Bright Spots: MSU’s Top Three Receivers vs. PSU

The game was lost due to horrible offensive play, where the offensive line crumbled what seemed like every other play, and in his second start, quarterback Alessio Milivojevic did not even pass for a touchdown.

But he still passed when he could, and the top three names mostly performed above their usual level of play and going forward could help the Spartans improve their record in any fashion, if only by one game.

The Third Best Receiver: Omari Kelly

• Omari Kelly slips into the number three spot as the only wide receiver to get above ten yards during the game, with three receptions for 15 yards, much less than normal.

• He had definitely been better against the Minnesota Golden Gophers only a couple of weeks earlier, but with his quarterback struggling, he struggled as well.

• However, he is still a huge asset to the team and if the offensive line can pick up some slack, he will certainly be a big contributor to a Big Ten win this season.

The Second Best Receiver: Michael Masunas

• The tight end room was in desperate need of a shake-up before the rivalry match, and Masunas played his part in providing that shake-up, catching three passes for 29 yards.

• With his low averages before facing the Nittany Lions, he had immense improvement, and he was still able to block for the team quite often.

• With Masunas on the upswing, hopefully other pass catchers can follow, especially against the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Maryland Terrapins before the season ends.

The Top Receiver: Elijah Tau-Tolliver

• Running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver was one of the lone bright spots on the team against the Nittany Lions, and although he normally thrives off of big chunk rushes, he was vibrant in the Spartans' otherwise dismal air attack.

• He had eight receptions for 73 yards, an average of 9.3 yards per catch, and even though he is not normally such a workhorse for the Spartans, his role worked very well.

• Paired with Masunas and Kelly, Tau-Tolliver could be a founder of the Spartans' first Big Ten win of the season, through the air or on the ground, as he usually performs.

The receiving room was hurt immensely by the offensive line and quarterback struggles that followed, but the top three receivers were still able to scrounge every yard they could out of Milivojevic.

Seeing that they still performed decently under such conditions, they will be huge for MSU in their search for a Big Ten win this year.