The Michigan State Spartans and the Western Michigan Broncos will face off at 7 p.m. ET Sept. 2 at Spartan Stadium to kick off their 2022 seasons. The Spartans ended up 11-2 last season and capped things off with a win over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Peach Bowl, so they are on the hunt for another strong season. While WMU was not exactly top dog last year, they did wrap up the year with a winning record of 8-5.

The Spartans and Broncos will open the 2022 season from Spartan Stadium on Friday evening. This in-state matchup will feature a pair of teams that are coming off successful seasons last year.

The Michigan State Spartans and Western Michigan Broncos open their 2022 schedules on Friday evening. Michigan State hosts the meeting between in-state foes at Spartan Stadium. Michigan State was unbeaten in East Lansing last season, posting an 11-2 overall record. Western Michigan was 8-5 under the leadership of Tim Lester, and the Broncos toppled Nevada in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Michigan State football plays Western Michigan on Friday and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Michigan State finished the 2021 campaign with an 11-2 record and Peach Bowl victory over Pitt. Western Michigan also knocked off the Pitt Panthers last fall en route to a 8-5 record that included a Quick Lane Bowl victory.

The Spartans return their starting quarterback from last season with junior Payton Thorne back for another season. Last year, Thorne set a school record for passing touchdowns and will look to build off that in 2022.

Michigan State’s top wide receiver from last season is back and is expected to be Thorne’s top target again. Reed also plays a role in the kick and punt return game so he could impact this game’s outcome in special teams.

Henderson considered leaving early for the NFL but ultimately elected to come back for one final season in East Lansing, Mich. His return bodes well for the Spartans defense that will need to be much improved from last year if they’d like to contend for a Big Ten Championship.

A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: MSU was sixth best in the nation in sacks, finishing the 2021 season with 42. The Broncos were completely their equal: they also ranked sixth in the nation in sacks, closing the year with 42 overall. With that kind of ball pressure, don't be surprised if there are a lot of short passes in this one.

MSU has the odds in their favor, so they'll need to guard against complacency. These early season matchups can go either way as both teams get back into playing shape.

A highly anticipated Michigan State football season is finally here. The Spartans open the 2022 season on Friday night against Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium, looking to follow up on a season in which they went 11-2 and won the Peach Bowl, marking a breakout campaign in Mel Tucker’s second season.