Chiles' Late-Season Growth Should Encourage MSU
When the Michigan State Spartans defeated Iowa in October to improve their record to 4-3, it seemed that Jonathan Smith's first season as head coach had turned a corner.
After that game, however, things fell apart. The Spartans went 1-4 over their final five games, losing by an average margin of 23 points.
Their only win came over a 1-11 Purdue team, and they nearly collapsed against the Boilermakers in the second half. At the end of the 2024 season, Smith's team had almost nothing positive to take away.
However, one positive thing that came about was the development of his star quarterback, Aidan Chiles. The sophomore struggled throughout 2024 with turnovers, throwing 11 interceptions.
However, none of those interceptions came in the final three games of the season. Against Illinois, Purdue, and Rutgers, Chiles completed 54 percent of his passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns.
While those numbers do not look spectacular, it is encouraging for MSU that Chiles is putting the ball in the end zone more and into the hands of the defenseless.
Chiles also looked more comfortable running the ball. Early in the season, when he left the pocket, he did not look confident as to whether he wanted to make a play with his arm or legs. It often resulted in him putting the ball in harm’s way.
At the end of the year, he looked much more decisive about running the ball when he left the pocket. That resulted in drives continuing. Those are the kinds of plays Smith wants to see from his quarterback as he matures on the field.
Now, Chiles must continue that development next year. Not turning the ball over often is a good start, but Chiles must be why this team is dangerous offensively. He must be able to push the ball down the field and make more NFL throws, leading to more wins.
MSU must find Chiles more wide receivers, as Jaron Glover, Aziah Johnson, Jaelen Smith, and Antonio Gates Jr. are all in the transfer portal. Chiles’ top receiver, Nick Marsh, is still around, though, which should help.
Much was expected of Chiles when he transferred to East Lansing. He struggled early on but started to find his footing towards the end of the season.
Smith, his staff, and MSU fans everywhere should be optimistic about Chiles’ development and the quarterback's chances of reaching his ceiling.
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