Tag: michigan state spartans

Losing streaks collide as Maryland, Michigan State meet in Detroit

Posted on | by Field Level Media

When Maryland visits Michigan State in the season finale for both Saturday night in Detroit, the game will feature teams on lengthy losing streaks.

Maryland (4-7, 1-7 Big Ten) has fallen in seven straight games, while Michigan State (3-8, 0-8) has dropped eight in a row.

“Like looking at yourself in the mirror,” Terrapins coach Mike Locksley said about the Spartans.

While Maryland has given Locksley an assurance that he will return for his eighth season, there is much uncertainty about the status of Michigan State’s second-year coach Jonathan Smith.

Dissatisfaction came to a head last weekend when Michigan State surrendered a fourth-quarter lead for the second time in three weeks, falling at Iowa 20-17.

Smith said on Monday that he has not received any word from the administration whether he will be back next season.

“College coaching nowadays, it’s a week-to-week thing. We got another week to do it,” Smith said. “I’m still really confident in the people that are in the building right now.”

The eight-game skid is tied for the second longest in program history and last happened in 1981-82. Since joining the Big Ten in 1953, Michigan State has never lost all of its conference games in one season.

Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles, who was benched earlier this month and has not been available the last two weeks because of a foot injury, could return on Saturday.

Chiles threw for three touchdowns and a career-high 363 yards last year as Michigan State won at Maryland 27-24.

After losing late leads in each of its first three losses this season, Maryland has dropped each of its last four games by no fewer than 15 points, including a 45-20 home loss last week to then-No. 18 Michigan.

Playing indoors at Ford Field on Saturday, Locksley hopes for a victory for what he described as his “most connected and committed team that I’ve been a part of.”

“We need to finish this iteration the right way, as best as we possibly can, to send our seniors out the right way,” Locksley said. “We have a chance to write our own ending to a really tough year.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Justice Haynes (22) reacts after running for a touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Justice Haynes (2 TDs), carries No. 25 Michigan past Michigan State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Justice Haynes rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 25 Michigan to a solid 31-20 victory over rival Michigan State in Big Ten play on Saturday night at East Lansing, Mich.

Jordan Marshall added 110 rushing yards, including a 56-yard scoring scamper, as the Wolverines (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) won their second straight contest.

Quarterback Bryce Underwood rushed for a touchdown and Jimmy Rolder had 10 tackles, one fumble recovery and one sack for Michigan, which stopped two Spartans’ fourth-down opportunities in the fourth quarter.

Aidan Chiles completed 14 of 28 passes for 130 yards for Michigan State (3-5, 0-5), which lost its fifth consecutive game. Brandon Tullis rushed for a touchdown and Makhi Frazier had 109 yards on the ground.

Underwood completed 8 of 17 passes for just 86 yards and Derrick Moore had two sacks for the Wolverines.

Haynes carried the ball 26 times while topping 100 yards rushing for the sixth time this season. He missed last week’s victory over Washington with an abdominal injury. Marshall rushed for more than 100 yards for the second straight week.

Michigan led 10-7 at halftime before opening up a 17-point lead on two scoring runs by Haynes in the third quarter.

Haynes’ 5-yard touchdown run on the first possession of the second half pushed the Wolverines’ lead to 10. He later scored from the 14-yard line to make it 24-7 with 3:08 remaining in the third quarter.

The Spartans answered early in the fourth quarter. Chiles appeared to throw a 25-yard scoring pass to Nick Marsh but a replay review displayed Marsh stepped out of bounds inside the 1. Tullis then scored on the next play to pull Michigan State within 24-13 with 12:34 left before the ensuing two-point conversion throw was broken up by Rolder.

The Spartans reached the Michigan 27 on their next possession but Chiles’ fourth-and-3 pass to Jack Velling was incomplete with 8:01 remaining.

Two-plus minutes later, David Santiago stripped Haynes of the ball and recovered it at the Michigan State 46 with 5:51 left.

On fourth-and-1, Chiles attempted to hurry the quarterback sneak before the Wolverines were ready. Rolder shot through the gap to stop Chiles’ momentum and multiple teammates finished off the tackle for no gain with 4:37 remaining.

Marshall then broke loose through a big hole at the line of scrimmage on his long TD run with 2:48 left to push the lead to 31-13.

Michigan State backup Alessio Milivojevic tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Michael Masunas with seven seconds remaining.

Michigan scored the game’s first 10 points in the first quarter on a 21-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada and Underwood’s 13-yard run.

The Spartans answered with Chiles’ 1-yard run with 8:24 left in the second quarter.

