What Aidan Chiles Showed in Spartans' Win over Maryland
A whole lot of arm and ability. And youth. But most importantly, a high compete level.
That was what Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles displayed in a thrilling 27-24 victory over the Maryland Terrapins. The Spartans should feel good.
Again, there were the 18-year-old moments from Chiles. A few poor decisions with minimal harm. Trying to get a dime when a nickel would have gotten him a first down, for example. That comes from trying to do too much. And youth.
There were some misreads and bad ball placement that accounted for two of his three interceptions.
For this reporter, that last interception, getting hit in the pocket while throwing it, will be considered more akin to a fumble. Pocket awareness played a role, yes, but it was not the cause of a bad read downfield or poor decision.
Chiles vastly improved from Week 1 to Week 2. As the old adage states, that is when the biggest improvements happen. Chiles was 24 of 39 passing for 363 yards with three touchdowns. He led two impressive two-minute drills, demonstrating poise and the ability to be a methodical game manager.
Of course, when it mattered most, Chiles connected with uber-talented true freshman Nick Marsh for the game-tying score in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
Chiles shows a lot of Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love in his release, an effortless flick that floats the ball downfield. Chiles struggled to dial in that deep ball against Florida Atlantic. He has shown that he is finding that touch. Chiles' arm talent will feed the verticality of this offense.
Smith had a lot to like from Chiles' Week 2 performance.
"We got more explosive offensively. He [Chiles] threw some strikes down the field. Obviously, Nick Marsh comes on the stage in a big, big way," Smith said after the game. "We've got to clean up a lot on offense, Aidan included. I think a couple of those interceptions are just his footwork. He's gotta throw it in proper balance. He was just inaccurate on a couple of them. And again, there's some learning curve there, but the kid is resilient. Aidan kept on coming back. And again, we had the ball at the end of the game. He's the quarterback, drove us down the field, and set it up for Jonathan Kim."
Last week, I wrote that Chiles did not win the Heisman with his debut. He still didn't in Week 2. But the improvement, the adjustments he showed in just eight days (against a better opponent than the Owls) is huge victory for the Spartans. I said that all he needed to do in Week 2 was win.
Not only did Chiles win, but he demonstrated that hallowed word that coaches talk about and fans love to see: it's starting to click. The fact it is already apparent in Week 2 is impressive.
This win showed a lot about Chiles and it goes beyond the talent that he possesses.
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MICHAEL FRANCE