Michigan State Stock Report after Blowout Loss to UCLA

As a whole, Michigan State did not play even close to good enough on Saturday during its 38-13 loss to UCLA. The offense was bad, the defense was bad, and the special teams wasn't outstanding, either.

Still, there are a few players for MSU who were effective at doing their job and should see their standing with those inside the football building and out of it after Saturday. It's not to pretend like everything is fine in East Lansing; it's just about giving some respect where it's due to the players who have earned it.

Stock Up

WR Nick Marsh

Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh clearly wanted to get the ball more. Why wouldn't he? He's the WR1 on this team, but wasn't getting WR1 targets.

During MSU's first two Big Ten games against USC and Nebraska, Marsh combined for six catches and 69 yards. On Saturday against the Bruins, he got seven catches, 77 yards, and a touchdown on 15 total targets. It was the most yards Marsh has had against an FBS opponent this year.

RT Ashton Lepo

Right tackle Ashton Lepo wasn't exactly the most beloved player among Michigan State fans after his first start of the season against Nebraska. According to Pro Football Focus, Lepo allowed one sack and four pressures against the Cornhuskers, along with him being penalized once. His 43.0 grade that day from PFF was the worst among any starter for MSU, offense or defense.

Plenty of people wanted the Spartans to look elsewhere at the right tackle position and put Lepo on the bench. Honestly, I was one of those people.

But give credit to Lepo. He showed up ready to play against the Bruins. He only surrendered one pressure and didn't give up a sack; no penalties, either. His 73.5 PFF grade was the third-best on the offense, only behind left tackle Conner Moore (74.7) and Marsh (74.6).

Stock Down

HC Jonathan Smith

Michigan State looked like an ill-prepared team on Saturday. That falls on the head coach, Jonathan Smith.

Things started fine when the defense forced a three-and-out and the offense scored a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead, but it felt like everything crumbled after the team faced its first thimble of adversity: the failed fourth-and-1 attempt in the first quarter.

Losing by 25 to a team that entered 1-4 would be bad for any coach. With Smith now 8-10 overall and 3-9 against conference foes, that result can only make one wonder what the future holds.

QB Aidan Chiles

It's been a tough couple of games for Aidan Chiles. MSU's starter only completed eight of his 17 pass attempts for 66 yards against the Bruins on Saturday.

That's back-to-back games where Chiles has failed to reach 100 yards. He's only averaging 3.7 yards per attempt across the games versus Nebraska and UCLA.

For Michigan State to get back on the right track, it needs more production out of its QB.

Michigan State's Jack Velling, right, runs after a catch as UCLA's Anthony Jones attempts the tackle during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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