Jonathan Smith looking for consistency throughout his roster following MSU's win over Western Michigan

The fans were still finding their seats when the Spartan Marching Band blasted out the Star Spangled Banner, the crowd roaring their approval as two planes flew over ahead and the newly installed pyrotechnics shot fireworks up into the late August sky.

Things felt a little different. A little new.

New concessions were being sold, Munn Field had tailgating once again - and a brand new beer garden - while the stadium was striped (for the most part), and the student section was packed to the top. It all set the stage for the Spartans to begin year two under head Jonathan Smith with a decent enough 23-6 win over Western Michigan.

“I thought our crowd was great tonight,” Smith said. “Energy, student section packed. I mean, it was a great atmosphere and always appreciate Spartan Nation supporting us like that.”

Smith was clear that, while there were inconsistencies, the team’s effort was still something to be proud of.

“I’m proud of the team, finding a way to win a game,” Smith said. “Obviously, kind of a tale of two halves offensively, defensively throughout the night, the effort they played with.”

Special teams played an early role in setting the tone and Smith highlighted punter Ryan Eckley in his opening statement after the game.

“That was effective play out of our punt group there,” he said.

Offensively, Michigan State leaned on a revamped running game. Sophomore backs Brandon Tullis and Makhi Frazier carried the load, both averaging over seven yards per carry.

“Especially the first half, I thought the O-line set a tone in the run game. (Frazier) had a great game. (Tullis) early with his touchdown run,” Smith said. “The stats show the physicality and what we want to be able to do in the run game.”

While the first half showed strong production, Smith emphasized the need for consistency in the second half, both in the run and pass game.