Spartans' Run Game Continues to Struggle
For the Michigan State Spartans to get a win Friday night on the road against No. 6-ranked Oregon, they would have had to play their best game of the season.
That was not the case for the Spartans. Their defense showed promise at moments but gave up some big plays more concerning was their lack of production on offense and the ground.
What looked like a great start to the game for the Spartans escalated quickly. Aidan Chiles completed some great passes, and the Spartans were looking to score early. Late in the drive inside the 5-yard line, though, Chiles tucked the ball to try to score on the ground and fumbled on his way to the end zone, leading to a recovery by the Ducks.
The Oregon crowd was loud and proud inside Autzen Stadium, which created a standard atmosphere for the majority of the game. The Spartans' offense tried to respond in future possessions early in the game but they could not get anything going at all.
From the rushing perspective, the Spartans finished with 59 total yards on the ground. Although that number is disappointing, it was a 12-yard improvement from last week's game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Kay’ron Lynch-Adams led the rushing attack with 32 yards on 9 carriers highlighted by a touchdown score, the only touchdown of the game for the Spartans.
Chiles ran for 29 yards on 12 carriers as some were designed runs and some were him trying to make something happen on broken plays. Nathan Carter got 11 yards on his five carriers as these Spartans were the only guys on the team with positive yardage marks. Tommy Shuster and Nick Marsh both finished with negative six rushing yards.
A large reason for the lack of rushing success was not solo based on a ball carrier performance or even the offensive line play, but the situations within the game. The Ducks had made a field goal with six minutes left in the third quarter. The three points made the score 24-0 in favor of Oregon.
This game situation forced Coach Jonathan Smith and his staff to play aggressively and through the air for the majority of the second half.
Michigan State has played some elite competition in the past three weeks with Boston College, Ohio State and Oregon. As the season heads to a bye week for the Spartans, figuring out the run game and identifying play types and formations to impact their ground approach will only impact their future chance for success for the remaining 2024 season.
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