EAST LANSING − Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch offers three quick takes after Michigan State football’s 28-10 loss to Penn State at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Unfortunately for the Spartans, this was their best
It wasn’t for a lack of effort or discipline. The Spartans are 0-7 in the Big Ten because that’s their level. Not much below Minnesota, Nebraska or UCLA, but they lost those games, largely of their own doing.
This wasn’t that. Penn State just had a little too much on Saturday — a supremely talented opponent ravaged by a season from hell. The Nittany Lions finally faced someone that didn’t have the horses up front offensively to add to their misery.
MSU’s 28-10 loss didn’t feel like some of its other defeats. Because the Spartans were punching up. The crowd could feel it. We’re way past the point in the season where folks are hoping this MSU team is more than it is. Saturday, it was about a final game this season at Spartan Stadium, an unseasonably pleasant night, hoping for a little joy in a season of darkness.
People might be angry or frustrated with the situation at MSU, but not so much with Saturday’s showing on its own. It just is what it is. Even the husk of the Nittany Lions, once ranked No. 2 in the country, was too much for MSU.
If the Spartans had played like this against lesser opponents — including having just one penalty for 5 yards until the final drive — they’d have a couple more wins.
That’s not to say they couldn’t perhaps have squeezed more out of this game. The inability to find ways to feature Nick Marsh — even against a lot of double coverage, without much time to throw — is a shortcoming, either coaching, quarterback play or Marsh still figuring out how to be that guy. Perhaps a combination of all three.
But given MSU’s limitations in pass protection and the inexperience of second-time starting QB Alessio Milivojevic, if these teams met 10 times, the Spartans would maybe win once or twice.
For most of this season, I’ve thought the Spartans were capable of being better than their record. This isn’t the day to make that case.
Alessio Milivojevic hangs tough
Milivojevic isn’t MSU’s issue. He hung in there again Saturday, against constant pressure.
That’s Milivojevic’s superpower as he develops — he’ll keep his eyes on the prize until the last millisecond. He didn’t have much time to throw against Penn State. And, from the pocket, with limited time, wasn’t able to get much going downfield. He missed Marsh on a third down in the middle of the third quarter that could have been a big play.
Milivojevic played like a young quarterback with a lot of moxie, who’s still got a ways to go. That’s exactly what he is.
Milivojevic finished 17-for-27 for 128 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, with one fumble after one too many crushing hits. He was sacked five times and hit way more than the six hurries the Nittany Lions’ were credited with.
He’s a promising player. A gutsy kid. We’ll see if the Spartans can keep him.
MSU’s defense keeps showing up
If only MSU’s defense had shown up with this sort of grit against UCLA, this might have been a different season, a slightly different narrative. They’ll have to live with that no-show in October. But they’ve shown up ever since, even in a season that’s increasingly going nowhere.
MSU’s defense played with some gusto Saturday. It’s a flawed unit, but it’s showing up week after week, and, Saturday, key down after key down for quite a while, stopping the Nittany Lions on 10 of 14 third and fourth downs.
What began with a Malcolm Bell sack after a fumbled Penn State snap on the first series, continued with a Wayne Matthews wrap-up and Jordan Hall stuff on fourth-and-1, then a Grady Kelly and Jalen Thompson chase-down stop on fourth down, followed by a coverage sack on third down in the third quarter.
In between, they allowed a long early touchdown drive and a 75-yard touchdown pass and, finally, couldn’t get off the field against a Penn State ground game that wore them down.
Again, this isn’t the 2013 Spartans. But it never snowballed Saturday. Some of that was helped by Penn State’s own limitations at this point in the season. MSU is not in a position to have sympathy for anyone.
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State football’s best wasn’t even good enough vs shoddy Penn State
Reporting by Graham Couch, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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