–Field Level Media

Michigan State's Wayne Matthews III, right, tackles UCLA's Nico Iamaleava during the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

UCLA steps up again, hands Michigan State first home loss

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Nico Iamaleava went 16-of-24 passing for 180 yards and three touchdowns as UCLA followed a major upset last week with a 38-13 victory to spoil Michigan State’s homecoming Saturday at East Lansing, Mich.

Jalen Berger ran for 89 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and caught two touchdown passes to help UCLA (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) follow up its upset home win over then-No. 7 Penn State with another strong performance.

UCLA had 418 yards of total offense, with 238 of it rushing, to 253 yards of total offense for Michigan State.

Quarterback Aidan Chiles was 8-of-17 passing for 66 yards and ran for 9 yards and a touchdown for Michigan State (3-3, 0-3) before he was knocked from the game on the opening drive of the third quarter after absorbing a hit from UCLA’s Keanu Williams.

The Spartans have followed a three-game winning streak to start the season with three consecutive defeats in conference play. It was Michigan State’s first home loss of the season.

Trailing 7-0 in the first half, UCLA scored 38 unanswered points to take a 38-7 lead in the third quarter.

Berger gave the Bruins a 10-7 lead with 1:39 left in the first quarter on a 16-yard touchdown run and increased the advantage to 17-7 with 10:17 remaining until halftime on a 3-yard TD pass from Iamaleava.

With 4:09 to go in the second quarter, Iamaleva hit Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for a 12-yard touchdown pass for a 24-7 UCLA advantage.

After stopping Michigan State on downs at the UCLA 38-yard line, the Bruins drove the field in 11 plays and took a 31-7 lead with 3:55 left in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Jaivian Thomas.

Following another turnover on downs by Michigan State — this time at its own 33-yard line — UCLA took advantage of the field position and took a 38-7 lead on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Iamaleva to Berger.

Michigan State finally broke UCLA’s run, making it a 38-13 game with 13;09 remaining in the game on a 5-yard touchdown run from backup quarterback Alessio Milivojevic to Nick Marsh. The extra point was missed.

Michigan State got off to a good start, taking a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Chiles.

After taking over for Chiles, Milivojevic completed 8 of 18 passes for 100 yards.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Chrishon McCray (13) score a touchdown against Southern California Trojans cornerback Marcelles Williams (25) during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

No. 25 USC builds big lead, withstands Michigan State rally

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jayden Maiava passed for three touchdowns and rushed for two more scores as No. 25 Southern California answered a second-half Michigan State rally to beat the Spartans 45-31 on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

USC (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten Conference) built a two-touchdown lead by intermission, scoring on the second of Maiava’s scoring passes and the first snap after a lengthy delay due to a serious injury to Michigan State linebacker Wayne Matthews III.

Matthews remained on the turf after he collided with Trojans running back Waymond Jordan. Medical staff tended to him, eventually moving Matthews onto a stretcher as he was carted off the field and taken to a nearby hospital.

Matthews was the second Spartans linebacker tasked with manning the defense’s communications system who was removed from Saturday’s game. Jordan Hall was disqualified earlier in the half due to a targeting call.

USC quickly grew the lead to 31-10 in the third when Maiava connected with Walker Lyons for a 10-yard touchdown pass. It was the Trojans quarterback’s third scoring toss, with his two in the first half coming on connections of 40 yards with Makai Lemon and the 7-yarder to Tanook Hines after the Matthews injury.

Maiava also scored on a 15-yard rush in the first quarter to give USC its first lead at 10-7.

Michigan State (3-1, 0-1), outscored 28-3 after Aidan Chiles’ 42-yard touchdown hook-up with Chrishon McCray, chipped away at the deficit in the second half.

The Spartans scored on a 4-yard Chiles carry, then regained possession in USC territory when Armorion Smith forced a DJ Jordan fumble on the first play of the following drive. Michigan State capitalized when Chiles found Jack Velling on a rollout, pulling the Spartans to within a score on the 1-yard toss.

After running only seven plays in the entire third quarter, the Trojans used 13 plays to retake control with a drive ending with a 4-yard Lemon touchdown carry. USC’s defense effectively slammed the door when it forced a turnover on downs in just four snaps on Michigan State’s ensuing possession.

Maiava put an exclamation point on his sensational night with a goal-line touchdown carry. He finished 20-of-26 passing for 234 yards — 127 went to Lemon on eight receptions — and rushed for 31 yards on four carries.

Maiava also helped USC convert 8-of-12 third-down attempts on a night the Trojans did not punt until the final seconds.

Chiles went 12-of-21 passing for 212 yards with three touchdown passes, adding a 75-yard bomb to Omari Kelly in the game’s waning minutes. Chiles was hit late on the play, resulting in an Anthony Lucas penalty.

