EAST LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Payton Thorne capped three straight drives with touchdown passes in the first half and threw for a fourth score in the final quarter to help the Michigan State Spartans pull away and beat the Western Michigan Broncos 35-13 on Friday night. After taking a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter, the Spartans allowed an average Mid-American Conference team to pull within eight points late in the third.
Thorne finished 12 of 24 for 233 yards with an interception. Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger ran for a career-high 120 yards and a touchdown. Western Michigan pulled within 11 points midway through the third quarter, when it converted a fourth-and-1 at its 42 and Sean Tyler ran for a 4-yard touchdown. The Broncos made it 21-13 late in the third when Palmer Domschke made a 42-yard kick, but they couldn’t make enough plays on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter and fell to 1-30 against ranked teams.
In Ypsilanti, Taylor Powell passed for three touchdowns while Samson Evans ran for two other scores as Eastern Michigan defeated Eastern Kentucky 42-34 in the Eagles season opener. Powell completed 21 out of 30 passes for 271 yards. Evans rushed for 89 yards on 15 carries. Tanner Knue had two touchdown receptions.
And in Ann Arbor, the Michigan Wolverines open their 2022 season this afternoon against Colorado State in the Big House. The Maize and Blue will play their first four games of the season at home before heading to Iowa on October 1.
