Michigan State kicks off Year 3 of the Mel Tucker era against Western Michigan in a season opener that isn’t short on story lines.
The matchup will pit father against son, with Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne facing Broncos first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Thorne. It will also pit a pair of players — MSU senior receiver Jayden Reed and WMU senior running back La’Darius Jefferson — against their former teams where they started their college careers.
For the Spartans, the contest will provide the first look at an offensive unit that lost star running back Kenneth Walker III, who won the Walter Camp and Doak Walker awards last season.