Michigan State football got first statement win of the Jonathan Smith era

Michigan State football picked up its first statement win of the Jonathan Smith era on Saturday in College Park.

There’s a different feeling around the Michigan State football program these days.

There’s no longer a head coach who loves social media more than he loves winning as Jonathan Smith has truly exuded the “low ego, high output” mentality, and that showed on Saturday in College Park.

After a disappointing season opener in which the Spartans won just 16-10 over FAU, they went on the road to open Big Ten play and beat a pesky Maryland team projected to be in the top half of the Big Ten, 27-24.

Smith picked up his first “statement” win as a Spartan head coach and it came early in his tenure. It was a refreshing performance.

Unlike in previous years, Michigan State was able to respond to just about every Maryland score. The Terps went down and scored first and Michigan State responded by tying it up almost immediately. Then the Terrapins went up 14-7 and Aidan Chiles was able to engineer another scoring drive to tie it up and then another to take a 17-14 lead at the half. In the second half, Michigan State nearly found itself in an insurmountable 10-point hole but a missed field goal by Maryland gave the Spartans news life.

A 77-yard touchdown pass from Chiles to Nick Marsh tied things up and then the defense stood strong and got the ball back for Jonathan Smith to kick a game-winning field goal with one second left.

While penalties (10 for 100 yards) and turnovers (3) were an issue, Michigan State didn’t panic and fought back to tie things up and eventually go ahead at halftime and then again with one second left in the game.

That happens when you have good coaching. You win tight games like these. You win when everyone thinks you’re going to lose.

And that’s what Jonathan Smith did.

Folks, it feels like the Spartans have a good one here.