LOS ANGELES– Michigan State football faced some adversity on the outset heading into its matchup with No. 25 USC. The Spartans made the trip out west to Los Angeles for their first road test and with a considerably late kick on the way. The game itself also saw some challenges unfold, especially for the defense. While MSU showed grit and never gave up the fight, it was never enough in a 45-31 defeat to USC.
“I think this team wants to win, I mean we wanna win, and today we got just outplayed that’s how it goes,” junior quarterback Aidan Chiles said. “Other than that, we wanna win, there’s nothing much to it than that.”
The Trojans’ offense wasted no time finding offensive success through dominating the ground early. While MSU ranked top ten in run defense through three games, senior running back Eli Sanders found all kinds of space. USC’s offense line helped him find space through the ground and on swing passes to the edges. He amassed 68 yards of USC’s total of 145 in the first quarter. This led to a field goal for USC to cap the first drive of the game, as senior safety Malik Spencer prevented a touchdown over the middle on a hard hit.
The Spartans then flexed some prowess in their air attack with sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh, whose status was questionable for most of the week. Chiles hit Marsh twice on their first opportunity with the ball for 28 yards, these were the only two receptions for MSU’s star receiver of the game. He did get MSU in position for a Chiles long ball to junior wide receiver Crishon McCray who broke wide open to the sideline for his first score as a Spartan.
However, this lead was short lived as the Trojans marched right down the field on their next possession. With Sanders leading the way through the rush, all junior quarterback Jayden Maiava had to do was sell the fake to him out of the backfield and walk in a 15-yard jog to the opposite endzone corner.
Things did not get easier for the Spartan defense either with the emergence of a key USC wideout and the loss of a true leader. Junior linebacker Jordan Hall was ejected on a targeting penalty on USC’s next possession and caught MSU flat footed on the very next play. Junior wide receiver Makai Lemon left the Spartan secondary in the dust as Maiava found him streaking to the endzone for the score. Lemon led the Trojans receiver room with eight catches for 127 yards, a touchdown, and a rushing touchdown.
While MSU came out swinging, its offense sputtered slightly, being outgained by 183 total yards in the first half and 184 total yards for the game. Trojan senior linebacker Eric Gentry was particularly damaging, blowing up a few plays in the backfield with two tackles for loss on the night and six total tackles, all solo.
The Spartans did find a spark plug after a fourth down stop from a rallying defense. Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly converted on a double pass to junior tight end Michael Masunas and got MSU in the red zone with an 11-yard grab. However, the Spartans fell short of punching it after threatening for the first time since their first drive, settling for three.
Just as the MSU defense found a rally though, another dagger loss appeared at the end of the half. Senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III exited the game at the end of the first half as he was carted off the field on an injury to his neck.
“It was awful seeing him [Matthews] go down like that, you know anyone but especially Wayne, he’s a great leader, he’s a huge piece of our defense,” VanSumeren said. “We’re just gonna wish him the best, we’re gonna be with him and we’re he’s at right now.”
With two defensive leaders gone and an emotional blow for the unit, USC found the endzone again after a sustained drive. Featuring Maiava hitting freshman wide receiver Tanook Hines on a floater. USC took command of the game in the second quarter and hit the locker room up 24-10.
“Well you watch the tape, I mean three games, the best team in the country in total offense and knew they could be explosive, wanted to find ways to make em’ earn it, you ten, twelve play drives, they kinda did it,” MSU head coach Jonathan Smith said. “You’re always concerned with what their offense presents and we didn’t do a good job of stopping it.”
From there, USC looked to stiff arm the Spartans through the second half. The teams traded scores with the Trojans first marching down the field. While Sanders set the tone to start on the ground, junior running back Waymond Jordan emerged the true option in the backfield. His performance peaked on a 40-yard breakaway to set up a Maiava dump off touchdown to sophomore tight end Lyons Walker. Jordan finished his night with an efficient 157 yards on 18 carries, averaging out to 8.7 yards per carry as he led all rushers on the night.
“Defensively we gotta find a way to play the run better throughout the game,” Smith said. “Credit to those guys the way they ran the ball that really was a big, big difference I think in their success and the ability to be explosive in the passing game when you got both of that going, passing and the run game.”
USC was about ready to put this one to rest but left the door cracked for the Spartans. On a drive that originally stalled but was revived with running into the kicker and 12 men on the field penalties, the MSU offense showed some fight. Especially from a ground game that was relatively quiet with 108 rush yards on 31 attempts. Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier made some noise though by building up a nice sequence of runs with the longest going 15-yards. Chiles then reversed direction at the goal line and punched it in after a long drive.
The L.A. Coliseum crowd became extra uncomfortable after the battered Spartan defense came away with a forced fumble in plus territory a few plays later. Courtesy of senior defensive back Armorion Smith who came up with another clutch moment.
Chiles later rekindled his connection with senior tight end Jack Velling who lowered his shoulder on third and goal to cross the plane. Chiles had a solid outing with 212 passing yards, going 12-21 on attempts, three touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Suddenly the Spartans were within seven but the Trojans responded to the urgency with some poise.
“I mean, we know we can face adversity, like, we know that. It’s just, we just gotta finish, right, simple as that,” Chiles said. “We came out in the second half strong, came out in third quarter, we played football, down seven, and then didn’t finish. That’s what it is.”
The MSU defense had opportunities to get a big stop, but speed and athleticism got USC out of trouble. First on a Maiava scramble out of pressure and reversing field for 13-yards, then a fourth down throw to Lemon on the sideline with a clean pocket. Maiava stayed explosive the whole night by going 20/26 for 234 yards and three touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Finally, Lemon’s quickness to the boundaries off a jet sweep gave USC the knock-out punch on first and goal.
“I thought a couple of times we had forced them to a fourth down, they convert,” Smith said. “A couple of times, the quarterback [Maiava], we’re around him, a chance to come on the ground, don’t do it, so they finished better than us.”
The Spartans ran out of gas on their next possession and failed on a must have fourth down as their comeback bid fell short.
“Well we just didn’t have enough, I mean credit to USC, that’s a good football team, they just kept on answering but we didn’t have enough at the end of the day” Smith said. “SC scores first in the second half, we’re down 21 points and the guys continue to battle.”
The teams once again traded blows with a Maiava punch in from the one and a 75-yard bomb from Chiles to Kelly, who was MSU’s number one option on the night with six catches for 133 yards and the score. The late heroics from Kelly proved too little though, as USC wrapped up the conference victory.
“Ain’t no sitting around, it’s a chip on our shoulder, we just lost the football game, we gotta figure that out,” Chiles said. “Like I said before this team wants to win and whatever it takes to win, and I mean you’ve seen us claw and fight back before now we actually have to do it, so that’s what we’re gonna do.”
The Spartans drop their first challenge in B1G play and will start the year 0-1 in conference. After the bye week, MSU looks to rectify this with another road bout with Nebraska on Saturday, October 4th with kickoff time TBA.
