There was a flurry of disasters for Michigan State in the first half of Saturday night's Big Ten opener at USC, and they involved Jordan Hall and Wayne Matthews III.
The Spartans lost Hall on a controversial targeting call in the first half where he started his dive at a ball-carrier slightly late, and connected helmets with the USC tight end. He was ejected from the game, and you could tell he was beating himself up on the sideline after the call.
Matthews III's departure, however, was much scarier.
The senior linebacker filled in for Hall's leadership role after he left the game, but just a few plays later, he was on the ground after colliding with a ball-carrier, among others, in a pile right before halftime.
It was a scary moment as the stretcher was brought out, and he was carted to an ambulance that took him to nearby LA General Hospital. And an MSU spokesperson provided a positive update in the second half, per Emmett Matasovsky.
Wayne Matthews III is at LA General Hospital, and his motor skills are intact, per an MSU spokesperson.
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) September 21, 2025
After seeing a scary injury like that which left the team emotional, it's great to hear that Matthews' motor skills are intact. It was one of those scary moments that had the stadium silent, and obviously the worst thoughts creep in. Fortunately, that worst-case scenario has been avoided, and it looks like Matthews should be alright.
The Spartan defense took a massive hit on Saturday with the Hall targeting and the Matthews injury on top of Brady Pretzlaff being out with an injury, too.
All that matters is that Matthews is OK.