3 Observations from Michigan State's Fourth Consecutive Loss

Here are some observations from Bloomington during MSU's 38-13 loss to No. 3 Indiana.

Indiana's E.J. Williams Jr. (7) scores a touchdown during the Indiana versus Michigan State football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. --- Michigan State was nowhere near good enough to hang with the team of the caliber of No. 3 Indiana on Saturday, as the Spartans dropped their fourth consecutive game, 38-13.

Despite what is now an all-too-familiar result, there are still several key takeaways from the game. Here are some of them:

More Lackluster Defense

Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. (3) runs after the catch during the Indiana versus Michigan State football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU's offense had the ball for about 20 minutes during the first half. One big reason the ball control was so far in favor of the Spartans was simply because Indiana kept scoring extremely quickly. During the first half, the Hoosiers scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions and averaged a whopping 9.6 yards per play.

Michigan State is still dealing with an avalanche of injuries on defense, but the game was still filled with missed tackles. The lack of personnel also led to MSU playing a lot of soft coverage, giving Heisman Trophy candidate Fernando Mendoza plenty of easy throws underneath for solid gains.

Indiana ended up averaging 8.3 yards per play, but that number crept above 10 at one point during the second half. The Hoosiers have one of the best offenses in the country. MSU has one of the worst defenses. It sure looked like it.

Inferior Opponent Treatment

Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith and Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti shake hands after the game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indiana played like a team that knew it could toss a C-minus game out there and do just fine. The Hoosiers’ offense did just fine out of the gates, but it seemed like their defense needed to see MSU put up a few points before it woke up. 

After Michigan State scored on its first two drives, it was able to keep moving the ball a bit, but IU seemed to bow up every time the Spartans crossed the 50-yard line from that point on.

It barely felt like the Hoosiers cared all that much, to be honest. There were no demonstrative celebrations or taunts. Indiana was truly all business. 

Curt Cignetti and his Hoosiers knew they were the better team on Saturday, and they acted like it. It felt like, from their perspective, this was just another notch on their 7-0 record on the path to bigger goals, like a Big Ten or a national championship. 

Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. (7) celebrates after getting a first down during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

While MSU was doing everything possible just to hang around, Indiana just kept methodically getting stops on defense and putting together near-effortless drives on offense. 

It’s not the best time to use the analogy, given the Spartans’ next opponent, but it felt at times like a bigger brother toying a bit with his little sibling. This was a game featuring two programs headed in opposite directions, and those arrows did not alter one bit in Bloomington.

Another Big Opposing Run

Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Kaelon Black (8) runs for a touchdown during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

An issue that has popped up over and over again during the Jonathan Smith era is MSU’s opponent going on big, unanswered runs. That happened again on Saturday.

After Michigan State took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter, Indiana then rattled off 31 straight points.

This happened against UCLA, when the Bruins scored 38 in a row. Against Nebraska, the Cornhuskers had a 24-0 run. Last year against IU, the Hoosiers scored 47 in a row after Michigan State had an early 10-0 lead.

Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti and Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith talk prior to the game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

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