It's kind of a strange thing when a team covers the spread, wins by 10, and you still leave the game feeling a little wary about things moving forward, but I think that's the case following Michigan State football's win over Toledo on Friday night. The Spartans actually trailed for a few minutes in the fourth quarter after it felt like they were dominating the Rockets in the first half, which was an unwelcome source of anxiety for MSU fans watching in the stands and at home.
Below, I outlined five takeaways, both good and bad, from the win:
1. Red Zone execution needs to improve immediately
Michigan State kicked six field goals on Friday. While it was a very impressive evening for kicker Liam Boyd, that's simply not going to get it done. If MSU could have just converted one or two of those drives
into touchdowns, this game feels a lot different.
2. Alessio Milivojevic has impressive poise
Down by two to a MAC opponent in the fourth quarter, under near-constant duress, Alessio Milivojevic never cracked. His expression never changed. He was all-business all night, and when the Spartans needed it most, he drove down the field and threw a touchdown strike, and a two-point conversion pass, to Rodney Bullard. Milivojevic is exactly the quarterback this team will need this year to steady things.
3. Offensive line has some work to do
Giving up three sacks to a MAC opponent at home is not what you want to see from an offensive line group that had some hype going into the season. In the run game, they had some moments, but in the pass game, it was largely a disappointment, and that will need to improve immediately or this will be a tough season for the offense.
4. Disappointing night for the cornerbacks
Outside of the offensive line, I think the cornerbacks were the biggest disappointment of the night for MSU. Charles Brantley and Tre Bell both made some critical errors that cost MSU big time on Friday. Going into the season, I thought that room would be a strength, but it wasn't on Friday.
5. Cam Edwards has some juice
His production took a noticeable dip in the second half as it seemed like he dealt with cramping, but it is evident htat Cam Edwards has some pop out of the backfield. Edwards finished with 98 yards and a touchdown and his pass blocking was also impressive.
Honorable Mention: Liam Boyd is the real deal.
Once again, MSU has found another impressive kicker. Boyd went 5-for-6 on his kicks on Friday night, which included a 51-yard game sealing bomb. His only miss was on a blocked kick, which isn't exactly his fault. It was a very remarkable start for Boyd.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Five takeaways from Michigan State football's opening win over Toledo
