Week 1: Noah Kim, Michigan State

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courtesy michigan state athletic communications

Michigan State University quarterback Noah Kim, who starred at Westfield High in Chantilly, is the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Player of the Week after leading the Spartans to victory in his first collegiate start.

Kim, a redshirt junior who played sparingly in his first three seasons at Michigan State, started slowly but got things going after halftime, leading the Spartans on three consecutive touchdown drives. He completed 18 of 31 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions as the Spartans pulled away to beat Central Michigan, 31-7.

“Obviously he's in his fourth season with us, so he knows us, we know him very well, and we feel like he can go in there and play winning football for us and he's a really talented young man,” Michigan State Coach Mel Tucker said. “He throws a really nice ball, he's got a nice arm, he can run, he's smart and so I thought it was a good start for him.”

Kim had patiently waited for this opportunity. He was the DC Touchdown Club Virginia High School Player of the Year following his senior season in 2019, but did not play in a game in either of his first two seasons at Michigan State. Last season, he played a total of 38 snaps over four games.

But Kim, who was 41-2 as a starter at Westfield, won the starting nod in a preseason competition, and was ready this past Saturday.

“I haven't been hit in so long so getting hit again was a fun thing, you know,” Kim said. “Just football, you're playing football again, you know, that's what you want to do. It's a child's game so, at the end of the day, we're going out there to have fun and so being hit again was, it was a good thing to feel I guess. I don't know, but yeah it was cool.”

This week’s DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week Honor Roll is:

  • Lafayette RB Jamar Curtis (St. John’s) rushed 19 times 171 yards and one touchdown as the Leopards beat Sacred Heart, 19-14.

  • Wake Forest QB Mitch Griffis (Broad Run) completed 19 of 30 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns as the Demon Deacons beat Elon, 37-17.

  • Rhode Island QB Kasim Hill (St. John’s) completed 24 of 40 passes for 408 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another score as the Rams lost to Georgia State, 42-35.

  • Morgan State LB Erick Hunter (Westlake) made 11 tackles, had 1 ½ sacks and forced a fumble that set up the decisive score as the Bears beat Richmond, 17-10.

  • Catholic WR Preston Jeffrey caught five passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns as the Cardinals beat McDaniel, 34-7.

  • Bowie State LB Uvel Paul Jr. (Meade) made four tackles for loss, including three sacks, as the Bulldogs beat Delaware State, 22-11.

  • Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa completed 22 of 33 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns and rushed another score as the Terrapins beat Towson, 38-6.

  • Southern Cal QB Caleb Williams (Gonzaga) completed 18 of 24 passes for 319 yards and five touchdowns as the Trojans beat Nevada, 66-14.