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MSU football falls to Michigan 24-17: 3 quick takes

Posted on by Vanessa
MSU football falls to Michigan 24-17: 3 quick takes

1. This loss will hurt MSU because the Spartans had a chance and didn't capitalize on it

ANN ARBOR – Regret. That should be the prevailing emotion for the Michigan State football team after its 24-17 loss at Michigan on Saturday night.

The Spartans had a chance to win this thing. They controlled the game early, scoring just seven points in two impressive drives. Then, at the end of the first half, they fumbled, allowing Michigan a field goal to take the lead. And in the second half they seemed to do countless little things to hurt themselves. Mostly penalties – false starts, the wrong person signaling a fair catch, a targeted call even though it seemed unfair.

Michigan has grown into the game. MSU grew out of it – and then back into it, but by then the tide had turned. The Wolverines were the better team in the second half, no question. But the score should be different.

This Michigan pass defense – both rushing and covering – is the best group the Spartans have ever faced. This was not an easy task.

This is what made the early journeys so promising and yet wistful. The same goes for the touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

MSU believed its best chance was to run the football, and it did so effectively for a period of 163 yards, including 93 in the first quarter.

This loss would be painful no matter how it happened. It's Michigan. This triggers all sorts of emotions – as we saw in the scuffle in midfield at the end of the game. But it's difficult to add regret to these feelings.

This game has a way of defining you. The last few years have been frustrating for MSU. The Spartans closed the gap. But they're not there yet. They are not good enough to leave so many points on the field. They aren't seasoned enough. If they were, they would have won.

2. MSU's offensive line's improvement in the run game appears to be real

I've seen too much in the last decade to trust a single promising Saturday from MSU's offensive line. Last week's performance against Iowa was incredibly good – and against a solid defensive front, no less. On Saturday night at Michigan, MSU's offensive line once again stood out compared to what we're used to.

On MSU's first drive, the Spartans attempted a throw just once on their first 11 plays, moving 73 yards to the 2-yard line. The next drive included runs of 34 and 8 yards and finally a touchdown run in which the ball came in from the 1-yard line.

Things got tougher from there, but there were still some good gains, especially behind right guard Brandon Baldwin and from Nate Carter, who had his most memorable game as a Spartan. MSU ran well twice on third-and-long, converted once and almost on second, and only had a couple of negative plays in the backfield – although one came on third-and-1 and forced (and made) a long field goal attempt, ending a drive.

After a game like that, it's hard for the Spartans to find comfort in anything. But if this is actually a tangible advance in the unity that has held this program back for nearly eight years, then that is at least something.

3. This could have been a Nate Carter legacy game

If you want to change your perception of MSU, do something extraordinary in a game like this. Nate Carter is considered a solid, hard-running running back at MSU. He was much more than he was that Saturday evening. He seemed to have a different gait. He maximized every wrinkle. He refused to go under – memorably on a catch on third-and-14 near midfield as MSU tried to score a game-winning touchdown.

This could have been a legacy game for Carter if MSU had won it. As it is, I think people will see him a little differently.

Carter looked like a criminal trying to prove his point. He dreamed of playing in the Big House as a high school recruit for Michigan. Maybe that had something to do with it. Whatever the case, he was a real weapon on Saturday – 19 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 58 yards. This version of Carter makes all the difference. Let’s see if he can make it at MSU over the next season and a half.

Contact Graham Couch at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch.

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