USC was penalized 10 times for 83 yards.

–Field Level Media

Michigan State's Aidan Chiles runs for a gain against Western Michigan during the second quarter on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in East Lansing.

Michigan State faces Boston College with fresh memories of last year’s collapse

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Michigan State hasn’t forgotten how last year’s meeting with Boston College slipped away – etched in memory is the final 88 seconds, when Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos connected with Lewis Bond on a 42-yard strike that sealed the game.

Four turnovers and a missed opportunity to close out the game haunted the Spartans through the offseason, and now, with Saturday’s rematch looming at home, head coach Jonathan Smith is making the stakes clear.

“These games are won in the fourth quarter,” Smith said. “We could have got a stop last year, didn’t do it. Had the ball at the end of the game, couldn’t finish it.”

This time, the Spartans aim to rewrite the ending.

Michigan State (1-0) enters the matchup riding the momentum of a 23-6 win over Western Michigan, where the defense held firm without surrendering a point and added a second-half safety. The offense came out firing with three touchdowns before halftime, but sputtered through an uneven final two quarters.

“We weren’t pleased with what it looked like in the second half offensively,” Smith said. “And so we’re gonna need to do a better job of playing really a complete game, 60 minutes offensively.”

Boston College (1-0) made quick work of Fordham on Saturday, cruising to a 66-10 rout behind a dominant aerial attack led by quarterback Dylan Lonergan. The Alabama transfer was nearly flawless, completing 26 of 34 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns as the Eagles shredded the FCS opponent.

While happy with the passing attack, Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien said there’s room for improvement, especially with the running game which produced just 97 yards on 39 attempts.

“We have to run the ball better,” O’Brien said. “We have to start the game better on defense. We gave up too many plays where we missed tackles or weren’t aligned right.”

O’Brien said a key will be containing quarterback Aidan Chiles, who was 17 of 23 for 155 yards and a touchdown pass in the season opener.

“I watched the tape,” O’Brien said. “He’s very good. He’s a good passer. He’s got a really good arm. He can throw the ball down the field. … I think Chiles does a great job. If you let him run around, if you let him take the game over, it’ll be a long night for us.”

-Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) hands the ball to running back Nate Carter (5) during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Motivated Michigan State must beat Rutgers to go bowling

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Michigan State needs a win against Rutgers on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich., to become bowl eligible for the first time in three years.

“This is an important game for multiple reasons — our last home game, the last home game for some of our seniors, the opportunity to keep this group together for … another month if you can have success this Saturday,” said first-year Spartans coach Jonathan Smith. “All of that should add to their motivation.”

The Spartans (5-6, 3-4 Big Ten) snapped a three-game losing streak last weekend, holding on for a 24-17 win over Purdue to put them in a position for a postseason berth.

Aidan Chiles, who has passed for 2,265 yards and 12 touchdowns, has not thrown any interceptions in his last two starts after tossing 11 in his first nine games.

“A tremendous athlete,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said of Chiles. “Really, a quarterback that you can see is just getting better and better each week. We recruited him. We’re very familiar with him. We really wanted him. He ended up going to Oregon State and now he’s at Michigan State, but somebody that we really thought was an excellent player.”

The Scarlet Knights (6-5, 3-4) are trying to rebound from a crushing 38-31 loss to then-No. 25 Illinois. Rutgers gave up a 40-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with four seconds left.

Schiano expects to see the best from Michigan State.

“I think it’s a huge challenge going on the road, playing a team that’s certainly motivated with bowl aspirations but I don’t worry about the other team,” Schiano said. “I learn about the other team. We use it to educate ourselves, but our team has overcome adversity all season and they will overcome it again.”

With game-time temperatures expected in the low 30s, the Scarlet Knights will likely need to rely on the run game led by Kyle Monangai, whose 122 rushing yards against Illinois gave him 1,150 for the season.

A win Saturday would give Rutgers its best regular season finish since 2014.

“We’ve had a lot of things that can test your will, test your focus,” Schiano said. “I think our guys have done a very good job. Here’s another opportunity.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Xavier Scott (14) tackles Michigan State receiver Aziah Johnson (11) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Josh McCray’s big day powers Illinois past Michigan State

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Josh McCray rushed for three touchdowns while Luke Altmyer threw for 231 yards and two scores as Illinois earned a 38-16 Big Ten victory over Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in Champaign.

The Illini (7-3, 4-3), who had lost two straight games, never trailed while clinching their fifth winning record in 23 seasons. Altmyer hit 19 of 32 passes, primarily to senior wideouts Pat Bryant (4 catches, 135 yards, 1 TD) and Zakhari Franklin (7 catches, 44 yards, 1 TD) on Senior Day.

