It took a come-from-behind effort in a closely-contest game throughout, but placekicker Jonathan Kim delivered a 37-yard field goal with one second left to give Michigan State a 27-24 victory over Maryland on Saturday.

True freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh led the way for the Spartans offensively, catching eight passes on 10 targets for an impressive 194 yards. The performance included a game-tying 77-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Marsh also had a 57-yard reception earlier in the period and drew a massive pass interference flag on a third-and-10 to extend what ended up being the game-winning drive.

The victory moves the Spartans to 2-0 overall on the 2024 season and places MSU as the first-place team in the new 18-team Big Ten, as the Spartans are the first squad in the league to win a conference game this season.

The win comes despite MSU being minus-two in the turnover battle, and the fact that Maryland held three separate leads. The Terrapins entered the game having won six-straight ganes when they had the upper-hand in turnovers.

Although quarterback Aidan Chiles did throw three interceptions, he still showed some real improvement. The true sophomore, who only turns 19 this coming Thursday, ended up with 363 yards through the air and three touchdowns.

The important part for the Spartans is that he stepped up in crunch time. Chiles threw for 171 yards in the fourth quarter alone, 114 being on the final two drives that pushed MSU ahead. The final drive went 13 plays and 65 yards to take 2:11 of the final 2:12 off the clock. Chiles completed four- out of five passed with 37 yards on that drive, getting 10 rushing yards as well.

Wide receivers Jaron Glover and Montorie Foster Jr. also had good games. They each had six receptions and a touchdown. Glover finished with 84 receiving yards and Foster had 53.

Defensively, linebacker Jordan Turner led the way with seven total tackles, with two being for a loss. Rush end Khris Bogle had the lone sack of the game for the Spartans. Cornerback Charles Brantley also intercepted a pass from Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. in the fourth quarter.

First Quarter

Maryland had multiple opportunities on its opening drive. Edwards twice had potential long touchdown passes, and twice overthrew his receiver. The Terrapins converted on its first four third down attempts, Brantley committed pass interference and then cornerback Chance Rucker got beat by Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton for a 15-yard touchdown, to put the Terps up 7-0 after the extra point.

MSU immediately responded, which was a theme in this one. A late hit after a third-down conversion aided the Spartans' initial drive.Running back Nate Carter scampered 30 yards on a second-and-6 to put the ball on the Maryland 15-yard line. Chiles got his first touchdown pass as a Spartan from nine yards out to Foster to tie it up soon after.

After the Spartan defense got a stop, Chiles was intercepted on third-and-9 by Maryland defensive back Glendon Miller, who returned it to the MSU 17-yard line. Chiles had Marsh, as he often did, but the throw was high. Edwards Jr. ran it into the end zone two plays later. Maryland took a 14-7 lead.

Second Quarter

Glover fumbled on the first play of the frame, but Foster recovered it. On the same drive, running back Kay’ron Lynch-Adams got his first few touches of the game, including a 16-yard gain on a third-and-4. After offensive guard Gavin Broscious committed a blindside block, Chiles found Glover from 34 yards out to tie the game at 14-14.

On the ensuing kickoff, Michigan State defensive back Ade Willie made a great tackle at the Maryland 10-yard line, and it got pushed back to the 5-yard line by another blindside block penalty. After a 1.5-sack performance against Florida Atlantic, Bogle got in the backfield again to end the Terrapin drive.

The two teams then traded punts. One MSU stop came after Maryland tight end Dylan Wade fell over for a false start penalty while lining up on a third-and-1.

The Spartans then had a good drive to end the first half. They got the ball as far as the Maryland 28-yard line before Chiles got sacked for a loss of nine yards with six seconds left in the half.

Kim then initially missed a 55-yard field goal, but Maryland was called for offsides. Kim made his second chance kick from 50 yards out to give MSU a 17-14 halftime lead and cap off the 12-play drive.

Third Quarter

The Spartans also got the ball back to open the second half. Four of the first six plays of the drive were for first downs to put the ball on the Maryland 21-yard line. After a holding penalty, Chiles threw his second pick of the game. He looked for tight end Michael Masunas in the end zone, and probably had him up the seam. Instead, Chiles threw it to the corner, where Maryland defensive back Jalen Huskey was waiting.

In response, the Terps drove 53 yards in seven plays, tying the game on a 45-yard field goal from kicker Jack Howes. It marked 10 points for Maryland off of Chiles’ first two interceptions.

After an MSU punt, Michigan State safety Nikai Martinez intercepted a throw from wide receiver Octavian Smith Jr. on a double pass play from the Terps, but it was called back due to a pass interference flag on Brantley.

Toward the end of the frame and during the same drive as the overturned pick, the secondary took another blow on the injury front, as Rucker went down with an apparent arm injury.

Fourth Quarter

Still on the same drive, Maryland re-took the lead after blown coverage on the back end allowed Edwards Jr. to find a wide open Wade for a 28-yard score. This put the Terrapins up 24-17.

In response, Chiles found Marsh on the first play of the ensuing drive for 57 yards to put the ball on the Maryland 18-yard line. Following the massive play, everything was in reverse. Offensive tackle Stanton Ramil was called for a false start, Carter was stopped for a loss of four yards, Chiles was sacked for a loss of one, and then his third-and-19 pass slipped out of his hand and was intercepted again by Miller.

Maryland gave the ball back to MSU a few plays later, as Brantley got to one on the Spartan 23-yard line. The Spartans went three-and-out thereafter.

The Terrapins continued to drive, converting on a few third downs. Michigan State got a stop, and Howes lined up for a potentially game-sealing 41-yard field goal. He missed wide right.

That moment is when MSU took over. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Chiles found Marsh deep again for a 77-yard touchdown to tie it up again at 24-24.

On Maryland’s next drive, Turner and safety Malik Spencer both stuffed Maryland running back Nolan Ray on a critical third-and-1 on Maryland's 44-yard line to give the offense the ball back.

On Michigan State's next drive, the offense faced third-and-10 immediately. Chiles went to Marsh again, drawing a pass interference call to extend the drive.

MSU methodically made its way up the field afterward. Chiles found wideout Antonio Gates Jr. for seven yards, scrambled for six yards, then threw to Foster for 13 yards and then Marsh for 11 more to get the Spartans in field goal range.

Five plays, 16 yards, and a false start later, MSU sent Kim out to win it, and he did just that.

As mentioned, Michigan State earned the 27-24 victory.

Up Next

Michigan State will return home next Saturday for a contest with FCS school Prairie View A&M.

The Spartans will enter the game against the Panthers as heavy favorites and hope to move to 3-0 before heading into Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to take on a Boston College team that could be ranked in the top-25 on Monday.

Kickoff with the Panthers is set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday and will be televised on Big Ten Network. Those details against Boston College are yet to be announced.

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