One Glaring Issue Continues to Plague Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans (4-4) have had multiple issues lead to losses this season, but no more noticeable and effective is the lack of red zone conversions.
The lack of ability to score six points in key moments was a big reason for the team's loss to the Michigan Wolverines (5-3) last Saturday.
The Spartans rank 129th in the nation in red zone conversion percentage at just 70%. In 30 red zone trips this season, the Spartan offense has only been able to score 12 touchdowns. That is a 40% rate of scoring a touchdown once inside the 20-yard line.
Converting just twice in five red zone trips, the Spartans left a double-digit amount of points off the board, including a missed field goal on the opening drive of the game. They did improve on avoiding red zone turnovers, and quarterback Aidan Chiles gets a lot of credit for that.
"Yeah, the red zone piece is frustrating," said Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith after Saturday's loss. "Again, we gotta keep looking at it, not being able to punch it in, go to fourth and two, that's on me. I'm thinking about the first drive, [we] go down there, saw the clock, where it's at, it's fourth and two, said 'you know what, we'll just take three' and we don't even get that. But, we've got to find ways to finish drives when we get inside the 20, 25-yard line."
In the waning minutes of the ballgame, the Spartans trailed by seven with a chance to tie the game with the ball at the Wolverines' 16-yard line. They would come up empty with back-to-back incompletions, turning the ball over and ultimately ending the game.
Smith was asked about his team's ability to respond and fight back late in a one score game.
"I mean, that's how these games go," he said. "You gotta respond back, but you look at the points in the in the red zone, we got to find a way to do it better."
A painful sting for a program that had not been that confident in this rivalry since 2021. It is now back to the drawing board for next week when the Spartans host the No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers (8-0) and look for a massive upset. If the red zone offense can convert, they will be somewhat competitive.
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