Spartan Nation

Social Media Frenzied After Spartans' Homecoming Win vs. Iowa

The Michigan State Spartans earned a signature victory on Saturday night over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Homecoming night at Spartan Stadium. Social media was on cloud nine after the Spartans snapped a three-game losing streak with their biggest win of the season.

Tom Cavanaugh

Michigan State's Jonathan Smith arrives to the stadium before the game against Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in East Lansing.
Michigan State's Jonathan Smith arrives to the stadium before the game against Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Michigan State Spartans (4-3) earned a season-defining win on Saturday night, toppling the Iowa Hawkeyes (4-3) by a score of 32-20. Spartans' social media was in a craze throughout the contest as Coach Jonathan Smith starts undefeated in Homecoming games.

The Spartans geared up for their 108th Homecoming game of their illustrious history and were dialed in pregame, sporting the all-green uniforms. There were memorable moments all night at Spartan Stadium.

The Spartans received another incredible performance from their senior kicker Jonathan Kim, nailing two field goals on the first two drives and scoring the Spartans first 12 points of the game. Kim set a career-high with four field goals in the first half.

The North Carolina transfer finished 6 of 7 on field goals for 18 of the Spartan 32 total points. His longest field goal was hit from 55-yards, the longest of his career as a Spartan.

The Spartans defense was on fire early and often Saturday night beating the menial rush defense allegations with an incredible performance against the top rushing offense in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes were held to just 133 rushing yards and 5-11 on third-down conversions.

Redshirt senior linebacker Cal Haladay had a signature game, while junior cornerback Nikai Martinez had the biggest defensive play of the night with a fourth-quarter interception with the Spartans protecting an 8-point lead. Haladay also finished with six tackles.

Quarterback Aidan Chiles was impressive in the win, looking very sharp with his feet and delivering several clutch passes including an 18-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior receiver Montorie Foster Jr. Chiles' play re-energized Spartan fans' confidence in the young quarterback.

Chiles finished the night throwing for 256 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Foster secured five catches for 100 yards and a clutch touchdown.

True freshman wideout Nick Marsh was another cornerstone piece of the Spartans offense as he continues to impress in his first year in a green and white jersey. Marsh was the Spartans' leading receiver, catching eight balls for 113 yards and has certified himself as the Spartans' best pass threat.

Former Michigan quarterback and current Hawkeyes, Cade McNamara, struggled mightily against the Spartans defense, throwing for just 115 yards and an interception, creating essentially no offensive production. McNamara has famously stunk in Spartan Stadium calling back to his time as a Wolverine.

The Spartans will look to keep their momentum rolling next week in Ann Arbor, taking on in-state rival, Michigan (4-3). The Wolverines are coming off an embarrassing loss to Illinois in Week 8 and will look to win their third-straight win over the Spartans.

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Tom Cavanaugh
TOM CAVANAUGH

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