No. 14 Michigan State runs for 6 TDs in 52-0 rout of Akron

Associated PressSep 10, 2022, 10:25 PM EDT

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Jalen Berger ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns and Michigan State’s defense forced four fumbles Saturday to help the 14th ranked Spartans to a 52-0 victory over Akron.

It was the largest margin of victory for Michigan State (2-0) since beating Eastern Michigan by 59 points in 2014.

“Our focus was better, our intensity throughout was better,” Michigan State coach Mel Tucker said. “There was a lot of good things for us to build upon with our team in all three phases. And we have some things to clean up if we expect to go on the road and get anything done.”

Kendell Brooks, filling in for injured starting safety Xavier Henderson, forced the ball out twice in the first quarter. He has forced three fumbles in the Spartans’ first two games.

“KB, he’s getting better,” Tucker said. “We have confidence in him to go in the game and get the job done and make plays and be physical and knock the ball off people. I think as he gains more experience he’s going to continue to get better. That’s good when guys can go in, execute and make plays.”

On Akron’s opening drive, the senior safety knocked the ball loose from tight end TJ Banks and linebacker Cal Haladay picked up the ball and ran 22 yards to the Michigan State 41. Six plays later, Jarek Broussard scored on a 1-yard run. Haladay later forced a fumble in the second half when he sacked backup quarterback Jeff Undercuffler.

“I was just reading my keys,” said Brooks who was making his first career start at Michigan State. “It was cover 3 so I was reading the quarterback. I saw him take his hand off the ball and throw. So I kind of just broke and I glanced over to the tight end to see where he was throwing, and I just ran through contact.”

Brooks also punched the ball out from receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis, leading to a 1-yard touchdown run by Berger.

Jacoby Windmon, who had four sacks against Western Michigan last week and another one and vs. Akron, forced his second fumble in two games when he pounced on a bobbled pitch to Jonzell Norrils and Berger followed with his second score on another 1-yard run.

Michigan State closed the first-half scoring with Jack Stone‘s 43-yard field goal to make it 24-0.

The Spartans continued the scoring in the second half with a 16-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Noah Kim to Tre Mosley, 2-yard touchdown runs by Broussard and Berger, and a 1-yard run by Elijah Collins.

Broussard said he doesn’t mind sharing the workload with Berger. In addition to the five touchdowns, the pair accounted for 188 of Michigan State’s 260 rushing yards.

“I feel like we complement each other really well running the ball,” Broussard said. “There’s no drop-off from my point of view.”

Akron coach Joe Moorhead said the turnovers killed any hope of pulling off an upset.

“Can’t turn it over once against a team like this, let alone four times and expect to win,” he said. “You can’t put your defense in adverse situations like that. Two or three of the turnovers resulted in scores for the other team. … You can’t let a team like Michigan State that’s big and physical get extra possessions and wear you down.”

INJURY REPORT

Akron (1-1) starting quarterback DJ Irons was knocked out of the game with just over six minutes left in the first half. The Big Ten Network broadcast reported that he was taken to a hospital with a lower body injury. Moorhead did not have an update on Irons’ condition after the game.

Michigan State’s leading receiver Jayden Reed suffered a cut on his back late in the first half when he was pushed out of bounds and was held out of the second half.

STREAKING SPARTANS

Michigan State has now won eight straight home games and also 14 straight games against Mid-American Conference teams. The last loss was to a MAC foe was to Central Michigan in 2009.

THE TAKEAWAY

Akron: With Irons knocked out of the game after completing 9 of 13 passes for 123 yards and running for 31 yards, the Zips could not move the ball much.

Michigan State: Even though he completed 18 of 28 passes for 212 yards, quarterback Payton Thorne continued to miss open receivers for the second straight game and threw two interceptions.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Spartans were expected to win convincingly against the Zips and may actually move up slightly in the poll.

UP NEXT

Akron: Stays on the road and will play at No. 24 Tennessee on Sept. 17 and at Liberty on Sept. 24.

Michigan State: Goes on the road Sept. 17 to play Washington and hosts Minnesota on Sept. 24 in both teams’ Big Ten openers.

