Michigan State Battles Through Highs and Lows vs. Indiana

While MSU did get blown out by Indiana, it did show positives to take away for Michigan

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith talks to the media on Oct. 20, 2025 about the Spartans' upcoming rivalry game against the Michigan Wolverines. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Over the weekend, Michigan State football took on the number three-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington. Being a 27.5-point underdog, it was a big task to try and pull off such an incredible upset.

While the first two possessions ended in points as the Spartans had a field goal and a 15-yard passing touchdown to Nick Marsh, MSU wouldn't score until 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter. 

Against Indiana, MSU had an overall PFF grade of 66.6. While the final score would make people think otherwise, it's the highest the Spartans have been graded throughout their four-game losing streak.

The Pros

This game was not pretty to watch if you are a Spartans fan. However, PFF graded MSU’s offense relatively high, which fans should take as a big positive.

Michigan State’s offense was graded at 68.3, which is also the highest during its four-game losing streak. Aidan Chiles played very well as he went 27/33 with one touchdown and no interceptions. Chiles was also the leading rusher as he had 48 yards on the ground. His performance earned him a PFF score of 77.5, which was the highest MSU has had all season.

The receiving, running game, and pass blocking were also good as they had grades of 68.3, 70.5, and 69.2. 

The Cons

While the offense was great, there was one area where it was the opposite and that was the run blocking. The run blocking was at a season low of 45.5, 13 points lower than the next lowest grade when the run blocking had a grade of 58.5 against Nebraska.

Moving to the defense, the Spartans struggled a lot. The overall defense had a grade of 69.2, which is the second lowest of the season. The tackling was graded at 62.3, which isn't the lowest, but it's still not something to write home about. 

Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) warms up prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The biggest cons for MSU came from the pass rush and coverage. The pass rush was graded at a season low of 56.4, as the Spartans couldn't get after Fernando Mendoza and ended up with zero sacks. The coverage was also a season low with a grade of 51.9, as while the Spartans did have two pass deflections, Mendoza was able to complete 24 of 28 passes.

While Michigan State had some highs, including a season high in passing, it had some major lows.  Going into the biggest game of the season, the Spartans need to play better on the defensive side of the ball to have a chance against the number 25-ranked Wolverines.

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