Takeaways and observations from Michigan State’s loss at Michigan

ANN ARBOR – A line of buses stood in the cold outside the Michigan Stadium tunnel Saturday night.

It was a short trip back for the Spartans, but it probably felt much longer based on the outcome.

Michigan State (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) lost 24-17 at Michigan (5-3, 3-2) for its third straight loss in the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy and will host undefeated Indiana next week.

Here are quick takeaways and observations from the game:

*It was the latest case study of what could have been for the Spartans. What should have been an early two-point lead never materialized. The momentum of a dominant start was erased in an instant and never recovered in a recurring theme for a team now heading into the final third of the season.

Michigan State outscored Michigan 135 to 15 in the first quarter to have lopsided leads in total plays (22 to four) and time of possession (13:21 to 1:39). All of that alone added up to a 7-0 lead after the first 15 minutes and would cost the Spartans down the road.

A 14-play drive that burned more than eight minutes off the clock to start the game resulted in zero points. Facing fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line, coach Jonathan Smith kept the offense on the field, but a delay of play penalty set them back five yards. Then Jonathan Kim missed a 25-yard field goal.

After the loss, Smith said he should have called a timeout before the game clock expired to give his team a real chance on fourth down. Coming up empty-handed after pushing the Wolverines to start the game was costly. So was a fumble by quarterback Aidan Chiles late in the first half as the Spartans were trying to steal final points, but instead provided three more for the Wolverines, who took a 9-7 lead into halftime. .

So, Michigan had the juice and Michigan State never got it back. Although the Spartans tried to rally late after trailing by 14 midway through the quarter, their final possession stalled in the red zone and that was it.

Michigan State finished with leads in multiple key categories, including rushing yards (163 to 119), total offense (352 to 265) and time of possession (37:05 to 22:55). Those were ultimately nullified by the Wolverines who won the turnover margin by not coughing up and being perfect in the red zone, while the Spartans went 2-for-4.

* That was, without a doubt, Nathan Carter’s best game as a Spartan. The redshirt junior running back and co-captain was a force from start to finish as he racked up 118 yards and a touchdown on a season-high 19 carries, along with a career-high 56 yards receiving. He ran hard, forced a ton of missed tackles and did just about everything he could to help Michigan State win.

Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams had more carries in each of the previous five games, but Carter was the back-up on Saturday and showed a new gear. That’s a positive on a bitter night for the Spartans. Lynch-Adams finished with 10 carries for 35 yards, while true freshman Makhi Frazier had a carry for 2 yards.

* A week after an unexpected performance in a win against Iowa, Michigan State’s offensive line picked up where it left off. The same five guys, another field that seemed tilted. The Spartans intimidated the Wolverines on the first two drives, but that success ended when the game turned and they had to pitch while trying to rally late.

Although running lanes opened up early, Chiles was regularly under pressure Saturday and was sacked three times. A false start by left tackle Stanton Ramil one play after Michigan State reached the red zone on its final possession was costly.

* It was a good performance by Chiles, but not good enough to get a road victory. He finished 17 of 23 passing for 189 yards and a touchdown, but the fumble was costly and could have been avoided on multiple fronts.

After a Michigan touchdown, the Spartans took control at their own 25-yard line with 29 seconds left. Smith said the plan was to execute it and if that resulted in a first down they would try to extend the drive, knowing that Kim has a great leg. Carter ran for 14, but the second step of the plan was a failure. Chiles scrambled to his right and held on too long, leading to a behind-the-back sack by Josaiah Stewart and a field goal for the Wolverines.

Chiles was also called for intentionally rolling on the first play of Michigan State’s final possession, but he got out of that mistake with a 30-yard completion to Carter. It looked like the Spartans could have taken more vertical shots, especially with Michigan’s star cornerback Will Johnson, but then the game changed and Michigan State’s offense wilted before a late surge that was ultimately futile.

* Carter finishing as the leading receiver was unexpected, while Nick Marsh made another spectacular play on a quiet night to lead the receivers. With the Spartans trailing by 14 midway through the quarter and facing third-and-12, Marsh caught a slant up the middle at the 13. The true freshman put his right foot down to cut back left and eluded a pair of defenders before. beating another for a 20-yard score.

* With Michigan’s quarterback disaster and one-dimensional offense, allowing 119 rushing yards is a number Smith and his staff would have gladly approved of. Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings combined for just 42 yards on 22 carries, while backup quarterback Alex Orji led the way with 64 yards on six touches. Offensive efficiency made the difference Saturday and the Wolverines played a cleaner game.

Davis Warren, who opened the season as Michigan’s starting quarterback before being benched three games later, returned to the rotation. He managed the game throwing for 123 yards and a score and, most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over.

Tight end Colston Loveland should have been Michigan State’s main concern in the passing game, but that didn’t stop him from making a pair of touchdown catches. The first came on blown coverage and the second on a trick pass from Edwards that was also wide open.

The Spartans couldn’t make Warren more than slightly uncomfortable and recorded their fourth straight game without a sack.

* Punter Ryan Eckley averaged 51.7 yards per attempt, but special teams was a net negative. Kim, who entered the game shooting 15-of-16 from the field with his only miss coming from 55 yards, went wide from just 25 on the first possession. He made a 46-yard score in the third quarter but there were mistakes in other areas.

Sam Edwards failed to make a fair catch on a kickoff that Alante Brown received, resulting in the Spartans beginning a drive at the 5 and failing to make an attacking attempt while also being flagged for offside.

There is also a major new health issue on special teams, as starting long snapper Kaden Schickel was removed with an apparent leg injury. Smith said it “doesn’t look good.”

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