Michigan State football game score: Aidan Chiles and the Spartans scored on three of their first four possessions with a solid mix of pass and rush.
EAST LANSING — It’s tough to imagine the first half of Michigan State football’s season opener going much better than it did at Spartan Stadium.
The Spartans scored on three of their first four possessions en route to a 23-6 victory over Western Michigan on Friday, Aug. 29, as the MSU offense racked up yards seemingly at will early, with 205 in the first half.
Second-year starting quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 11 of 13 passes in the first two quarters, including six (for 54 yards) to Middle Tennessee State transfer Omari Kelly, running backs Makhi Frazier and Brandon Tullis combined for 126 first-half yards on the ground (with each scoring a touchdown) and the Spartans defense held the Broncos to just 11 yards on the ground before the half.
About the only negative of the first half came from kicker Ryan Eckley. The kickoff specialist, pressed into field goal duty with third-string walk-on kicker Blake Sislo limited in range, missed a 46-yard field goal to close the second quarter. Sislo — who spent three seasons with Division II Davenport before sitting out last season — had no issues converting three extra-point attempts in the first half.
Chiles, meanwhile, finished with 155 yards passing while going 17-for-23 in his second opener leading the Spartans offense. He also continued his interception-free play from the final three games of last season, though he did lose a fumble on a strip-sack with 5:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, a few plays after MSU advanced into the red zone. In addition to connecting with Kelly early and often, Chiles found Nick Marsh for a 7-yard TD early in the second quarter, one of two first-half catches for the sophomore receiving star.
Western Michigan broke through with a pick-six by former Spartan Tate Hallock, off backup QB Alessio Milivojevic, with 2:51 remaining.
The Spartans (1-0) next host nonconference foe Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 6 (7:30 p.m., NBC) as they look to avenge their loss to the Eagles last season. MSU wraps up its nonconference slate against FCS-level Youngstown State in East Lansing on Sept. 13 before opening the Big Ten schedule with a trip to Los Angeles to face USC on Sept. 20.
This story will be updated.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MSU game score: Aidan Chiles, RBs run Spartans past WMU, 23-6
Category: General Sports
