With 9:25 left in the third quarter, senior wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett caught his first touchdown as a Spartan on a 21-yard connection with senior quarterback Connor Cook.

It had been 1,434 days since Arnett last caught a touchdown when he grabbed two in a three-catch 27-yard two-touchdown performance on Oct. 1 2011 as a true freshman at Tennessee.

"Good to get in the end zone. Just felt good," Arnett said. "It feels great. It's been a long time."

Sophomore running back Madre London and redshirt freshman Gerald Holmes scored their first touchdowns.

Running back LJ Scott and linebacker Andrew Dowell were the first freshman to see some action. Scott finished the game as the Spartans' leading rusher with 13 carries for 77 yards.

"We wanted to get LJ Scott up and running, its his first game," MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. "We got guys playing for the first time ... we have a lot of guys out there playing and there all going to get better because they all have an opportunity to play. So, they''re going to prepare even more and they'll know what to work on, that's usually the it goes-—you get more confident."

Dowell made two tackles serving as senior linebacker Darien Harris' primary backup.

"We don't consider none of our players twos because everyone has to play, everyone has to play a huge role," senior defensive end Shilique Calhoun said. "We had numerous guys come and sub in. That helps us out a lot, that gives us a chance to catch our wind and I think it will be crucial in every game that we play."

Sophomore Montae Nicholson looked solid making seven total tackles and making his first career interception.

Redshirt freshman cornerback Vayante Copeland was far from perfect against a talented Broncos receiving corps, but he showed promise.

Copeland also displayed the ability to be clutch, recording his first career interception at a crucial moment in the game, sealing the win for MSU.

Down 13 with a little less than two minutes remaining the Broncos were still lingering. WMU had a first-and-goal at the MSU seven yard line and the game was looking like it would come down to an onside kick attempt until Copeland ended the game with a pick in the end zone.

"(Vayante Copeland) definitely stepped up through camp," Calhoun said. "(He) was showing that he wants to have an opportunity to be a starter and today proved it that he can come out compete on a level like the rest of us. He's someone that is a ball hawk, he's going to work hard and also be relentless."