, by the end of Saturday’s game at Washington, as the student section flowed onto the playing surface, it didn’t seem like they would have made much difference in [the 39-28 loss for the Spartans](https://247sports.com/college/michigan-state/Article/Michigan-State-football-Washington-loss-Michael-Penix-Jr-193618691/).

Lansing State Journal columnist Graham grades MSU's performance at Washington – offense, defense, special teams and coaching – on a scale of 1-10.

MSU has to find a way to get its pass rush going against non-Mid-American Conference competition and to find a way to get something more out of the running game. MSU’s defense Saturday didn’t seem to have the Jimmies and the Joes to bother Washington’s offense. In a matter of minutes, MSU went from a massive stop and having the ball back, down 7-0, to down 16-0. But on this day, he compounded MSU’s problems at a critical juncture by sending a free kick out of bounds after a safety, which, by rule, gave Washington the ball at the 50-yard line. It was a defensive showing that leaves one questioning MSU’s talent and depth and the coaching staff’s game-planning and adjustments. Problem is, while Thorne and the passing game got it going by the back half of the second quarter, MSU’s offense began the game with three failed drives, including the safety that crippled the Spartans’ momentum.

On Saturday, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the transfer from Indiana, completed 24 of 40 passes for 397 yards and four TDs. Payton Thorne tried to ...

Payton Thorne tried to rally the Spartans, passing for 323 yards and three TDs. On Saturday, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the transfer from Indiana, completed 24 of 40 passes for 397 yards and four TDs. The skinny: The Gophers won't be facing a team that's in the Associated Press Top 25 this week because the Spartans tumbled from No.