Spartans have room for improvement after win

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Even after a victory, Mark Dantonio noticed some problems for his Michigan State team to correct.

The 17th-ranked Spartans opened the season with a 28-6 win over Youngstown State on Friday night, but they were far from dominant. The game was tight until Michigan State scored a touchdown each in the third and fourth quarters to pull away.

Michigan State committed too many penalties in the first half, and its defense had a hard time getting off the field. The Spartans also made mistakes on special teams, which might be the easiest way to earn a rebuke from Dantonio, who is in his fifth season as their coach.