Michigan State probably should have beaten Michigan on Saturday night. In the Spartans’ third consecutive loss to the Wolverines, MSU out-rushed and out-passed Michigan yardage-wise, and had the ball for over 14 more minutes of possession time.

Despite that, Michigan State could not get out of its own way again as Michigan kept the Paul Bunyan Trophy in Ann Arbor following a 24-17 result on Saturday.

“We believe we should have won this game (against Michigan), and I think everyone in that locker room knows that we probably should have won this game,” MSU running back Nate Carter said after the game. “There was no doubt in our minds coming into this game that we (should) have won.”

The Spartans had a total of four red zone drives and only reached the end zone twice. Michigan had 17 points on three such opportunities.

“The red zone piece is frustrating,” MSU head coach Jonathan Smith said in the postgame press conference. “Again, we’ve got to keep looking at it, again, be able to punch it in (to the end zone).”

It’s quickly becoming one of the most glaring flaws with this Michigan State team. On the season, MSU has now scored just 12 red zone touchdowns on 30 opportunities, just a 40% clip. Nine times, the Spartans have come away with no points at all.

“At the end of the day, we shoot ourselves in the foot a lot,” Carter said.

"We can't keep getting stalled out when it gets to the red zone because that's what hurts us. So we have to figure out a way in order for us, when we drive the ball down there (to the red zone), to finish with points, hopefully touchdowns."

The issues were immediate. On the game’s opening drive, the MSU ground game was working, as the offense ran 13 plays, 12 of which being runs, before lining up to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line. The offense took too long, and Smith opted to just take the flag and kick the field goal instead of burning a timeout. Kicker Jonathan Kim then missed a 25-yarder.

“That’s how these games go,” Smith said. “You’ve got to respond back, but yeah, you look at the points in the red zone – we’ve got to find a way to do it better.”

Carter shared similar sentiments.

“Just too many missed opportunities,” Carter said. “When we move the ball like that, and we get into the red zone, we have to capitalize on those opportunities. We have to finish with points. And, unfortunately, we didn’t do that, and as you see, that kind of hurt us late in the game."

MSU was able to get a red zone touchdown on its next drive after Carter ran it in from two yards out, which gave the Spartans a 7-0 lead.

From there, more costly mistakes ensued. Michigan State tried to get more points in the waning moments of the first half after Michigan got on the board with 29 seconds remaining in the second quarter. During the second play of that drive, quarterback Aidan Chiles tried to extend a pass play, but did not appear to sense UM’s Josaiah Stewart closing in behind him. Stewart knocked the ball from Chiles’ grasp, and Michigan recovered the fumble in field goal range.

Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada made a 37-yard field goal with two seconds left in the half, evaporating a seven-point MSU lead after the Wolverines scored nine points in 25 seconds of game time, and UM went into halftime with the lead.

During the third quarter, after Michigan went up 16-7, Sam Edwards called for a fair catch on the ensuing kickoff, but Alante Brown, who caught the ball, did not fair catch as well. That meant that MSU got the ball on its own 5-yard line, where Brown received it, instead of the usual 25-yard line from a touchback.

“All three phases, there’s some things we didn’t do well enough to earn a win tonight and that’s why it’s frustrating and disappointing,” Smith said.

The Spartans got its other red zone touchdown after Michigan had capped off a 24-3 run to take a 14-point lead. MSU was fortunate to get the score, as it came on a third-and-12 from the 20-yard line, as Chiles found true freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh, who made a few defenders miss on his way to the end zone.

MSU’s last chance also reached the red zone. Down by seven points, the Spartans got as close as the UM 16-yard line. Michigan State faced a fourth-and-5 from there, but Chiles’ pass was broken up in the end zone with just under two minutes remaining. The Wolverines drained the clock from there.

“Frustrating, disappointing,” Smith said. “A lot to digest in the game and I look at both ends of halves – we didn’t finish well at all.

“We had our chances in the fourth (quarter), didn’t get it done.”

The blunder and lack execution ultimately caused Michigan to lose the game, according to Carter.

"I think it just comes down to really just execution," Carter said. "Especially, with emotions high, with the rivalry of this game, we have to be able to calm our emotions down. We have to be able to execute the little details at the end of the day."

The big plays just did not go the Spartans' way. Michigan went 7-for-12 on third downs and didn’t turn the ball over for the first time all season. The Wolverines also not get penalized once.

It’s those little things that Carter talks about. It sure helps to out-rush or out-throw an opponent, but it takes more than that sometimes, especially in a rivalry setting.

Now, things get even more difficult. MSU hosts 8-0 Indiana and Curt Cignetti next Saturday, and an improved performance is going to be needed for the Spartans to have a shot.

"What's really going to matter is, how are we going to get into Sunday and then go into our practice on Tuesday?" Carter asked rhetorically. "How are we going to turn that into action so that on Saturday we can come out with the 'W?'"

Join the discussion on this article in our premium forums by clicking here.

You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, and Instagram.

For video content, including our Red Cedar Radar podcast, find us on YouTube and consider subscribing.