MSU's Jonathan Smith Talks Aidan Chiles' Performance Against Maryland

Michigan State desperately needed a better game from quarterback Aidan Chiles against Maryland than what he showed against Florida Atlantic. His growth between those two games was impressive.

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) calls a p[lay at the line during the first quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

After a difficult first start at Michigan State, the Spartans needed quarterback Aidan Chiles to have a more productive outing against Maryland on the road in the team’s first Big Ten game.

Chiles completed less than half of his passes against Florida Atlantic last week, barely throwing for over 100 yards. He bounced back against Maryland, completing 24 of his 39 passes for 363 yards in an impressive win over the Terrapins.

"Anytime you get explosive, you're connecting on a deep ball – I think about the early [one to Jaren] Glover,” said Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith after the game. “We're in bad field position down-and-distance-wise, and the guy throws a strike. Glover comes up with a huge catch there. That was a big moment for us offensively to feel like, OK, we're settling in here.

"We got more explosive offensively. He threw some strikes down the field. Obviously, Nick Marsh comes on the stage in a big, big way. We've got to clean up a lot on offense, Aidan included. I think a couple of those interceptions are just his footwork. He's gotta throw it in proper balance. He was just inaccurate on a couple of them. And again, there's some learning curve there, but the kid is resilient. Aidan kept on coming back. And again, we had the ball at the end of the game. He's the quarterback, drove us down the field, and set it up for Jonathan Kim.

While satisfied with the win and Chiles' improvement, Smith still thinks there is room for improvement for the Spartans offense. He noted Chiles' resilience after miscues in the game and his and the offense’s ability to keep a positive mindset after them. 

"I think it's always the response, important when you have a mistake and whatnot to be able to get back out there and go,” Smith said. “And again, he had a few of them today. Offensively, in general, we did today. But that's what this group is. We've gotta continue to improve. We're all about learning, improving. On to the next week. It's gonna be a great Sunday to digest this film."

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.