116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
5 Michigan State players to watch against Iowa football
Spartans on similarly struggling trajectory as last time they visited Kinnick Stadium
IOWA CITY — Iowa football fared favorably in its last matchup against Michigan State.
Iowa had already scored touchdowns offensively, defensively and on special teams by halftime in what eventually was a 49-7 win during the 2020 season.
Much has changed since then.
Far more than the COVID-19-capped crowd of 1,441 people are expected at sold-out Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.
Mel Tucker was in his first year as head coach in 2020. Now, Michigan State is in the process of officially firing him while he is on an unpaid suspension following sexual harassment allegations.
Michigan State’s quarterback at the time, Clive native Rocky Lombardi, now is at Northern Illinois in his seventh year of college football after taking a medical redshirt year in 2022. Most other key players from the 2020 team, as expected, are not on the 2023 team.
The Spartans are on a similarly rocky trajectory, though, in 2023 as they were in 2020. They’re reeling from back-to-back losses of 20-plus points against then-No. 8 Washington and unranked Maryland, both at home.
Here are five players to watch as the struggling Spartans head to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday:
RB Nate Carter
Nate Carter has made an immediate impact for the Spartans since transferring from UConn to Michigan State in the offseason.
Carter has picked up 369 yards through four games while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
His volume of work has consistently been between 17 and 19 carries this season. How far he goes on those carries has been a bellwether for Michigan State’s success.
When he rushes for at least 100 yards, the Spartans are 2-0. When he falls short of that mark, they’re 0-2. The same split applies for when Carter has a rushing touchdown.
The Rochester, N.Y., native has taken the bulk of Michigan State’s carries, especially with fellow running back Jalen Berger missing time because of an injury.
Carter’s production in his first year with the Spartans follows three years at UConn where he appeared in 16 games.
LB Cal Haladay
Off the field, Cal Haladay is a chemistry major.
On the field, Haladay is a key element in the formula for Michigan State’s defensive success.
The 6-foot-1 linebacker has been one of the Spartans’ most productive defensive players since 2021.
Haladay led the Big Ten in tackles per game and was an all-Big Ten second-team honoree last year.
In 2021, he earned Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America after recording a team-high 96 tackles and returning two interceptions for touchdowns.
Haladay has 25 tackles, including three tackles for loss, and one interception so far in 2023.
QB Noah Kim
Noah Kim’s numbers last year as Payton Thorne’s backup seemed promising. He went 14-for-19 (73.7%) with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
This year has marked a return to reality as Kim took on starting quarterback responsibilities.
Kim has completed 56.9% of passes while throwing six touchdowns and three interceptions. But games against Central Michigan and Richmond padded those numbers.
Michigan State’s last two games -- its only two games against Power Five opponents -- have been particularly shaky for Kim. He has gone a combined 30-for-63 with one touchdown and three interceptions in that span.
He was benched in the second half of Michigan State’s 31-9 loss to Maryland although acting head coach Harlon Barnett reiterated Kim is “our guy” at quarterback afterward.
If Kim runs into trouble against the Hawkeyes, Katin Houser is the Spartans’ other option under center. The redshirt freshman is 9-of-16 with no touchdowns and one interception.
DL Zion Young
Not much has gone right for Michigan State’s defense recently. After all, it gave up more points in the last two games (72) than Iowa has given up all season (68).
But Zion Young has been one bright spot for the defense.
The defensive lineman from Atlanta has a team-high 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in his second year as a Spartan.
Young has run into issues off the field, though. He was one of seven Michigan State players charged with assault last year after a violent altercation in the Michigan Stadium tunnel after the Spartans’ loss to in-state rival Michigan. He entered a plea deal that will result in probation, according to a report from MLive.com.
WR Tre Mosley
Tre Mosley has been Michigan State’s top receiver so far in 2023.
He has 13 catches, which is one short of what Iowa’s entire wide receiver position has combined.
This level of production is not totally new to Mosley, who had 35 catches in each of the last two seasons. The Pontiac, Mich., native is one of 48 players in Michigan State history to ecclipse 1,000 career receiving yards.
Mosley is a former three-star recruit who had an offer from Iowa, among several other Power Five programs, before choosing the Spartans, per 247Sports.
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
Daily Newsletters