MSU 35, Air Force 21: Kneejerk Reactions

1. Aaron Burbridge is becoming a star

Eight catches, 156 yards, three touchdowns, including a Catch of the Year candidate, Burbridge has filled the No. 1 receiver role quite nicely. He's clearly become the go-to guy for Connor Cook, who was 15-for-23 for 247 yards and four touchdowns. Cook was strong in the face of some surprising pressure, which brings us to the next point.

2. The offensive blocking was surprisingly poor

After not allowing a sack through two games, Cook was sacked three times by Air Force, not having much of a chance on any of them. The run-blocking wasn't much better, with Madre London averaging 2.4 yards on 17 carries and LJ Scott averaged 2.1 on 11 carries. MSU's longest run on the day was just 11 yards. Air Force loaded the box and brought pressure, daring Cook to beat them over the top. For the most part, he did, but MSU kept the ball on the ground with the lead in the second half. On that note, MSU has been outscored in every second half this year, 49-34 total.

3. The defense will be happy to see Air Force get out of town

The Falcons averaged 7.1 yards per play (to MSU's 5.0). If not for three Air Force turnovers in MSU territory, including a scoop and score (plus a turnover on downs), this would have been a different game. Some of those Air Force fumbles were quite weak. But Air Force has a triple-option offense no one else in the country runs. It's hard to make any long conclusions from this game (especially one week after beating Oregon), but MSU again had trouble on the edges.