Are Coach Jonathan Smith, MSU Headed in the Right Direction?
After returning home to face Ohio State in East Lansing, Michigan State lost its second game in a row by a score of 38-7. The Spartans’ season has taken a different tone than it started with, as they have lost two games in a row after winning their first three.
Against Ohio State, the Spartans had multiple opportunities to keep the game close. However, turnovers and poor play on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball were too much for Michigan State to overcome.
Following the loss, Coach Jonathan Smith noted he refused to let the team focus on missed opportunities.
"We didn't dwell on that,” Smith said. “Obviously, we talked a little bit about how we have got to tighten up in our ball security. Talked about wanting to win the third quarter. If we can win the third quarter by a point total, whatever that was, it'd be within reach in the fourth, and we didn't get that done."
Michigan State is a team filled with many new players who joined from the transfer portal and a new coaching staff. There were plenty of unknowns about the Spartans entering the season, even for Smith and his coaching staff. After the season’s first five games, Smith revealed what he had learned about his team.
"We're going to compete with just about anybody we line up with,” Smith said. “If we clean that up, and we're going to be in every ball game with a chance to win it if we can clean up some of the turnover piece and get off the field on third down.”
Michigan State will not have much time to rest as they travel to the West Coast to face Oregon, a familiar foe for Smith. After facing one of the best teams in the country, the Spartans get to travel to the other side of the country to do so again. Still, Smith says this week is just as important as every other for the Spartans.
"Every week is important,” Smith said. “It's going to be a short week. Reloading, recovering, getting our mind flipped to another really good opponent, talented opponent."
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Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.