The Spartans just played one of the craziest games they've had in recent memory, going into overtime against the Illinois Fighting Illini and losing in a heartbreaker 38-37 after a failed trick play on the two-point conversion that would have won the game for MSU.
There were many players whose stock rose in the game, and one of those players I would reckon comes from MSU's most underrated, or at least not talked about, unit: the special teams.
But more than just one player had a say in what happened in MSU's special teams against Illinois, and for the first time, we saw the special teams go for something completely surprising, so how did they perform as a whole?
How MSU Special Teams Performed Against Illinois
- Rhys Dakin, MSU's star punter, continued to do what he does best against the Fighting Illini, as every time the Spartans were in a rut they could not get out of on offense, Dakin was there to blast the ball deep into opponent territory. Without him, MSU would have had a much harder time defending Illinois with their banged-up defenders.
- Liam Boyd took advantage of all of his opportunities to kick against the Fighting Illini, which were much more than usual, making his lone field goal from 42 yards and also making all of his extra-point attempts. Many believe he should have been trusted to make the extra point in overtime to send the game to double overtime as well, instead of the trick play.
- Finally, the return squad had a less-than-stellar day, with neither Kenneth Williams on kick returns nor Chrishon McCray on punt returns averaging more than 20 yards per return. McCray actually only got five yards on his lone return, but that is of little concern compared to what special teams coordinator LeVar Woods drew up.
How MSU's Special Teams Surprised Everyone
- In the fourth quarter, down by seven, it looked like the Spartans were going to punt the ball away and give it their best shot to defend Illinois and get the ball back. The special teams had a different idea and went for an onside kick that would likely have a chance to work that one time in that specific scenario.
- It actually ended up working, kind of. The play was successfully done on all accounts, but it was taken back by a penalty that could not be reviewed. Regardless, the special teams had an extraordinary day against Illinois, and it is something to look forward to for the rest of the season and years to come.
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