Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State football's perseverance won the Maryland game

By Scott Tolonen

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) celebrates with teammates in the enzyme after throwing a first quarter touchdown against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) celebrates with teammates in the enzyme after throwing a first quarter touchdown against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
facebooktwitterreddit

I needed a break. Not just because Michigan State football and men’s basketball have been endless highways of despair making us feel like we’re driving 90 mph in one of those traffic shifts with cement barriers giving you no exit and suffocating you with six inches of space on both sides of your car.

I also had to take time away from Spartan Avenue to take care of my daughter, who somehow turned 3.5 months in just 10 minutes. I also got an IT certificate so she can have a phone at 6 years old and a car at 13 years old. Both of those life moments are tough and there are days where I’m sleep deprived, my daughter was affecting my studying, and my studying was affecting my ability to be a father. But I didn’t let it break me. I could have completely ignored one to do the other, but I persevered; and that’s just what the Spartans did against Maryland on Saturday.

There were several things where, if the Spartans had lost, we could point to as the reason. Allowing 11-of-17 on third-down conversions for Maryland, Tai Felton’s insane 11-catch, 152-yard, one-touchdown stat line, Aidan Chiles’ inexplicable turnovers.

The fans could have easily justified losing a Week 2 conference road game and said “Hey, it was progress.”

But progress wasn’t good enough for Jonthan Smith and Co. They let Chiles rip despite his mistakes, and it paid off. Last year’s quarterbacks tended to second guess their downfield throws after an early mistake, but Chiles is confident, talented, and delivered when the chips were down. It’s tough to remember that he’s only 18 years old with maturity and leadership abilities, but he’s still only two starts into his career.

This is just something we’re going to live with, the thorn of three turnovers comes with the rose of a 77-yard bomb to Nick Marsh.

I watched (in person) Michigan State outgain Maryland in Spartan Stadium last year. They controlled the time of possession. The Spartans also turned the ball over five times. I walked away thinking that if Mel Tucker was still the head coach, if there was an ounce of stability within the program, the talent could translate. What Harlon Barnett couldn’t do, Smith proved he could.

This team is different. This team is resilient. This team doesn’t quit.

Now, this doesn’t mean this team is winning the Big Ten or making the playoff. But now it looks like there’s a few more winnable games on the schedule. It was a major credibility check for the coaches, players, and the program.

Home/Spartans Football