Michigan State football winners/losers for Week 8: As Aidan Chiles rises, defense sinks

BLOOMINGTON, IN – Here are the Michigan State football players who helped or hurt their stock in the Spartans’ 38-13 loss at No. 3 Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Winners

■ QB Aidan Chiles – The junior was limited in practice early in the week after getting knocked out of the UCLA game, but Chiles recovered and responded with perhaps his most complete performance in 19 starts at MSU after possibly his two worst. He completed 27 of 33 passes for 243 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Chiles also ripped off a career-best 64-yard run in the fourth quarter

■ WR Nick Marsh – The sophomore showed chemistry and connection with Chiles thanks to some well-called plays to maximize his ability in open space. Marsh caught a 15-yard touchdown pass on a slant from Chiles, and he also converted on fourth-and-1 with a 9-yard gain on a quick down-the-line toss from the quarterback. Marsh finished with seven catches on nine targets for 64 yards. He got help as more attention came his way, with Chiles also exploiting the middle of Indiana’s zone with Omari Kelly (three catches, 59 yards) and Chrisshon McCray (four catches, 42 yards), along with the Spartans’ three running backs who combined for eight catches and 66 receiving yards.

■ Offensive line – Sure, Chiles got sacked three more times (and backup Alessio Milivojevic once) to up MSU’s total to 19 allowed on the season. However, the Spartans were down four starters – tackle Ashton Lepo joined guard Luka Vincic as out for the season, while both tackle Stanton Ramil and guard Kristian Phillips also were out and injured. Chiles had more of a pocket to operate from than he has in recent games until the strain of Indiana’s defense started to wear down the new-look line with redshirt freshmen Rustin Young and Rakeem Johnson taking over at right tackle. That also meant Gavin Broscious (left guard), Conner Moore (left tackle), Caleb Carter (right guard) and Matt Gulbin (center) had to play more snaps together, with the previously deep rotation now thinned out.

Losers                                                        

■ Secondary – When MSU gave cushion against IU receivers, Fernando Mendoza picked them apart with short, quick throws. When the Spartans played tight coverage, the Hoosiers star beat them deep. And despite giving up four touchdowns and 332 yards through the air, it was the defensive backs’ inability to tackle – including Dontavius Nash and Armorion Smith on back-to-back second-quarter plays – that cost MSU just as much as Mendoza.

■ Front seven – MSU failed to get a sack for the third time this season and the ninth time the past two years. Defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan got backfield penetration for one of the Spartans’ three tackles for loss, but the other two came from the secondary. And MSU got sucked out of position across the board late in the first half when Indiana went hurry-up, leading to a 29-yard Kaelon Black touchdown run gave the Hoosiers a 21-10 lead they continued to build on in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Spartans’ middle-field coverage issues with their linebackers continue to cost them against both the pass and the run.

■ Run game – While Makhi Frazier, Elijah Tau-Tolliver and Brandon Tullis helped out Chiles in the passing game, the three running backs struggled mightily on the ground. The trio combined for just 17 yards on 14 attempts, with Frazier getting strung out down the line on third-and-7 late in the second quarter essentially killing a drive with the Spartans down 14-10.

Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football winners/losers: As Chiles rises, defense sinks