Michigan State football: 3 takeaways from loss to Oregon

Well, that was rough. Michigan State football fell to .500 on the season as Autzen Stadium hosted its first game as a member of the Big Ten.

Michigan State football was under the lights on Friday night, traveling out to the West Coast. The Spartans hoped to play spoiler tonight, and, as the score shows, they were unsuccessful. Following an early three-and-out, the Spartans looked to go up early, but Aidan Chiles fumbled the ball away, and the game went downhill from there.

What was learned from Friday’s loss?

1. The execution still leaves a lot to be desired

Unlike the game against Ohio State, this game was not closer than it appeared. The Spartans were saved from Oregon flirting with 50 points due to a pair of clutch interceptions split between Malik Spencer and Charles Brantley. Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel had an uncharacteristic two interceptions, both coming inside the Oregon 5-yard line. Without that and the Ducks pulling their starters, it could have easily been 35-0 or worse at the half, or 35-7 if Aidan Chiles’ fumble did not happen.

As the game played out, the Spartans did hit a backdoor cover (Oregon was favored by 24.5 at kick) via a KLA touchdown against the backups and a Jonathan Kim field goal with 20 seconds to play.

The Spartans were soundly beaten by the run, with their offensive yardage being outgained by Oregon running back Jordan James in the first half. Bad angles, broken tackles, bad reads, no defensive push, the Spartans had it all. The Spartans, the Big Ten leaders in sacks entering the week of the OSU game, are eight quarters removed from their last sack.

On offense, the line was completely overwhelmed the entire matchup. From giving former Spartan Derrick Harmon a sack in the first quarter to the last sack of the game at 1:14 left, the line could not hang with the Oregon front. Ashton Lepo, Stanton Ramil, Brandon Baldwin, and Rakeem Johnson all had a play where they allowed a near-instant pressure. As a result, the running game had no push. Also, an uncharacteristic drop by Jaron Glover helped sink any fleeting hopes of a Spartan comeback early in the third quarter.

All around, yikes.

2. Aidan Chiles is not the problem with this offense

Speaking of the offensive line, Aidan Chiles is not the issue. Chiles had an untimely fumble to prevent an early Spartan lead, but that was the first and last time Michigan State football drove against the Ducks’ starters. Chiles had been under duress nearly the entire game. Without stats in front of me, it is very possible that he was pressured more dropbacks than he was not.

The debate on starting Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams and Nate Carter does not matter when the backs have to dodge a defender two yards before the line of scrimmage. Chiles gets no help from the running game, and that does not even fall on the backs. Both KLA and Carter had a play where they created yards out of a tackle for loss on Friday night.

The few times Chiles did have a clean pocket, it was iffy if Chiles would have anyone to throw to. Do not get me wrong, Brian Lindgren had schemed up multiple open receivers at points. This Oregon defense was that good. There was never a blown assignment or a double move that faked out a defender. Chiles had tight windows to throw to, and he did provide. On fourth-and-2, Chiles found Nick Marsh for 44 yards. He later created a play for Glover, but that was the aforementioned drop.

Aidan Chiles was not turnover-free, but he was not the Thorne (I had to) in the offense’s side.

3. The Spartans have a problem at linebacker

It is time to address a glaring hole from the last two weeks. The Spartans, entering the year with the self-touted “best linebacking corps” in the nation, per Jordan Hall, have had an abysmal showing by the middle of their defense. More specifically, Cal Haladay has struggled. Jordan Turner was everywhere against OSU, Jordan Hall flashed against Boston College, and Darius Snow quietly impressed on his limited reps.

Haladay has taken the most reps of all the linebackers this year, and he is easily the lowest-graded on Pro Football Focus. With the TV view as opposed to a press box on Friday night, I watched a lot more of Haladay. Watching it, I saw the reason there was an agenda to bench him by the fans. Haladay was abysmal at points. He ran himself out of plays, did not diagnose screens or running lanes, and was blocked out of every play. At points, he was being beaten in sprints upfield by defensive tackle Ben Roberts when in pursuit. On the second touchdown of the game, he got completely out-run in an outside run.

Cal is a great guy, and I enjoy his moments with the media and his multiple pick-sixes. That said, he is not the answer in Rossi’s linebacker system.

The defensive front has had moments of being underwhelming, but not at the same level as the linebackers. The Michigan State football linebacking corps has combined for a half-tackle for loss for the last eight quarters. It is not good, to say the least. Some of that falls on No. 27, I am afraid to say. One of the times MSU diagnosed a run and cleaned it up, I realized that the Ducks ran to Wayne Matthews’ side of the field.

The Spartans get a bye week to recover and lick their wounds, and then it is homecoming week. Michigan State football plays Iowa for the first time since 2020, hosting the Hawkeyes. Perhaps we could see a throwback helmet to improve the mojo or morale, maybe? Stay tuned for time and network info. The Hawkeyes play Ohio State on Saturday if you would like to scout them through a mutual opponent with an open Saturday.