Aidan Chiles completed 23 of 40 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns for the Spartans (4-6, 2-5), but also suffered five sacks and narrowly avoided several others. After losing its third straight, Michigan State must beat Purdue and Rutgers at home to secure a bowl berth in Jonathan Smith’s first year at the helm.

After the teams exchanged punts on their first drives, they swapped touchdown bombs on their second drives.

Bryant got behind two Spartans down the left sideline and caught a 57-yard touchdown pass from Altmyer at the 9:52 mark of the first quarter. Michigan State responded with Aziah Johnson getting wide open down the right sideline on a coverage bust for a 52-yard scoring strike from Chiles two minutes after Illinois’ TD. Jonathan Kim’s extra point went wide right, though, to preserve Illinois’ lead at 7-6.

Illinois answered with a more conventional drive to expand its lead. McCray capped the 13-play, 75-yard march with a 11-yard run — using a stiff-arm maneuver to bounce outside before tightroping down the right sideline for the final 5 yards to take a 14-6 lead with 1:06 left in the first.

The Illini pieced together another long drive to seize a 21-6 cushion with 2:01 to go in the half. Altmyer capped the 12-play, 65-yard march with a 4-yard fade route to Franklin. Kim booted a 38-yard field goal to pull the Spartans within 21-9 at the break.

Michigan State opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive. The Spartans converted two fourth downs, including Chiles’ 5-yard scoring toss to Nate Carter to cut Illinois’ lead to 21-16.

David Olano kicked a 37-yard field goal midway through the third to make it 24-16, then McCray provided an insurance score when he soared over the pile for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 31-16 with 7:30 to go. McCray, who rushed for 61 yards on nine carries, added another 1-yard scoring blast with 1:56 left.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Tayven Jackson (2) runs the ball for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Playoffs in view as No. 13 Indiana takes on Michigan State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With the last third of the college football regular season here, No. 13 Indiana serving as a feel-good story this year feels like old news.

Now, remarkably, the big question is whether the Hoosiers can play their way into the College Football Playoff.

Four games remain for Indiana (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) to achieve that improbable feat. The first game will come against Michigan State (4-4, 2-3) on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing, Mich., and the clash will serve as the annual battle for the Old Brass Spittoon.

First and foremost on the minds of the Indiana faithful is the health of starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke.

After Rourke missed last Saturday’s 31-17 win over Washington with an injured thumb, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said Monday he was “optimistic” on the quarterback’s return.

“Building up,” Cignetti said. “Workload will increase as the week goes on. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Backup Tayven Jackson did a serviceable job against Washington, completing 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Indiana, however, knows its best chance of cracking the 12-team playoff is to have Rourke in the lineup.

Rourke enters the game fifth in the Big Ten in passing yards (1,941) and second in completion percentage (74.6).

Cignetti said his team will have to be sure to match Michigan State’s physicality.

“They’re going to smack you in the mouth,” Cignetti said. “Have a good play-action game. Also have enough little trickery there to keep you off balance so you’re not overcommitting. Very aggressive on defense.”

While Indiana is aiming for a conference title and playoff berth, Michigan State is bidding for at least two more wins to become bowl-eligible for the first time since the 2021 season.

The Spartans are coming off a 24-17 loss to arch-rival Michigan and are preparing a stretch in which they will play three of their last four games at home.

“We do have to move on to a big-time opponent,” Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith said. “One of the hottest teams in the country. Doing it in all three phases. You look at Indiana, offensively they are doing some things and can score points in bunches. Defensively, they have some good players running around and have a solid scheme. You don’t win every game by accident.”

Michigan State hasn’t been as consistent as Indiana this year, which is a reflection of the up-and-down play of first-year starting quarterback Aidan Chiles.

After throwing for seven interceptions in the first four games of the season, Chiles has been picked off only twice in the last four games.

If Chiles can continue to take care of the ball and make plays with his arm and feet, the Spartans can present problems for Indiana.

“I think we’ve gained confidence as the year has gone on,” Smith said. “We can go toe-to-toe with just about anybody. Now we want to play our best football in November.”

The road team has won four straight games in the rivalry, including Michigan State’s 24-21 win last year in Bloomington, Ind.

–Field Level Media

Sept. 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) waits for a television interview following an NCAA Division I football game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

No. 3 Ohio State braces for stern test from Michigan State

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No. 3 Ohio State worked out enough kinks during its soft nonconference schedule to feel positive going into its Big Ten opener at Michigan State on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich.

