Michigan State Football: 5 key plays from season-opening win over FAU

After coming away with a 16-10 victory, we look back at some of the plays that helped define the Michigan State football win.

It is one of the great traditions that Michigan State football has. Friday night of Labor Day weekend at Spartan Stadium. A new school year, a new head coach, and a new team. After a disappointing year in 2023, it just felt good to forget all the questions and just leave it on the field.

Following the 16-10 victory against FAU, here are a few plays that stood out and made the difference in the Spartans season opener.

FAU interception by Kahzir Brown at 14:58 in the first

Kahzir Brown gives #FAU a pick! Pretty solid ball and foot control there. #MSUvsFAU pic.twitter.com/9FK6yGQEX2

— College Football Buzz (@CFBBUZ) August 30, 2024

On the first offensive play of the Jonathan Smith era, Aidan Chiles threw an interception. To be fair, the ball was tipped by Montorie Foster, but it was not a great start by the offense. In retrospect, this play in a way symbolized the Spartan offense. The offense had some good looks, but the execution was just not there. One can’t help but think that this play may have thrown off a lot of the good vibes that Aidan Chiles was giving.

Following the game, Chiles was very quick to accept responsibility for the offensive struggles.

MSU safety by D’Quan Douse at 7:49 in the first

a closer look at the D’Quan Douse safety: pic.twitter.com/AulJVomTe3

— SpartanTailgate.com (@SpartanTailgate) August 31, 2024

After an excellent punt by Ryan Eckley to push FAU back to their own 1-yard-line. All the Spartan defense needed was a push. That is what they got from the graduate transfer from Georgia Tech, D’Quan Douse. He bulled up the middle and laid out Cam Fancher to give MSU a big two points. The defense decided to step it up when the offense came out slow to start the game. Though the offense wasn’t able to put up any points after the punt, it at least took a bit of pressure off the offense, which struggled early.

MSU interception by Nikai Martinez at 12:55 in the second

ANOTHER ONE‼️

Nikai Martinez with the second pick of the game for @MSU_Football 🗣️#B1GFootball on @BigTenNetwork 📺 pic.twitter.com/GTqLLamCLC

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 31, 2024

Cam Fancher did not have a great start to the game, throwing two interceptions in the first half. The most impactful one was by Nikai Martinez in the second quarter. On a throw that seemed to go directly to Martinez, Fancher made a big mistake that led to great field position for the Spartan offense. The interception seemed to finally get the offense going, at least for a bit. The drive that resulted from the interception led to a Chiles 9-yard rushing touchdown.

FAU interception by Phillip Dunnam at 8:23 in the third

Aidan Chiles with another interception 🤔pic.twitter.com/U9Jzz42WXW https://t.co/kJ1DmZPr2X

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) August 31, 2024

It finally looked like Michigan State football was putting together another strong drive. The offense was moving down the field at a solid pace and looked to stretch the lead. It was not to be though because Aidan Chiles ended up throwing his second interception of the game on the goal line. He was trying to hit Montorie Foster in the front corner of the endzone, but the defender made the right read and was able to flip the field. After a drive that was building a lot of confidence, it hurts to see the script flip like that. The interception eventually led to the FAU touchdown which brought the score to 16-10. If that play goes differently, we are having a much different conversation about this offense in general.

Pressure by Ken Talley at 1:23 in the fourth

The final play that helped summarize this game was the final offensive play for FAU. On fourth down, trailing by six, Fancher tried to run for the first down, but the pressure by the Michigan State defense was too much. Ken Talley almost registered a sack, but was denied when Fancher made a desperation throw to try and save the game. He was unsuccessful though and this forced a turnover on downs which allowed the Spartans to knee the ball and end the game. The Spartan defense was playing hard all night long, and even though Fancher made several plays with his legs, the defense never allowed these plays to kill them. The pressure was so intense that Fancher lost his helmet at least four times throughout the game when he absorbed the contact.

Overall thoughts

It was ugly, but it was a win. Before going to Maryland, this team needs to regroup and do a soft reset. Especially on the offensive side of the ball, the team needs to reevaluate their approach. Jonathan Smith mentioned in his presser that there are some things to be praised but to also remember that Week 1 is always “Overreaction Friday/Saturday”. Everyone has their opinions after this game, but that doesn’t mean that this is what this team is.

It’s still early and there is room to grow. The defense showed promise and at times looked great. The offense needs to go back to basics and focus on getting Chiles into a good rhythm. If that happens, this team will be able to push to the next level they need to reach.