Georgia extends contract for AD Josh Brooks, plans two new football practice fields

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 9:14 PM EDT

Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

ATHENS, Ga. – On the heels of a second straight national football championship, Georgia has rewarded athletic director Josh Brooks a contract extension that ties him to the Bulldogs through at least 2029.

The athletic association board, wrapping up its annual spring meeting Friday at a resort on Lake Oconee, also announced plans for a new track and field facility that will free up space for two more football practice fields.

Brooks’ new contract will increase his salary to $1.025 million a year, with annual raises of $100,000.

The 42-year-old Brooks, who took over the athletic department in 2021 after Greg McGarity retired, called the Georgia job “a dream for me” and said he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Athens.

“I am extremely grateful,” Brooks said. “I got into this business 20-plus years ago as a student equipment manager. My first job at Louisiana-Monroe was making $20,000 a year in football operations.”

The Georgia board approved a fiscal 2024 budget of $175.2 million, a nearly 8% increase from the most recent budget of $162.2 million and the sign of a prosperous program that is flush with money after its success on the gridiron.

The school received approval to move forward with its preliminary plans for a new track and field facility, which will be built across the street from the complex hosting the soccer and and softball teams.

The current track stadium is located adjacent to the Butts-Mehre athletic facility, which hosts the practice fields and training facilities for the football program.

Georgia lost a chunk of its outdoor fields when it built a new indoor practice facility. After the new track and field stadium is completed, the current space will be converted to two full-length, grass football practice fields at the request of coach Kirby Smart.

“He wants to find efficient ways to practice, and there is a lot of truth to the issues we’ve had with our current practice fields,” Brooks said. “There is a lot of strain on our turf facilities staff to keep that field in great shape when half the day it is getting shade, so that has been a challenge as well. For our football program, it is better to practice on grass fields than (artificial) turf, so to be able to have two side-by-side grass fields is huge. It makes for a much more efficient practice.”

The new track and field complex, which will continue to be named Spec Towns Track, will also include an indoor facility, the first of its kind in the state of Georgia.

Iowa AD Gary Barta announces retirement after 17 years at Big Ten school

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 9:11 PM EDT

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa athletic director Gary Barta will retire on August 1 after 17 years at the university, the school announced Friday.

Barta, 59, is one of the longest-tenured athletic directors in a Power Five conference. He was hired by Iowa in 2006 after being the AD at Wyoming.

An interim director will be announced next week, Iowa said.

In September, Iowa hired former Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz to be deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer, putting her in position to possibly succeed Barta.

“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve in this role the past 17 years,” Barta said in a statement. “This decision didn’t come suddenly, nor did it come without significant thought, discussion, and prayer.”

“That said, I’m confident this is the right time for me and for my family.”

Iowa won four NCAA national team titles and 27 Big Ten team titles during Barta’s tenure. The women’s basketball team is coming off an appearance in the national championship game and the wrestling team is coming off a second-place finish at the NCAA championships.

Barta served as the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee in 2020 and 2021.

He faced heavy criticism over more than $11 million in settlements for lawsuits in recent years alleging racial and sexual discrimination within the athletic department.

Lawsuits filed by former field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum and associate athletics director Jane Meyer led to a $6.5 million payout.

Iowa had to pay $400,000 as part of a Title IX lawsuit brought by athletes after it cut four sports in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the agreement, Iowa reinstated the women’s swimming and diving program and add another women’s sport.

Iowa added women’s wrestling, the first among Power Five schools to compete this year.

A lawsuit brought by former football players alleging racial discrimination within the program was settled for $4.2 million last March, which prompted state auditor Rob Sand to call for Barta’s ouster.

“Gary Barta’s departure is a long time coming given the four different lawsuits for discrimination that cost Iowa more than $11 million,” Sand posted on Twitter.

The university did not allow taxpayer money to be used for the settlement with the former players.

Barta led Iowa through $380 million of facility upgrades, including renovation of Kinnick Stadium, the construction of a new football facility, a basketball practice facility and a training center for the wrestling teams.

Under Barta, Iowa has had just one head football coach (Kirk Ferentz), women’s basketball coach (Lisa Bluder) and wrestling coach (Tom Brands). All were in place when he arrived.

Barta has also come under scrutiny for allowing Ferentz to employee his son, Brian Ferentz, as offensive coordinator. To comply with the university’s nepotism policy, Brian Ferentz reports to Barta.