For the second weekend in a row, Michigan State couldn’t get out of its own way in a game the Spartans should have won.
Iowa defeated Michigan State by a final score of 26-16 Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium in a game that saw just one offensive touchdown, six turnovers and two 50-plus yard field goals made between both teams. There was a point in the fourth quarter where it seemed like neither team wanted this one up until Iowa defensive back/punt returner Cooper DeJean took the ball 70 yards to the house to break a 16-16 tie late in the fourth quarter.
“We helped Iowa beat us tonight,” acting head coach Harlon Barnett said following the loss.
MSU outgained Iowa 349 to 222 in total yards and out-rushed the Hawkeyes by nearly 100 yards (156 to 61). Costly penalties (10 total for 94 yards) at inopportune times halted several drives for the Spartans. While two of Michigan State’s four turnovers came when the game was all but over, those could have been avoided.
“You cannot fault their effort," Barnett said, citing reasons for the loss. "We need to play with more discipline,”
Yes, the effort was there on Saturday night and you have to give the players credit for that amidst everything on within the program, following the firing of head coach Mel Tucker and the current name, image and likeness (NIL) drama taking place.
Coming into a hostile "Blackout Game" environment for a night game Kinnick Stadium, the pressure was felt. The Spartan defense, a unit that was criticized heavily following the 41-7 loss to Washington two weeks ago, stepped up and gave the team a great chance to walk out with a victory.
“Our guys are still fighting for each other with everything going on,” Michigan State linebacker Cal Haladay said following the game.
Haladay scored the lone touchdown for the Spartans with a 42-yard fumble recovery early in the third quarter that gave Michigan State a 16-10 lead.
At that point, with Iowa’s starting quarterback Cade McNamara out for the game with an injury, it seemed like it was the Spartans' game to lose. Michigan State wouldn't score from there.
“Losing sucks … it’s one of the worst things ever in the world," MSU offensive lineman J.D. Duplain said. "I mean, I almost hate to lose more than I like to win. It’s just a horrible feeling."
Haladay would mirror Duplain's comments, and added, “You just have to stay positive and look at the things that we did do well. I think that’s going to be a point of emphasis because we did have an opportunity to win the game.”
Many games come down to a few plays that ultimately made the difference, and that couldn’t be more true in this one.
“We feel ourselves getting better as a team each week," Duplain said. "It just comes down to five plays a game and you never know which plays those are. That’s why you have to play as hard as you can every single snap.”
There are some positives to build upon that give the Spartans an opportunity to win each week. Running back Nathan Carter was impressive, running for 108 yards (on 20 attempts) and has established himself as an every-down back with injuries remaining in the backfield.
Prior to leaving the game with an injury at the end of the first quarter, tight end Maliq Carr picked up where he left off versus Maryland. The redshirt junior caught six of quarterback Noah Kim’s seven completions in the opening quarter and is established as a primary weapon in the offense moving forward.
“We were going to feed him all he can eat," Barnett said of Carr. "He ended up going out, but he’ll be fine. He’ll be back."
Having a healthy Carr is critical moving forward for the Spartans for obvious reasons.
Aside from a couple hiccups late, special teams was a positive for the Spartans for the majority of the game, particularly in the kicking game. Kicker Jonathan Kim hit on three of his four field goal attempts on Saturday night, including a 58-yard boot (a Kinnick Stadium record) to close the first half with momentum. His lone miss came on a 50-yard attempt that hit the upright.
“It was awesome," Barnett said about Jonathan Kim. "He had more than enough room on that kick. He’s a weapon for us,”
Redshift freshman punter Ryan Eckley also had a mostly good night, pinning the Hawkeyes within their own 5-yard line multiple times. However, Eckley also later had a costly shanked punt of 15 yards in the fourth quarter that led to an Iowa field goal. And of course, the Spartans allowed the aforementioned punt return touchdown late that swung the momentum back to Iowa.
As Michigan State approached a much needed bye week, the Spartans will put emphasis on coming out of it with a positive mindset. The player and staff have been put in a difficult position to win games with outside distractions remaining prevalent within the program.
“They’re dejected, like we all are," Barnett said about the players in the locker room after the loss. "But these guys have a fight in them … that’s why I love them so much,”
It was confirmed by Spartans Illustrated on Saturday night that long snapper Hank Pepper and defensive back Justin White departed the team prior to the Iowa game.
“If that’s what they choose to do, that’s their choice … we’re going to fight with the guys that are still in the locker room," Barnett said about the players leaving. "And as you can see, these guys are fighting,”
It’s not completely clear if (or how much) the departures had to do with the recent news surrounding Tucker, but Pepper and White are the first known current players to leave since Tucker's firing. Obviously, establishing a healthy culture that keeps the current players in East Lansing for the foreseeable future is top priority for the staff and will remain that way for the rest of the season.
Looking ahead on the field, MSU still has big questions that will need to be addressed to remain competitive and compete for a postseason bowl berth. The biggest question right now is at quarterback.
Noah Kim threw three interceptions Saturday night and hasn’t been able to put together a complete game since Week Two versus Richmond. Michigan State has scored just two offensive touchdowns in the past three games (and Noah Kim was only responsible for one of those).
Will redshirt freshman Katin Houser get an opportunity versus Rutgers after the bye week? We'll see.
"Good question," Barnett said when asked about the quarterback position moving forward. "We have to watch the film very closely. We've got two weeks, so that's a good thing. (Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach) Jay (Johnson) and I, and (the) offensive staff, we'll all talk it through, and see if there's something that needs to be done or not (at the quarterback position). And (we'll) evaluate it, being very, very realistic in evaluation, and being very fair at the same time."
Duplain feels that the bye week can be a good time to reset and figure things out.
“I feel like this team’s bought in," Duplain said. "We’ve had some adversity … everyone that shows up, they show up ready to go. This bye comes at a good time, I think we can regroup."
Regrouping and figuring out how to be a more disciplined football team, while keeping everybody together, is key.
Michigan State travels to Rutgers in two weeks with an opportunity to get back on track, but the Spartans will need to lock in until then.
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