Heroic Late-Game Plays From Chiles, Marsh Will Spartans to Victory Over Terps
Aidan Chiles desperately tried to finish Michigan State's conference opener against Maryland as the hero rather than a liability.
A come-from-behind finish late in the fourth quarter would have established the sophomore quarterback as the man of the hour. A failure to do so would have added to the costly mistakes that, frankly, would have been the main factors of the Spartans' loss.
The former scenario was the reality.
Michigan State prevailed in its Big Ten clash with Maryland on Saturday, defeating the Terrapins, 27-24.
With less than 3 minutes gone in the fourth quarter, the Spartans found themselves at risk of going down two possessions after Chiles' third interception of the contest. The young field general's turnover total, while impactful was deceiving of the passing display he had up until that point.
The improved passing game was evident throughout the first half, as Chiles led the offense to 154 passing yards, with a touchdown completion to each of the Spartans' top wide receivers, Montorie Foster Jr. and Jaron Glover. Foster finished the contest with 54 yards, while Glover turned in an 84-yard-receiving display.
After giving up two touchdowns in the first half, Michigan State's defense returned to its strong showing in Week 1, holding the Terps scoreless in the second quarter. The Spartans went into halftime up 17-14 after kicker Jonathan Kim drilled a 50-yard field goal to close out the half.
Chiles' first two picks, along with some slip-ups in the secondary, would result in a 24-17 Maryland lead early in the fourth quarter. Chiles immediately answered with a 57-yard pass to freshman wideout Nick Marsh, who got the start in Alante Brown's absence, before his third interception of the contest set up the Terps with an opportunity to take a commanding two-score lead.
But the Michigan State defense, which struggled at times against a talented passing offense, held strong, as cornerback Charles Brantely would dive for an interception to combat Maryland's takeaway from the drive before.
Following a missed field goal by the Terrapins, which would have, again, put them up by a comfortable two possessions, Chiles found Marsh deep down the field yet again, this time for a 77-yard touchdown. The game was deadlocked at 24-24 with just over 4 minutes to play.
The Michigan State defense returned to the field, looking to get a game-saving stop and put the offense in a position to win the game. It would do just that.
The Spartans would have the ball with just over 2 minutes remaining. Chiles and his receivers seized the moment, marching 65 yards in 13 plays. Along the way, Chiles found Foster for a 13-yard gain and Marsh for an 11- and 6-yard reception.
Kim completed the drive with a 37-yard field goal, which ultimately served as the game-winner.
The Chiles-Marsh connection was one that Spartan fans have eagerly been waiting to see this season, and it was in full force in what will go down as a classic Big Ten battle. Chiles finished with 363 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Marsh totaled 194 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions in the victory.
Michigan State pulls off the road upset and advances to 2-0. It will look to continue its hot start to its first season under Coach Jonathan Smith when it welcomes Prairie View A&M to Spartan Stadium next Saturday.
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AIDAN CHAMPION