3 Stats That Best Explain MSU's Demise Against Michigan
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Michigan State lost 31-20 to No. 25 Michigan on Saturday night. The result extends MSU's still-active losing streak to five and marks the fourth consecutive year that the Wolverines have bested the Spartans.
During the postgame press conferences, the phrases "not good enough" or "didn't execute" came out several times --- whether it be head coach Jonathan Smith, quarterback Aidan Chiles, or linebacker Jordan Hall.
The box score of Saturday's game is filled with numerous stats that can be hyper-analyzed and pored over for hours. Some numbers tell the story of the game better than others, though.
Here are the three statistics from Michigan vs. Michigan State that best show how the game went:
276 Rushing Yards for Michigan
Winning football games is going to be tough when the opponent can run the ball for solid gains at will.
Michigan had 49 rush attempts during its game against MSU for 276 yards and four touchdowns. During the game, the Spartans only had two tackles for loss, which both only pushed UM back one yard.
The Wolverines did it despite run defense really being the stronger part of Michigan State's defense. Entering Saturday, MSU's run defense was ranked 52nd nationally, while the pass defense was 109th.
Michigan's running back duo each had 100-yard games. Justice Haynes ran for 152 yards and two scores; Jordan Marshall went for 110 and his own touchdown.
50% Completions for Aidan Chiles
Michigan State's offense was not doing the team many favors, either. The Spartans finished with 20 points, but the real total is 13 when a touchdown with seven seconds left is omitted.
One big reason the offense never got in rhythm is that Chiles never did. He went 14-for-28 through the air for just 130 yards and no passing touchdowns. On throws at least five yards beyond the line of scrimmage, Chiles was just 6-for-16.
The large amount of incompletions constantly put MSU behind schedule for the next first down. Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren then had to try to make Chiles throw downfield more to make up for that, which was always going to be tough with Chiles' lack of accuracy during the game.
During Big Ten play this season, Chiles is just completing 57.4% of his passes, the fourth-lowest percentage among qualified quarterbacks in the conference.
12 Penalties for 105 Yards
MSU was the less-disciplined team, as well. The Spartans were flagged 12 times at the cost of 105 yards, while Michigan had six for 61.
This also helps explain the poor showing for Michigan State's offense. That part alone had seven penalties, pushing MSU back 60 yards. The defense was flagged three times for 35 yards, and special teams had two go against it for 10 yards.
Several of the penalties were also entirely preventable. The Spartans were called for a personal foul or for unsportsmanlike conduct four times, which accounts for 60 yards.
Michigan got one personal foul, a roughing the passer call when backup quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was in for Michigan State.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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