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V-Cast: Can Michigan State take some positives out of a tough road loss at Southern Cal?

On3 imageby: Paul Konyndyk09/21/25PKonyndyk
V-Cast-uscpostgame

Michigan State showed grit but couldn’t get the stops it needed, when it needed them in a 45-31 loss to Southern Cal on the road in game that kicked off at 11pm. Afterward, SpartanMag staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk sorted through the good and the bad in the loss in the latest V-Cast.

V-CAST TOPICS

 Run defense: Michigan State boasted a Top 20 run defense entering this game, but struggled to stop the USC run game with the exception of short stretches in the third quarter. The Trojans rushed for 283 yards against the Spartans, scoring three touchdowns and averaging 7.7 yards per carry. Ironically, Michigan State showed some improvement against the run in the second half despite playing with out Jordan Hall, who was ejected early in the first half for targeting and Wayne Matthews, who was taken off the field in an ambulance as a precautionary measure for a potential neck injury. It is unclear if Matthews will play again this season, but Jonathan Smith indicated during postgame that early indications are that Matthews avoid career-threatening injury. Shoring up the run defense will be a priority for Michigan State when the Spartans return to the field at Nebraska following the bye week.

Chiles does his part: Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles may have had the best overall performance of any Spartan at Southern Cal. Chiles, who did not have the benefit of adequate pass protection for much of this game, had a hand in all four of the touchdowns scored by the Spartans. Chiles threw for three touchdowns and added another on the ground. One of the biggest positives with regard to how Chiles played was his ability to avoid forcing throws under pressure. As a result, Chiles was able to avoid costly interceptions and keep the Spartans in this game until early in the fourth quarter when USC was able to extend its lead.

Something to build on? While there are no moral victories in college football, this was not an ugly loss that we’ve seen in match-ups against some of the high-powered offenses in the Big Ten in recent years. Michigan State players come away from this game knowing that they competed for four quarters under difficult circumstances and did not quit on their teammates for the Spartan coaching staff. That does not, however, mean that anyone in the Michigan State locker room is happy with the outcome of this game, nor should they be. This road game was difficult, as will many of the upcoming games that will be played by the Spartans. Growth during the bye week, however, should enable the Spartans to stay competitive in most of the games on their remaining schedule provided that Michigan State can avoid a rash of serious injuries in upcoming games.

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