5 Takeaways From MSU's Momentous Victory Over Iowa
The Michigan State Spartans needed momentum heading into their matchup with the Michigan Wolverines next week.
They got that and more with their momentous 32-20 homecoming win against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Against a dangerous running attack and a stout defense, the Spartans proved that they could adjust from their three-game skid coming out of the bye week.
The Spartans proved a lot with the win. What stood out the most?
Offensive Showcase
You might scoff, considering kicker Jonathan Kim had to kick a program-record six field goals. But the fact of the matter is that the Spartans did not punt.
At all.
Sustained drives, the best ball movement they have had all season. That includes the Prairie View A&M blowout. The Spartans totaled 468 yards of offense. They had nearly 40 minutes of possession. Long, sustained drives. Clock management. Complete control of the game.
Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren should get a game ball for this one, as he outsmarted one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, Iowa's Phil Parker.
Parker's defensive mastery over the last decade-plus for the Hawkeyes has helped keep them in contention year-in and year-out for Big Ten titles. Lindgren just beat him.
Yes, the red zone woes continue. The Spartans had to settle for field goals far too often. But they still walked away with points. More points than the Hawkeyes.
Best Game Defensively
Joe Rossi, defensive coordinator, should get a game ball as well. His defense came out flying to the ball, established dominance in the trenches and looked like the best defense in the Big Ten for 60 minutes of football.
Outside of a Kaleb Johnson breakaway touchdown late in the game, the Spartans were able to keep the talented rusher at bay throughout the contest with ease. The Hawkeyes finished with 133 rushing yards. 75 came from one run. The Spartans dominated in the run game.
Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara was abysmal, but the Spartans defense was able to get good pressure all night long.
Aidan Chiles Came of Age
Chiles had an interception and nearly had another. But he showed much improvement coming out of the bye week. A scary amount, actually. The game is starting to slow down for him and it was obvious from the first drive.
Chiles was 22 of 30 with a beautiful touchdown pass to Montorie Foster Jr. when the Spartans needed it most. He had 256 yards in the air and a passer rating of 149.3. Elite. He was able to use his legs to make plays, too, showing his slippery running ability when it counted.
Chiles had 51 yards on the ground. Notable was that there were more designed running plays using Chiles, which was a brilliant adjustment from Lindgren. Look for more designed runs in the future. The Spartans are dangerous when Chiles has the ball.
It was a great win for the young quarterback. Emphasis on win. Chiles showed winning pedigree against a tough Big Ten opponent with a very good defense. He played very well, too.
This could be a turning point.
Cloud of Dust
The Spartans run game was the weakest part of their offense. I doubted their ability to beat Iowa because of it. I was very wrong.
Simply put, the Spartans looked like a completely different team out of the bye. The offensive line was a wall and it opened holes and got downfield at the point of attack better than it had all season.
As such, the Spartans were able to get 212 yards on the ground. Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams ate up 86 yards and Nate Carter had 49. The Spartans averaged 5.3 yards per attempt.
The Spartans had 27 first downs. A lot of them came by power running. It helped sustain long drives.
That's winning football.
Bring on the Wolverines
The win couldn't have happened at a better time, with the Spartans heading to Ann Arbor to face a reeling Michigan Wolverines team that won't be ranked after its Saturday loss to a very competent Illinois team.
The Wolverines have been anemic on offense all season, and that defense is not what it was a year ago.
This Spartans team is hot and they have had this game circled for a year. The Spartans have also had no problem playing in the Big House, historically. Night game or not.
There is a very good chance Paul Bunyan comes back to East Lansing in 2024.
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