The Future is Bright for MSU, Jonathan Smith

Michigan State lost to Boston College in the final moments of the fourth quarter. However, the Spartans' close loss on the road may be a positive sign of things to come.

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

The Michigan State Spartans suffered their first loss on the road to Boston College on Saturday.

Michigan State was without wide receivers Nick Marsh and Jaron Glover. Marsh was banged up in the Spartans’ victory over Prairie View A&M, and Glover has been out since the first game of the season. 

This meant Coach Jonathan Smith and his coaching staff would face Boston College without four of their best wide receivers and multiple offensive linemen. Still, Michigan State took a talented Boston College team down to the wire and did not even have some of the team’s best players on the field. 

The Spartans played admirably overall. They headed into the fourth quarter tied with Boston College, which almost beat one of the highest-ranked teams last weekend. It was a back-and-forth game that remained close the entire time, but Michigan State was unable to keep Boston College out of the endzone at the end of the game with them to do so. 

Michigan State’s loss to Boston College is disappointing because the Spartans had multiple chances to win but did not. They had a chance at starting the season 4-0 before they turned their attention to playing Ohio State, which is the next team Michigan State will face. The Spartans follow their game against one of the best teams in the country with another top team in the country, Oregon, not to mention Michigan State’s arch-rival Michigan over the following weeks. 

While Michigan State’s loss was likely a little frustrating for the players in the locker room, Smith is tasked with rebuilding Michigan State’s football program. The fact that Smith and Michigan State were able to compete with what was formerly a top-25 team in the country proves Smith has his team headed in the right direction. 

Smith unquestionably appeared to have the respect of the locker room and was a few unlucky plays away from leaving Boston College with a win. Smith won three out of his first four games and had the team compete in each game. The game at Boston College may not have ended how everyone would want it to, but it did show that, Michigan State is not nearly as far off as people think.

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