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Michigan State’s Freshman Quarterback Debut Unraveled In Pasadena
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- Michigan State’s Freshman Quarterback Debut Unraveled In Pasadena
Freshman Kayd Coffman made his first college start for Michigan State on Saturday, and it lasted three quarters. The Spartans lost 28-10 to No. 9 UCLA, a sixth straight loss that leaves Pat Fitzgerald's first team 2-6 and winless in the Big Ten . Michigan State was back inside the Rose Bowl, the building where it beat No. 5 Stanford 24-20 in the Jan. 1, 2014 Rose Bowl , and it drew a Bruins team that is now 7-0 with a freshman under center, because Alessio Milivojevic was ruled out before the game after a week listed as questionable .
Kayd Coffman's First Start Came Apart After A Fast Touchdown
Coffman could not have asked for an easier opening. Devin Vaught's fumble recovery gave Michigan State the ball at the UCLA 15, and two plays later Coffman threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kenneth Williams for a 7-0 lead.
Nothing worked after that. Coffman finished 4-of-10 for 42 yards with the touchdown and an interception that UCLA returned 67 yards . He was pulled late in the third quarter and Leo Hannan replaced him . Michigan State finished the game with 156 total yards and 47 on the ground.
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Devin Vaught Forced Two Fumbles In A Career Day
While the defense struggled to stop UCLA, safety Devin Vaught had the best afternoon of anyone in a Michigan State uniform. He posted eight tackles, six of them solo , and forced both of the fumbles UCLA lost . He recovered the first himself and returned it 56 yards to the UCLA 15 to set up the touchdown; Nikai Martinez recovered the second and returned it 56 yards to the UCLA 19. Vaught, a junior in his first season at Michigan State after a year at Maine, had never been credited with a forced fumble before Saturday.
UCLA's Running Backs Wore Michigan State Down
The Spartans let UCLA run the ball effectively all game. The Bruins' running backs combined for 230 rushing yards on 41 attempts, led by Anthony Woods at 112, and they scored three of UCLA's four touchdowns. As a team, UCLA ran 48 times for 245 yards and finished with 443 total . Michigan State applied almost no pressure, recording two tackles for loss and no sacks. The fourth UCLA touchdown came through the air, a 63-yard throw from Ty Dieffenbach that opened the second half.
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The Injuries Keep Piling Up For Michigan State
Michigan State's injury report was already long heading into the game, and it grew through the afternoon. Running back Marvis Parrish went out on the Spartans' first drive; Parrish was in line to be the lead back with team rushing leader Jaziun Patterson and Cam Edwards both out. Senior defensive lineman Ben Roberts also went out early , and the Bruins' run game only got stronger from there. Michigan State also lost offensive lineman Nick Sharpe and, in the third quarter, Vaught .
Leo Hannan Gave Michigan State Something To Watch
Hannan, also a freshman, got his chance once Coffman was pulled, with Milivojevic and Cam Fancher unavailable. He went 9-of-15 for 67 yards in a handful of drives, more passing yardage than Coffman managed, and he ran a 15-play, 69-yard march that produced a 46-yard field goal , the Spartans' only points after the first quarter. He made mistakes too, throwing an interception on his final drive.
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Fitzgerald and Michigan State now get a bye week before the losing streak can end. The Spartans travel to Ann Arbor on Nov. 7 to face Michigan in the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy , with the quarterback room no clearer than it was Saturday morning.
