A quick word to Spartan fans who found themselves frustrated with the product on the field tonight: Jonathan Smith isn’t going to freak out and you should probably follow his lead.

Now, some follow up words about that:

- The sky is not falling.

- The cupboard is not bare.

These struggles were probably always going to happen on day one of a new regime, especially going up against a unique opponent with nothing to lose led by a quality head coach in the program's first game with an 18-year-old starting for the first time in the game’s most difficult position.

Spartan fans probably got a little overexcited with the pre-season confidence oozing out of the players and were expecting a comfortable win in Smith’s home opener.

When it didn’t go down the way they were hoping, Spartan fans approached it soberly, understanding that a rebuild usually takes time, and often comes in fits and starts – right?

Wrong.

There was much handwringing on social media during and following tonight’s Spartan victory. And MSU fans have the right to do that – I just don’t think it’s a good approach, myself.

A healthy dose of realism – and context – matters.

So let's take a look.

Jonathan Smith took over a program in East Lansing that was reeling – and did so in the middle of the most turbulent time in modern college football history for keeping or building a team.

Michigan State returned 36 letterwinners from last season's team – 21 on defense, 13 on offense, and two on special teams. Just 21 position players returned with starting experience (six on offense and 15 on defense). It’s no wonder the offense struggled and the defense was somewhat successful.

Michigan State has 61 new players on its 2024 roster, which is tied for seventh most in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is the most of all 18 teams in the Big Ten. This team consists of 33 freshmen and 28 transfers. The 28 transfers ties MSU for 18th most in the FBS and ranks them second in the Big Ten. Of those 28 transfers, 17 of them arrived on campus over the summer (only 11 joined the team in January).

These are not excuses.

These are reasons.

Reasons why a team would struggle in their first game together.

Reasons why putting this giant puzzle together, piece by piece, is way more difficult than it might seem.

There are positive signs to be found tonight if you look close enough.

One of the biggest positive signs I saw from a full day on campus today was the fact that apathy is nowhere to be found in the Spartan fan base. Spartan Stadium was essentially full tonight – on a Friday night heading into a three-day weekend against a supposedly inferior opponent – even though the entrance gates didn’t open until 6:15pm (55 minutes before the game started) thanks to lightning in the area. Stadium personnel had to squeeze 70,000+ fans into a much tighter window than usual, yet the crowd was there and made an impact on the game, as Smith said afterwards.

Another positive sign is the fact that the Spartans did in fact pull out a victory against a plucky opponent without scoring a single point in the second half and going backwards 140 yards on 12 penalties for the game. A loss was a definite possibility tonight and the Spartan defense held strong and didn't let it happen.

Positive signs #3, #4, and #5 – in front of nearly 80 media members after the game, Aidan Chiles took full responsibility for the team’s offensive struggles with zero excuses. When it was the defensive players at the mic, they made it clear that they had their young QB’s back. There was camaraderie out there tonight – which is the first step towards building the Jonathan Smith culture at Michigan State.

That culture was on display all day today in East Lansing as Jonathan Smith spent his first game day as a Spartan putting his team out front, and himself behind them.

As in years past, shortly before 5pm, Smith’s team headed out from the Kellogg Center to Spartan Stadium for the traditional team walk past The Spartan statue and thousands of cheering fans. The traditional walk was back, but with a twist. Nearly 25 players went by before Smith was spotted in the middle of the team.

Whereas in years past, Michigan State’s head coach would be in front, leading his team, the current coach put the players out front – presumably because he knows that that is how this program is going to get back on its feet again.

It’s going to be the players leading the way.

As the players gathered in the Spartan Stadium tunnel before they ran out on onto the field for the first time, Smith was – once again – noticeably absent from the front. Who was there instead?

The players, leading the way on to the field.

‘Low ego, high output’ is Smith’s motto and he is living it out here in his new home here in East Lansing.

Of course, the motto itself isn’t going to magically transform his roster into Big Ten championship contenders. That will take time. But on a night when frustration admittedly reigned in the green-and-white-striped stands, the first few baby steps of a new program and a new culture were taken.

The baby steps were admittedly awkward.

The baby even fell down a few times.

It wasn’t even really a very cute baby at times.

But it got back up and kept walking. It finished the game.

The team was able to run together to the southeast corner of Spartan Stadium and sing the fight song as victors for the first time. That means something.

This was something to build on.

Smith will not be deterred in his approach to re-instilling pride in Spartan Nation. He knows it can’t be done with short cuts. It can’t be done without falling down sometimes.

Spartan fans should be confident in the fact that Smith has a process and he and his staff are following it.

“Week one is kind of ‘Overreaction Saturday,’” he said following the game. “First impression, right? This is the first time that team is out there. Well then you begin to label them – well they are good on this side, they’re not good on this side. It’s Overreaction Saturday (but) we (simply) go back to work.”

“We knew it wasn’t going to be perfect,” Smith continued. “There’s going to be an approach (by our staff): this was good, this wasn’t, let’s work on this ... and get ready for next week.”

It really is as simple as that.

There is no cheat code.

There is no quick fix.

When you are tasked with rebuilding a program, you do it the way you know how. And that is what Smith is doing. He's done it before and he is confident he can do it again, here.

He and his staff will be back at it tomorrow, continuing the process of turning these hundred or so student-athletes into a team that Spartan Nation can be proud of.

It’s probably worth giving him some time to get it done.

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