No. 7 Iowa State staved off upset-minded Northern Iowa 16-10 to avoid being on the receiving end of college football’s biggest FCS over FBS upset since Appalachian State beat No. 5 Michigan in 2007.

Mel Tucker’s success in his first season as Michigan State’s coach may be determined in large part by who is playing quarterback. “We won't be announcing a quarterback today," Tucker said Tuesday, four days before the Spartans open the season against Rutgers. Redshirt freshman Payton Thorne is also an option, and Tucker mentioned freshman Noah Kim as well when assessing the position. “Those guys, that's a really good group of guys, and Noah Kim has done a nice job for us. “Jay Johnson is a veteran offensive coordinator, a veteran play caller, a veteran quarterbacks coach — played the position himself.