For the first time in what has felt like forever, Michigan State football pieced together an effective second half on the offensive side of the ball, leading to a 42-40 overtime win over Boston College.
Jonathan Smith's Spartans have been known for losing second-half battles, but this time, they found themselves down by a touchdown at halftime. They rallied, scored quickly to open the second half, and then battled back-and-forth with Boston College, ending up in an overtime showdown.
There, Aidan Chiles was able to stay calm, cool, and collected, throwing a touchdown pass in the first overtime and then running in another in the second before converting the game-winning 2-point conversion to Omari Kelly.
What did we learn from this Week 2 thriller in East Lansing?
1. Aidan Chiles took a major step
It felt like we didn't see much of the improved Aidan Chiles in the opener that we had heard about all offseason long. He had a modest opening game, completing 17-of-23 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He didn't really air it out much.
We saw a much better Chiles in Week 2. Not only did he stay away from turnovers, but he was effective through the air and with his legs. He passed for 231 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions on 19-of-29 completions. Chiles also rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown.
Chiles stayed calm all game long, even in high-pressure situations, and led Michigan State to a massive overtime win with the game-tying touchdown run and ensuing 2-point conversion.
Huge step in the right direction.
2. The defense needs a hard reset
The defense got gashed early and often on Saturday night. We saw Dylan Lonergan do whatever he wanted through the air to the tune of 390 yards and four touchdowns. It was a really disappointing defensive showing from the secondary, and that needs to be cleaned up before Big Ten play.
The Spartans held Boston College's run game in check with just 67 yards on 25 carries, but the pass defense was just horrendous.
Plus, finishing with zero sacks in a long overtime game is just unacceptable.
3. Makhi Frazier is the clear RB1
We went into Week 1 not knowing who the team's starting running back should be, but that changed in a hurry. Makhi Frazier rushed for over 100 yards against Western Michigan in the opener, and then got the bulk of the carries against Boston College, leading all rushers with 81 yards on 17 carries.
You can just see how talented he is every time he touches the ball. He doesn't run into piles, he's patient, and he's explosive. Frazier helped keep the ball moving down the field all night.
While Brandon Tullis is a solid back, Frazier is the clear RB1.
Bonus take: Nick Marsh is a dawg
This isn't a surprise, but watching Nick Marsh score the first touchdown of the game by dragging a couple of defenders into the end zone was all the proof I needed. He caught a slant at the 5-yard-line, didn't go down on first contact, and scored with defenders draped all over him.
Marsh played really well in his first-ever meeting with Boston College (he missed last year's game) and he led the Spartans with five catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Dawg.