Shorthanded Michigan State Showed Potential Against Boston College

Michigan State didn't learn until Thursday night that two of their starting wide receivers would not play in Saturday's game against Boston College. Still, Michigan State showed potential in its first loss of the season.

Sep 21, 2024; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) is tackled by the Boston College Eagles during the second half at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Michigan State entered its game against Boston College without wide receivers Jaron Glover and Nick Marsh, as well as numerous other players on both sides of the ball whose statuses had already been long predetermined.

The 23-19 loss was a disappointing one for Coach Jonathan Smith and Michigan State, as they had multiple opportunities to win the game late.

Smith said the offense must improve immediately.

“Offensively, turnover piece, we gotta get better there,” he said after the game. “We have got to get better in the run game, staying away from negative yardage. We had a few missed opportunities. We got Montorie [Foster Jr.] a couple of times, missed him. Those things change the game. 

“But those guys, again, continued to battle throughout, got us the lead. When we took the lead, 19-16, that series starts at our own, I think, 2-yard line, and they go all the way down. Again, finishing in the red zone with some touchdowns would be huge, and we just didn't get it done tonight.”

Smith noted that the defense played well overall, especially considering Michigan State's many turnovers on offense. The Spartans held Boston College to its second-fewest yards in a game this season, which speaks volumes about the defense. 

"I thought we played good team defense tonight because we needed to," Smith said. "That was the plan going in. Against this quarterback, everyone's gotta do their job, in their gaps, because one guy trying to do an individual move, that's when you get creased by this guy. And they did awesome throughout the night at just trying to contain him. You aren't going to completely stop him. But look, we turned the ball over, I think, four times, and they scored 23 points. That's a pretty good effort defensively."

As the Spartans move on from their disappointing loss, Smith emphasized the type of players he and his coaching staff are looking for as they try to rebuild the program. He made it clear what they desire from players on their roster. So far, it appears they are on the right track.

“We want to coach guys that will finish,” Smith said. “And the flip side, these guys will finish. We have got to keep going as coaches to make sure we're setting them up to have success to finish all these games, let alone the first, second, third quarters. But I do, I like the group, I like the approach. We got a lot to clean up. We've got a chance to get better if we stick to our process."

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