Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State football's 27-24 win at Maryland

Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State football’s 27-24 win at Maryland

Posted by Admin September 7, 2024 Football

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1. MSU’s performance at Maryland changes the possibilities for this season

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Well then. Maybe this Michigan State football season will amount to a little more than we thought.

Consider Saturday’s 27-24 MSU win at Maryland the actual debut of quarterback Aidan Chiles and this MSU offense. Consider the possibilities for this season changed. The team we saw beat the Terrapins on a late field goal is a team worth keeping an eye on, one that might be up for the fight against most of its schedule.

This was among the more promising games I’ve covered at MSU — because of the contrast to last week’s offensive output against Florida Atlantic.

MSU’s offense came alive — Chiles and Nick Marsh came alive, MSU’s 18-year-old QB and 17-year-old receiver stealing the show in the fourth quarter. MSU’s defense won its share of battles against a more complete opponent. And so 2-0 feels a whole lot different than 1-0.

Bring on Prairie View A&M.

And then bring on the rest of the schedule, some of which is looking a little less scary. Let’s see where this goes.

That version of Chiles. That eye-opening performance from Marsh. That version of Jack Velling and Montorie Foster. That you can win with that.

This game will be remembered for the Chiles-to-Marsh connection — twice in the fourth quarter, one a game-tying 76-yard touchdown. Those were needed. And reasons for hope. But there was a lot more to it.

Right from the start, MSU’s offense looked more capable. The play-calling helped get the offense in a rhythm and get the guys going who had struggled in the opener — beginning with a swing pass from Chiles to Foster on the Spartans’ first play from scrimmage. They featured Velling after failing to involve him a week earlier. Marsh was part of things right away. Running back Nate Carter had a 30-yard run on the game’s first drive. This was a unit making clear they weren’t who we saw last week.

That bodes well for the season — one with a bunch more games that figure to be in the balance in the fourth quarter.

2. Chiles’ second start looks a whole lot more promising

That was the more like the Aidan Chiles I expected. Actually more than I expected. MSU’s sophomore quarterback played at Maryland like a guy whose first start a week earlier was truly just a bad game, a guy trying to be a star before he found any rhythm. He found it Saturday. MSU’s coaches helped that along. Chiles settled in and made a number of big third-down throws and worked the sidelines well on early downs. He consistently evaded pressure with his legs, which is going to be a huge help to MSU this season. He had two long touchdown passes that were on point — one to Montorie Foster, the other the 76-yard bomb to Nick Marsh late in the fourth quarter — and another 57-yard throw in stride to Marsh as he was being hit.

Chiles also a few other throws that sailed on him — two for interceptions, one that led to a Maryland touchdown, the other that prevent the Spartans from getting points. Later, after that 57-yard completion to Marsh, Chiles lost the ball during his throwing motion and Maryland player snared it.

That’s the next step for Chiles — to realize that more games are lost than they are won. Those mistakes negate the big plays. But that was always likely to be an issue for this young QB who sees himself as a playmaker and has all the traits of one.

This, though, was a massive step — 363 yards passing, three touchdowns. Proof that Chiles is more than what we saw in his debut. He’s a tantalizing talent, a gamer. He’s just inexperienced.

3. So MSU’s defense isn’t the ’85 Bears, but they still look OK

We knew Maryland would be a different challenge for MSU’s defense than what Florida Atlantic presented. And that the Spartans were unlikely to be on the front foot quite the same way.

The returns from Game 2 of the Joe Rossi era were still pretty good, after Maryland’s opening touchdown drive. The Spartans allowed a modest 339 yards to a team that had put up more than 600 a week earlier.

They made some timely plays: Terrific third-down tackles by Chuck Brantley and Ed Woods a drive-changing sack from Khris Bogle, all in the first half; Ken Talley blowing up a Maryland run just as the Terrapins were threatening in the third quarter, a swarming tackle on the next play and then solid coverage to force a field goal try a play later; a fourth-quarter interception by Brantley, when MSU was hanging on for dear life; great pressure on the QB a drive later, and then a stop on third-and-1 to get the Spartans the ball back with a little more than 2 minutes to play in a tie game.

They continued to tackle well in space and cover the width of the field well. There were mistakes — a costly and needly pass interference in the third quarter, a blown coverage on a wheel route to start the fourth that resulted in a touchdown, poor coverage on third-and-13 when they needed a stop late. But not many that were glaring.

This isn’t a defense you can lean on to carry you, but it looks like one you can win with, one that’ll hold its own against most offenses and give you a chance.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at Graham_Couch.