Following a crushing 42-0 loss to Penn State in the regular season finale, Michigan State redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter was asked about the one thing that he learned about himself during the Spartans' 4-8 season in 2023. His answer was simple.

"The ability to persevere," Carter explained.

"Obviously, no one expected what we went through to happen. No one ever would wish for it to happen. But we pursued and we persevered through the entire season. The coaches persevered, the players, and everybody did. We did our best to stay unified."

The 2023 Michigan State ended on a sour note for the Spartan players and fans. But Carter and fellow teammate Aaron Brule were both reflective and upbeat in the postgame press conference.

"Upbeat" may not be the perfect word to describe their demeanor, but they both had the prescence of two young men who have gone through something difficult together and come out the other side stronger because of it.

Obviously, the game was difficult, but Carter embraced the challenge and viewed Penn State as a measuring stick that he hopes and believes the Spartans can aspire to in the near future.

"You look at teams like that (Penn State) and how disciplined they are and how fast they are," Carter said. "If we want to get to that level, we have to be able to train in the offseason and be able to obviously recruit players that can play at that level. They were a great team. It's fun playing against good teams like that. I love that and I love competing against great teams and great defenses."

As for Brule, the sixth-year linebacker, he enjoyed the opportunity to end the season playing at the home of the Detroit Lions, Ford Field, and he viewed it as a positive experience for both the local Michiganders and their teammates who support them. He did not view it as a negative that that Spartans played one fewer game in East Lansing than originally planned.

"This was awesome," Brule said about playing at Ford Field. "I think this was a great opportunity for the guys that are from here (Detroit) and for the guys to play for the guys that are from here (who are) not from here. I love it. I think this is a good idea."