Ex-Oregon State Coach Jonathan Smith Survives Upset Bid in First Michigan State Game
Jonathan Smith caused a stir in Corvallis this offseason, leaving his alma mater for the Big Ten and the job as head coach of the Michigan State Spartans. Smith coached his first game for the Spartans on Saturday, hosting the Florida Atlantic Owls.
Entering the game as 12.5-point favorites, Michigan State narrowly escaped with the victory in the 16-10 game.
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Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles, an Oregon State transfer, made his first college start, finishing with 10 completions on 24 attempts for 114 yards and two interceptions. Chiles also rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown.
Jack Velling, a former All-Pac-12 tight end at Oregon State, had one catch for 15 yards in the game.
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Despite being shut out in the second half, Michigan State was bailed out by their defense and several drive-extending runs from UMass transfer running back Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams. Lynch-Adams finished nine rushes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
The Spartan defense picked off FAU quarterback Cam Fancher twice and ended the game with three straight fourth down stops.
The Spartans also were flagged 12 times for a total of 140 penalty yards.
"Game ones, you are going to learn a lot about your team, and we got a lot to work on," Smith said postgame. "I did learn and was pleased with the response in this group. We all played for four quarters; you win the game in four quarters."
Smith's season continues on September 7 at Maryland.
JOE LONDERGAN
Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.