Talking Through a Subpar Game vs. Youngstown State

Here are the places where Michigan State fell short against YSU on Saturday.

Michigan State's Joshua Eaton, left, tackles Youngstown State's Mike Solomon during the third quarter on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

EAST LANSING --- The performance Michigan State just had against Youngstown State isn't going to be good enough during the Big Ten schedule. It resulted in a 41-24 win, but there are lots of things to work on.

Moving to 3-0 and sweeping the non-conference slate is a big step for the Spartans, but the real work begins now. There are no more tune-up games or FCS squads remaining on the schedule.

On this episode of the Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast, we go through the areas where MSU will need to improve the most before the nine-game conference slate begins next week at USC.

Watch here:

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith spoke to the media following the conclusion of Saturday's game. Below is a partial transcript of his press conference.

Jonathan Smith

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith looks on from the sideline against Youngstown State during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Three notes, we'll obviously take that. It's kind of what I told the team though, we've got more to us.

"Credit to Youngstown State, I thought some schematics gave us a couple issues, especially on defense on the one long run; we're not even kind of lined up correctly and it creases for the big hit.

"I thought schematically, in the run game offensively, we got more to us. We got to get something going there and make it a little bit easier on the quarterback, to get us a little better down-and-distances.

Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles throws a pass against Youngstown State on Sept. 13, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

"The first half went quick on us. We had four total possessions offensively, we scored three of them. So you go into halftime with the thinking that we just wanted to get the ball going and then coming out of the second half, that punt return was huge, 'cause we didn't do anything offensively. Defensively, steps up, gets us three and out.

"Punt return by Omari (Kelly) was huge. Gets us down there, kind of separating things.

Michigan State's Omari Kelly, right, runs after a catch as Youngstown State's Brandon Chambers Jr. closes in during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"We had one turnover tonight; tipped ball, play action pass, the defense bowed up. I thought that was really big, looking at the second half and everything. Turn the thing over and get it in a pretty good field position for them. Defense bows up and gets a stop, I think it was a field goal on that possession. So that was big.

"So again, we're gonna go back to work, similar like we're doing each week, right? We're gonna digest this tape and look at some things. We know what's coming in regards to this conference, starting conference play next week. The road trip, the team we're playing (USC), all of that's coming."

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith claps while looking on during the second overtime in the game against Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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