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    • Michigan State football has the momentum it needs before facing Michigan
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    Michigan State football has the momentum it needs before facing Michigan

    Kathleen William Posted on

    EAST LANSING – Free Press sportswriter Rainer Sabin answers three questions after Michigan State football's 32-20 victory over Iowa at Spartan Stadium Saturday night.

    Would MSU look refreshed after the bye week?

    The first of the Spartans' two byes came at the halfway point of their season. The timing was impeccable in many ways. MSU was reeling after three straight losses, including blowout losses to Ohio State and Oregon within seven days. The offense failed. The defense began to uncover leaks. Head coach Jonathan Smith had to address several concerns, including an inefficient ground attack, quarterback Aidan Chiles' penchant for turning the ball over and MSU's inability to control the offensive line on both sides of the ball. Smith and his staff appeared to have taken advantage of the break in the schedule.

    THE GAME: Aidan Chiles and Michigan State football beat Iowa 32-20

    The Spartans looked reborn against Iowa. They continued to make great strides, scoring on four of their first five possessions to take a 12-0 lead by halftime. Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes couldn't muster much resistance as the Spartans hampered Iowa's productive running game. Kaleb Johnson, who entered Saturday with the second-most rushing yards in the country, gained just 26 on 12 carries in the first three quarters. Iowa didn't get a first down until 11:04 of the second quarter. MSU was in complete control for much of the game. The Spartans, who never trailed Saturday, owned the ball for twice as long as Iowa – beating the Hawkeyes at their own game while laying the foundation for their most impressive victory yet.

    This was the reset MSU wanted heading into the bye week. On Saturday evening it became reality.

    Has the offense reached its full potential?

    Smith, his assistants and his players all came to the same conclusion after the first six games.

    “It is The close,” receiver Montorie Foster Jr. said of the offense on Tuesday.

    “We missed a lot of opportunities and we have to take advantage of that, especially in this conference when we play good teams like Iowa,” tight ends coach Brian Wozniak told reporters that same morning.

    Before taking the field on Saturday, the Spartans had committed 14 turnovers, the most in the Big Ten. They also converted on just 66.7% of their chances in the red zone, the lowest rate in the league.

    Due to self-inflicted mistakes and premature failures, MSU did not reach its full potential. But things went much more smoothly for the Spartans against the Hawkeyes on Saturday. The offensive line was able to apply some pressure and create gaps for running backs Nate Carter and Kay'ron Lynch-Adams to pick up yards in bulk. Chiles, meanwhile, developed a rhythm as he completed 22 of 30 pass attempts for 256 yards.

    Aside from an unfortunate interception in the first quarter, Chiles delivered with poise and precision. He targeted five of his teammates and threw most of the balls to Foster and freshman star Nick Marsh as each wideout topped 100 yards. Chiles even showed off some slick moves against a 26-yard keeper in the third quarter, drawing much applause from the crowd. Four snaps later, he threw a dart to Foster for an 18-yard touchdown pass that gave MSU a 19-7 lead. It was one of the rare times the Spartans reached the end zone Saturday night, even though MSU had advanced beyond Iowa's 37-yard line on nine different possessions. Six of those drives ended with a field goal by Jonathan Kim. The 18 points he delivered were nice. But the fact that Kim was used so often only confirmed that the Spartans still haven't come close to crossing the threshold into an efficient offense.

    That is the pessimistic point of view. The optimist? MSU scored on eight of its 11 drives, providing clear evidence that the offense is close to getting going.

    How important was this win for MSU and Aidan Chiles heading into their matchup at Michigan?

    The second Big Ten win of Smith's tenure was a huge one. This not only ended a three-game losing streak, but also brought the Spartans within striking distance of bowl eligibility heading into the final month of the season.

    Confidence is also restored within the program just before it faces rival Michigan, a team that appears to be on the rise after two straight losses.

    MSU should like its chances heading into this showdown, especially after Chiles gained some redemption on Saturday after a series of shaky performances against Boston College, Ohio State and Oregon. For the Chiles, MSU has the edge over the Wolverines at quarterback. But that advantage will only grow if Chiles plays like he did against Iowa, when he minimized his mistakes, threw one accurate pass after another and used his athleticism to make some big strides on the floor.

    All in all, the win over the Hawkeyes was huge because it gave Michigan State momentum back at a critical point in its season.

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    Kathleen William
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