Michigan State football's Jayden Reed, Jacob Slade out vs. Washington
SEATTLE — Michigan State football will be without two more key starters as the ninth-ranked Spartans face Washington on Saturday.
Wide receiver Jayden Reed and defensive tackle Jacob Slade are not in uniform for MSU’s final nonconference game, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium.
A program spokesman confirmed both absences are injury related.
Reed, a senior who was an All-American and first-team All-Big Ten last season, did not play in the second half of last week’s win over Akron after taking a hard fall and sliding into a bench while making a catch late in the second quarter. He also had a punt return for an apparent touchdown called back due to a penalty before that. Reed had a team-high six catches for 76 yards and has eight catches for 107 yards and touchdown this season.
Last week, MSU used Germie Bernard and Jarek Broussard to replace Reed on kickoff returns and Cade McDonald on second-half punt returns.
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Slade, a senior and like Reed on a number of preseason awards watch lists, left the Akron game in the first half but returned and played after halftime. He has three tackles on the season but is a significant pocket collapser in the middle of the defensive line.
The Spartans also continue to be without safety Xavier Henderson, who left the opener against Western Michigan with an unspecified injury. Linebacker Darius Snow is out for the season with a right leg injury. A number of other reserves also did not make the trip — safety Tate Hallock, cornerback Marqui Lowery, defensive tackle Dashaun Mallory and defensive ends Avery Dunn and Chase Carter.
MSU did bring defensive tackle Jalen Hunt and defensive end Itayvion “Tank” Brown, neither of whom were in uniform in the Spartans’ first two games.
Along with Reed, tight end Evan Morris did not make the trip.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State WR Jayden Reed, DT Jacob Slade out vs. Washington