Liam Boyd, NiJhay Burt Earn Big Ten Player of the Week Honors
11/9/2026 4:24:00 PM | Football
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EAST LANSING, Mich. – Following its 15-6 win over Michigan last Saturday night, Michigan State had two players recognized by the Big Ten Conference on Monday as fifth-year placekicker Liam Boyd was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week and fifth-year cornerback NiJhay Burt was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
Boyd tied his career high with five goals to score all 15 points for the Spartans. He connected on two field goals in the final 93 seconds of the first half, from 21 yards and 37 yards, to give MSU a 6-0 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Boyd capped a 17-play, 79-yard drive that took 10:41 off the clock with a 38-yard field goal. He tacked on two more field goals in the fourth quarter (24 yards, 49 yards) to put MSU on top 15-0 in the eventual 15-6 victory.
A native of Asheville, North Carolina, who transferred from Charlotte in January, Boyd also kicked five goals in the season opener vs. Toledo, the most ever by a Spartan kicker in his debut wearing the Green and White. He is the second kicker in MSU history, along with Paul Edinger in 1998, to make five field goals in two separate games in the same season. Boyd is 16-for-19 on field goals this season and ranks tied for third in the Big Ten with 16 made field goals. Fifth-year cornerback NiJhay Burt had his best game as a Spartan in the win over Michigan with six tackles, an interception, a pass break-up, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Burt registered a season-high six tackles and had an interception, a pass break-up, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as Michigan State's defense held the Wolverines to 192 yards of total offense and a season-low 54 rushing yards. The Spartans forced a season-best four turnovers and had five sacks and seven tackles for loss in the game.
Burt has started the last three games at cornerback and has started four games overall this season. Now in his second season at MSU after transferring from Eastern Illinois in 2025, the Homestead, Pennsylvania, native has collected 18 tackles in six overall games.
Michigan State (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 4:15 p.m. against Washington (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) in Spartan Stadium. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