The Buckeyes rolled to a 52-6 win over Akron, 56-0 rout of Western Michigan and 49-14 victory over Marshall — all at home — while introducing fans to Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard and former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins.

They’ve helped the Buckeyes (3-0) to a No. 3 ranking in scoring offense (52.3 points) and fifth in total offense (552.0).

“Going on the road against a conference opponent is a big deal,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “If you have a young team, it’s significant. I think our guys have played a lot of football and been around a lot of games, different styles of games, so we should be able to adjust pretty quickly.”

In order for the Spartans (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) to have a chance, coach Jonathan Smith said they must do better scoring touchdowns in the red zone. Michigan State was 3-for-3 in the red zone in a 23-19 loss to Boston College last Saturday but just one was a touchdown.

Michigan State is 112th of 133 FBS schools in red-zone efficiency at 73.3 percent (11 of 15), which includes four scores rushing, two passing and five field goals.

“This red zone touchdown percentage is not where it needs to be. We’ve got to improve in that area,” Smith said on Monday.

In comparison, the Buckeyes have scored touchdowns on all 11 opportunities (nine rushing, two passing). While that seems low in chances for such a high-scoring team, who needs the red zone when you have such an explosive offense?

In the win over Marshall, the Buckeyes had four touchdowns of 40-plus yards: receptions of 68 and 53 yards by Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith, respectively, and runs of 86 yards for Judkins and 40 by TreVeyon Henderson.

“I’ve got a bunch of respect for that program and those coaches and those players,” Smith said of Ohio State. “It will be a real, real challenge. We’re going to put in a lot of work this week to take it on.”

The former Oregon State coach, in his first season with the Spartans, brought quarterback Aidan Chiles with him but it has been a struggle at times. Chiles threw three interceptions against Boston College but he was hampered by missing three wide receivers and two offensive linemen due to injuries.

Smith said he won’t know until later in the week if receivers Nick Marsh, Jaron Glover and Antonio Gates Jr. will be available.

“Jonathan’s done a really good job already of establishing an identity there,” Day said. “They have a really good young quarterback who can do a lot of different things.

“They’re playing really, really hard. You can tell they’re well coached. I think he’s upgraded a lot of areas.”

Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock said there is something different about conference games, especially this being the first fall weekend of football. The temperature for the Buckeyes’ first three games ranged from the high 80s to the low 90s. It should be in the low 70s for the nighttime kickoff on Saturday.

“I’ve been ready for Big Ten Conference play,” Hancock said. “The cold weather out­side, going to hostile territories, and the tradition. Big Ten, Ohio State or Michigan State, I’ve always been watching those games, and I’m just excited for the matchup.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos (1) speaks with head coach Bill O'Brien before the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

BC hosts unbeaten Michigan State in Red Bandana Game

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Unbeaten Michigan State visits Boston College for the programs’ first meeting since 2007 on Saturday at Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Playing its annual Red Bandana Game in honor of Boston College alum and Sept. 11, 2001, hero Welles Crowther, the Eagles (2-1) look to bounce back from last weekend’s 27-21 loss at then-No. 6 Missouri — the first setback under new head coach Bill O’Brien.

“For us to be able to go out there and play a game in honor of (Crowther) is a big deal,” O’Brien said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for Boston College to show off who we are. This is who we are.”

Thomas Castellanos threw three touchdowns against the Tigers and ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with nine on the season. The Eagles led 14-3 before giving up 24 unanswered points.

“We’re never going to accept losing at Boston College, but these guys fought hard,” O’Brien said. “I think if we can do a better job stopping the run, that’s going to lead to more success for us in the future.”

With last week’s 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M, Michigan State (3-0) has won three straight games under a first-year coach in Jonathan Smith for the first time since Mark Dantonio in 2007.

The Spartans have seen both Aidan Chiles and Tommy Schuster make an impact at quarterback, with the latter debuting with his new team last week — 8-of-10 passing for 97 yards — after transferring from North Dakota.

Chiles threw for 173 yards and a touchdown, following up a 363-yard performance in a 27-24 win at Maryland on Sept. 7.

“We’ve got total confidence (Schuster would) be ready to go out there,” Smith said. “It’s a long season, just like we’re dealing with injuries at different spots, he needs to be ready, and he will be.”

A new Spartan has recently been added to the injury list in offensive lineman Gavin Broscious.

“You probably won’t see him the rest of the year which is unfortunate,” Smith said. “Again, these yearly ones (hurt) because he’d been working really hard.”

Boston College has a 4-1-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 24-21 win in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. The QB matchup in that game featured Matt Ryan against Michigan State counterpart Brian Hoyer.

–Field Level Media